As I write this on this subject,
I literally am having to do a double take.
I recently ran into yet another circumstance, where this completely avoidable situation,
has reared it's ugly head.
A salesperson was recently sent out on an appointment, where the customer had let the appointment setter know,
that he was in dire need of the item the company sells.
This company, happens to be only one of four companies in the area, who sells the product that this customer was in need of.
Unfortunately, for this salesperson, the customer had done his homework on the product.
He actually, was more informed than the salesperson was about the product, and felt as though the salesperson was just "WINGING IT". He was.
The salesperson left with no deal
and the company did not earn a sale.
The customer decided to take his business elsewhere,
(one of the other three competitors in the area).
When this salesperson was explaining this to me,
I could see the embarrassment on his face,
and I heard it in the tone of his voice.
Hopefully, he will never allow that to happen again.
YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT,
OR YOU LOOK FOOLISH.
If you wing your product knowledge to your customer, they can see it.
You make your company, but most importantly yourself, look completely incompetent.
Would you spend your hard earned money to get your car repaired with someone who does not know what a wrench looks like?
Or a bartender, who asks you, if you know what goes into a gin and tonic. By the way, the answer to that is gin and tonic.
I know that this sounds ridiculous, however this is exactly what customers think, when we, as professional salespeople, do not know our product.
Look, if you are selling cars you need to know the mileage the car gets, engine size, the warranty that is available with the car and so on.
I do not care what you sell, the product for our example, is irrelevant.
If you are asking a customer to spend money regardless if it is a Doctor's office, if you sell Home Improvement, or Heavy Equipment it does not matter.
We all have a responsibility to our potential clients,
the people who actually pay our commissions,
to know what we are talking about.
Da Bear