PROUD: Convinced in the superiority of what one sells and who one represents

PROUD: Convinced in the superiority of what one sells and who one represents

The annual Product Review Conference, Zubin was hosting, had gone virtual this year. It had so far been an one way street. Most Relationship Managers complained the Bank did not have enough products. Or said the Bank had inadequate products. “Our features don’t match up to what competition offers” said a few others

Time for some reality check, thought Zubin. He unmuted and spoke “Friends, let’s take a break from discussions. Let’s do a fun quiz.. Here are 10 product questions. They will appear on your screen with multiple choice answers. You can click the radio button to indicate your answer. Ready?”

A murmur of surprise and laughter rippled through the internet lines. Minutes of quiet and intense activity followed. 5 minutes later, Zubin announced the results in a poll format. “15% of you got all the answers right. Just a dipstick of how well we know our products”

Zubin spoke again “But all of you will at least agree our product trajectory is right. Our products are all designed to be Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises friendly. MSMEs are expected to be the flavor of the economic recovery season. So we should be strongly informed about our products and our Bank’s MSME friendly policies. I want to share a personal story”

“I buy my vegetables from a small time vendor near my home. You could call him an MSME success saga. 10 years ago he was selling from a push cart with veggies overflowing on to the road below. Today he has a nice rented shop with shiny plastic display trays, a large refrigerator stocking dairy products and a shelf with a range of fruits, spices and masalas. One thing that’s not changed with him is how proud he is about his business and what he sells”

“Green peas are incredibly cheap today Sir”, he will tell you, “shall I give you 2 kgs? Cucumbers are of super quality. Small sized, tender but firm and fresh. The wholesaler had only 2 sacks. I cornered them both for my Customers. These papayas are healthy. My doctor Customer took 6 of them as they build immunity. Don’t miss them Sir”

“He’s a master of cross sell. I pick up coriander and chillies and he offers “Looks like you’re assembling pulav ingredients. Shall I add 250 gms of ginger? And never closes his billing without asking “Anything else?”

“He is proud of what he sells.. It shows in how much he knows about what he sells. It shows in his cheer and conviction”

“What makes you so proud all the time?” I ask him. “I help people buy great quality vegetables and fruits according to their needs. It makes them stay healthy right? he asks with a broad grin. What do you think we can pick up from him?”

Sales geniuses employ a time tested sales equation to outsell others:

Product Knowledge + Brand Pride = More Sales.

They know that making the Customer feel good about the product and excited about the buying experience is what really clinches the sale. So they do a deep-dive research into the products they sell. They are product PhD's in their understanding of how their products benefit the Customer in actual use.

In our story, the RMs could use better product knowledge to super charge their sales conversions, fix Customer pain points and help Customers grow. They can thus demonstrate a product and brand pride that’s infectious, positively influencing Customers.. Not just that. That pride can also convert Customers into brand advocates!