People need to know how much you care, but they also want to know that you have the competence to guide, direct, recommend, or select the best option or choice for them, regarding your product or service. Product knowledge is a vital sales requirement if you are to compete successfully and acquire satisfied customers.
There are a variety of things you need to know from a product knowledge standpoint, such as:
- What your products/services do.
- What they can’t do (or aren’t).
- What your competitor’s product/service can and cannot do.
- What your Unique Selling Proposition is.
- What your competitor’s Unique Selling Propositions are.
- How other customers have uniquely used your product/service to improve their business.
- How your prospects have uniquely used your competitor’s product/service.
- Trends in the marketplace that can/will impact your sales and/or customer perceptions.
Understand that this is just a start. It’s vital to know what you need to know, and what your prospects need you to know, so you can successfully address their needs, questions, challenges, dissatisfactions, or issues. “Winging it” with regard to product knowledge is no longer an acceptable strategy.
Truth is, it never really was, but many salespeople have falsely heard the concept of “fake it until you make it” – But it just won’t work in today’s complex and fast moving world.
This is especially true when you’re dealing with complex products/services and have knowledgeable and sophisticated buyers. Don’t fake product knowledge.
Learn what you need to know as quickly as you can. Product knowledge doesn’t make up for poor people skills, poor selling skills, or poor attitude, but, if you are able to master all four, there will be little you can’t achieve.
About ActionCOACH
Brad Sugars founded the brand Action International in 1993 when he realized there was a disconnect between business advice and implementation. The answer was Action! Brad Sugars created a business coaching company so that business owners throughout the world can realize their goals in business. Today the company is known as ActionCOACH. To learn more about business, visit Brad Sugars Review blog!
