What are the best practices for communicating product feature gaps to prospects and customers?

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As a technical sales professional, you know how important it is to showcase the value of your product to your prospects and customers. But what if your product doesn't have all the features they need or expect? How do you communicate product feature gaps without losing their trust or interest? In this article, we'll share some best practices for handling product feature gaps in your technical sales presentations.

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Daniel Selbach

Head of Customer & Partner Enablement @ Placetel | Cloud Collaboration Expert | Passionate Tech Trainer | Tech…
Thamara Vargas

Women in Tech I AI l Observability l FinOps l Cloud
Mun Ching Lee

Director of Business development (International Markets) | CDMO/Pharma | Biologics | Licensing

1 Understand your audience

Before you present your product, you need to understand your audience's needs, goals, challenges, and preferences. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and conducting research. This will help you identify the most relevant and impactful features of your product, as well as the potential feature gaps that might affect your audience's decision.

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Thamara Vargas

Women in Tech I AI l Observability l FinOps l Cloud
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Se eu precisar falar mais uma vez que estudar o seu cliente e entender suas necessidades é fundamental... Bem ao contrário do que os vendedores que me acessam por aqui fazem.

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2 Prioritize and categorize feature gaps

Not all feature gaps are created equal. Some might be deal-breakers, some might be nice-to-haves, and some might be irrelevant. You need to prioritize and categorize the feature gaps according to their importance and urgency for your audience. You can use a product feature gap analysis template to help you with this process. A product feature gap analysis template is a tool that helps you compare your product's features with your competitors' and your audience's expectations, and identify the gaps, opportunities, and risks.

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3 Address feature gaps proactively and positively

You don't want to wait until your audience discovers a missing feature on their own; instead, you should address feature gaps proactively and positively in your presentation. Acknowledging the feature gap and explaining why it exists is key; for example, you might say that the feature is in development or not aligned with your product's vision or strategy. Additionally, emphasize the benefits and value of existing features, as well as offering alternatives or workarounds. Demonstrating your commitment and roadmap for addressing the feature gap in the future will also demonstrate your dedication to improving your product. Showing that you have a clear timeline and plan for delivering the feature or value feedback and suggestions will help reassure your audience.

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Thamara Vargas

Women in Tech I AI l Observability l FinOps l Cloud
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Integrando Métricas, Logs, Eventos e Traces A integra??o dessas quatro componentes é crucial para uma observabilidade completa: Métricas ajudam a identificar que algo está errado. Logs fornecem detalhes sobre o que especificamente está errado. Eventos notificam sobre as mudan?as e ajudam a correlacionar informa??es. Traces mostram o caminho exato que uma requisi??o percorreu, facilitando a identifica??o do ponto de falha.

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4 Handle objections and questions confidently and honestly

Even if you address feature gaps proactively and positively, you might still face objections and questions from your audience. To handle them confidently and honestly in your presentation, use the FEEL-FELT-FOUND technique to empathize, relate, and overcome objections. Provide evidence and testimonials to back up your claims and showcase your credibility. Additionally, ask for clarification and confirmation to understand and address their concerns and expectations. Doing so will help you better understand what specific feature they need, why they need it, how they would use it, and how important it is for them.

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Daniel Selbach

Head of Customer & Partner Enablement @ Placetel | Cloud Collaboration Expert | Passionate Tech Trainer | Tech Enthusiast | Creating elegant solutions to complex digital problems is what drives me every day
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Handling objections and questions confidently and honestly is essential during presentations. I believe in supporting my points with evidence and testimonials to demonstrate credibility. Engaging directly with the audience by asking for clarifications helps understand their concerns and expectations better. This approach allows me to address their specific needs effectively and enhances the overall impact of my presentation, ensuring that both parties feel heard and understood.

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Mun Ching Lee

Director of Business development (International Markets) | CDMO/Pharma | Biologics | Licensing
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When communicating product feature gaps to prospects and customers, transparency is key. Acknowledge the gap honestly, and then pivot the conversation to how your product’s existing strengths and upcoming improvements address their core needs. Offer timelines or roadmaps if the missing feature is planned for future development. Focus on understanding their primary objectives, and demonstrate how current features can meet or exceed their expectations. Handling objections involves empathizing with their concerns, offering workarounds if possible, and reinforcing your commitment to continuous improvement based on customer feedback. This approach builds trust and maintains the relationship despite the gaps.

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5 Follow up and keep the conversation going

After presenting your product, it's important to follow up and keep the conversation going with your audience. Show them that you care about their needs and feedback, and that you are dedicated to delivering value and satisfaction. You can do this by sending a thank-you note and summary of your presentation, sharing useful resources and content, asking for feedback and referrals, inviting them to try or buy your product, updating them on the progress of the feature gap, and notifying them when the feature is available. Following these best practices can help you effectively and persuasively communicate product feature gaps to prospects and customers, consequently creating trust, rapport, and loyalty.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Daniel Selbach

Head of Customer & Partner Enablement @ Placetel | Cloud Collaboration Expert | Passionate Tech Trainer | Tech Enthusiast | Creating elegant solutions to complex digital problems is what drives me every day
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In my presentations, I focus on how our product can improve overall company operations rather than just detailing individual features. This approach helps the audience visualize the tangible benefits and strategic value our solution offers, making it easier for them to see the potential impact on their business. Emphasizing improvements in efficiency, productivity, or profitability resonates more effectively than simply listing functionalities.

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What are the best practices for communicating product feature gaps to prospects and customers?

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1 Understand your audience

2 Prioritize and categorize feature gaps

3 Address feature gaps proactively and positively

4 Handle objections and questions confidently and honestly

5 Follow up and keep the conversation going

6 Here’s what else to consider

Technical Sales Presentations

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