My dad has been in sales for around 24 years and selling for four different companies. His longest standing job was with a company called Boston Scientific, selling stents and balloons for patients with clogged arteries. He was with them for 11 years. He recently switched jobs and was hired by a company called Nevro. This was a complete switch for him as he began to sell spinal chord stimulation devices for patients recovering from bad back surgeries.
Before he could begin selling, he had to go through a month of training involving schooling and examinations in a number of states. This taught me a very valuable lesson about the knowledge of a salesman.
Salesmen need to know everything they can about what they are selling, company and product, in order to best serve their clients. It is not simply a power play, but a way to be in the know for the benefit of the buyer. This creates a basis of trust between the seller and the buyer, leading to a stronger relationship.
testacr22
I enjoyed your blog post. I completely agree that a salesman should know everything about their product, even the minute details. I also believe the salesman should also be able to convey the benefits to the prospective customer. I think Coach DiDonato said it best with his phrase, “features tell, benefits sell”.
This is so true – if the seller doesn’t know much about the product, they come off as untrustworthy and like they are only selling for their commission. This allows them to best serve their clients’ needs.
I really agree with the educational aspect of of sales. It is so important for you to know your product, because how are you supposed to sell something you know nothing about. Customers can tell if you don’t know anything about your product, but when you have an advanced knowledge of what you are selling it really does make all the difference. When i got my most recent phone at the Verizon store, I had a lot of questions. The salesman at the store answered everything and more about the phone i was considering i was so impressed! I asked him how long he had worked there he said 8 years and just had such a great appreciation for his help that i filled out the employee review, which i hate doing, so his boss would know how good he was.
I think having trust between buyers and sellers is such a key thing for a healthy selling relationship.