“Please, stop talking!” If you have been a manager of any length of time, you know this moment. You are watching the sales rep essentially talk themselves out of a sale because they are still trying to sell the product knowledge. “Here is the ump-teenth thing this widget has or does and I have twenty other things I can say.” “Dude, you had them at hello. Just shut up.”
Listen, I get having good product knowledge. I really do. In fact, decades ago I was known for being able to tell you anything you ever wanted to know about clothing. Yep, a product knowledge (PK) guru. I could look at any garment and let you know cloth type and manufacture, seam construction, warp/weft (if it was woven), dye process and how it would drape. A true “garmento”…an age-old term relating to someone who knows the garment business. I would stand in front of sales people in NYC and astonish them with PK. These were million dollar selling sales people on the edge of their seats. Not really. I was just giving them facts and figures, not what true selling is all about…why someone wants the cashmere sweater. Which, by the way, is Italian 12 gauge yarn-dyed fibers that retails at $495. But I digress.
I apologize to all the sales people. I really did think it mattered. And you know what, it does, but it doesn’t. Yes, we need to know every aspect of our product line, how is made and how it is different. Yes, we need to know how the manufacturing creates the pricing or the softness or the fit. Yes. And no. Customers buy for a myriad of reasons and very rarely is it due to the yarn being dyed in Italy. Although, I really do have to say, they do an extraordinary job. Customers do not buy features, they buy what the features do or give them. Most purchases are emotional. I do believe features matter and can cement a purchase. We are still very rational beings. We associate features with value. We want to fill our value bucket. It’s just not always the deciding factor. It’s the “why” that matters.
Einstein is quoted as to have said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” I love that quote and believe it absolutely plays a part in selling. Particularly as it applies to knowing a customer’s reason for buying. They see themselves doing something with the widget. It can be anything. The fact the widget was made on a Wednesday in Hungary (no offense) by blind pygmy monks (no offense) during the Winter solstice…well, really doesn’t matter so much. Although it does create a good story.
As manager, we need to inform our team. We need to ensure they have the information necessary to support clear, concise and consistent messaging about all of the products. It must to up to date and well delivered. Your team needs PK. They also need sales training. They need to know the difference between sharing information that helps people find their reason for buying and just being “Rainman” (Dustin did a fabulous job in that role). What is the fine line? It depends. It depends on the context the customer shares.
First off, you have to know something about what you sell. Sorry, that part is pretty critical.
Ask lots of questions. Especially ones that may not have to do with the widget. Get to know the customer. It is very telling and will align itself with features that matter.
Next, know the difference between a feature and a benefit. One is what the item has and the other is what the item does. I know training that suggests to go even further and describe the advantage of the benefit. So feature is brass with a benefit of being strong and the advantage is not having to replace it anytime soon. As long as that matters.
Always, always tie the information back to the customer and their respective “DNA”. PK only matters when it matters to the customer for an obvious emotional reason.
Too much information can kill a sale. I have seen it happen and it usually it happens in slow motion. Very Sam Peckinpah (Google it). Many times we feel that if we are so smart about our stuff, that will surely make the sale. Not necessarily.
I will never forget being at a car lot. Pretty typical ‘for instance’, right? I was looking at an Audi. The sales manager said ‘hi’ and then immediately went into three things about the transmission and engine. She was as confident as could be. I was looking at the Audi thinking how unattractive and over-priced the car was. She knew her PK. She just didn’t know I like Italian. They make really good cashmere sweaters.
Cheers