1
Overview of
Selling
Learning Objectives
1
L 1
Define personal selling and describe its unique
characteristics as a marketing communications tool.
L 2
Distinguish between transaction-focused traditional
selling and trust-based relationship selling, with the
latter focusing on customer value and sales dialogue.
L 3
Describe the evolution of personal selling from
ancient times to the modern era.
Learning Objectives
L 4
Explain the contributions of personal selling to
society, business firms, and customers.
L 5
Discuss five alternative approaches to selling.
L 6
Describe the three primary roles fulfilled by
consultative salespeople.
L 7
Understand the sales process as a series of
interrelated steps.
1
Key Thoughts
1
• Selling has been around since there were
goods to trade.
• The role of the salesperson has evolved . . . becoming more
professional.
• Salespeople play an important role in creating and
maintaining a strong economy.
• Salespeople are solution providers.
• Sales is a process focusing
on initiating, developing, and
enhancing customer relationships.
Personal Selling – Defined
An important part of marketing
that relies heavily on
interpersonal interactions
between buyers and sellers to
initiate, develop, and enhance
customer relationships.
1
Trust-Based Relationship Selling
Requires that salespeople earn
customer trust and that their
selling strategy meets
customer needs and
contributes to the creation,
communication, and delivery of
customer value.
1
Customer Value
The customer’s perception of
what they get for what they
have to give up.
1
Importance of Sales Dialogue
Sales
Dialogue:
business
conversation
between buyers
& sellers that
occur as
salespeople attempt
to initiate, develop, &
enhance customer
relationships.
• Allows for more thorough qualifying.
• Demonstrates sincere interest in the prospective
customer.
• Helps Determine prospective customer’s unique
needs.
• Ensures meaningful
presentation of valueadded solutions.
• Promotes open
communication and
satisfaction feedback.
1
Transaction-Focused Selling
vs. Trust-Based Relationship Selling
1
Transaction-Focused Selling
vs. Trust-Based Relationship Selling
1
Evolution of Personal Selling
Peddlers selling door
to door . . . served as
intermediaries
1800s
Industrial
Revolution
Selling function became
more structured
Post-Industrial
Revolution
Business organizations
employed salespeople
1900s
War and
Depression
2000s
Modern
Era
Selling function
becoming more
professional
1
Evolution of Personal Selling
(The past several decades)
Canned Sales Presentation: sales
presentations that include
scripted sales calls, memorized
presentations, and automated
presentations.
Sales Professionalism: a customeroriented approach that uses
truthful, non-manipulative tactics to
satisfy the long-term needs of both
the customer and the selling firm.
1
Continued Evolution
of Personal Selling
1
Is Sales a Profession?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge base
Contribution to Society
Defined Culture and Organization
Professional skills
Autonomy
Code of Ethics
1
Contributions of Personal Selling:
Salespeople and Society
• Salespeople help stimulate the economy.
• Salespeople help with the diffusion of
innovation.
1
Contributions of Personal Selling:
Salespeople and the Employing Firm
• Salespeople generate revenue.
• Salespeople provide market research
and customer feedback.
• Salespeople become future leaders in
the organization.
1
Contributions of Personal Selling:
Salespeople and the Customer
• Salespeople provide solutions to problems.
• Salespeople provide expertise and serve as
information resources.
• Salespeople serve as advocates for the customer
when dealing with the selling organization.
1
Alternative
Personal Selling Approaches
•
•
•
•
•
Stimulus Response Selling
Mental States Selling
Need Satisfaction Selling
Problem Solving Selling
Consultative Selling
Adaptive Selling:
the ability of a
salesperson to alter
his/her sales messages
and behaviors during a
sales presentation or as
they encounter different
sales situations and
different customers.
1
Stimulus Response Selling
Simple in
design;
assumes
conditioned
response improves
likelihood of success;
a risky and unreliable
strategy.
1
Mental States Selling
Assumes
buyer
can be led
through mental
states; promotes
one-way
communication; a
risky and unreliable
strategy.
1
Need Satisfaction Selling
Interact with
buyer to
determine
existing needs;
present solutions
to needs; solutions
limited to seller’s
products.
1
Problem Solving Selling
Interact with
buyer to
determine
existing and
potential needs;
present multiple
solutions not
limited to seller’s
products.
1
Consultative Selling
The process of helping
Long-Term
customers reach their
Ally
strategic goals by using
the products,
Business
services, and
Consultant
expertise of the
Strategic
selling
Orchestrator
organization.
1
The Sales Process: An Overview
1
Selling
Foundations
Initiating
Customer
Relationships
Selling
Strategy
Developing
Customer
Relationships
Enhancing
Customer
Relationships
The Sales Process - Overview
1
The Sales Process: Selling Foundations
In order to be successful in today’s global business
environment, salespeople must have a solid
relationship building foundation. They must:
Be Trustworthy
Behave Ethically
Understand Buyer Behavior
Possess Excellent Communication Skills
1
The Sales Process: Selling Strategy
In order to be successful in today’s global business
environment, salespeople must also think and act
strategically. The must develop strategies for:
Each Sales Call
Each Customer
Their Sales Territories
Each strategy is
related to the other
1
The Sales Process
Initiating
Customer
Relationships
Developing
Customer
Relationships
• Sales
Prospecting
Presentation Delivery
• Earning
Preapproach
Customer
Commitment
Adding Value
through
Follow-up, Self• Presentation
Planning
leadership, and
Teamwork
• Approaching the Customer
1
Enhancing
Customer
Relationships
1
Module One – Appendix
Sales Careers
Characteristics of Sales Careers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Job Security
Advancement Opportunities
Immediate Feedback
Prestige
Job Variety
Independence
Compensation
1
Job Security
Selling skills are readily transferable from industry to
industry….and the need for good salespeople will
never go away.
Accordingly, good salespeople
have opportunities within
and across industries.
1
Advancement Opportunities
Salespeople are familiar with the
market, the customers, and the
products. In addition, good
salespeople have great interpersonal
skills.
These attributes help to make
salespeople good candidates for
leadership in the organization.
1
Immediate Feedback & Prestige
Customer responses to the salesperson’s efforts are
typically immediate…providing the salesperson
performance feedback and the opportunity to adjust
“on the fly.”
The role of the professional salesperson is not well
known by the general public and is eclipsed by
negative stereo types . . . but that is slowly changing.
1
Job Variety and Independence
Professional selling is rarely the same
from day-to-day. The word “routine”
doesn’t apply.
Usually, salespeople are accountable
for attaining certain goals…how they
get there is up to them. There is no
“time-clock” and no taskmaster.
1
Compensation
Good salespeople usually earn
an income well above the
national average. Many
salespeople earn six figure
incomes (or higher).
Income is most often tied
directly to performance.
1
Characteristics of Successful Salespeople
1
•
•
•
•
Empathy
Ego Drive
Ego Strength
Interpersonal
Communication Skills
• Enthusiasm