Welcome to the new era where products get sold even before the actual launch and an Egg becomes the most liked picture on Instagram, who would have imagined? As funny as it sounds, the current scenario allows organizations to sell and purchase in better ways and allows the buyers to make better choices, find options research before purchase, and hence, shallow sales isn’t even an option.
The competition is high and hence, it calls for the salesforce to be active and pro-active in most cases which requires good skills and at the same time an in-depth understanding of the product itself. This comes from well-designed Product training. We have earlier discussed the Effectiveness of eLearning in Product Training. Here are key tips on how to develop eLearning for product training.
Tip 1 - Talk in Terms of Problem and Solution
Cliché right? But, even before explaining the key features or getting in detail about the benefits, the training should focus on what is the need/problem and how the product solves it. Explain it in the form of customer problems or challenges, describing the difficulties experienced without the product and how the product solves it. Understanding at this level can assist the salesforce to look for opportunities and modify the pitch accordingly. Once they know what gap to look for, they can easily use the features and benefits to attract potential customers.
Tip 2 - Discuss Features and Benefits
So, how good is the product? The long list of features may add value, but would that be enough? Customers usually look answers in terms of benefits? The features may make it look good, but benefits sell. So, with each feature add the specific performance benefits the customer/client can expect.
Tip 3 - Analyze the Competition
Like the product itself, product training is incomplete without the competition overview. This is essential for the sales team to understand the differences, the key pointers on how your product is different, how the pricing differs and how the features differ.
Tip 4 - Market Insight
The product training shouldn’t always end at just the product. In many cases it is good to include customer’s industry, the local market, social-economic and political factors that influence the product’s purchase. In this way the salesforce will be better equipped to explain how and why your product/service fits the unique requirements, hence acting as a catalyst for better sales.
Tip 5 - Focus on the USP
If the above-mentioned aspects don’t bring it out, then focus on the company’s Unique Selling Proposition. Focus on the brand voice too. Allow the salesforce to understand how the brand portrays itself allowing them all to be on the same page and broadcast the right message.
Tip 6 - Talk About the Audience
In the end, it all boils down to knowing the customers. The product training should allow the sales force to understand what kind of customers/clients they are dealing with. This facilitates in creating a consistent message and strategizing an approach, and in reaching them effectively. Knowing the audience helps in rewording and rephrasing the pitch accordingly.
The product training should give the salesforce enough material/content to create a sales pitch or elevator speech that can be given to a prospect. With enough practice, they can easily explain the product/service. This, however, is only possible when the training is self-explanatory. Product training can come in handy even for the customers and can be showcased as how-to/explainer videos.
In the end, the effectiveness of product training lies in how the learners perceive it, absorb information and how they put it to use. It is about information being delivered, and knowledge being put to good use. After all the sales team should be able to weave magic, but how would that work without the magic wand?
What other aspects make product training effective? Do share your thoughts.
