This is not an unusual problem. Many salespeople spend much of their time during a sales call attempting to educate the prospect about their product, service, and industry. They think that it will stimulate interest and increase the odds of earning a new client. In many cases, this is the same strategy that compromises their opportunity to create a relationship with that prospect.

Unfortunately, this is the easiest way to lose their attention. Once a person hears something that they aren't interested in or if they feel that you are providing information that doesn't apply to them, their interest is lost and they stop listening.

A sales call is not the time to prove how much you know. It’s the time to find out what you don't know about the prospect and what the prospect doesn't know about you. It is not your knowledge that sells, but how effectively you customize your knowledge to meet each of your prospects’ specific needs.

Before you can uncover a prospect’s individual needs and educate them on how your product will meet those needs, you must first uncover what your prospect already knows.