Mastering the World of Selling: The Ultimate Training Resource from the Biggest Names in Sales

Chapter 28. Learn More, Sell More

Daniel Miller

General Physics Corporation

The importance of knowing your product has never been more critical than it is today—the access to product information, company information, and even your personal background increases every day. Consider how you have personally changed your buying habits in the past decade. In the past, you may have taken a look at a consumer guide magazine for product reviews. If you were evaluating a high-ticket item, you may have even spent a little money to learn the inside information on the product price and margin. You'd then go to competing retail establishments to learn more about the product and evaluate the best deal (often you'd only make it to one place if the salesperson was good). The deal was done.

Today, information (good and bad) can be found quickly and inexpensively through Internet research. A good sales organization understands the importance of information and creates strategies to take advantage of technology.

First, consider how information technology is used, and what type of information is available. Whether you deal with business-to-business sales or retail sales, the customer now uses technology in several ways: product assessment, value assessment, company brand integrity, and to check the reputation of the people with whom they are directly dealing (particularly in B2B sales). This means that it is important for companies to protect information around their company, product, and people. This requires ...