I’m currently working with a new client re-developing his website. We’ve identified a number of things we need to do in order for him to generate sales leads. Every time I do this it’s a learning experience for me.

I was quizzing my client on his product and what made it different and stand out. I got bombarded by all its features. This guy really knew his product inside and out. He had an intimate knowledge of how it worked and performed. I was truly amazed by his wealth of knowledge.

But I wanted more than just features, I wanted to know, and I wanted him to understand that we needed to translate each of these features into real tangible benefits for his market. This was where the hard work began. But in the end we got there. We both gained a lot from this exercise

As I was reflecting on this experience I had a “eureka” moment. I finally understood something that has been on my mind for years. We are the majority of us such awful salespeople. It’s not as though we don’t know our products. Obviously, from the experience I have just related, this guy did, and no doubt it’s something we can all relate to.

The reason why we find it hard to sell is because, despite having a great product knowledge, we often have a very poor kmarket knowledge. That is, we don’t know the needs, wants and desires of our market, and as a consequence we don’t know how our products or services can actually benefit that market.