What are some effective strategies for developing a deep understanding of your product?

Learn the product from its inception phase if you have the chance, go to the creators and developers and ask what were their intentions? What solution do they think they are bringing to the market? What is their aspiration with such a product? After gathering such information. Do you think you can sell that? Is that idea aligned with the final product?

Begin by using the product firsthand – it's like being a customer and finding ins and outs. Dive into product documentation, FAQs, and support channels to grasp the finer details. Chat to your marketing team also, they will know how the product should be positioned.

One of the best ways to learn is video content and presentations/pitches. Watching keynotes, product presentations or colleagues/representatives giving a pitch or deep dive give you a basis for creating deeper knowledge. I love picking sound bites from coworkers or presenters. These might be ways of framing the value of the solution/product, the unique solution value pitch, relevant industry datapoints or reference customer talking points. Shadowing or coaching with a more experienced subject matter expert can greatly help in objection handling and how to differentiate from the competition.

One thing I've found helpful, is to get your hands dirty, think of a relevant project that you can implement it. One that's an actual use case of the product that you have, or how an end-user will use it. there's no better way of learning your product better than putting it in actual use.

One of the effective product strategies include extensive target market research, keep the product team focused and aligned, help PMs prioritize features and direct resources, answer the problems you solve for your ideal customers, address methods that will help you achieve your business objectives, provide guidance to improve your product management team structure, and help other departments understand how the product ties into their business goals.

This is very important, If you can. You must experice the client journey to understand the targeted client needs and expectations. Using it expands your perspective on the product allowing you to find selling points that were hidden before. It is a bad look to get a question from the client about capabilities and usage of the product and answer “I don't know I have never use it”. (some products may not apply to these reasoning)

Getting a good understanding of the product by cross-collaboration with your internal team. Understanding what points you are solving for, how the product removes friction and brings about efficiency. Then, another part is having a good understanding of how the customer consumes the product. So that you are able to model a demo in a way that will enable them to buy.

As an employee of Radio Shack, we were encouraged to use products, like radios and AV equipment and to read the owners manuals to everything, including the cordless phones and Emergency Weather Radios, so not only can you tell the customer about features, but you can actually demonstrate them, and even allow them the tactile experience of doing this themselves.

If you are selling a product that you benefit from, you will 100% learn how to sell it quicker. I use my product, I can talk from personal experience on how it benefits me which is very real for the prospect I'm speaking too. If you are not in this position then you have to use it from the perspective of your prospect. Multiple times! Learn how they use and talk about it so your communication is so much more familiar to them.

Don't just sell it; experience it. Using the product yourself isn't just a recommendation; it's the secret sauce to truly understanding its value. When you live it, you become a passionate advocate, delivering authenticity that speaks volumes. Dive in, explore, and become the product's greatest storyteller.

One rule of thumb is: The most important person in the room is the customer, we want to hear what they think about the product, what could make their user experience better, faster, smoother and simpler. With this feedback we are able to continuously iterate the product based on the customer's needs and this keeps us close to the customer to understand what features we need to prioritise.

When I was selling equipment, I found the best way to learn how the products helped my clients was to observe them actually using the device. While asking them provided some useful information, the true insights came from observation and then inquiry. This is when I began to see benefits no one had articulated, or, initially realized. This process gave me a powerful advantage in presenting the solution to future prospects while also helping existing clients maximize their investment.

Seek Out Feedback On a weekly basis - ask the customer success team what challenges customers have brought to them. This information often gets passed along to the product team, but not always back to sales. Be active and intentional in seeking out this information, don't wait for it to come to you.

The end game is to establish genuine connections and provide solutions that truly matter to them. So listening to the customers comes to me like deciphering a puzzle where each piece is a valuable insight. The customer's feedback, whether positive or critical, offers a direct window into their experiences and expectations. By paying attention to their questions, concerns, and success stories, we gain a profound understanding of their needs and desires. This understanding forms the foundation for crafting personalized sales messages that resonate deeply with them. It's not just about hearing their words; it's about understanding the emotions and motivations behind those words,

Understanding what problems customers are trying to solve with the solution is important, as well what features have the biggest gravity. Using case studies and customer verbatims gives you concrete stories that help you understand the perceived value, typical starting points and how the solution helped resolve them. It might be that a few solution/product features create the most value in a particular vertical or business division. Understanding these will greatly increase your understanding of the solution/product.

Take a look at the competition is a must in the strategic mindset of a sales person. Are they adopting similar solutions to you? Are they going in a complete different direction? Is the market responding better to the competition′s solutions? You are not alone in the market, be aware of this.

In the ever-evolving business landscape, knowledge is power. Researching the competition is your secret weapon to stay ahead. Uncover their strategies, identify gaps, and seize opportunities. In the world of business, information is gold, and your journey to success starts with understanding your rivals.

Thoroughly researching your competitors can provide valuable insights into the market landscape, enabling you to discern their product offerings, unique features, and market positioning in relation to your own. By comprehending the strengths and weaknesses of rival products, you can effectively emphasize the distinct advantages of your own product and articulate compelling arguments that set it apart. This knowledge equips you to confidently address potential competitive objections and persuasively demonstrate the superior value proposition of your product.

In the pursuit of excellence, one principle stands tall: Keep learning and updating. The world doesn't stand still, and neither should you. Embrace change, seek knowledge, and adapt. It's the journey to perpetual improvement, and the path to unlocking your true potential.

Moreover, it's important to make the most of different communication channels for customer feedback, like social media, online forums, and surveys. These tools help you gather a broader spectrum of customer opinions and insights, allowing you to stay updated on changing market trends and adjust your product strategy accordingly.