Selling Today
2
Personal Selling
Opportunities in the
Age of Information
2-1
Personal Selling in
the Age of Information
One can add value to information by:
• Collecting it
• Organizing it
• Clarifying it
• Presenting it in a convincing manner
Selling skills are transferable skills
2-2
Knowledge Workers Benefit
from Personal Selling Skills
• Customer service representatives (CSR)
• Professionals
• Entrepreneurs
• Managerial personnel
2-3
Your Future in Personal Selling
“Students tend to view sales
as dynamic and active but
believe a selling career
requires them to engage in
deceitful or dishonest
practices.”
• These are OLD stereotypes
• Ethical sales practices are
the key to success
2-4
Sales Is Pervasive
• 500 largest sales forces in America employ 17.5
million salespeople
• These companies will seek to recruit 500,000
college graduates
• The number of sales positions is increasing in
industrialized countries
• Hundreds of selling career options to match
individual interests, talents, and ambitions
• Most occupations involve some form of selling
2-5
Large U.S. Sales Forces
TABLE
2.1
2-6
Sales Titles Vary
• Account executive
• Sales consultant
• Account
representative
• Client development
manager
• Sales account
manager
• Sales associate
• Relationship manager
• Marketing
representative
• District representative
• Territory manager
2-7
How Salespeople Spend an
Average 46-Hour Work Week
FIGURE
2.1
2-8
Rewards of Selling Careers
• Above-average income
• Above-average “psychic” income
• Opportunity for advancement
• Opportunities for women and
minorities
2-9
Executive and Sales Force
Compensation
TABLE
2.2
2-10
Women and Minorities
• Growing opportunities for both women and
minorities
• More women are
turning to sales
as a career
• Companies recognize
a need for a more
diverse sales force
2-11
Employment Settings
in Selling Today
• Selling a service
• Selling for a retailer
• Selling for a wholesaler
• Selling for a manufacturer
2-12
Selling a Service
• Financial services
• Radio, television, and
Internet advertising
• Newspaper
advertising
• Hotel, motel, and
convention center
services
• Real estate
• Insurance
• Banking
• Business services
2-13
Selling a Service
See the
Website
2-14
Special Case:
Radio Advertising Sales
• More than 10,000 radio stations in the United
States
• Work with local, regional,
and national accounts
• Local and national training,
certification
• In medium markets,
compensation can
reach $100,000+
See the
Website
2-15
Retail Selling
Product categories like these usually require
a high degree of personal selling
• Automobiles
• Recreational vehicles
• Musical instruments
• Television and radio
receivers
• Photographic equipment
• Furniture/decorating
supplies
• Fashion apparel
• Major appliances
• Tires and related
accessories
• Computers
2-16
Wholesale Selling
Inside salesperson
• Relies heavily on phone
orders
• More office-based
• Internet often used for
support
• Inside sales growing in
popularity as a costsaving move
Outside salesperson
• On-the-road
• Duties vary
• Often must be familiar
with many products
• Must know details of
customer’s operation
• Serves as consultant to
the customer
2-17
Manufacturer Selling
Field salesperson
Sales engineer
• Gains new customers
• Knows technical details
• Increases sales for
existing customers
• Must identify, analyze,
solve customer problems
Detail salesperson
• Assists clients with
marketing, collects data
Inside salesperson
• Takes orders
• Supports field staff
• Not compensated on
amount sold
2-18
Telemarketing Sales Channel
Telemarketing: a channel in which the
sales process is conducted by telephone
• Serves two purposes: sales and service
• Inside sales, backup for outside sales
• Sometimes used to maintain contact with
smaller customers
• Also used to find and qualify prospects
2-19
Learning How to Sell
“The principles of selling can be
learned and applied by people
whose personal characteristics
are quite different.”
2-20
Four Sources of Sales Training
• Corporate-sponsored training
• Training provided by commercial
vendors
• Certification programs
• College and university courses
2-21
Corporate-sponsored Training
• Many firms have established programs
• Millions are spent in training each year
• Salespeople among the most
intensively trained employees
• Training for consultative selling may be
a few months to a year
• Some Web-based training used
2-22
Commercial Vendor:
Huthwaite’s SPIN Selling
See the
Website
2-23
Commercial Vendor:
Acclivus Corporation
See the
Website
2-24
Certificate Programs:
The Certified Medical Representative
See the Website
2-25
University Courses:
A Sales Training Facility
Courtesy: Nicholls State University
2-26