10 Ways to Identify Which Product Features Buyers Value

Every product team has the same debate: “Which features do our buyers actually care about?” Sales says one thing, engineering says another, marketing has a third opinion, and leadership wants all of them. 

Meanwhile, your buyers just want a solution that solves their problem.

Thus, the fastest way to close deals is to find out what buyers value and put it front and center. Here’s how to do that without guesswork.

1. Ask Buyers Directly

Obvious, but too often skipped. Interviews and surveys are the simplest way to uncover what matters most. Ask:

• “Which features influenced your decision most?”

• “Which features almost stopped you from buying?”

• “What’s the one feature you couldn’t live without?”

Keep it short and open-ended. Buyers will tell you what sticks, and it usually isn’t what you expected.

2. Track Usage Data

If you sell software or connected products, usage data is a gold mine. Which features get clicked daily? Which sit untouched? The data will tell you where buyers see value and what you could drop without tears.

3. Watch Demos and Trials Closely

Buyers reveal their priorities during demos and free trials. Notice what they ask about first, what they linger on, and what they ignore. If three out of five prospects zoom in on the same feature, you know it’s important.

4. Study Lost Deals

The features buyers value most often show up in your losses. Dig into why a deal went to a competitor. Was it price, or did the competitor emphasize a feature you didn’t? Those answers are painful, but they’re also a roadmap.

5. Read Reviews and Testimonials

Public reviews don’t lie. If customers rave about one feature over and over, that’s the value driver. If they complain about something missing, that’s a warning sign.

Testimonials are even better. Highlight the features real buyers bring up unprompted as they carry more credibility than any spec sheet.

6. Partner With Your Sales Team

Sales reps hear unfiltered feedback daily. Ask them:

• Which features do prospects light up about?

• Which features win deals?

• Which features feel like dead weight in the pitch?

Sales knows what lands in the room. Use that intel before investing in your next product update.

7. Analyze Support Tickets

What do customers ask for help with the most? Sometimes it’s a bug, but often it’s confusion about a feature they actually care about. High ticket volume around one function can mean it’s valuable but not well-explained.

8. Study Competitor Messaging

If every competitor is shouting about the same feature, odds are buyers care. Figure out how your version solves the problem better, and highlight that difference.

Competitor blind spots are just as useful. If no one’s talking about a feature you know buyers love, that’s your chance to own the message.

9. Test Marketing Messages

Run A/B campaigns that highlight different features. See which ad copy or landing page pulls more clicks. Buyers vote with their attention. Testing saves you from making decisions based on hunches.

10. Keep Asking, Keep Updating

Buyer priorities change. What mattered in 2020 may be irrelevant today. Make research a regular process, not a one-time project. Quarterly check-ins, annual surveys, and ongoing feedback loops keep you ahead of shifting expectations.

Struggling to translate feature lists into buyer priorities? At Borrowed Pen, we help teams turn feedback and data into messaging that makes products irresistible. Work with us, and let’s make sure your features aren’t just impressive, they’re valued by buyers.