In the past selling a product or service was consumed with the idea that effective selling was imbued with the idea that you had to thoroughly know your product and then convince the potential customer of their need for your product. Oftentimes sales people became enamored with the method of high pressure selling and companies or organizations resorted to contests and awards for the salespersons’ that achieved the highest sales levels without regard to customer satisfaction or needs. In recent times these tactics have been debunked in many organizations, being replaced by the concept of consultative selling.

The premise behind this concept has been the awakening of sales professionals to the thinking that for continued longer term success the needs of the customer along with the fit and benefits of a product to the customer are more important than the short term sales numbers. Learning your customers’ business and their needs for products and demonstrating to the customer how your product fulfills their needs has become a paramount idea for sales professionals. To be sure to achieve this level of service the sales professional must have full and complete knowledge about their product including the full capabilities and limitations …