PROFESSIONAL SALESMANSHIP NOTES

CHAPTER 1

-The New World of Selling-

Introduction

There are some people who might think of selling as a high-pressure encounter between a

salesperson and a customer. Years ago, that may have been the case in some situations. But in

today’s world, successful selling is not something you do “to” a customer, it is something you do

“with” a customer. The customer has a voice and is involved in most selling situations. In fact,

Internet-based tools such as forums, social networks like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter,

along with Web sites, live chat, and other interactive features allow customers to participate in

the process no matter what they are buying.

Brand + Selling = Success

What do Ikea, Red Bull, Mini Cooper, and Apple have in common? All four are strong

and highly identifiable brands. You might wonder what role a brand name plays in selling

strategy. Perhaps it is not always noticeable, but when you buy a Red Bull at the corner store

for some extra energy, at that very moment, a specific, chosen brand has become an extremely

powerful selling tool, and it has significantly influenced your inclination to purchase that

particular drink. Selling can only be successful when that thing that you sell has perceived value

applied to it by the consumer—why Red Bull rather than another caffeine drink? Red Bull must

be more effective if a person chooses it rather than the other brand nearby. A brand is a tool to

establish value in the eyes of the customer because it indicates something unique.

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A great brand has four key characteristics:

1. It is unique

2. It is consistent

3. It is relevant

4. It has an emotional connection with its customers

A brand is important in selling because it inherently offers something special that the customer

values. In addition, people trust brands because they know what they can expect; brands, over

time, establish a reputation for their specific and consistent product.

Brand− product, service, or concept that is unique, consistent, and relevant and has an

emotional connection with its customers.

When products, services, concepts, ideas, and people demonstrate the characteristics of a

brand, they are much easier to sell. For example, if you go to McDonald’s for lunch, you know

you can always get a Big Mac and fries, and you always know it will taste the same whether

you go to the McDonald’s near campus or one closer to your home.

IMPORTANT TAKEAWAYS

 Personal selling is a powerful part of everyday life. The selling process can help you get

what you want both personally and professionally.

 You are always selling your ideas, your point of view, and yourself in virtually every

situation, from class participation to going out with friends.

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 In order to understand the selling process, you have to understand brands. A brand can be

a product, service, concept, cause, location, or even a person. A brand consistently offers

value to a customer with something that is unique, consistent, and relevant and creates an

emotional connection.

 Uniqueness is when a product or service that is not available from any other competitor.

Consistency is being reliable or the same every time. Relevance is being pertinent and

important to specific customers while emotional connection with its customers is a bond or

relationship with a brand.

 Brands are important in selling because customers trust brands. The brand doesn’t end with

the product, service, or concept; the salesperson is also a brand.

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Selling: Heartbeat of the Economy and the Company

Look around. Your computer, your car, your jewelry, your eyeglasses, and your cell

phone—many of the things you own—were probably sold to you by someone. Now, think about

things you can’t see, like your cell phone service, your Internet service, and your car insurance.

Chances are, those services were probably sold to you by someone as well. Now that you think

about it, you can see that selling is involved in life in so many ways. But did you ever think

about the impact that selling has on the economy?

Sales Is Not a Department, It’s a State of Mind

The most successful companies work to build and sustain relationships with the

customer at every touch point, any way in which the company comes in contact with the

customer, and consider selling the job of everyone in the organization. In other words, although

there are specific functional departments such as sales, marketing, operations, human

resources, finance, and others, everyone in the organization is focused on the customer. This is

called a customer centric organization.

It’s All about the Customer

Being customer-centric means insisting on accountability. Although everyone is focused on the

customer, every employee is part of a department or function. Each department has goals and

accountabilities. In a true customer-centric organization the departments work together to

satisfy the needs of the customer and achieve the financial objectives of the company. Most

companies have core functions or departments such as sales, customer service (sometimes it is

included as part of the sales department), marketing, operations, finance, human resources,

product development, procurement, and supply chain management (also called logistics).

Departments such as finance and human resources are called support (or staff) functions since

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they provide support for those that are on the front lines such as sales and customer service

(these departments are also called line functions as they are part of a company’s daily

operations).

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STAFF FUNCTION AND LINE FUNCTION

Staff Function− A department that provides services that support those that are on the front

lines with customers, such as human resources, finance, and marketing. This department is also

called a staff function.

Line Function− A department that is part of the daily operations of a company such as sales

and customer service.

IS IT SALES OR MARKETING?

So, you might be wondering, if the sales department interacts with customers, what exactly

does the marketing department do? That’s a great question. Some people use the terms in

tandem sales and marketing—to refer to sales. Some people use the terms interchangeably and

refer to marketing as sales. It’s no wonder that it confuses so many. According to the American

Marketing Association, “marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating,

communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients,

partners, and society at large. When you go into the store or visit the Web site, it’s the sales

department that takes over. A salesperson will speak with you (either in person in the store,

online with live chat, or by phone) to determine what you need and to help you make the best

decision by communicating product information (this printer is wireless), service information

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(we can deliver that tomorrow), warranty information (it has a 90-day manufacturer warranty),

and other pertinent facts. The salesperson extends the relationship that was established with

the marketing contacts and makes a personal connection with you. At times, however, sales

and marketing don’t play well together. When organizations are not customer-centric, the

departments may appear to have separate or conflicting goals. Marketing may feel that sales

doesn’t follow up on prospective customers, or perhaps sales feels that the marketing efforts

are focused on the wrong customers.

You might find it helpful to think about the overall roles and functions that each performs.

A. Order Takers - Salespeople who consummate sales by taking orders from customers.

B. Order Getters - Salespeople who develop sales through relationship selling and repeat

sales.

C. Missionary Selling - Salesperson who contacts key influencers and discusses product

or service benefits.

D. Direct Selling - The sale of a consumer product or service away from a fixed retail

location.

E. Independent Business Owners (IBO) - A direct salesperson who distributes a

company’s products or services and earns income based on her sales.

F. Multilevel Marketing - A selling system in which independent business owners recruit

people to become IBOs and earn incentives based on the sales of the new IBOs.

G. Pyramid Schemes - A selling process that involves the exchange of money for

recruiting people to participate in a multilevel marketing company without producing

sales. This business practice is not sustainable and is illegal in many countries.

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 H. Other selling environments include entrepreneurial selling, global selling (selling in

countries outside the Philippines), and nonprofit selling (also called fund-raising or

development).

IMPORTANT TAKEAWAYS

 Sales is a career opportunity for you to consider; one in ten people in the country has a job

in sales or a sales-related occupation.

 In this global economy, many companies sell products in multiple countries around the

world. Many multinational corporations have sales offices in foreign countries, and large and

small companies sell globally by using the Internet.

 Sales 2.0 is a term that is used to refer to the ever-changing technology, such as social

networking, that is changing the relationship salespeople have with customers. It’s

important to understand how technology can support your communication and collaboration

with customers.

 A customer-centric organization has the customer as the focal point. You work as a team

with all functions in the company to provide products and services that meet customers’

needs.

 Sales and marketing are two distinct but closely related functions. Sales converts the

customer to a purchaser with one-on-one interaction. Marketing determines the brand

message and uses the elements of the promotion mix to motivate the customer to take an

action. Both works together to build ongoing relationships with customers.

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For any queries regarding these notes, kindly message me via Gmail.

[email protected]

DISCLAIMER:

Professional Salesmanship Notes_1 was made and prepared by Sir Fritz J. Tubes,

PRMSU Instructor.

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