Sales Knowledge: Customers, Products, and Technologies

Sales Knowledge: Customers, Products, and Technologies

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Abstract

Section I: Sales Knowledge

Section II: Customers

Section III: Products

Section IV: Technologies

Section V: Summary

Bibliography

Abstract

Sales knowledge is the core of any salespersons training. Knowledge of products that are sold, the customers they are sold to, and the technologies used to keep connected to those customers play an integral role in the proper development of any salesperson.

How can the knowledge of products help a company? Product knowledge allows for the salesperson to correctly explain features, benefits, and advantages to the customer. It helps keep the customer informed on how the product can be important to the buyer or its customer.

Knowing the customer allows the seller to tailor their sale specifically to the need of that buyer. Understanding exactly what the customer needs allows for a more personal connection, and lets the customer know that you have their best interest in mind.

Understanding the technologies that your customer needs, plays specifically to the buyer. Understanding what features, benefits, and advantages of that product will be important to the customer. Also using those same technologies to stay connected with customers.

These ideals will be shared throughout the paper, and help one to gain an understanding of what sales knowledge is, and how important it is to the salesperson.

Section I: Sales Knowledge

Sales knowledge can make or break any salesperson. How much they know about their product, their customer, and the technologies is a required need of any salesperson. Sales knowledge is gained through either formal sales training or experience. Sales training is provided by the employer and is used to improve performance in the selling environment. Through years of training and years working in the profession of sales, experience becomes the best teacher. With experience one has been exposed to different sales situations, has learned to overcome objections, and build the proper relationships with clients, customers, and buyers.

When asked Best Buy manager LaQuinta Brown how effective sales training can be she responded, "Sales training is essential to working with technology. All associates complete learning modules for product information, company policies, and how to build TRUST, our customer relationship building format." Working in retail at Best Buy, with the varying demographic of customers who come in to shop it is important for us to be knowledgeable about our products. Many of the customers who come in look forward to us helping them understand how the products work, and how to keep them functional when they return home.

Customers depend on the sales person and it is only right for them to do so. They believe that the sales person will have their best interest at hand in each situation. In a recent survey taken from CAR-Research XRM, 27% of car buyers faulted Sales and Management staff as to why they would not return to car dealerships. Reasons noted were rude staff and sales personnel, and sales personnel who were unknowledgeable of products or promotional financing. The key here is the lack of sales knowledge, causing dedicated buyers to turn away, and depleting revenue for the company.

Section II: Customers

So what does the previous situation say to our customers? That these companies are letting associates take advantage of them by being unknowledgeable and presenting misinformation. Proper customer care all leads back to sales knowledge, sales training, and experience. Within these areas we learn exactly what type of customers are to be dealt with in the field of sales. The customer who is willing to listen, the customer who has been taken advantage of by sales personnel and is now skeptical about making significant purchases, and the customer who is undecided and depends on the sale person to share what they know in order to make that life-changing purchase. Knowing your customer and how valuable one is to that customer leaves a lasting impression.

The importance of knowing the customer allows for the sales person to tailor their sales presentation specifically. They are able to create a more streamline presentation by pointing out product or service features, benefits, or advantages. It helps deter objections that arise, and helps close the sale with both parties satisfied.

Within that satisfied customer lies a mode of loyalty to return to your business to be flattered by customer service and the technologies. "Take the time occasionally to be a fly on the wall. Wandering through your business with no intention other than to look around and observe can be very beneficial. Listening to the interactions between customers and staff, listening to what customers are saying about the business in general...observation