The Parts of Your Product You’re Not 100% Certain About
Why Pretending to Know Is the Fastest Way to Lose a Sale
Let’s talk about something that almost every salesperson has experienced… but very few will admit out loud.
There are parts of your product or service that you’re not completely certain about.
Maybe it’s a feature.
Maybe it’s terminology everyone uses.
Maybe it’s how something actually works behind the scenes.
And if you’re new to a product or service, this is especially true.
Here’s the problem: we live in a society that often pretends to know instead of taking the time to really understand.
SELLability doesn’t operate that way.
The Dangerous Habit of “Nodding Along”
Think about it.
How many times have you:
- Heard a term used repeatedly and assumed you understood it
- Explained something to a prospect while hoping they wouldn’t ask a follow-up
- Agreed internally with “Yeah, I get it”… without actually getting it
This isn’t because salespeople are careless.
It’s because:
- You don’t want to look unprepared
- You don’t want to slow things down
- You assume you’ll “figure it out later”
But here’s the truth:
Pretending to know creates uncertainty, and prospects can feel it instantly.
Even if they don’t consciously know why.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Today’s prospects do homework.
They Google.
They read reviews.
They watch videos.
They talk to other customers.
In many cases, they walk into the conversation already knowing something about your product or service.
And sometimes, uncomfortably, they might know more than you do about a specific detail.
That puts you in a terrible position as a salesperson.
Not because you’re expected to know everything…
…but because SELLability requires certainty, and certainty comes from understanding, not memorization or pretending.
The Manager Mistake: Assuming Knowledge Instead of Verifying It
This doesn’t just affect new salespeople.
Veteran reps fall into this trap too.
And managers unintentionally make it worse by:
- Assuming “they’ve been here long enough”
- Assuming “they already know that”
- Assuming silence equals understanding
SELLability challenges this assumption directly.
You don’t build strong sales cultures by assuming knowledge.
You build them by validating understanding.
The Culture Shift That Changes Everything
The strongest sales organizations create a culture where it’s safe to say:
- “I don’t fully understand that yet.”
- “Can we break that down again?”
- “I need more clarity on this.”
Because the worst position in sales is not not knowing.
The worst position is pretending you know when you don’t.
That pretense shows up as:
- Hesitation
- Over-explaining
- Rushing
- Avoiding certain questions
- Losing control of the conversation
SELLability replaces that with something better: honest certainty.
A SELLability Drill: Find Your Gaps Before the Prospect Does
Here’s a simple but powerful exercise that goes with this lesson.
Set aside 5–10 uninterrupted minutes.
On a blank page, write down:
- Any part of your product or service you don’t fully understand
- Any terminology you hear often but can’t confidently explain
- Any feature, benefit, or process that feels fuzzy
- Any question you hope prospects don’t ask
Be brutally honest.
This list is not a weakness, it’s a roadmap to certainty.
For Sales Managers and Business Owners: This Is on You Too
If you lead a sales team, this part matters.
Validate and reward salespeople who:
- Ask questions
- Admit uncertainty
- Want to understand, not just repeat
Never punish someone for saying,
“I don’t fully get that yet.”
Punish the culture that makes them feel like they can’t say it.
Because the more your team understands:
- The calmer they sound
- The more confident they feel
- The more control they maintain
- The better the customer experience becomes
Final SELLability Thought
You don’t need to know everything.
But you do need to know what you don’t know, and be willing to close that gap.
Stop pretending.
Start understanding.
Build certainty on truth, not assumptions.
That’s how professional salespeople win.
And that’s how SELLability works.
