You’ve no doubt heard the old saying, “Knowledge is power.” “Knowledge” may be “power”; however, in many cases, efficiency salespeople (as opposed to efficiency sales professionals) lose the power of persuasion by trying too hard to demonstrate their knowledge. They talk way past the sale. They overwhelm the prospect with too much information about what they do for a living, what their technology does, how their technology is installed and operated, and so forth. Believe me – most of that “knowledge” will not increase your probability of closing the sale. In fact, it will likely do the opposite.
Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. You’ve just been thrown so much information that you’re probably going to think to yourself, "I didn’t think this was going to be such a complicated decision. I had no idea there were so many choices to make. In fact, I don't understand half of what this guy is saying! What if he doesn't understand half of what he is saying? What if he’s making it all up to earn a commission? I'd better get a paid consultant in here to serve as my translator and make sure I don’t buy the wrong solution."
This is not to say that you shouldn’t be an expert on your product or service – you should be. However, don’t let your product knowledge drive the discussion. Focus on the “why,” and leave the “how” and “what” for later.
