Whadaya Know?

You probably know that to sell your product you have to know about it. But did you know there are four levels of product knowledge? And the better you know your products, the better you can represent them and effectively close sales.

The first level of product knowledge is simple awareness. A person with Level I product knowledge knows what he or she is selling, the name of the product.

The second level of product knowledge involves information about the product. This information may include features or prices. Similar to Level I, Level II involves factual knowledge. Someone with a Level II product knowledge may be able to quote facts and figures but they don’t understand the evolution of the product or its designed use.

The third level of product knowledge involves comprehension. A person with Level III knowledge has a grasp of how the product functions and why it was designed. This person understands not only what the product is but also how it works and why it works. Furthermore, they are able to articulate this information to others.

The final level of product knowledge involves ability. When one has full product knowledge, after they’ve mastered the “hows and whys” of Level III, they can then learn to operate the product. Those who can demonstrate how the product works, and be confident in the process, have Level IV product knowledge. These people may not be the best operators of the product (that’s OK, that’s not their job) but they are competent.

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