In PreSales, product expertise is your greatest asset. While it’s up to you to effectively bridge customer needs to your company’s solutions, going too deep into the technical weeds often does more harm than good. 

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It’s a delicate balance, and in this blog we’ll explore the art of finding the sweet spot in communicating the value of your solution without getting bogged down in minor details.

How Deep Should You Go?

Understanding the features and value of your solutions is the bedrock upon which successful customer interactions are built. However, there's a fine line to walk when it comes to showcasing your product knowledge. It’s tempting to dive headfirst into the ins and outs, but avoid going too deep. 

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Why? Because, at the end of the day, your role is to demonstrate how the inner workings of the product translate into success for users. 

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Striking this delicate balance is about having tactical depth. Instead of striving to know everything about your product, focus on knowing what matters most. Pinpoint the high-value use cases and how they relate to what different customers need.

Keep Customers at the Center

Speaking of customers, it helps to let them drive the conversation. Listen intently to their pain points, goals, and needs, then work backwards to develop the ideal solution.

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Falling into the “information overload” trap can actually have the opposite desired effect — instead of adding value, you’re adding noise and destroying value with irrelevant information. Follow the buyer’s cues to determine how much, or how little, they need to know. 

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There’s an art to simply answering the question, “Can you do XYZ for us?” with a simple “yes.” More often than not, that’s all the customer needs to hear. You don’t need to spill the entire encyclopedia of product features. If they want to get into technical details, they will ask. 

Know When You Need Help

Inevitably, there will be times when a customer delves into the nitty-gritty, asking about the more intricate aspects of your product. Self-awareness plays a pivotal role here. Acknowledge what you do know, but more importantly, accept what you don’t. This helps you avoid the trap of over-promising, ensuring that you stay in your land throughout the customer’s journey.

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It’s perfectly acceptable to admit a question enters a territory that requires an engineer or implementation expert, and that you’re happy to connect the customer with that person to get them the answers they’re looking for. As a result, you maintain the integrity of the information shared and showcases your dedication to finding the best solutions. It’s about recognizing when to stop going too technical and seamlessly transitioning the conversation to other specialists, further solidifying your position as a trusted advisor.

Stay Informed 

While you aren’t expected to have all the answers, it will still serve you to keep up with product updates and releases to continue bringing value. The tech industry is in a perpetual state of evolution, and being aware of the latest developments in your product lineup can give you a significant advantage when interacting with prospects and customers. 

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But staying informed isn’t limited to reading release notes:

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• Get hands-on: Immerse yourself into the tech’s capabilities and experiment with various workflows to relate real-world examples to customers.
• Reach out: Collaborate with your product team to understand feature intricacies and how to message them to customers.
• Ask customers: Talk to people who use your product, ask them how they use it — then use their input to shape its value proposition.

Striking the Right Balance

Striking the right balance in product knowledge empowers PreSales professionals to excel in their roles. 

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Listen, trust your instincts, and turn to others to understand when to stay in the shallows, tread out into the depths, and when to wade somewhere in between. You’ll find your customer interactions much more productive — and perhaps more enjoyable!

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