The Evolution of Personal Selling
Personal selling:
selling interpersonal
influence process involving a sellers
promotional presentation conducted on a
person-to-person basis with the buyer
A salesman is someone who sells
goods that wont come back to
customers who will. (Anonymous)
Has been a standard business activity for thousands of years
Early peddlers sold goods they manufactured or imported . . .
viewed selling as a secondary activity
In 18th century America, peddlers sold directly to farmers and
settlers in the West
In the 19th century, drummers sold to both consumers and
intermediaries sometimes using questionable practices and built
negative stereotypes which persist today
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Todays salesperson is usually a highly-trained
professional
Sales professionals take a customer-oriented approach
employing truthful, non manipulative tactics in order to
satisfy the long-term needs of both the customer and the
selling firm
Todays professional salespeople are problem solvers
who seek to develop long-term relationships with
customers
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Factor affecting the importance of personal
selling in the promotional mix
Variable
ConditionsThatFavor
Advertising
Geographicallydispersed
Product
ConditionsThatFavor
PersonalSelling
Geographically
concentrated
Relativelylownumbers
Expensive
Technicallycomplex
Custommade
Specialhandling
requirements
Transactionsfrequently
involvetradeins
Price
Relativelyhigh
Relativelylow
Relativelyshort
Relativelylong
Consumer
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Channels
Relativelyhighnumbers
Inexpensive
Simpletounderstand
Standardized
Nospecialhandling
requirements
Transactionsseldom
involvetradeins
Integrating the Various Selling Channels
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Trends in Personal Selling
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Relationship selling:
selling regular contacts over an extended
period to establish a sustained seller-buyer relationship
Consultative selling:
selling meeting customer needs by listing to
them, understanding -- and caring about -- their problems,
paying attention to details, and following through after the
sale
Cross-selling(selling additional products)
Up selling ( more expensive items)
Sales Force Automation (SFA):
Applications of computer and other
technologies to make the sales function
more efficient and competitive
Benefits include improved effectiveness
due to improved access to information,
lower costs, improved product launches,
and attentive customer service
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The Sales Process
The AIDA Concept and the Personal Selling Process
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Prospecting:
Prospecting personal-selling function
of identifying potential customers
Qualifying:
Qualifying determining that a
prospect has the needs, income, and
purchase authority necessary for being
a potential customer
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Approach:
Approach salespersons initial contact
with a prospective customer
Precall Planning: use of information
collected during the prospecting and
qualifying stages of the sales process and
during previous contacts with the prospect to
tailor the approach and presentation to match
the customers needs
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Presentation:
Presentation describing a products
major features and relating them to a
customers problems or needs
Demonstration allows the customer to
experience a good or service
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Handling Objections:
Objections expressions of
sales resistance by the prospect
Example: A customers I don't like the color
is probably their way of asking what other
colors are available
Objections are reasonable and professional
salespeople are prepared to handle them
appropriately
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Closing:
Closing stages of personal selling
where the salesperson asks the
customer to make a purchase decision
Follow-up:
Follow-up postsales activities that
often determine whether an individual
who has made a recent purchase will
become a repeat customer
Helps build mutually beneficial long-term
relationships
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Managing the Sales Effort
Sales management:
management Activities of
planning, organizing, staffing,
motivating compensating, and
evaluating and controlling a sales force
to ensure its effectiveness
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