A salesperson who knows his or her product inside and out provides the best and most memorable service to customers and outsells the rest of the field.
Why is thorough product knowledge important?
When a salesperson knows and loves the product, passion and energy are obvious and contagious. The customer notices enthusiasm and authenticity, and intrigue begins. Emotion is motivating when deciding to make a purchase, and a customer can’t get excited about a product the representative doesn’t get excited about. With enthusiasm and product knowledge comes confidence in conversation. The salesperson is more comfortable talking about the product, answering customers’ questions, and digging to discover which product best suits customers’ needs when he or she is confident about his or her product knowledge. When customers have a need or a problem that must be solved, a passionate, confident salesperson with a desire to help them gains integrity, trust, and respect.
How does product knowledge help with sales?
A salesperson can best show product knowledge by demonstrating its use (or conducting a call if the sale involves a service). Live demonstrations allow customers to learn more by seeing the product in use and asking questions to learn more about it. A knowledgeable salesperson helps customers through problem-solving. Every customer wants help in some way, and knowing the features of products makes it possible to share the benefits and impacts. How will this particular product make an aspect of his or her life easier? For example, does the customer need a daily task to take less time? How will the product he or she is interested in help with efficiency with that task? Finally, product knowledge allows for considering objections the customer may have and discussing them proactively. For example, if cost is expected to be an issue, explain the cost savings compared to an alternative. Proactively discussing objections and asking about other concerns lets the customer know that his or her best interests are important.
Product knowledge is essential to closing every sale. Understand that customers need to know how a product will benefit them before they decide to buy. Gaining more product knowledge to help them leverages a salesperson to provide memorable customer service, creating repeat customers.