What’s this thingamajig do?

We were at one of the prominent office supply stores on Saipan, looking at some products when a sales rep approached and asked if he could assist us. We were uncertain about the function of a piece of equipment, so we asked the young gentleman if he knew what the thingamajig on the product does?

He knelt down and played around with it. After a few seconds we looked at each other and both smiled as we realized that the attendant who was jiggling the extruding metal did not have a clue to what it was or how to use it.

Another worker stopped to check things out, and with an authoritative voice she declared: “It is an extension.”

“An extension for what?” we asked.

This caught her totally off guard, because she gave a blank stare that communicated, “I don’t know.”

We weren’t dealing with nuclear physics or astrobiology; this was a simple painter’s easel that just happened to have an extra thingamajig on it.

How important is product knowledge when your employees serve the customer? Do you have a plan to help increase that knowledge, or do you just hope they will pick up an understanding of the various items for sale and how they are used?

Your customers expect sales reps to be experts about what they represent. If the customer has all the information, there would not be a need for a sales rep. This knowledge should not just be limited to what a product or service does, it should also include what benefit it has to the customer.

Product knowledge builds customer confidence and communicates that you know what you are talking about. It differentiates one company from another by allowing your company representative to speak more authoritatively about the product, which can generate more enthusiasm. In a market where products and prices are very similar, the only way to differentiate your business might be to provide better information or service.

One way to make sure your employees have good product knowledge is to hire people who believe in what you sell and have a good understanding of your products and services. Is there a test you can give to candidates to evaluate their knowledge or their aptitude to quickly learn more about your products?

If you are an employee, your product knowledge also extends to believing in what you sell. In other words, if your company sells shoes, make sure you purchase and wear the shoes offered by the business. If you sell Toyota vehicles, you should not drive to work in a Mazda. If your business sells clothes, you will have a difficult time convincing a customer to purchase an expensive dress if you are wearing a cheap one.

Your employees should receive regular training about the company, products, and services offered, not only at your company, but also at your competitors. Product knowledge should extend to how your offerings differ from the competition.

Federal Express has invested millions of dollars in computer-based training systems to help salespeople and customer service reps stay current in a rapidly changing industry. Each year the salespeople are tested to ensure their information is up to date.

Roger Turnquist says he is “nuts” about product knowledge. As vice president of sales and service development at Society Bank, he has found unique methods to make learning fun and effective. One activity he developed is a game called “Product Challenge,” which is similar to Trivial Pursuit.

Another practice that can help improve product knowledge is to have a record of all the questions that customers ask about a product or service, and record the answers to each question so everyone in the company can learn from it. Make sure to update the list of questions regularly. Over a period of time, you will have an excellent training tool for new employees to study.

Believe in your product, learn everything you can about it, and study the competition and what they have to offer. Product knowledge builds confidence, and confidence leads to enthusiasm. Your customers will recognize that you know what you are talking about. So the next time a customer asks you, “What does this thingamajig do,” you won’t have to answer, “Uh, I don’t know.”

(Rik is a business instructor at NMC and Janel is the owner of Positively Outrageous Results. They have consulted with over 400 businesses in 40 different industries. For better business results go to BizResults.biz to read previous articles.)