Graduation Workshops for Business
Students in BUS 202
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Monday - February 9th 10:00 - 11:00am
Tuesday - February 10th 3:30 - 4:30pm
Wednesday - February 11th, 5:30 - 6:30pm
Thursday - February 12th, 12:30 - 1:30pm
Monday - February 16th, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Module Two
Overview of Personal Selling
Customizing the Sales Approach
An Expert’s Viewpoint:
Lisa Gregg, Director of Sales Development for American Express had
this to say about customizing the sales approach: “Depending on the
application, the card may have hundreds of different benefits. A
supermarket manager has different needs than a client in the furniture
business. We wanted to create a message to fit the specific needs of
our customers.” Sales representatives now input specific customer
information, then the database produces sales materials ranging from
industry data sheets to Power Point slides that can be used in the
sales presentation.
Action
Customizing the Sales Approach
An Expert’s Viewpoint:
Result
Customers now receive sales presentations based on their unique
needs, and American Express has greatly improved the efficiency
of its sales organization.
Evolution of Personal Selling
Peddlers selling door
to door . . . served
as intermediaries
Selling function
became more
structured
1800s
1900s
2000s
Industrial
War and
As we begin Post-Industrial
the 21st century, selling
continues toModern
develop,
Revolution
Depression
Era
becomingRevolution
more professional
and more relational
Business organizations
employed salespeople
Selling function
became more
professional
Continued Evolution of Personal Selling
Change
Salesforce Response
Intensified
competition
More emphasis on developing
and maintaining trust-based,
long-term customer
relationships
More emphasis
on improving
sales productivity
Increased use of technology
Increased use of lower-costper-contact methods
More emphasis on profitability
objectives
Continued Evolution of Personal Selling
Change
Demand for in-depth,
specialized knowledge
as an input to
purchase decisions
Salesforce Response
Team selling
More emphasis on customeroriented sales training
Contributions of Personal Selling:
Salespeople and Society
• Salespeople help
stimulate the economy
• Salespeople help with
the diffusion of innovation
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
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
Contributions of Personal Selling:
Buyer Preferences
Industrial buyers prefer to deal with salespeople who:
• Are honest
• Understand general business and economic
trends, as well as the buyer's business
• Provide guidance throughout the sales process
• Help the buyer to solve problems
• Have a pleasant personality and a good
professional appearance
• Coordinate all aspects of the product and service
to provide a total package
Classification of
Personal Selling Approaches
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Stimulus Response
Mental States
Need Satisfaction
Problem Solving
Consultative Selling
Classification of
Personal Selling Approaches
1. Stimulus Response
– The key idea is that various stimuli can
elicit predictable responses.
– An example of the stimulus response view
of selling would be continued affirmation.
“good choice, good choice”
Stimulus Response Selling
Salesperson
Provides
Stimuli
Buyer
Responses
Sought
Continue
Process until
Purchase
Decision
Classification of
Personal Selling Approaches
2. Mental States
– Assumes the buying process is essentially
identical for most buyers
– Buyers are led through certain mental
states
– AIDA (attention, interest, desire, and
action)
is this practical?
Mental States Selling
Attention
Interest
Conviction
Desire
Action
Classification of
Personal Selling Approaches
3. Need Satisfaction
– Based on the notion that the customer is
buying to satisfy a need
– Salesperson uses questioning, probing
tactic to uncover important buyer needs
Need Satisfaction Selling
Uncover and
Confirm Buyer
Needs
Present
Offering to
Satisfy Buyer
Needs
Continue
Selling until
Purchase
Decision
Classification of
Personal Selling Approaches
4. Problem Solving
– An extension of need satisfaction selling
– Sometimes competitors’ offerings are
included as alternatives how would the
competitor’s offerings be referred to?
Problem Solving Selling
Define
Problem
Generate
Alternative
Solutions
Evaluate
Alternative
Solutions
extremely rational
Continue
Selling
until
Purchase
Decision
5. Consultative Selling
Business Consultant
The process of helping
customers reach their
strategic goals by using
the products, service,
and expertise of the
selling organization.
Strategic Orchestrator
Long-term Ally
Not just meeting
needs or solving
problems
The Sales Process: An Overview
Salesperson
Attributes
Trust, ethics, understanding customers, communication skills
Selling
Foundations
Initiating
Customer
Relationships
Selling
Strategy
Developing
Customer
Relationships
Enhancing
Customer
Relationships
The Sales Process:
Salesperson
Selling Foundations
Attributes
In order to be successful in today’s global business
environment, salespeople must have a solid relationship
building foundation. They must:
Be Trustworthy and
Behave Ethically
Understand Buyer Behavior
Possess Excellent
Communication Skills
The Sales Process:
Selling Strategy
In order to be successful in today’s global business
environment, salespeople must also think and act
strategically. They must develop strategies for:
Their Sales Territory
Each Customer
Each Sales Call
Salesperson
Attributes
Initiating
Customer
Relationships
The Sales Process
Developing
Customer
Relationships
• Prospecting
• Pre-approach
• Presentation Planning
• Approaching the Customer
Enhancing
Customer
Relationships
Salesperson
Attributes
Initiating
Customer
Relationships
The Sales Process
Developing
Customer
Relationships
• Sales Presentation Delivery
• Earning Customer Commitment
Enhancing
Customer
Relationships
Salesperson
Attributes
Initiating
Customer
Relationships
The Sales Process
Developing
Customer
Relationships
Enhancing
Customer
Relationships
Adding Value through Follow-up,
Self-leadership, and Teamwork
Appendix on Careers
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Job security
Advancement
Feedback
Prestige
Variety
Independence
Compensation
From the WSJ (Sept 2003)