How Distributors Build Product Knowledge Copilots for Faster, Smarter Sales Teams
3 min read ● Silk Team
Many distributors handle an enormous amount of information about products; the SKUs, specs, compatibility data, pricing rules, etc. Sales teams are expected to be able to answer all of these questions at a moment’s notice when interacting with customers, and many times the answers reside in pdf files, ERP systems, shared drives, and company portals.
Increasingly, a number of distributors are turning to a solution involving Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to create what is being referred to as a Product Knowledge Copilot. While sales reps would normally have to do a search for answers, they will be able to simply ask and get quick and reliable answers backed by company-approved internal data sources.
What Is a Product Knowledge Copilot?
Product Knowledge Copilot is an internally-developed AI-assistant developed specifically for use by a sales team. The Product Knowledge Copilot is powered by RAG and allows sales reps to ask a natural language question and receive a clear and accurate answer.
The Product Knowledge Copilot operates in two modes:
- Retrieval: Retrieves the most applicable and relevant information from product catalogs, spec sheets, pricing documents, and company policies.
- Generation: Translates the retrieved information into a concise, understandable form.
The results appear as if the sales rep were having a conversation with another person, however, the answers are based upon the approved internal data — not the sales rep’s guesses.
Why RAG is Important for Product Knowledge
In contrast to traditional AI chatbots, which are limited by general training data, RAG is uniquely important to product knowledge. The reason for this is that product details are constantly changing and even small errors made by traditional AI chatbots can cause incorrect orders, loss of trust, and ultimately loss of business.
RAG addresses this issue through:
- Ensures the answers are based upon verifiable internal content
- Provides answers based upon the most up-to-date documentation available
- Provides consistent answers across various teams and regions
Due to its ability to provide consistent answers while ensuring accuracy, RAG provides a viable platform for developing sales-facing tools where both speed and accuracy matter equally.
How Sales Teams Use a Product Knowledge Copilot
Improved Answer Times During Live Interactions
Sales reps can ask questions such as “Is this part compatible with Model Y?” or “What is the recommended substitution for this sku when this sku is unavailable?” and obtain instant and reliable answers — without having to put the customer on hold.
Streamlined Pricing and Policy Questions
Rather than having to remember complicated rules, sales reps can ask how the pricing tiers, discounts, and/or minimum order quantities apply to a given situation. This improves accuracy and reduces the length of the quote cycle.
Decreased On-Boarding Time
New employees often find it difficult to navigate multiple systems. The product knowledge copilot acts as a central location for new reps to learn and grow quickly, rather than becoming overwhelmed with too much information at once.
Increased Opportunities for Cross-Selling and Upselling
Using internal product relationships and sales playbooks, the product knowledge copilot can recommend complementary items or alternatives that meet the customer’s requirements.
Why Sales Teams Will Adopt It
Sales teams do not adopt technology simply because it is new; sales teams will adopt technology when it saves them time and reduces friction. RAG-based copilots will be adopted by sales teams due to the fact that they:
- Provide consistent and trusted answers
- Eliminates the need for sales reps to search multiple systems for answers
- Aligns the answers provided to the internal standards and policies of the organization
When sales reps begin to trust the answers provided by the copilot, it will become an integral part of their daily routine.
Getting Started Without Complicating Matters
Distributors usually take a narrow approach when starting with RAG-based copilots:
- Identify and prioritize the highest volume and/or highest margin product lines
- Clean and structure existing product documentation
- Launch the copilot with a small group of sales reps
- Track the improvements in response times and quote accuracy
The goal is to make progress — not to achieve perfection.
Final Thoughts
RAG-based Product Knowledge Copilots allow organizations to transform fragmented product information into a strategic asset. Organizations that distribute products can expect to see improved sales conversations, fewer errors, and greater confidence among their sales teams.
Instead of spending time looking for answers to customer inquiries, sales reps can spend time developing long-term relationships with their customers and closing deals — supported by knowledge that the sales rep trusts.