A salesman may have an exceptional personality but he will be at a handicap if he neglects this second salesmanship fundamental of acquiring a complete and useful knowledge of the goods he is required to sell.
A thorough knowledge of the goods on the part of the salesman will help him increase the sales, obtain larger orders and render better service to his customer. Accurate knowledge of the proposition will help him to make specific statements instead of vague or general one. He will acquire confidence in himself and be able to induce customers to spend more.
Besides, a salesman without technical knowledge becomes a danger to the customer. He has to substitute guesswork for knowledge and can at the most repeat like a parrot the claims made by the manufacturer of his product. Lack of technical knowledge of the goods may put him in a humiliating position when dealing with the type of customer who has a thirst for knowledge. The suspicious type of customer would mistake his evasiveness for deceit. Naturally, he cannot explain something to a prospective customer which he himself does not understand. To be specific, he must know the sales facts.
If the salesman acquires product knowledge, he will be able to answer questions raised by his customers. Even a single question unanswered is sufficient to create a doubt in the mind of his customer. Besides, with such knowledge he will find it easier to provide his customer with goods that will suit him. He will also be able to make the proper appeal to the appropriate buying motives and will never be at a loss for powerful talking points.
The oft-repeated expression, a good salesman can sell anything does not mean that technical knowledge is not required by a good salesman. It merely means that a good salesman can easily adapt himself to the selling of different types of articles by speedily obtaining the necessary technical knowledge. This is due to his practical experience and thorough knowledge of the principles of salesmanship.
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