This document provides guidance for sales associates on developing strong product knowledge. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the features and benefits of products sold in order to confidently help customers. Sales associates are encouraged to keep their product knowledge up to date by learning the product hierarchy, key details about individual items, and practicing demonstrations. Having in-depth knowledge of products allows associates to increase sales through addressing customer needs and questions. The document includes activities for associates to assess their own understanding and ways to continue improving their expertise.
This document provides guidance for sales associates on developing strong product knowledge. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the features and benefits of products sold in order to confidently help customers. Sales associates are encouraged to keep their product knowledge up to date by learning the product hierarchy, key details about individual items, and practicing demonstrations. Having in-depth knowledge of products allows associates to increase sales through addressing customer needs and questions. The document includes activities for associates to assess their own understanding and ways to continue improving their expertise.
This document provides guidance for sales associates on developing strong product knowledge. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the features and benefits of products sold in order to confidently help customers. Sales associates are encouraged to keep their product knowledge up to date by learning the product hierarchy, key details about individual items, and practicing demonstrations. Having in-depth knowledge of products allows associates to increase sales through addressing customer needs and questions. The document includes activities for associates to assess their own understanding and ways to continue improving their expertise.
This document provides guidance for sales associates on developing strong product knowledge. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the features and benefits of products sold in order to confidently help customers. Sales associates are encouraged to keep their product knowledge up to date by learning the product hierarchy, key details about individual items, and practicing demonstrations. Having in-depth knowledge of products allows associates to increase sales through addressing customer needs and questions. The document includes activities for associates to assess their own understanding and ways to continue improving their expertise.
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Product Knowledge
Sales Associate Guide
: Sales Associate Guide
The meaning of product knowledge
The benefits of having good product knowledge
How to keep your product knowledge up-to-date
Product hierarchy and families in your store
How to identify and explain the features and benefits of products
When and how product demonstrations are used
Product Knowledge: Sales Associate Guide
What is Product Knowledge?
What you Need to Know about Products
Benefits of Having Good Product Knowledge
Effects of Having Poor Product Knowledge
Product Hierarchy in Your Concept / Store
Product Features and Benefits
Product Demonstrations
Key Retail Terminology
: Sales Associate Guide
Product knowledge is all about knowing the relevant details of the products and services available in your Concept / store as well as in the mall or shopping area you work in.
It is essential to know all the essential facts about products and services so you can inform customers accurately and hopefully make more sales.
Products and services vary from one store to another and one brand to another. What do you think you should find out about the products and services in your store to help you sell them effectively? Look at the following diagram for some ideas. : Sales Associate Guide
How do you make sure you keep your own product knowledge up-to-date? Share what you currently do or could be doing to improve knowledge in your own store. Complete Activity 1 in your workbook. (Page 03).
The benefits of having good product knowledge means you will:
Feel more confident when dealing with customers
Efficiently help customers locate products in store Effectively handle customers’ queries and objections Be in a better position to upsell, cross-sell or add-on-sell to increase your store sales Make good product or service recommendations based on customers wants and needs
Complete Activity 2 in your workbook. (Page 05)
Now you have thought about the benefits of having good product knowledge, what could be the effects to you and your customers of having poor product knowledge? Read on to find out.
You’ll look uninformed in front of your customer
You won’t be able to offer your customers good advice You won’t be able to answer your customers’ questions You won’t be able to communicate effectively with other staff or customers : Sales Associate Guide
Products in a store are usually structured in the following hierarchy:
The following diagram shows product classification and hierarchy more clearly for a Concept that sells apparel. Sales Associate Guide
Using the diagram for guidance, create a Product Hierarchy for the types of products your Concept sells. Complete Activity 3 in your workbook (Page 06).
Knowing the features and benefits of the products your Concept / store sells is key to helping you to sell more to customers. What are features and benefits? Features: Product features are the characteristics of your product that describe how it looks (appearance), what it includes (components) and its capabilities (how it works). Benefits: Benefits are what the customer gains by using the product. The ‘What’s in it for me’ factor. Consider the features and benefits of this can of soda:
Made of aluminium Keeps drink colder for
longer Round Recyclable – helping the Pop tab to open it environment Green in color Makes it easy to drink from Rim near the top Keeps your drink fresh until you are ready to drink it
The key to remembering the difference between features and benefits is: Sales Associate Guide
A common scenario in retail selling is for the Sales Associate to promote the product they are selling by demonstrating the different features that it has. However, reeling off a list of features may confuse the customer. As a result, they politely say 'no thank you' and move on, leaving behind a frustrated Sales Associate.
Another variation of the ‘features trap’ is when the customer comes in with a checklist of the features that they want. Anything that does not have all features is immediately rejected, whilst products with extra features are ignored. When they have narrowed down their choices to a set of products that have all the features they want, then they choose solely on price, which again is bad news for the Sales Associate.
Benefits are what the customer gains by using the product. When using a sound system, they get to hear beautiful music, faithfully reproduced in their living room, with sound as real as if they were in a live concert.
Selling benefits therefore sells to what customers really want, not what they say they want or what you want to sell. With benefits, you can get them excited and emotionally engaged. With features, you can only get nodding heads and logical agreement.
List some of the features and benefits for 3 different products your Concept sells. Complete Activity 4 in your workbook. (Page 07)
Product demonstration (or "demo" for short) is where a product is demonstrated to a potential customer in-store. Sometimes customers will ask retail staff to show them how a product works. This is a very important part of product knowledge as a successful demonstration can often help you to close a sale. The goal of the demonstration is to introduce customers to the product in the hope of encouraging them to purchase that item.
New products in store
New versions of existing products Products that have been recently introduced to the retail marketplace Products that require customers to see how they work or function Sales Associate Guide
1. Have an excellent understanding of the different features and benefits of your
products. 2. Make sure all demonstration equipment works properly and that you know how to use all features. 3. Focus on ‘matching’ the benefits of the product with the needs of the customer so that they are entirely satisfied. 4. Demonstrate how the product can save the customer money or time or how it can improve their social status or personal image. You need to show them how the product matches the customer’s wants and needs. Customers also need to be certain that the product they are about to buy will be reliable. 5. Be clear and concise for the customer – avoid using technical jargon that they may not understand. 6. Mention evidence of customer satisfaction and any relevant facts and figures. 7. Appear confident and enthusiastic when demonstrating. Use appropriate body language such as eye contact and smiling to reassure the customer. People will buy from people who love and have faith in their products. 8. Never bad-mouth or undermine your competitors it’s not professional.
List some of the products in your store that can be demonstrated and how. Complete Activity 5a in your workbook. (Page 08)
Your Coach Buddy will observe you demonstrating products in-store. Invite him / her to feedback in Activity 5b in your workbook. (Page 09)
This section contains some of the important retail words you will need to learn relating to this module. Find out the definitions by:
Asking your co-workers
Interviewing your Coach Buddy or Supervisor
Make a note of your definitions in Activity 6 in your workbook. (Page 10).
