SM Unit-2

S alesm an sh ip :T h eo rieso f p erso n al sellin g , T y p es o f S ales ex ecu tiv es, Q u alities o f sales ex ecu tiv es,
Prospecting, pre-approach and post-approach, Organising display, showroom & exhibition
Salesmanship: Salesmanship is seller-initiated effort that provides prospective buyers with information
and motivates or persuades them to make favourable buying decisions concerning the seller’s products or
service. The salesman of today has to react and interact in any different ways to many different people.
According to Knox, “Salesmanship is the power or ability to influence people to buy at a mutual profit, that
which we have to sell, but which they may not have thought of buying until call their attention to it.
Salesmanship is the ability to persuade people to want they already need.”
Theories of Personal Selling:

1. AIDAS theory of personal selling
This theory, popularly known as AIDAS theory (attention, interest, desire, action and satisfaction), is
based on experimental knowledge. This theory is very common.
According to this theory potential buyer’s mind passes through the following stages:
i. Attention Getting:
It is the crucial step in the AIDAS process. The objective is to put the prospect into the right state of
mind to continue the sales talk. The salesperson has to convince the prospect for participating in the
face-to-face interview. A good beginning of conversation may set the stage for a full sales presentation.
The salesperson must apply his social and psychological skills to draw the attention of the prospect to his
sales presentation.
ii. Interest Creating:
The second step is to intensify the prospect’s attention so that it involves into strong interest. To
achieve this, the salesperson has to be enthusiastic about the product. Another method is to hand over the
product to the prospect and let him handle it. Brochures and other visual aids serve the same purpose.
Throughout the interest phase, the hope is to search out the selling appeal that is most likely to be
effective.
iii. Desire Stimulating:

After the attention getting and creating interest, the prospect must be kindled to develop a strong desire
for the product. This is a ready-to-buy point. Objection from the prospect will have to be carefully
handled at this stage. Time is saved and the chances of making a sale improved if objections are
anticipated and answered before the prospect raises them.
iv. Action Inducing:
If the presentation has been perfect, the prospect is ready to act, that is, to buy. Very often there may be
some hesitation on the part of the prospect at this stage. The salesperson should very carefully handle this
stage and try to close the deal effectively. Once the buyer has asked the seller to pack the product, then it
is the responsibility of the seller to reassure the customer that the decision was correct.
v. Satisfaction:
The customer should be left with the impression that the salesperson merely helped in deciding. After the
sale has been made, the salesperson should ensure that the customer is satisfied with the product. The
salesperson should sense the prospect’s mind and brief his talks.
2.Right set of circumstances” Theory of Selling

It is also called the “situation-response” theory. It has its psychological origin in experiments with
animals. The major emphasis of the theory is that a particular circumstance prevailing in a given selling
situation will cause the prospect to respond in a predictable way. The set of circumstances can be both
internal and external to the prospect. This is essentially a seller-oriented theory and it stresses that the
salesman must control the situation in such a way as to produce a sale ultimately.
If the salesperson succeeds in securing the attention and gaining the interest of the prospects,and if the
salesperson present the proper stimuli or appeals, the desired response will result. The more skilled the
salesperson is in handling the set of circumstances , the more response can be generated.
Thi is a seller oriented theory, it stresses the importance of a salespersonnel in controlling the
situation.
3. Buying Formula” Theory of Selling
The buyer’s needs or problems receive major attention, and the salesperson’s role is to help the buyer to
find solutions. This theory purports to answer the question: What thinking process goes on in the
prospects’s mind that causes the decision to buy or not to buy? The name “buying formula” was given to this
theory by strong.
The theory is based on the fact that there is a need or a problem for which a solution must be found which
would lead to purchase decision, as shown below:
Whenever an individual feels a need, he is said to be conscious of a deficiency of satisfaction. The

solution will always be a product or service or both and they may belong to a producer or seller. The buyer
develops interest in buying a solution.
In purchasing, the “solution” involves two parts:
1. Product or service or both,
2. The brand name, manufacturer or the salesperson of the particular brand name:
The product or service (Brand name) must be considered adequate to satisfy the need and the
buyer must experience a pleasant feeling or anticipated satisfaction. This ensure the purchase.

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S alesm an sh ip :T h eo rieso f p erso n al sellin g , T y p es o f S ales ex ecu tiv es, Q u alities o f sales ex ecu tiv es,

Prospecting, pre-approach and post-approach, Organising display, showroom & exhibition

Theories of Personal Selling:

iii. Desire Stimulating:

2.Right set of circumstances” Theory of Selling

3. Buying Formula” Theory of Selling

Whenever an individual feels a need, he is said to be conscious of a deficiency of satisfaction. The

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