I didn’t want to sound like an idiot, so I learned everything I possibly could about at least the narrow part of this world that I was selling into. That meant understanding the basics of how clinical trials work, the problem that these people had (managing hundreds of thousands of sample vials), and how I could help them solve that problem (with software that made managing those samples easier). I didn’t need to go to graduate school for biochemistry, I just needed to grasp the industry.
Whether you’re selling used cars, real estate, solar panels, or software, you need to do a deep dive into your industry to come across as someone who knows what they’re talking about.
Of course, be reasonable. Don’t expect to know their field better than the experts you’re talking to. Get to know their pain points and develop a deep understanding of how your offering can solve those problems.
Focus on knowing what they don’t know—the solutions to the problems they’re facing.
Being an expert doesn’t happen overnight. Approach this process hungary telegram data from a place of genuine curiosity, and you’ll grow your knowledge exponentially over time. Here are some tips to get started:
Identify and follow key industry experts: This includes blogs, YouTube channels, Instagram profiles, podcasts, etc. Follow these, and you’ll progressively gather more information about your industry.
Get to know your product like the back of your hand: Develop a close relationship with the product team. Get to know what you’re selling and why it matters to customers. Field test it if you can!
Work with a mentor: This doesn’t have to be an industry expert—you can learn a lot from the expert salespeople at your own company. Listen in to their sales calls, learn from the way they talk with potential customers, or even spend an afternoon listening to recorded sales calls (especially the successful ones).
Talk to the people! Get on calls with happy customers or industry experts and learn about their day-to-day life. Again, approach this from a place of genuine interest and curiosity.
Another type of expertise you’ll need is to understand the competitive landscape. You don’t need to know your competitors in as much detail as your own company, but you should understand them from the perspective of someone evaluating your solution. That means knowing the advantages and disadvantages—and how you can use your unique benefits to stand out.