Which is More Important, Sales Skills or Product Knowledge?
It’s a recurring question for sales professionals. Is my product expertise more important than my sales skills, or vice versa? I have an answer and it’s different from the answer I would have given ten years ago.
“This is the fundamental added value…[our customers] are seeking [today]…”
How to Sell 101
I think we all agree that we need to have strong sales skills and product knowledge skills in order to be considered capable sales professionals. We can’t be competent without both. However, today’s sales professionals need to focus more on one of these skills than they have historically. What may have been good sales advice ten years ago may not be right today.
It’s Changing Everything
Something has provoked a lot of change in the sales profession over the last ten years. The Internet. It has changed the dynamics of how to sell. Basic order taking sales skills can be handled by the Internet. If we are simply processing customer orders, then we are just competing with our company’s web site. What customers are primarily looking for in 2008 is product and industry expertise. We need to be viewed as experts in both.
Sales Tips for a New Customer Model
Let’s face it; most of our prospects and customers don’t want to be sold anymore. It’s too easy for them to find and order what they need on the web. They want our expertise and knowledge regarding the products and services our company sells. They want our industry wisdom. This is the fundamental added value they are seeking and will cause them to view us as a resource instead of merely an order processor.
In 1998 product and industry knowledge was important but it usually took a subordinate position to sales training. Our strong product and industry expertise in combination with our sales skills is how we will create strong and lasting alliances with our customers today. Sales ability alone is certainly not enough anymore.
©2010 Scott R. Sheaffer
Related posts:
- Are Sales Professionals Relevant Anymore?
- An Important Question We Frequently Overlook With Buyers
- An important, yet not very sexy, sales fundamental
Tags: customers, prospects, sales advice
We'd like to hear your feedback on this post - feel free to comment below!
August 21st, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Another interesting debate! If you look at this from the buyers angle, they want two things:
1. The Best Value for their company dollar (they want to impress their boss as well!)
2. Trust in their partner to handle them like VIP’s.
This is a compelling argument for product expertise, however, I may still lean toward the relationship building/trust side, especially when choosing my sales team. Referring to your previous blog about being yourself, “people buy from people they trust.” If you have that, the customer will appreciate your honesty, provided you get your answers from the expert in the areas you lack expertise.