What your product does is just as important as what it doesn’t.

When you’re writing about a product — don’t just think about what it does.

While Gene Schwartz is a legend, and while I agree your copy comes from the product itself…

Your benefits can also be about what your reader WON’T do anymore.

Think of things like nicotine gum.

Nicotine gum “lowers your risk of lung cancer” by proxy if you smoke less while chewing it.

Changing your diet to exclude soda could “lower your risk of diabetes” by the absence of soda.

And buying a standing desk could increase your lifespan by virtue of “you’re no longer sitting as much.”

The key is to think positively and negatively.

What will your product or service ADD to someone’s life?

And what bad things could it REMOVE by proxy?

If you’re drinking almond milk instead of whole milk — by necessity (unless you drink both) you’re taking in fewer calories if you drink the same amount of almond milk.

If you’re coaching someone — you’re adding knowledge, but also removing frustration and unnecessary mistakes.

Just something to think about the next time you sit down to write something or do research. You aren’t stuck ONLY looking at the benefits of your product. There may be things outside of your product you can pull in as a benefit too.