DUTIES OF A SALES PERSON

John B M Muya
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Topic outline Duties of a sales representative Sales persons job Different Sales Jobs Examples of Sales jobs
- Retail Selling - Missionary Selling, - Direct Selling, - Selling Industrial Goods Qualifications for success in selling Choosing a career in sales.
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Duties
Sales representatives are persons who plan, organize and execute activities that increase sales and profits in their Areas of operation;
Providing solutions to customer problems

Identifying customer needs and problems Matching the product and services to the need or problem
Providing service to customers.

Handling customer complaints. Returning, replacing damaged merchandise. Providing samples. Suggesting business opportunities. Recommending product promotion strategies. Helping demos at customer premises PULL. Training customer staff.
Selling to current and new customers

Prospecting for new customers for growth. Retaining, maintaining & growing current customers.
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Duties
Helping customers to resell to their consumers Uplifting from wholesale and reselling. Developing promotional programs for customers. Supplying promotional or advertising materials. Setting up product displays. Helping customers use products after purchase; Show customers how to derive full benefit from
product. Install computers/printers and demonstrate. Train on best care system/programs
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Duties
Building goodwill with customers Establishing friendship and trust with DMUs. Exercising high ethical standards, integrity and sincere interest in the customer. Helping customers identify their need (partnering).

Duties
Gathering market information. Competitor activities. Customer reactions New products Complaints on products Service Policies Market opportunities

Salespersons Role
The salespersons roles actually vary from company to company, depending on whether sales involve goods or services, the firms market characteristics and the location of customers

The salesperson function's include; planning, organizing, and executing activities that increase sales in a given area of operation Provides Service to Customers e.g. handling complaints, returning damaged merchandise, providing samples, suggesting business opportunities and developing recommendations on how the customer can promote products purchased from the salesperson 7

Types of Sales Jobs

Retail Representative

Manufacturers Representative

Wholesalers Representatives

Retail Sales Representative Accounts Representative Sales Engineers Industrial Sales Representative Service Sales Representative
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Sales Jobs
RETAIL SELLING

Retailing includes all the activities

involved in selling goods or services directly to the final consumers for personal, non business use A retailer or retail store is any business enterprise whose sales volumes come primarily from retailing Any organization selling to final consumers-whether a manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer-is doing retailing; e.g.

The Salesperson sells directly to consumers from a store environment

Gas stations, beauty and Cosmetic shops practice all stages of a selling,
including prospecting, presentation, trial, closes and after sales service.
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Missionary Selling
Influences the decision maker rather than the
final user the deal selling

Informs the salesperson to follow-up and close Uses relationship building as a basis for effective

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WHOLES SLING /RESELLING

The Salesperson obtains products from manufacturers and sells to retailers.

This is an independent intermediary between the manufacturer and a retail seller. While not directly employed by the retailer, the wholesaling intermediary conducts personal selling in their outlets in terms of displays and providing expert advice to the retail seller. He is paid on commission basis. These entrepreneurs often act for more than one company or manufacturer.

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 This entails direct

COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL SELLING The Salesperson transfers raw materials and equipment, which the buyer uses to produce his / her own goods or services.

relationships with the influencers, decision makers and actual users of the products, The critical personnel may include, the purchasing managers/buyers, finance managers, engineers, CEOs, secretaries and even the security guards Technical knowledge and skills are critical in sustaining 12 the business

 Sells to the end user, e.g. tire

DIRECT SELLING The Salesperson purchases products from a manufacturer or wholesaler and sells to consumers, often in consumers homes.
manufacturers selling tire products to original equipment vehicle assemblers Airline reservations staff selling tickets to the passengers Technical support and employee/client relationships are critical in customer retention Products typically sold in this way include cosmetics, jewelry, clothing, toys, household suppliers and health related items. Sales Reps recruit other reps that are paid on commission. Sometimes this leads to PYRAMIDS, which may eventually become unethical.
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Customers can neither see nor touch these products and services. SERVICE SELLING It becomes critically essential that the This is the selling of sales professional is very well intangibles such as trained and insurance, banking, real estate, travel, knowledgeable in order to give his home and business customers the assistance and security and cleaning. confidence they need to make comfortable buying decisions. Service sellers have to sell 14 themselves.

Sales Representative

Retail Sales Representative

Sells goods to consumers for personal use. Including in-store, direct sales to homes and telemarketing selling.

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Rep.
Wholesalers Representative Sells for: RESALE
Firms engaged in wholesaling are called WHOLESALE MIDDLEMEN. They differ in: The products they sell. The markets to which they sell Methods of operation

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Rep
Manufacturers Representatives

Sell for organizations that produce the products, services for market offering. They range from: Delivery clerks for beer, milk, bread, fuel e.t.c Specialized sellers of highly technical products.
They may sell to: Wholesalers Retailers, or Directly to consumers
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Salesmanship

You dont have to be born a salesman!

Many started their careers in a technical role, and over a period of time, transitioned into marketing and sales. None of them were born with a salesman sticker on their foreheads.

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Qualities of a salesperson

Personal qualities Personality Mental qualities Social qualities Character qualities. Knowledge about the products. Knowledge about the customers. Knowledge about the selling techniques.

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Personality
Personality can be improved by
developing the qualities in the positive traits. One may not have all essential qualities of a sales person but he has to developed, in order to improve personality traits such as kindness, courage, confidence, honesty, loyalty, good health, and cheerfulness. The sales person might have some negative qualities such as fear, gloominess, cowardice etc. These qualities should be neglected from the sales person as habits once formed are always difficult to change. A hard

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Personality
Physical traits
This includes health, breadth, posture, speech, and appearance. Without good health the sales person would not have the endurance to sell the products or achieve his targets.

Mental Traits
Mental traits include accuracy, alertness, imagination, initiative, observation, and selfconfidence etc. The salesman should be alert, ready to find out ways and means of serving the customers. Alertness is a part in which the sales person should inspire confidence of the customers.

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Personality
Social traits
Social traits includes, ability to meet the public, the most important quality of a salesperson to meet the public and speak about the product he wants to sell them.

Character traits
There are some important attributes in a persons character. No one can expect to be successful unless he follows some modal characteristics. It includes honesty and reliability, enthusiasm, industry and persistence.
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Qualifications .
A good College degree or diploma may be essential is
selling Love of ones job Willingness or propensity for hard work A strong work ethic Ruthlessness about time keeping Optimistic outlook Strong self confidence and well groomed The do it now mentality Knowledgeable about his/her company/products, competitors products and strategies, industry performance, Physically and mentally alert

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Skills
Selling is both an art and a science. ART - Many skills cannot be learnt from textbooks.

Selling takes practice like golf or tennis. A book helps but it is not enough e.g.
-buyers non-verbal communication. -handling objections. -closing a sale. SCIENCE - A growing body of knowledge.

Has a wealth of objective facts. Practice alone no longer enough. Learning of conceptual, human & technical skills necessary.
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Skills
Conceptual Skills
The cognitive ability to see the selling process as a whole and the relationship among its paths.
Involves thinking and planning abilities. Involves matching products or services to needs. Involves knowing the relationship between the beginning of a sales presentation and asking for the order. Allows the seller to think strategically. Allows the seller to understand the product, presentation Order-gotten must perceive the significant elements in a situation (assess).

buyer and buyer organization.

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Skills .
Human Skills This is the ability to work with and through other people.
How the buyer relates to their customers. How the sellers like and are liked by others. Those without are abrupt, critical, pushy, arrogant,
un-empathetic & unresponsive.

Technical Skills This is the understanding of and proficiency in 26 the performance

Matching Exercise
Skill Conceptual Human Technical

Planning Organization Time utilization Persuasive Decisiveness Presentation Good communication Listening Questioning Self-motivation Personal development Learning ability Flexibility
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Matching ..
Skill Conceptual Human Technical

Team co-operation Resilience Stress tolerance Integrity Honesty Initiative Innovativeness Problem solving Risk taking Leadership Good judgment Tenacity Sensitivity
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Some Useful Terminologies Planning and Organization: Establishing a course of

Action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal; Prioritizing ones activities planning needed resources and attending to necessary preparation.

Time utilization: Using time effectively and correctly,

determining priorities to get things done speedily.

Sales ability/persuasiveness: Utilizing appropriate

interpersonal styles and methods of communications to gain agreement or acceptance of a product, plan, activity, or idea from customers.
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Useful Terminologies Presentation: The ability to conduct a sales presentation

without any ambiguity well organized and readily understood manner leading to a logical close.

Listening/questioning: Being attentive to others in

order to understand precisely what they are saying and to ask appropriate questions to check for understanding and gather additional information.

Self-motivation: To enthusiastically maintain a high well

directed work level gaining personal satisfaction from your own efforts.

Integrity: Maintaining social, ethical and organizational

standards.
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Useful Terminologies
Impact: Creating a favorable and professional impression that commands attention and respect. Flexibility: Modifying behavior to reach a goal. Resilience: Handling disappointment, rejection and work pressure while maintaining effectiveness. Learning ability: Assimilating and applying new job related information in a timely manner.

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Characteristics of a good salesperson You must be;

Presentable, Smart, Clean, Well-mannered. etc Pleasant, Patient, Persistent, Consistent. Sensitive, Empathetic, Considerate. Persuasive, Confident, Knowledgeable. Honest, Reliable, Decisive, Informed. Good-time utilizer, Planner, Organizer. Good Communication, Listener and Questioner. Self-motivated with Initiative and Innovative. A risk taker and Problem solver. Fast leaner, Adaptive and Flexible. A person of Integrity, Resilient and Stress tolerant. Helpful.
Remember, People buy people.
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Empathy & Ego Drive

A good salesperson is a composite of a large amount of empathy and ego drive.
EMPATHY

ed
EGO

eD
LOW

Ed

ED

DRIVE

HIGH

LOW

HIGH
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Personal Development Chart

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Sales Jobs & Channels of Distribution

It is essential to understand the channels used by your company to move its products to the final consumer. Resellers or middlemen stock thousands of products from hundreds of sales people from multitude of companies.

Vital information needed on them include;

i. Likes & dislikes of each channel member customers. ii. Product line and assortments of each stock/list. 35

Channels ..

Distribution refers to the channel

structure used to transfer products from an organization to its customers Its important to have the product available to customers in a convenient and accessible location when they want it Consumer goods manufactures, by and large, sell their products through the wholesalers who then resell to the retailers before the goods reach the final consumers The salesperson involved in this type

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Channels.

The salesperson must respond

expeditiously to queries/complaints from the channel members to ensure robust service provision The industrial goods manufacturers may sell directly to the final consumer or use distributors to reach the end users The industrial salesperson is expected to have technical training/skills to provide solutions to the channel members as well as the final users 37 Service sales team do provide solutions

Channels.
Challenges & co-operation Wholesalers may refuse to by until retailers demand the product. a. Supermarkets may already have listed a lot of products similar to yours and wonder why they should list. b. Why should they stock your 3 Sizes? c. Do they need to drop an existing one for yours? d. What alternative actions are open in the case of conflicts?

o Manufacturers may sell direct to retailer if wholesalers do not co-operate. o Wholesalers may start OWN brands if a manufacturer fails to co-operate.
NB

These solutions are costly to both parties in terms of loss of sales or input costs.

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Why Choose A Sales Career

Five major reasons:

The wide variety of sales jobs available.

The freedom of being on your own: Freedom with responsibility. Determining owns day No supervision by a boss Planning calls Planning time use No roll call
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Career Cont..
The challenge of selling Changing peoples lifestyles Relationship with the DMU Making a positive contribution to your company Convincing buyers Volume and value of sales The opportunities for advancement. From trainee to full
fledged sales persons.

Key A/C Salesperson Regional Sales Manager National Sales Manager District Sales Manager Divisional Sales Manager

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Rewards in a Sales Career

The many rewards for a sales career.

Good salary Flashy car. Psychological income. Training opportunities Entertainment and other allowances Numerous fringe benefits ( school fees) Overseas Leave for some Travel& health Insurance covers Opportunities to meet exciting people Sales training opportunities

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