The next pertinent question to be answered is as to what a salesman is supposed to know about his products? “Product knowledge here, does not confine to strictly to the company product proper. It covers a wide range of allied areas that hover-sound the product. Among other things, Ac major areas of product knowledge can be at least seven. These are (1) His Company (2) His Products (3) His Market (4) His Competition (5) His Government Policies and Political Environment (6) His Distribution System (7) Knowledge of Needed Languages.

Skills that truly Matters

1. Get adequate Company information:

Every salesman to know first of all about his firm which makes the product or products. Here, the firm may be a sole trading, partnership, Joint Hindu Family firm or even cooperative society. It may be totally manufacturing or assembling the product or products or might buying from other manufacturers for sale. It is his depth and breadth of knowledge that speaks of his ability to build good with for the firm. In that sense a salesman is an effective public relations officer. He should know the history of the company the earnings, traditions, founders, vizion, goals, strangles, growth and expansion, ups and down, the present position or the status of the organisation type of the organisations-structure-composition – chairman – officers – prominent personalities, shareholders lenders, business dimensions is terms of day’s and annual sales, number of customers, spread of customers, number of departments, people working in each department, annual sales turnover, annual tax paid, its plants and branches, their locations, managerial policies, research and development programs, social or community concentration its future plans for expansion, and diversification and so on.

2. Product Knowledge:

As a salesman he is to have accurate; up dated and thread bare and dependable knowledge of his products he deals in. These relate to:

  • Product Background
  • Composition and Construction
  • Performance and Uses
  • Use and Care
  • Extended Services

3. Market/Markets Knowledge:

The products are made for largest markets and these market conditions are always changing. These refer to the changing demand and supply situations. The mood of the market changes like a weather and it is the Salesman’s responsibility to small and group the minute changes that effect his sales. The demand for products undergoes a change with changes in the income desires, habits, fashions, styles in the short run and the level of education, age, movement, cultural values and the like in the long run. Sensible and agile salesman feels the pulse of the market and gets prepared to meet the eventuality with success. Survival, growth, expansion and prosperity of selling house and hence, himself depends on his ability to read the future trends based on the past and present events.

4. Competitors Knowledge :

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Competition is an essential commitment of modern marketing mechanism. Competition is the greatest challenge to the very survival and nourishment of the firms business. Competition can be of two types namely, price and ‘non-prime’. Price competition works on the principles of price discrimination and price cutting. Pricing is a big gun for the selling house which makes or mars its success. Non-price competition tries to compete away the business in terms of differing sizes, dimensions, shapes, colours, appearances, quality standards. It also includes grant of liberal credit facilities, discounts and allowances. It is the challenging task of a salesman to position or place products along the lines of the competitor or competitions, in the to eyes of consumers and, hence, to their brain. Therefore, he should have the girth and spectrum of competition, its nature its extent, terms of prices, policies of discount, credit, packing, packaging, delivery and the like of competitors.

5. Information about Government Policies:

Both production and distribution of goods deeply influenced the policies of the government and the politics that goes on in nation and its segments may be local, State or Central. Governments declare price controls, production priorities, liberalisations, restrictions, abandonment of use of products, inputs. The fiscal policies affect the tax structure having impact on final sales. Credit policies have impact on borrowings, cost of production and distribution. These changes affect the legitimate interests of consumers and finally the firm and himself.

6. Distribution System:

The goods manufactured reach the customers through direct and indirect routes or channels. This distribution system can be as well called as supply chain system. The salesman is to have a thorough study of the accepted alternative channels or routes of distribution for his firms products. It is equally important for him to study and analyse the prevailing channels in the market or markets by his rival groups. Any snags, bottlenecks, barriers can be removed to ensure easy smooth and timely flow of goods from producers to consumers. It is the route or routes used for distribution that decides the success of also be conversant with the actual movement and storage to consumers. There is need for continuous monitoring. A stringent supply chain management has its own merits to the credit of the organization.

7. Mastery Over Languages:

The sales of the company are in different sales-territories where the problem of language comes. Language is the vehicle of thought and medium of two way communication. Salesman is known for advertising by month. Advertising by month is very powerful as it is direct, full of face and head to head and above all one to one. Wherever he is to present his idea or ideas, product or products or service or services, he does through the medium of language or a dialect.

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Thus, an effective sales man knows himself, his product and his customers. Knowing about customers we both examine in ensuing chapters. The discussion on knowledge of products will be incomplete unless we touch selling points of products and sources of product knowledge.