Whether you’re running an online business or an eCommerce site, everyone is always on the lookout for ways of increasing sales. Here is where a little knowledge can go a long way! How many times have you gone to a store and asked questions, only to find that the salesperson wasn’t knowledgeable about the products they offered? Or, worse yet, simply couldn’t be bothered to answer your questions? The same goes for eCommerce sites. How may times have you encountered a site where your question wasn’t answered on the website? Some people may send an eMail to find out more, but many others will simply move on to another website.

Knowledge is money! The more you know about the products you carry, the more you can differentiate yourself from the competition. Marketers often talk of being recognized as an “authority” in your field, but the most important thing is to simply be knowledgeable enough to answer the questions of potential buyers as well as provide them additional useful information about your product(s). Here are five ways that you can increase your sales with knowledge.

1. Learn All About the Products You Sell - This goes for any merchant, but is especially important to online sellers. You need to be able to describe a product. By that, I mean not simply listing its features, but what does it look like? How does it feel? If appropriate, how does it taste or smell? Are the buttons easy to push? Is it easy to operate? Features are one thing, but hands-on functionality is another. You should be able to accurately convey what the product is like to use. For example, a can opener might work well, but if it is tricky to get the thing going, that’s something a customer would want to know. You can increase sales and reduce returns simply by being upfront with the customer about what they can expect.
2. Learn All About the Products Your Competitors Sell - Just like you need to know all about your own products, you should learn everything you can about competing products as well. Know how they compare with what you sell. Learn the advantages and disadvantages so that you are in a better position to inform your customer.

   Better Yet: Carry More Than One Brand of Product - If you carry a selection of competing merchandise, you can obtain those customers that shop for a specific brand name, rather than by features or advantages. But, more importantly, you can demonstrate the pros and cons of each brand’s product. Since you are in the either-or position, you are at an advantage over someone selling one particular brand in that the customer may see you as more honest and open as you can truthfully describe the benefits and drawbacks of each product because, whichever they choose, you still make the sale. The single brand dealer has to push the one brand they carry, which automatically brings doubt to the customer’s mind as to how true his statements are regarding that brand’s product.

   Of course, simply carrying more than one brand is not enough. True, it is enough to win the customers who shop by brand alone, but for the wider market, the undecideds, you need to be knowledgeable about the multiple brands and products in order to inform the customer of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

3. Know How to Use the Product - You should also know how to use the product you are selling. Even better is having actual hands-on experience using the product. This relates back to the first point of knowing your product thoroughly. For example, the Brand X can opener may work great but be difficult to get going and the Brand Y can opener may be easier to started but leave sharper edges on the can. Being able to describe both, especially in an eCommerce site, can help the customer better choose which can opener will be better for them.
4. Know How the Product is Being Used - You can get extra sales if you know a particular product works well for purposes and situations that are not immediately apparent. Naturally, you do not want to try to sell a product for purposes for which it was not designed to do nor for purposes which may be hazardous or dangerous. You must always be ware of liability issues in such circumstances. But, those are not the types of uses to which I am referring. For example, maybe a jar opener you are selling is a flat, rubber circle type with a gripping texture. Perhaps it might work well in a riding lawn mower’s cup holder to better hold a soda bottle or a water bottle in place. That’s something that may appeal to someone who is in the lawn care business and spends a lot of time sitting in the mower! As another example, athletic shoes were originally designed for, well, athletics, but later became popular as casual footwear. Knowing alternative uses for the products you sell can help you sell more of them by creating demand and need where there were none previously. If you hear of someone successfully using a product for uses other than those for which it is marketed, don’t be afraid to use that knowledge to increase your sales. Of course, always be mindful of liability issues in that regard! Don’t push uses that may be in any way hazardous or dangerous and especially don’t promote uses that may be illegal!
5. Know What Other Products Complement Your Own - Are there other products that work nicely with the one your customer is buying? For example, if they are buying a printer, they may also need extra ink, paper, specialty paper, cables, etc. Maybe the printer doesn’t come with a USB cable, which is needed. You can score one over the competition by offering a USB cable with the printer for a discount price or even free. Or, maybe the printer comes with a USB cable but you know from experience that the cable isn’t long enough. In that case, you might want to offer your customer a USB extension cable for a free or discounted price. Offer bundles or special add-on products with the printer that the customer may need. It’s an added convenience and it saves them a future trip (or shipping cost in the case of online orders) for items they may find they need later.

The bottom line is that you shouldn’t think of yourself in business as just to make money but rather to help other people improve their lives. By being more knowledgeable about your products and other products in the marketplace, you are in a better position to be of valuable assistance to your customers.

And that is what can really help your bottom line.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at 10:12 pm and is filed under Increasing Sales. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Del.icio.us | Digg It | Googlize this post! | reddit | Stumble it! | Technorati
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.