The promotional products industry is teeming with, well, products. From stalwarts like pens, mugs and totes, to fashion-forward apparel, soft-touch blankets, insulated stainless-steel drinkware and delicious food gifts to satiate virtually any taste, distributors need to know what they’re selling. And that can vary widely in a given day.

So it behooves sales reps to know the products they’re pitching. Why? It can boost their closed sales. In fact, 88% of B2B buyers will only purchase from you if you demonstrate yourself to be a trusted adviser, according to digital ad agency Sleeknote. That’s significant, and showing that you know the ins and outs of a product – relevant features, yes, but also testing, pricing structure and value-adds – illustrates that you can answer their questions quickly and help them narrow down to a solution that works for their unique needs.

Here are five ways to sharpen your product knowledge.

1. Get a hold of the physical items. Familiarity with products can only really be honed when the items are right in front of you and will give you an opportunity to ask thoughtful questions. Head to in-person trade shows when possible or ask suppliers for samples. Also consider inviting supplier reps to bring their products to your office (or have them present virtually on the samples they’ve shipped) so your team can ask questions in real time. Keep customers’ wants and needs in mind as you get accustomed to the items.

2. Take advantage of industry resources. Ask suppliers for feature specs, pricing structures and manufacturing documentation that can offer information on how the item was made, as well as testing procedures, relevant quality assurance and component details that you can share with your clients. Industry organizations provide resources, such as ASI’s ESP database and related media. Also invite colleagues at your company to share their honest product feedback (the positive and the negative) with the rest of the team.

3. Test your knowledge. Partner up with your co-workers and have them ask you questions on a specific product category, everything from country of origin, to key features, to pricing, to custom options. When you slip up, keep track of the area in which to spend more time. Revisit the supplier’s website and documentation – as well as notes you may have taken during the rep’s presentation – so you know where to brush up. When you’re feeling confident, come back and ask them to test your knowledge on two or more product categories at the same time.

88%
The percentage of B2B buyers who will only purchase from a sales rep if he or she shows they’re a trusted adviser.

( Sleeknote)

4. Provide consistent training. When a supplier rep presents, either in-person or virtually, everyone on the team should have the chance to be there, perhaps over two or three sessions. Team members should share time traveling to trade shows and be offered time slots during the workday to have test-your-knowledge sessions with colleagues. Making sure that everyone has the same training keeps things as equitable as possible and avoids inconsistencies in product know-how, which can affect the close.

5. Develop a knowledge database. Gather the group’s collective information about suppliers’ products into one place that’s easily accessible and navigable. Upload manufacturing documentation about items, lists of features, pricing structures, how they stack up to competitors’ products, and both positive and negative feedback about them. It’ll become an objective and robust resource for colleagues to use, which will also make onboarding new hires a little easier and will provide quick information that sales reps can refer to in a pinch when they’re on the road.