The sixth step in the Formula for Success is: Know when to use product knowledge. People who have seen what their product or service can do for people can get very excited about the product or service. When they are excited they often overwhelm the person they are talking to, thinking more information, more testimonials, and more experience with the product or service will get the person to buy the product or service.
That’s not usually true. When people are overwhelmed or when they think someone is trying to get them to do something, they tend to resist making a decision. They might not be willing to say they don’t want to use the product or service, but they will not buy it if they are overwhelmed or not comfortable. They might say they want to think it over.
Product knowledge, that is, knowledge about details, specifications, uses, advantages, disadvantages — all these facts about the product or service have no place in the early part of a salesperson’s conversation with a prospect. Successful salespeople do not use their product knowledge to sell. They ask questions to find out if the prospect has an will acknowledge they have a problem. Not only does the prospect have to believe he has a problem, he also must want to solve the problem. Using product knowledge to try to convince someone to buy is the wrong place to use product knowledge.
On the other hand, if the prospect acknowledges they have a problem, wants to solve it, and thinks the salesperson might be able to help them solve it, the salesperson might have a qualified prospect. Of course, before they use product knowledge they also want to confirm the prospect has the time, money, and resources to buy the product or service. Salespeople should know how the decision to buy or not buy will be made before they start sharing solutions.
When the salesperson and the prospect both agree there is a problem, the prospect acknowledges he wants to solve the problem, the prospect has discussed his ability to provide sufficient time, resources, and money, and there is a clear understanding about how the decision to buy or not buy will be made — only then, will product knowledge become valuable.
In the presentation of solutions, the prospect will want to know how the salesperson proposes to solve the problems they discussed way back in the beginning of their conversation. They want to be confident their problems will be solved. Here is where the salesperson will share enough product knowledge to demonstrate how the proposed solution will solve the problems. The prospect, and possibly his associates, will want to test the salesperson to verify he knows how to solve the problems they have been discussing. This is the proper place for product knowledge.
We will be discussing this and the other nine components of the Formula for Success on Monday, July 17 (3-5 PM) in Santa Ana and Tuesday, July 18 (2-4) in Corona. Join us. You might have fun. We promise not to sell you anything. You will be spending time with people who have been learning how to improve their conversations with prospects, shorten the time it takes to get a decision and improve their path to success.
You might also be interested in Formula For Success, pt. 1 - Success Is Not An Accident
