Becoming a product expert: Being familiar with your products, the things you sell and clearly communicating the features and benefits.
There’s good news and bad news. I’ll start with the bad news. Buyers have more choices available to them now than ever before. And those choices complicate the buying process. Now the good news. Becoming a product expert will simplify and shorten the buying process. Customers want to know how your product is tested, modified, and retested. Performance data and specifications are important to most prospects. They also often want information about maintenance and service contracts. You should be able to supply accurate price and delivery information about your products (and those of your competitors). If your products are more complex and expensive, you’re more likely to get a favorable response (especially in B2B selling) if your proposal contains return-on-investment (ROI) selling appeals. In the eyes of your customer, you are the business so be prepared to share the history and mission of your organization and keep in touch by providing service after the sale. The easiest ways to become a product expert are to use your own product, see how it’s produced, talk to your team, listen to customer feedback, and read trade and technical publications.
People don’t buy features, they buy benefits. Features answer the question, “What is it?” and benefits answer the question, “What’s in it for me?”. Focus on benefits that directly relate to specific buyer needs. Try using bridge statements to connect a statement of features with a statement of benefits, for example, “We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee which means there’s no risk.” What are you doing to become a product expert?
Learn how you can master your product expertise in SOCO Academy.
Be sure to learn everything you can about your products (and those of your competitors) and practice using bridge statements to clearly communicate the features and benefits.
Discover the importance of having solid product knowledge and strategies for becoming a product expert, right here in this video.
In this video:
00:35 Why become a product expert?
00:45 How do you become a product expert?
01:24 What you must do right now
Hi everyone, it’s Tom Abbott here, founder of Soco Sales Training, sales trainer, coach, keynote speaker and author of ‘The SOHO Solution: 21 Selling Strategies For Growing Your Small Business’ with a tip on how you can increase sales and grow your business.
There’s good news and bad news. I’ll start with the bad news: Buyers have more choices available to them now than ever before and that complicates the buying process.
Why Become a Product Expert?
Now, the good news: Becoming a product expert will simplify and shorten the buying process for your customers.
How Do You Become a Product Expert?
So how do you become a product expert? Read your own brochures, pamphlets, catalogs and advertisements. Go on a plant tour to see firsthand how your products are produced. Talk to other people in your organization: salespeople, customer service people, delivery people. Talk to your customers. Who knows more about your products than your customers? Listen to them. Have you tried your own products? Using your products and carefully evaluating them will improve your product knowledge and confidence.
What You Must Do Right Now
Your task today is to become a product expert. Read your product literature, see how your product is produced, speak with colleagues and customers. This will make you a more valuable resource for your customers.