Question: I’m planning a meeting to introduce our sales staff to a new product line. I have limited time, but lots of information to convey. Do you have any ideas to make this fun and effective?
Answer: Since these are salespeople that you are introducing the products to, I would focus on the fact that they need to be able to sell the product when they leave the meeting.
Too often product introduction meetings focus on everything the product can do, which quite often becomes a dump of information too overwhelming for most to absorb.
Initially, you don’t need your salespeople to be product experts; you need them to be able to sell the products by appealing to customer needs. Here are some suggestions:
Prepare a pre-session investigation.
Prior to the meeting, consider sending the participants information about the product line to read or work with. If they have access to the product in the field, you may consider making a game out of it. For instance, you could ask them to locate certain features of the product and complete a question and answer sheet or crossword puzzle.
Keep it customer-focused.
It will be easier for each salesperson to learn to sell the product by thinking of specific customers to sell to. Prior to the session, send salespeople a check sheet of key customer profile information. Ask them each to complete the information based on a customer or customers that they feel would be potential candidates for the new product line.
At some point during your session, use that information to discuss how to qualify customers and also how to identify product features that solve customer problems.
Profile information could include; customer demographics, likes, concerns, operational issues, customer traits, behavioral styles, personal information, likely objections, history with the product, etc.
Focus on value, not features and benefits.
It may be impossible to cover everything that the product does in one meeting. Even if you had the time, introducing all of the features is probably not the most effective learning tool. Start by discussing the difference between features (attributes of the product), benefits (what the features do) and value (what the solution means to an individual customer, usually measured in terms of saved time or money). Next, give the participants structured "hands-on time" with the product. Here are a couple of ideas for accomplishing this:
1.Turn your salespeople into teachers. Break the group into teams. Assign each a specific part or attribute of the equipment. Then, have teams take turns presenting what they think are the most important points to the rest of the group. You may want to have product experts available to answer questions where needed.
2.Hold a scavenger hunt. Break the group into teams. Distribute "scavenger cards" that list typical customer concerns or problems. Have the teams research the product to determine benefits that will solve the customer concerns. Have the teams report back to the large group. As you conduct this exercise, you may want to post notes on the product that provides clues about what the product does.
3.Role-play a product demonstration. Based on customer profile information, ask each salesperson to design a 10-minute demonstration specific to that customer’s operation and issues. In small groups (three to five in a group), role-play the demonstration. Be sure to allow time for positive critique and feedback.
Consider providing a feedback sheet to keep the group focused on positive critique. If you have time, you may also want to have a short discussion on effective demonstration/presentation techniques.
4.Require post-session accountability. With any training session, it is most effective if participants deliberately apply what they learn. You asked the participants to come to the meeting with customer information. They’ve had an opportunity to practice selling to the customer via practice demonstration.
Now, ask them to take action by refining their presentations, demonstrating to the customer and reporting results. You may consider publishing results in a newsletter for the benefit of others.
With any training session, whether product or other skill set, the more hands on, the better.
Think in terms of the end result by asking yourself, "What should the participants be able to do that they can’t do now?"
When you’re tempted to lecture, consider more participant focused activities. If you are short on creative ideas, you may consider attending a course on accelerated learning, offered by the Center for Accelerated Learning in Lake Geneva.
Marcia Gauger is the president of Impact Sales, a performance improvement and training company with offices in Wisconsin, Florida and Arkansas. You can contact her at
262-642-9610 or marciag@makinganimpact.com. Her column appears in every other issue of SBT.
Nov. 8, 2002 Small Busin ess Times, Milwaukee
