If you work for a wise organization, your management provides company training sessions for new employees.  The manufacturer of distributor of the product you sell may also offer training sessions, at least on new products.  Attend every training session you can, especially if you are new.  You should receive information from someone who is highly knowledgeable and skilled.  Take the list you just compiled and see if you can add to it.  Always take a list of important questions, and don’t be shy about asking them.  [more…] If you have to, make a real effort to ‘buttonhole’ the speaker before he gets out of the room.  You don’t want to waste the opportunity to mine a valuable resource for information that may help you.  The question you don’t ask could be the very one you prospect asks the next day.  ‘ I’ll, uh, get back to you on than,’ has lost an awful lot of sales.

By the way, if you do ever have to say, ‘I don’t know,’ be sure to follow it quickly with, ‘but I’ll find out for you.’  And then let your prospect see you write a note to yourself to do just that (if you’re meeting face-to-face).  Two good things come from that little practice.  First, you show an eagerness to serve your prospect’s needs by promising to answer all of his questions.  This may be your first opportunity to prove yourself.  Second, if you know you’re not going to make the presentation or sale today, you have an excellent reason to meet with your prospect again.

You also may want to ask the expert what types of businesses use the product or service.  This is to help you explore other potential sources of business than those you know about, not to make you sound ignorant.

Have a wonderful day and please let me know if you need anything.