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According to convention, corporate training for sales novices usually does not directly address the product's "defects," at most describing them as product "features." This is not a denial; on the contrary, it has a positive side, but that is not the topic of this article. What the author discusses today is that as sales novices continuously interact with the market, they increasingly "understand" all aspects of the product, seemingly becoming "familiar" and gradually recognizing the "real" situation, or being "convinced" by customers through constant "argument." The psychological gap from the company's "high-profile" recommendation to the "truth coming to light" becomes a "roadblock" for sales novices moving forward. This is a crucial barrier that prevents many sales novices from continuing with this product, this company, or even a career in sales. Therefore, a reminder for novices who intend to develop sales as a long-term career: this is an "accident-prone area" that requires careful handling.

Types and Analysis of Product Shortcomings

So, how should we understand and face product "shortcomings" in sales?

A detailed analysis of product "shortcomings" in sales roughly includes the following types: The first refers to functional defects, i.e., what the product cannot currently do, or shortcomings compared to competitors or ideal products; the second is negative side effects of the product itself or its performance, where adverse effects arise from achieving positive effects; the third is the unknown area of product function and quality, where negative assumptions cannot be confirmed due to lack of information or factual evidence; the fourth is product misconceptions caused by information asymmetry, leading to perceived shortcomings.

For the first type of product shortcoming—product defects, i.e., what the product cannot currently do, or shortcomings compared to competitors or ideal products—although there is room for improvement, salespeople must not overlook the product's inherent value. Just as you can no longer use a pager, it cannot be denied that it was once a "darling of the era"; going further back, the "big brother" phone, now you would choose any current phone, even the worst, over carrying it, but it was once the "dream" of many. These two examples prove that "there is always something better!" Every product has its era value or positioning value, but it indeed has many defects, just like the first automobile had many shortcomings and defects, so much so that people even commented: it replaced one trouble with another. So from a certain perspective, there is no perfect product in the world, even the best-selling products (including competitors). If you expect perfection, you are not suited to live in the present. As a joke: please come to this world on "Doomsday," perhaps then you will encounter perfection. But this joke is a bit overdone, because we cannot wait; we must live in the present, serve the present, and achieve in the present.

The second type of product shortcoming—negative side effects, where adverse effects arise from achieving positive effects. This is indeed worrying because it is our product, and to put it "grandly," we are responsible. But we must understand this dialectical relationship: where there are advantages, there are disadvantages; where there is the positive, there is the negative. Any product, when it functions, produces certain side effects, just as using a mobile phone has radiation, low radiation means weak signal, using a landline is not as convenient, using a computer improves work efficiency but harms the eyes, cold medicine causes drowsiness, new car models have higher speed but also higher risk, amoxicillin has good anti-inflammatory effects with low side effects, but later using ordinary medicine for inflammation becomes ineffective... These phenomena are common in our lives. If a product's negative side effects were "eliminated," then another major "side effect" might emerge: the cost would be so high that ordinary customers could hardly afford it. So, "side effects" always exist; what we sell is not the side effects, but precisely the positive value the product generates.

For the third type of product shortcoming—the unknown, i.e., negative assumptions that cannot be confirmed due to lack of information or factual evidence. This is a "characteristic problem" that sales novices easily make, because when just starting out, they lack judgment standards for many sudden and random situations, often referred to as inexperience (no reference standards), and coupled with a lack of trust in the product and team due to "just getting to know them," they tend to think the worst about anything unknown or uncertain. Additionally, with customers' "constant provocation" or even "pursuit," they have no ability to withstand it. Especially in sales, there are many sudden and random situations, and we cannot always "consult" the sales supervisor; we can only "breed" them in our minds; or if we "question" too much and are ignored by supervisors, we may think they are tacitly agreeing or feeling guilty. Actually, it is our psychology that is problematic, not the "product's unknown," because the above judgments are made due to a lack of trust. There are many unknown things, such as whether a flight on a certain day will have an accident, whether a car's speed is fast enough but might have an accident, whether professional guidance is 100% reliable, etc. If you must have a definite answer, then you shouldn't live, because you can't fly, drive, see a doctor, or listen to weather forecasts... So, we should not think and define in that direction. Grasp the big picture and environment, and move forward bravely; small issues can be continuously improved. When you constantly think about uncontrollable things, you have basically lost control.

The fourth type is product misconceptions caused by information asymmetry. Our company develops and designs products from a broad perspective, while each customer's personalized perspective creates perceived shortcomings; or customers use outdated (old information) judgment standards, or overly advanced judgment standards; or customers evaluate the product from a competitor's perspective and information; all these can lead to misconceptions due to information asymmetry; or anomalies in the reasoning process can cause perceived shortcomings. Sometimes, even we salespeople ourselves have differences in perspective (information) with the company, or an experienced salesperson in the team and a novice have different perceptions of the product, all due to information asymmetry. Therefore, "conflicts" are inevitable in sales communication. This requires us to clear away the confusion, unify judgment paths, and clarify the customer's purchasing goals.

What Salespeople Truly Need to Face

Regardless, as long as we have a negative "definition" in our minds, whether facing customers or the company, and most importantly, facing expected sales results, we will overcomplicate things. In the end, the root problem is the "conscience barrier" and "confidence barrier" that sales novices find hard to overcome, combined. The so-called "conscience barrier" is a natural human kindness; the so-called "confidence barrier" is the lack of confidence in oneself, the company, or the product's "depth"; calling it a combined barrier is because even salespeople themselves cannot distinguish; it's just a concept: not knowing whether it's due to "conscience" that there is no confidence, or because of no confidence that it's called "conscience," to save face. Anyway, both are present.

But if you understand the objective facts in the previous paragraph, you will realize that the so-called "conscience" is just a beautiful excuse for ourselves. At most, it can be understood as a form of kindness. But talking about kindness is far less important than talking about our responsibility or mission, because the latter is much more practical and valuable. For example, a doctor giving a patient an injection or performing major surgery may cause pain, bleeding, or even danger, but saving the patient is the responsibility and mission of medical workers; we need to set aside the so-called "good intentions" to fulfill our mission and take responsibility in the present, to realize the value of ourselves and the product.

So, most of the reasons for being hung up on "product shortcomings" actually lie in "confidence," including expectations for the future and trust in current environmental conditions. Because as a "novice," lacking successful experience, feeling "uneasy" is understandable but not tolerable, because the meaning of confidence is precisely when success has not yet been achieved. If it were after success, everyone would have "confidence," but that confidence would no longer be so precious. What is valuable is not being confident because of success, but succeeding because of confidence. Confidence is precious because it is the certainty and firm belief in goals not yet achieved. Many people's habit is: when not doing anything, they are full of confidence and dare to think anything, but once they start doing something, they always think about failure. The more you focus on failure, the more you fail. You can have dreams for work, but don't harbor illusions; everything and every opportunity is full of challenges and bumps. For the "ideal state," we need to pursue it, not wait for it. Before success, what matters is firm confidence; if mental strength is insufficient, behavior will lack strength and persistence.

Objective Handling Principles

The above objective analysis hopes that sales novices do not lose sight of the big picture for the small, or confuse the false with the true, and instead channel their energy into meaningful work. But no matter how we define and analyze, product shortcomings are a fact. Therefore, we need to emphasize and adhere to the following principles:

First, the principle of no deception: this is our basic morality and professional responsibility. When customers ask about product shortcomings, we should answer truthfully; if it concerns the customer's core interests, we should proactively inform them. But you can control the nature of the answer and expression, describing emotional things rationally, rather than panicking at the mention of "defects." Tell customers that the positive and negative sides of everything objectively exist, and true customers will be "convinced" by your honesty. So what truly tests us is not the product's shortcomings, but our attitude towards them.

Second, the principle of job responsibility: for product shortcomings, we have the obligation to report to the department supervisor; for consensus reached within the department, we have the duty to report to the product department, but this cannot become a reason for us to stop moving forward, because we must see our responsibilities and goals more. We cannot forget this, otherwise we make a directional mistake: our job is not to pick out product shortcomings; our mission is to use the product's benefits to help customers. Since we use the product to help customers solve problems and achieve goals, we must find ways to achieve this, maximizing the alignment between the product's benefits and the customer's needs; when customers "take it for granted," we need to help correct and provide valuable suggestions to achieve the customer's consumption and purchasing goals, not just be the customer's "tape recorder."

Third, the principle of precise positioning: we must be responsible not only to customers but also to the product, finding a good "match" for the product. Only then can we talk about being responsible to the company and ourselves. When facing too many customers who "look for faults," we should see if we have matched the wrong "target," whether the customer's "needs" truly align with our product's benefits. If the match is wrong, then neither is at fault; it is our professional "matchmaker" who is wrong. So, we must position the product well and precisely define the customer range.

Positive Effects in Sales

In sales, the most feared thing for salespeople is falling into the "shortcoming trap," whether in a single customer sales process or the current sales stage. If you fall into this trap, it is hard to extricate yourself, and in the end, you can only "take a step back to see the bigger picture." But here you have two choices: one is to be drowned in the "spit" around you, and the other is to use the "spit." Because customers who "spit flying" while listing product shortcomings see it as a sign of wisdom and emotional relief. As the saying goes, "Those who complain are the buyers," so you can first listen attentively. What you need to do is make the customer truly fall in love with the product, because once they love a product, they will tolerate its objective shortcomings. So, don't keep focusing on the product's disadvantages, don't directly answer the customer's series of "trap" questions, but instead tune into emphasizing the product's "charm points (advantages and features)," so that customers will fall in love with your product.

So, what we truly need to do is actively strengthen the product's advantages. Like Western fast food, although there is a global campaign against "junk food" listing its harms, it cannot stop its rapid development, because what it sells is actually a feeling, an atmosphere, and a culture; although it is a food service, people come not to fill their stomachs but to enjoy its "charm point"—the special atmosphere. "Smoking is harmful to health" is written on every pack of cigarettes, but it will never become the theme of cigarette advertisements; instead, the "manly" feeling and "taste" symbol are constantly highlighted. Even at a higher level, turning "shortcomings" into product "traits" for sale, as the saying goes, "spotted apples sell spots," "books with typos compete with corrections." The product's advantages and disadvantages (collectively "features") objectively exist because of customers' specific needs. What we sell is the product's advantages (benefits), and what customers purchase is also the product's advantages (benefits), which is an indisputable fact. For example, a bank with poor decoration (packaging shortcoming) still has many depositors because it is close to people and convenient, even though it has more advantages and disadvantages; another bank is far away but has good performance because it has high-end decoration and good service, also with more advantages and disadvantages. Customers buy what is most beneficial to them.

Conclusion

Whether it is a person, an event, or an object, people most easily see, think of, or discover "shortcomings," and thus tend to view things through "disadvantages," while turning a blind eye to beneficial advantages. So, what you focus on is what you discover, and what you discover is what you get. If you focus on the product's advantages, you will love your product and your work more, you will discover your greatness, and you will get a positive and proactive work state; if you focus on your goals, believe that the difficulties become smaller until they disappear, and you will discover various methods to achieve your goals, and what you get will be the goals you expect.

Humanity needs progress, life needs improvement, and products are constantly updated and upgraded; this is the trend of the times. It requires consumer pickiness and the dedication of R&D personnel, while the main job of us salespeople is to create value for the team and ourselves and to realize the product's current value.

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