Sales Knowledge Assessment

Introducing Your Organisation:

1. I can introduce the organisation I sell for and what we offer using only verifiable facts, in twenty-five words or less.

Validation Exercise:

Write out what you would say and count the number of words. Then separate the facts from any superlative or hyperbole. Keeping an introduction under twenty-five words lessens the likelihood of listeners tuning out. Using only verifiable facts increases your believability and credibility.

Depth of Knowledge: 

2. My knowledge of what I sell is as comprehensive as that of those who designed it.

Validation Exercise: 

Explain in writing how you would improve what you sell as if you were responsible for its next iteration, release, or improved version.

Value Created:

3. I am very good at explaining and presenting the bottom line contribution or fiscal value that my organisation’s products, solutions, or services create for customers and can cite many examples.

Validation Exercise: 

Give three specific quantified examples of the value that what you sell has created for named customers.

Top Customers:

4. I know the names of our top customers and how they use what we sell them to succeed in their business.

Validation Exercise: 

List your organisation's top five customers and describe how they use what your organisation supplied to succeed in their business. 

Differentiation:

5. I understand how my organisation’s products, solutions, and services are different from competitive offerings and I can explain each difference in two or three sentences.

Validation Exercise: 

Explain in writing how each of your organisation’s primary products, services, or solutions are different from those of your main competitors. Use twenty-five or fewer words in each case.

Credibility and Trust:

6. I know how to convince a sceptical prospect that we are trustworthy and will deliver on the promises that we make.

Validation Exercise: 

Write a fact-based statement that would be likely to cause a listener to think that your organisation can be trusted to deliver on its promises. Use twenty-five words or less.

Best Value:

7. I know how to convince a sceptical prospect that what I sell is good value, worth what we are asking for it, and not available for less elsewhere.

Validation Exercise:

Write out a statement or form of words that you could use to reassure a sceptical prospect that what you offer is worth what you are asking for it. Use twenty-five words or less.

Market Share:

8. I know the approximate total value of the market addressed by our organisation. I also know roughly the percentage share of the market represented by what we sell and the market shares commanded by our top three competitors.

Validation Exercise: 

If you score yourself at seven or more for this statement, note how you came by the information. If you score yourself at six or less, discover how you can find or estimate this information. Knowing the impact of your organisation in the market and the relative impact of prominent competitors increases your credibility with senior executives in your and your customer's organisations.

Market Change:

9. I am very good at predicting how the market for what I sell will change over the medium and long term.

Validation Exercise: 

Write down your predictions for market change over the next one to three years and for the next five to ten years.

Adapting for Change - Organisation:

10. I am aware of the plans that my organisation has for addressing market changes in the medium and long term.

Validation Exercise:

Write an outline of the plans that your organisation has for addressing anticipated market changes in the medium term (one to three years) and the long term five to ten years). Understanding the aims and direction of an organisation helps people better serve the organisation and position themselves to benefit from the anticipated change.

Adapting for Change - Customers:

11. I am aware of the plans that my customers have for addressing or adapting for anticipated changes in their markets over the medium and long term.

Validation Exercise:

Write an outline of the plans that your top customer has for addressing or adapting for anticipated market changes in the medium term (one to three years) and the long term five to ten years). Understanding the aims and direction of customers helps salespeople better serve the customer's needs.

Influencing Change:

12. I am aware of the activities and plans that my organisation has for influencing changes in the markets we serve.

Validation Exercise:

Write a summary of the things that your organisation is doing and planning to do to influence change in the markets we address.

Customer Aims:

13. I know the specific business goals and objectives of my top three customers.

Validation Exercise:

Check that you understand the specific business goals and objectives of your top three customers by asking a senior executive in each customer if you have the correct understanding.

Customer Priorities:

14. I know what my top three customers must do in the short term to maximise success in their business or purpose.

Validation Exercise:

Check that you understand the specific short-term priorities of your top three customers by asking a senior executive in each customer if you have the correct understanding.

Customer Organisation:

15. I know the customer organisation structure and the names of the people in the functions that are affected by the products or services we provide, for all of my active customers.

Validation Exercise:

List the names and positions of relevant senior people in your top three customers.

My Organisation's Aims:

16. I know the short, medium, and long-term business goals and objectives of my organisation.

Validation Exercise:

Share your understanding of your organisation's short, medium, and long-term business goals and objectives with a senior executive to verify the accuracy of your knowledge.

My Contribution:

17. I know how my work contributes to the achievement of our organisation's short and medium-term business goals and objectives.

Validation Exercise:

Write a summary of how your work contributes to the realisation of your organisation's short and medium-term goals and objectives. Then share your summary with your manager to verify its accuracy.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT):

18. I have a clear understanding of our organisation's strengths (internal), weaknesses (internal), opportunities (external), and threats (external).

Validation Exercise:

Conduct a written SWOT analysis of your organisation and share it with knowledgeable colleagues to seek their views and explore your conclusions.

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses

19. I have a very good understanding of my personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Validation Exercise:

Conduct a SWOT on your personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and then discuss your conclusions with your manager to compare perspectives.

Sales Methods and Techniques:

20. I have expert knowledge of the sales methods and techniques that are most effective in the markets I sell into and with the customers who can benefit from what I sell.

Validation Exercise:

Take our sales skills and habits assessment here.