Why Product Training is Essential for Sales and Customer Support

Have you ever talked to a sales rep and asked a question about a product their company sells only to have them stare back at you blankly, fumble over words or look for someone else to connect you with? Or had a customer support issue only to be passed from representative to representative hoping to find someone that will understand and know how to solve your problem?

If this situation has ever happened to you, then you know how much product knowledge training can impact a company’s sales and customer service.

Product training is no longer a nice-to-have in today’s customer obsessed world. Employees in sales and customer support must have access to continuous learning for all of your organization’s products and services to provide best-in-class customer experience.

Why Sales Training Alone Isn’t Enough

Most sales-oriented businesses focus on training their sales staff on topics like how to find leads, how to nurture leads and how to close the deal. These are all important selling skills, but they aren’t enough.

Gone are the days when hard-selling would convert. Potential customers have instant access to information about your company (and your competitors!). More consumers are doing in-depth research before they commit to a product, especially if it has a higher price tag. So to seal a deal, sales teams must impress with product knowledge. Being able to sell any product isn’t enough, they must be able to tell the customer why they should buy your product.

What is the Impact of Product Knowledge Training on Sales and Customer Support?

When an employee knows how a product works, what it’s made of and how to troubleshoot problems with it, it drive sales and customer satisfaction. Here are a few reasons why product knowledge is important for sales and customer support:

• It builds trust – if your sales team can provide valuable information about the product, the consumer is more likely to trust them for the sale.
• It solves customer problems – customer support is a major criteria for where people buy their products; if your sales team can answer challenging questions and solve problems about a product, customers will make their purchase with your company because they know they’ll get support down the road.
• It improves selling skills – a sales person will be more enthusiastic about a product they understand and know. They will have more confidence when it comes to marketing the product to consumers because they can handle objections or concerns.

Incorporate Product Training for Your Sales Team

As you can see from the above reasons, product training should be an essential part of being a sales team member. Training your sales staff on your products will help them become stronger salespeople and will develop a solid reputation for your company. Customers will seek out your organization because they know your sales staff is equipped with the knowledge they need to help them feel confident about their purchase.