One of the best ways to empower your sales associates is to give them access to information and tools that educate them about the products you are asking them to sell and how to best present them to customers.  

The benefits of associate product knowledge impacts most every facet of the retail business from store revenue to customer loyalty. Here are three areas that are highly impacted by the product knowledge level of retail sales associates.

1. Customer Satisfaction

Results from one study focused on generational views of brick-and-mortar stores indicates consumers polled found big-box stores are often well-staffed, but those staff lack adequate product knowledge. 

Lack of product knowledge by sales associates is frustrating to shoppers, increases customer dissatisfaction with the retail brand, and it’s a big reason why they leave a store without purchasing any items.

Technology device retail sales is not a one-size-fits-all solution. No two PCs are exactly alike and neither are two customers. While one product may work perfectly for one customer, it may be a poor selection for another.

Sales associates are 14 times more likely to make a sale to an existing happy customer than a new customer. Building employee product and sales knowledge means they are better equipped to recommend the right device to fit the needs of the customer. This creates a happier customer and a better customer experience.

With a knowledgeable sales team, you will ultimately improve the rates of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and repeat sales. 

2. Customer Communication

Communicating with customers is an essential sales skill and most often, an acquired skill. Associates may know a lot about the products, but don’t necessarily have the sales skill knowledge to translate that information to the customer as a benefit.

Soft sales training can help with this and other skills such as:

• How to approach customers
• How to uncover customer needs
• How to upsell and cross-sell

Knowledgeably and competently communicating with customers is one of the best ways to build relationships and trust. When this happens, associates become your best sales and marketing tool for repeat business and customer loyalty.

3. Closing the Sale

Closing the sale is much easier when associates know about the products. Without product knowledge, they will find it extremely difficult to relay the necessary information to assure the customer that the product is right for them. 

With the right training and knowledge, sales associates can present the product's best features accurately and persuasively. They can also showcase their enthusiasm for the product, which is something the customer will respond to and appreciate. 

Companies that are customer-centric are 60% more profitable than those who don’t place the focus on their customers. Making sure employees are knowledgeable about products is an important component of customer-centric strategies.

Encourage Employee Growth Through Training

One way managers can encourage employee growth is to support their efforts to gain new skills and knowledge. When sales associates feel their managers have a genuine interest in them as employees and people, they tend to want to improve their skillset and create more success for themselves and their team.

It takes time to develop a good knowledge base about the available line of PC devices in retail stores. Praise, reward, and find additional ways to encourage and inspire your associates to stay the course. As they develop more product knowledge, they become stronger and more confident in their own skills and capabilities.

Ultimately, employee knowledge has a direct impact on sales revenue. Lack of product knowledge by sales associates is frustrating to shoppers and it’s a big reason they leave a store without buying and increases the odds that they won’t return. 

Understanding the benefits of ongoing product training and encouraging your sales team to take advantage of available programs will help create success for them, for you, and your customers. 

The Intel® Retail Edge Program supports the training efforts of our retail business partners by providing a fun and engaging way for associates to learn about the latest Intel® products and technologies. They also learn sales strategies and tips to engage with customers and utilize interactive tools such as the Intel® Retail Experience Tool (RXT) to recommend the perfect device for each customer.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared here on LinkedIn* and has been updated for freshness and accuracy.

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*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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