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You may never use it, but you have to have it!
July 26, 2008

Product knowledge is one of those things that you may never need to use, but you absolutely have to have. When starting a career in sales I would even say that product knowledge is more important than sales training. Should a salesperson not be able to answer questions about the product there is only one sales technique that could save the sale. That technique is known as a turnover. Customers can be like blood hungry sharks when they find a weak aspect of the sales presentation or of the salesperson.

People don’t necessarily buy our products for what it might have; they buy our products for what they might do for them. In many cases it is purely an emotional reason behind the purchase. In other cases the purchases are based on the technical aspect behind the product. Then product knowledge is paramount to the purchase. Add to that the industries that also repair the products that they sell. If you cannot decipher exactly what needs to be repaired, the cost, and the unseen or unknown repair, then the customer will lose confidence in the salesperson and the company. This situation could also lead to customer dissatisfaction, thus a lost customer forever. Should there be areas where your product knowledge is lacking, I would strongly encourage you to get the information. It is available through numerous sources. Trade Journals, fellow salespeople, your customers, reference manuals etc. You simply have to have the determinism to get the information you need.
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Posted by Brad Huisken on July 26, 2008 | Comments (1)