Anyone who has ever worked as a server in a busy restaurant can tell you that the customer isn’t always right — but, sometimes, a misunderstanding is the best time to make a sale.
Imagine: A customer’s favorite chorizo empanada has been eighty-sixed. An expert server can adroitly guide the customer to another option — beef birria is their most popular item, they might note.
One empty plate of devoured birria later, the server has transformed an obstacle into an opportunity for a sale — and a new regular.
These types of sales happen nightly in restaurants across the United States, and, for busy tech sales representatives, they happen just as frequently. Rather than listing every feature on every call, sales reps with strong product knowledge assess the specific needs of the individual customer and plate up the best product solutions to address them.
91 percent of customers agree that knowledgeable employees make the shopping experience more appealing, according to survey data from Statista. While no two sales teams are the same, staying on top of product knowledge is always a hot menu item in the tech industry.
Built In spoke with several sales experts to discuss the importance of product knowledge in their sales teams, how they keep reps informed and what a true product expert salesperson looks like.
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Lusha offers a B2B contact database that empowers customers to uncover relevant revenue and growth opportunities.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
A sales rep truly grasps the ins and outs of a solution when they have meaningful, two-way conversations about a customer’s business and the desired outcomes they expect without even mentioning Lusha or our products. They focus on the business challenges and what the customer is trying to achieve.
Success can be quantified for a return on investment calculation or qualified with other measures. I can think of a conversation where a VP of marketing shared her team’s goals to expand into new departments in existing accounts. The Lusha account executive’s focus was not on Lusha’s prospecting platform or Chrome plug-in. Rather, she focused on improving existing workflows and empowering team members to venture into new accounts with account-based marketing. The ROI metrics this customer achieved after signing up — thanks to this conversation — speak volumes and led to a helpful case study for Lusha.
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
Sales reps need to know features and functionalities from integrations to interfaces. It’s important to link features to the outcomes a customer wants, or even better, to rock their world with helpful new features that make their jobs easier. The better you know your product, the easier it is to pull these up on the fly.
“It’s important to link features to the outcomes a customer wants, or even better, to rock their world with helpful new features that make their jobs easier.”
What types of training or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
Empowering and training sales reps to know the solutions inside and out is a cross-department effort. Product managers and product marketing provide written, interactive and video materials for internal and external product knowledge and use cases. Sales enablement provides the bridge from product capabilities to customer solutions through onboarding, education, coaching, practice and certifications. Sales managers captain their teams’ efforts as senior sales leaders chart the course.
Clari offers SaaS products that help revenue teams manage and improve their revenue operations.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
The reality is that no sales rep will ever have truly mastered all of the nooks and crannies of your product — because they shouldn’t have to. Leave that to other experts like sales engineers. Hopefully, your product is evolving and innovating at a rate faster than a rep could learn all of the ins and outs of what’s new but steady enough for reps to articulate new functionality easily. Sales reps should have a keen understanding of the key areas of your product that are differentiated from competitors and the value those differences provide the end user. You can tell when a rep has mastered the product when their ear is tuned to listen for the challenges your product helps to solve, so they can seamlessly paint the art of the possible — what the buyer’s life would look like with your product.
“Sales reps should have a keen understanding of the key areas of your product that are differentiated from competitors and the value those differences provide the end user.”
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
Sales reps need to know what functionality sets you apart from your competitors and how to speak directly to the value those differences will offer the buyer. Reps need to know how your product is used day to day, what makes your product special and unique and how to articulate that differentiation clearly and easily. They also need a good understanding of the company’s near- and mid-term product roadmap, so they can get prospects and customers excited about what’s coming soon and the exponential value lift from that.
What types of training or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
There are many resources for reps to build their product knowledge. Reps should attend any customer university or behind-the-paywall courses for foundational knowledge that customers would learn in the sales cycle. They should also be consuming some of the resources that sales engineers use to get trained to demo and convey product value. Listening to call recordings of top deals that have closed, both closed won and closed lost, will provide tons of value. Home in on deals that have been closed lost for any product-related reasons — limitations especially — and get a high-level understanding of those to be better prepared for the future.
Frontsteps is a resident engagement platform that powers communities to be safe, informed and efficient.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
A true product expert emerges when a rep enthusiastically delivers full customer demos, showcasing product value and addressing specific inquiries. Once the rep can showcase our product to customers and prospects, we know they have truly mastered the product itself.
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
Sales reps must master the value propositions of every key feature, understanding how our solutions tackle real business problems. Once they can provide this value, they must also demonstrate an ability to answer technical questions to both prospects and customers.
“Sales reps must master the value propositions of every key feature, understanding how our solutions tackle real business problems.”
What types of training and/or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
In-person training with subject matter product experts is crucial for reps to master our products. Live role-playing, supported by demo guidelines post-training, tests their skills and will ensure that these skill sets are being performed at the correct levels. Combining technical prowess with value delivery ensures top performance for all of our current SaaS sellers.
EliseAI is a conversational AI technology company transforming housing and healthcare customer conversations.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
One example that highlights the expertise of our sales reps happened during a recent demo with an account executive. Early in the session, the prospect showed strong interest in a feature we usually briefly cover later. Quickly sensing the opportunity, the AE abandoned the original deck. In no time, she had pulled up an in-depth presentation on that feature, a product demo environment and a case study demonstrating its success with one of the prospect’s local competitors.
This quick pivot showcased the AE’s deep product knowledge and her agility in adapting the demo to align with the prospect’s interests. The prospect was notably impressed, commenting on how well-prepared and informed the rep was. This incident perfectly illustrates how our reps are familiar with our products and skilled in using that knowledge to effectively meet client needs.
“This quick pivot showcased the AE’s deep product knowledge and her agility in adapting the demo to align with the prospect’s interests.”
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
At EliseAI, we understand how important it is for our customers to feel in control when they use AI tools. It’s all about making sure they can jump in and manage the AI’s performance whenever they need to. Our sales reps are experts in showing how our AI oversight tools make this possible, which helps put our clients at ease.
I usually start by showing potential clients around our activity and task centers, where they can see the AI in action with their leasing prospects and residents and step in if they want to take the reins. Then, I introduce them to our knowledge tool, which lets them tailor the AI’s knowledge base with specifics about their properties. Lastly, I walk them through our detailed reports, which break down the data so they can see the value we’re bringing to their business. This way, they feel more confident and comfortable partnering with us knowing they’re in good hands with EliseAI.
What types of training or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
At EliseAI, training is a continuous, adaptable process. We provide a mix of self-serve resources like updated folders with all the essential materials and interactive opportunities through dedicated Slack channels where you can chat directly with the engineers who built the products. Our engineers also run deep-dive sessions to get into the specifics.
In our collaborative office, help is always just a desk away — most questions are answered within minutes. This blend of resources and real-time support keeps our team knowledgeable and responsive.
ChowNow offers a platform that connects diners and independent restaurants for at-home dining.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
I can tell when a sales rep has mastered the ins and outs of our product when their schedules are booked up with meetings and running demos becomes second nature. This starts with confidently attacking prospecting and identifying our ideal customer profile and going after it. They can consistently set their own meetings because they know the ins and outs of the product and the value we can bring to our restaurant partners. During demos, they lean into value selling and run a strong discovery to identify pain points and present our product features as the solution. Ultimately, they can present only product features that bring our restaurant partners value and tie that back to their goals.
“I can tell when a sales rep has mastered the ins and outs of our product when their schedules are booked up with meetings and running demos becomes second nature.”
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
Our sales reps need a wide range of product knowledge because we have so many offerings. The most important is their understanding of our point of sale, or POS, integration features especially with our recent acquisition of Cuboh. To effectively sell our product, they need to know which POS companies we integrate with and be able to answer somewhat technical questions about how the integration will improve the restaurant’s in-house operations.
What types of training or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
One of the best things about ChowNow is our amazing sales enablement team who offer us so much support. Every employee spends their first two weeks with enablement going through comprehensive training, learning the ins and outs of our product and sales methodology. Once they are out of training, we utilize Guru and our sales resource center which houses everything from competitive intel to marketing materials and is a one-stop shop for any resource that a Sales Rep needs to be successful. These resources have proven to be vital in helping reps ramp up quickly.
Justworks is a benefits and human resources platform that helps businesses grow with confidence.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
When a sales rep can tell a story that adapts our solutions to a customer’s unique needs in an authentic way, you know they’ve mastered the product. At Justworks, we’re committed to helping small businesses tackle back-office challenges so they can grow with confidence. Our team seeks to understand a customer’s business goals, and we partner with them to help make those goals a reality.
In a recent example, we had a rep working with a small business that was new to hiring in California — a state where compliance can feel like a maze. Understandably, they were overwhelmed by the complexities, and anxious about navigating everything correctly. Instead of providing the team with a long list of features to consider, we focused on what mattered most: simplifying compliance. We walked the customer through real-time examples of our tools and shared insights on how other businesses use Justworks to stay compliant, especially when hiring teams in multiple states. By the end of their conversation, you could sense the relief. This careful and personalized support solved the immediate problem and built a strong foundation of trust.
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
We offer different solutions for various stages of business growth. Knowing these solutions thoroughly and confidently is key. While our team is trained to understand the ins and outs of each product, they also learn to approach every call with immense curiosity. Rather than simply pitching a specific product or feature, our reps lead with questions about unique business challenges, and with their product knowledge, they take a consultative approach.
“While our team is trained to understand the ins and outs of each product, they also learn to approach every call with immense curiosity.”
To support this, we train our team to ask the right questions. What does your business do, and what are your company goals this year?Do you have anyone working outside the United States, or would you like to hire someone outside the United States?Are there any big milestones coming up that you might need to hire for? Understanding the business allows our team to highlight the finer details and unique value our products and add-ons can offer to help them grow confidently. Tailoring recommendations and being a true partner is the sweet spot for our reps.
What types of training or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
At Justworks, we aim to enable our teams to deliver remarkable customer experiences with confidence, every time. We provide reps with equitable access to training, programs, communications, tools and expertise to support every stage of the customer’s journey.
We recognize that different people learn in different ways, so we offer a diverse array of options grounded in a “learn-practice-apply-review” methodology – including 24/7 on-demand content, interactive hands-on coaching and certification experiences. What sets Justworks’ training apart is our commitment to keeping it engaging, fun and impactful, leaving the team motivated and eager to hone their skills and also clear on the intended personal and business impact of each experience.
The proof of our program’s effectiveness is reflected in the team’s performance. They consistently exceed targets, achieve year-over-year improvements in productivity measures and most importantly, keep customer satisfaction high. This success is a clear testament to our dedication to continuous learning, and we’re excited to keep investing in growth and development.
Consensus Cloud Solutions is a digital cloud and fax technology company that transforms simple digital documents into actionable data.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
When a sales rep has truly mastered our products, it’s apparent because they demonstrate a thorough understanding of the products, including its features, benefits, use cases, limitations and competitive advantages. They can articulate concepts in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. They’re also able to tailor the solutions to meet the specific needs of each customer, regardless of industry, vertical or size. A great sales rep can confidently discuss the product based on their knowledge and expertise, not from a memorized script. They can also confidently answer questions and overcome objections effectively.
“A great sales rep can confidently discuss the product based on their knowledge and expertise, not from a memorized script.”
A perfect example of a sales rep who has mastered the product is when a customer calls in because they believe they need “just one fax line.” A rep that has truly mastered the product can have a full discussion about the customer’s current workflow, current state and future state and then make appropriate recommendations to help the customer meet their short- and long-term goals, even when the customer didn’t realize they had a problem.
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
There are so many options to our solutions. We’re not “just fax,” we’re so much more. Sales reps need to understand how our products and add-on components provide value to each customer, in each vertical. As a healthcare company, healthcare interoperability is very important to us. Our reps are not expected to be sales engineers, but they do need to understand how the solutions work. Our AI products are incredibly valuable to healthcare customers.
What types of training or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
We’ve been building our content management system and learning management system over the last few months. This system will be our source of truth and go-to for all training and content. We’re a very collaborative, fast-paced environment. We’re constantly innovating and updating processes and procedures to support growth. We work closely with subject matter experts to provide insight into the solutions we sell. We leverage a blended learning approach. This includes a mix of instructor-led sessions, e-learning modules, self-paced study and on-the-job training. As with most adult learners, we learn best by hearing, seeing, doing and doing again, and that’s the format here.
Tock is a SaaS solution for restaurants, providing an all-in-one system for reservations, takeout, delivery and events.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
A rep has become an expert in the product when they start presenting creative ways that prospects can utilize the system. Another prime example is when they begin to proactively provide technical support to other members of the team.
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
It is always important for reps to pay attention to the various updates that our product team announces in our all-hands meetings. The best reps can recognize how even the most nuanced updates can be applied to the sales process.
“The best reps can recognize how even the most nuanced updates can be applied to the sales process.”
What types of training and/or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
Reps who have a strong understanding of Salesforce reporting are the most empowered to make the data work for them. Many have the resources available to them, but not all choose to use them. There are many training videos available on a variety of sales-specific topics available in our learning module.
CreatorIQ is a cloud-based social media solution that helps customers manage and optimize campaigns at scale.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
When a sales rep truly masters the ins and outs, they can understand the different uses and visions that prospects and clients bring to the table. Through training, you typically learn how the key features work. To become a pro, reps need to create a vision of how different features can fit into a focus and serve multiple functions. For example, CreatorIQ’s discovery tool can be used in many different ways, and serve many different purposes. Learning how it works is the first step, but mastering it requires more multifaceted strategic thinking. A finance brand will use “discover” differently than a fashion brand, while an affiliate team will use it differently than an ambassador team.
“To become a pro, reps need to create a vision of how different features can fit into a focus and serve multiple functions.”
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
Our reps need to be able to speak to all types of verticals and teams within a marketing segment. CreatorIQ serves all verticals, and each conversation is different — as is the trust behind the data we provide. Ensuring trust, reliability and understanding are a few things that go into the discussion around a specific feature. Campaign management is another focus that shifts from brand to brand. There are different specifics to how a KPI is not only tracked but how it can be used.
What types of training or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
Internal resources and revenue training teams have been a huge help in understanding how and why CreatorIQ products work the way they do. Internal team members also bring personal experiences and stories to the learning. Gong is another useful tool, as it allows team members to see how other team members explain and handle questions about products. These examples have been effective in molding my own sales process and abilities.
Jellyfish offers an engineering management platform that enables engineering leaders to align engineering work with strategic business objectives.
How can you tell when a sales rep has truly mastered the ins and outs of your product?
A rep that starts asking great clarifying questions is a good indicator of actually understanding the product versus just being able to speak to it at a high level. For example, many of our prospects will come to us with broad areas of interest like resource allocation or developer productivity. These can mean different things to different people and accounts. A rep at Jellyfish who has mastered the product would be looking to unpack in more detail so that they can speak more specifically about how we can help address those use cases.
What types of product knowledge — such as notable features and customizations — do your sales reps need to have?
It is less about features and more about understanding our unique differentiators and being able to speak to those effectively. We have a value framework with five key pillars, and a rep needs to know each of them and how to showcase them on the platform. There are so many features within the application, but if the rep can do the top part of this well, they don’t need to worry about being able to speak to each feature/customization.
“It is less about features and more about understanding our unique differentiators and being able to speak to those effectively.”
What types of training or resources do reps leverage to build their product knowledge, and how have these proven to be effective?
We have invested and will continue to invest in our new hire onboarding experience. Not every seller has previous experience selling to technical leaders or the software development space, so we must have the tools, team and process to enable them.
Our process starts with scheduled sessions with leaders across departments like engineering, product, founders, etc. who can help provide context and knowledge on the space that’s vital to success. In addition, our enablement team has done a great job building an information bank in tools like Lessonly to allow for self-learning in addition to our formal onboarding plan. Lastly, we invest heavily in role-playing exercises in one-on-one and group settings to help shorten the learning curve. In the early days of the company, we learned a lot of this from live customer conversations, but now our Reps are better equipped to have stronger, faster conversations with prospects.
