Edward Gallagher MBA fasteddieg2001@yahoo.co.uk

Definition: Personal Selling
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The two-way flow of communication between a buyer and seller, often in a face to face encounter, designed to influence a person’s or group’s purchase decision.

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Everyone is selling something.
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Every employee of the company that comes in contact with the customer is doing some type of personal selling.

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Salespeople are the link between the company and its customers.
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Salespeople are the company in the customers’ eyes.
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Customers will judge the company and its products by the salesperson’s appearance, style and manner.

Creating Customer Value through
Salespeople: Relationship Selling
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Definition: Relationship Selling
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The art of building ties to customers based on a salesperson’s attention and commitment to a customer’s needs over time.
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Based on mutual respect and trust
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Focused on creating long-term customers, not just one sales transaction

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Order taking
– process routine orders or reorders for products already sold to customers.
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Order Getting
– Salesperson who sells in a conventional sense, identifies prospective customers, provides customers with information, persuades customers to buy, closes sale, follows up on customer’s use of product.

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Taking orders is a repetitive task which perpetuates a long-lasting customer relationships.
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Inside Order Takers : work in a sales office and receive orders by phone or mail and Internet.
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Outside Order Takers : travels to the customer’s location and takes orders.
Also, sometimes delivers product to customers.

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Requires a high degree of creativity.
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Requires a high degree of customer empathy.
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Requires a high degree of product knowledge to match customer needs with product line.

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Although methods and situations may differ, the sales process generally consists of these steps:
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Prospecting
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Pre-approach
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Approach
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Presentation
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Close
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Follow-up

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Prospecting : Search for and qualify prospects. Beginning of the selling process; prospects produced through advertising, referrals and cold canvassing.
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Pre-approach : Gather information and decide how to approach the prospect.
Information sources include personal observation, other customers and own salespeople.

continued…
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Approach : Gain prospect’s attention, stimulate interest, and make the transition to the presentation. First impression is critical; gain attention and interest through reference to common acquaintances, a referral or product demonstration.
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Presentation : Begin converting a prospect into a customer by creating a desire for the product. Deal with skepticism, indifference or objections professionally and ethically.

continued…
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Close: Obtain a purchase commitment from the prospect and create a customer.
Salesperson asks for the sale, can use the trial close, the assumptive close or the urgency close.
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Follow-up: Make sure that the customer is satisfied with the product. Resolve any problems faced by the customer ensure that future sales are possible.