Who should be selling? Product Specialists or Salesperson?

Is it better to hire a product specialist and teach them how to sell, or a salesperson and teach them the trade?

This question comes up almost every day in our office.
Let’s look at the benefits and challenges for each.

Ok so your business does x (for the sake of this we will say it sells specialised medical equipment) and you can either take on a salesperson or a medical practitioner who has administered it.

Two people have made it to the final interview. Nurse Nigel who has used it for 5 years and is totally sold on it, can explain when to use it and how to use it.

The second person who makes it through is Salesperson Sarah, a few years under her belt she knows how to get appointments with doctors and specialists. She has sold to hospitals before.

Nurse Nigel has no sales experience. Salesperson Sarah has no medical experience.

The question is – which is going to be more effective?

Nurse Nigel comes with integrity, speaks the lingo, empathises with what they have to do, knows the journey and flow of patients and the variables that come with that.  He is patient, understanding, he has confidence in his nursing abilities and confident speaking with nurses.
Behaviour wise he is Steady and Compliant.

Downside: he hasn’t sold anything. Plus, he has a icky feeling with the word ‘salesperson’.
(This is the case in almost all cases of specialists moving over to sales they think they are being judged negatively for being sales and sometimes there is an additional hang up – eg. when they see nurses they tell me those nurses indicate they ‘sold out to the dark side’ (their words, not mine)!

Salesperson Sarah knows how to sell, she has sold for 5 years. She understands there’s a science to selling, a process and structure. She is proactive, knows how to get appointments, present a compelling solution and show value early on. She listens to understand. She knows how to sign someone up. She is driven by targets and moves fast.  She is naturally good at Business Development, she likes being around people.
Behaviour wise she is high Influencer and Dominance.

Downside: she feels the specialists don’t take her seriously as she isn’t a nurse.

Let’s look deeper into both situations

Product Specialists
Product specialists are typically subject matter experts who possess a deep understanding of the products they sell. Maybe engineers, technical or medical experts who can provide detailed information about the product’s features and benefits. Their primary role is to educate customers on the product and help them make informed purchasing decisions.

One of the major advantages of using product specialists is their level of expertise. They can answer complex technical questions and provide detailed product demonstrations, which can be especially important for complex or high-value products. Additionally, product specialists can provide a level of credibility and trust, as they are seen as authorities in their field.

Personality style/behaviour style they are often high ”C’ followed by ‘S’. Meaning Compliance and Steadiness.   The more technical something gets the more ‘C’  – precise, logical, analytical and careful, lots of attention on details, won’t be rushed. Therefore they are often matched with the specialists they are selling to.

There are also some downsides to using product specialists as salespeople. For one, they may lack the interpersonal skills and salesmanship (driven, proactive, BD headspace) that are necessary to close deals. Additionally, their technical focus may lead them to overlook the customer’s needs and preferences, leading to a mismatch between the product and the customer’s requirements. (They may think ‘I know what that client wants’ a tad too early).

Salespeople
Salespeople are experts in the art of understanding other, reading others, communication and persuasion. They possess excellent communication skills, a deep understanding of the customer’s needs and preferences, and the ability to build strong relationships. Their primary role is to identify customer needs (known and unknown) and present solutions that align with those needs. To be opportunistic and driven to get things moving.

One of the major advantages of using salespeople is their ability to connect with customers on a personal level. They can build rapport, establish trust, and create a sense of urgency that can drive sales. Additionally, salespeople are highly adaptable and therefore adjust their approach based on the customer’s personality and preferences.

Personality style/behaviour style, salepeople tend to be more in the ‘I’ range (followed by ‘D’ or ‘S’). The high ‘I’ means that they are good at proactivity and business growth, getting on the phone and getting on with it. They move quick.

The downsides to using salespeople as your sales person for a specialist product, is they may lack the technical expertise necessary to answer complex technical questions. Additionally, although not so much now unless they are under pressure, they may prioritize making the sale over providing the best solution for the customer’s needs.

Plus, crucially for a high ‘I’ sales person engaging with a high C’ specialists, it means a lot of adapting needs to happen.  The Salesperson wants to break the rules to get in the business, is flexible, wants leniency,  likes new things, talks fast and moves fast, they often do not have the attention to detail.  The ‘C’ person they may be selling to, likes slower interaction, attention to detail, rules and a process to follow, they are considered and careful and can’t be rushed into a decision. They can’t be persuaded by talking at them. Oh dear.

Research on the Best Approach
So, which approach is best? As with many things in business, the answer is “it depends.” Different products, industries, and customer segments may require different approaches. However, there is some research that can help guide decision-making.

A study published in the Journal of Marketing found that the effectiveness of salesperson expertise (i.e., technical knowledge) depended on the customer’s level of knowledge. For customers with low knowledge of the product, salesperson expertise had a positive impact on purchase intentions. However, for customers with high knowledge, salesperson expertise had a negative impact. This suggests that product specialists may be more effective for selling to highly knowledgeable customers, while salespeople may be more effective for selling to less knowledgeable customers.

Another study published in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management found that salesperson empathy (i.e., the ability to understand and connect with the customer’s emotions) was a key predictor of sales success. This suggests that salespeople who are able to build strong relationships with customers may be more effective at driving sales.

The outcome seems to be that the best approach to selling a product depends on the specific product, industry, and customer segment. Product specialists may be more effective for selling complex or technical products to highly knowledgeable customers, while salespeople may be more effective for selling to less knowledgeable customers or for building strong relationships. Ultimately, the ideal approach is likely a combination of both: salespeople who are able to connect with customers on a personal level and product specialists who can talk the lingo.

What you can do if you have hired a product specialist to sell
Help them be comfortable with selling. It’s quite simple. Help them with the commercial side, seeing that the more people you are helping the more goes into L&D and therefore the customer ultimately wins with a more suitable product. Guide them on the sales process so they understand there’s a science to sales. High ‘C’s will like a process to follow, the science and structure of a sale.  The high ‘S’ will need to see fairness so, things like pricing need to be carefully managed.  (I.e two clients buying the same thing and one paying more will unravel a high C so you need to be clear on explaining variables).

They need help with the proactivity and business development of the role (not natural at all to a ‘S’ who prefers steadiness and are more comfortable with an inbound enquiry and a ‘C’ will like that inbound enquiry arriving by a form as their comfort is to reply by email and not having to speak to anyone).

If you have a salesperson to sell your specialised product
Concentrate on product knowledge. Walk through a successful journey with a client, starting from the client’s point of view first (i.e., they had so and so pain and tried xy and z and then come to us and we did AB and C and now this is the outcome…). If they are selling to a specialist (often high ‘C’s) your salesperson would need to know how to read this style quickly and know how to adapt to it. (I.e ‘C’ need process, they are careful, don’t take risks, will not be persuaded, want you to get to deal and facts and don’t want the chit chat rapport, will avoid a meeting if they can and want your solution by email).