Research Methodology

Sales Skills:
Basic
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Instructor’s Edition
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Australia • Canada • Mexico • Singapore

Spain • United Kingdom • United States
NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

Sales Skills: Basic
VP and GM of Courseware: Michael Springer
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Series Product Managers: Caryl Bahner-Guhin and Adam A. Wilcox
Developmental Editor: Laurie Perry
Project Editor: Geraldine Martin
Series Designer: Adam A. Wilcox
Cover Designer: Steve Deschene
COPYRIGHT © 2003 Course Technology, a division of Thomson Learning. Thomson Learning is a trademark used
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herein under license.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work may be reproduced, transcribed, or used in any form or by any
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For more information contact:
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Or find us on the Web at: www.course.com
For permission to use material from this text or product, contact us by
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• Web: www.thomsonrights.com
• Phone: 1-800-730-2214
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Course ILT is a trademark of Course Technology.
Some of the product names and company names used in this book have been used for identification purposes only and
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Disclaimer
Course Technology reserves the right to revise this publication and make changes from time to time in its content
without notice.
ISBN 0-619-16149-3
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 PM 06 05 04 03
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Contents
Introduction iii
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Topic A: About the manual............................................................................... iv
Topic B: Setting student expectations ............................................................. viii
Topic C: Classroom setup..................................................................................x
Topic D: Support............................................................................................... xi
Sales fundamentals 1-1

Topic A: The sales process .............................................................................. 1-2
Topic B: Elements of selling ........................................................................... 1-5
Topic C: Understanding sales terms ............................................................... 1-10
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Unit summary: Sales fundamentals................................................................. 1-17
Your professional self 2-1

Topic A: Developing your character................................................................ 2-2
Topic B: Managing yourself ........................................................................... 2-10
Unit summary: Your professional self ............................................................ 2-16
Handling clients 3-1

Topic A: Finding your clients .......................................................................... 3-2
Topic B: Connecting with your clients ........................................................... 3-10
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Topic C: Finding solutions ............................................................................. 3-14
Unit summary: Handling clients...................................................................... 3-20
The sales presentation 4-1

Topic A: Anticipating objections..................................................................... 4-2
Topic B: Creating a sales presentation ............................................................ 4-7
Topic C: Responding to objections................................................................. 4-15
Unit summary: The sales presentation ............................................................ 4-20
Course summary S-1

Topic A: Course summary ............................................................................... S-2
Topic B: Continued learning after class .......................................................... S-3
Glossary G-1
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Index I-1

ii Sales Skills: Basic
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iii
Sales Skills:
Basic
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Introduction
After reading this introduction, you will know
how to:
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A Use Course Technology ILT manuals in
general.
B Use prerequisites, a target student

description, course objectives, and a skills
inventory to properly set students’
expectations for the course.
C Set up a classroom to teach this course.

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D Get support for setting up and teaching this
course.
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iv Sales Skills: Basic
Topic A: About the manual
Course Technology ILT philosophy
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Our goal at Course Technology is to make you, the instructor, as successful as possible.
To that end, our manuals facilitate students’ learning by providing structured interaction
with the subject itself. While we provide text to help you explain concepts, the activities
are the focus of our courses. Leading the students through these activities will teach the
concepts effectively.
We believe strongly in the instructor-led classroom. For many students, having a
thinking, feeling instructor in front of them will always be the most comfortable way to
learn. Because the students’ focus should be on you, our manuals are designed and
written to facilitate your interaction with the students, and not to call attention to
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manuals themselves.
We believe in the basic approach of setting expectations, then teaching, and providing
summary and review afterwards. For this reason, lessons begin with objectives and end
with summaries. We also provide overall course objectives and a course summary to
provide both an introduction to and closure on the entire course.
Our goal is your success. We encourage your feedback in helping us to continually
improve our manuals to meet your needs.
Manual components
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The manuals contain these major components:
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Units
• Course summary
• Glossary
• Index
Each element is described below.
Table of contents
The table of contents acts as a learning roadmap for you and the students.
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Introduction
The introduction contains information about our training philosophy and our manual
components, features, and conventions. It contains target student, prerequisite,
objective, and setup information for the specific course. Finally, the introduction
contains support information.

Introduction v
Units
Units are the largest structural component of the actual course content. A unit begins
with a title page that lists objectives for each major subdivision, or topic, within the unit.
Within each topic, conceptual and explanatory information alternates with activities.
Units conclude with a summary comprising one paragraph for each topic, and an
independent practice activity that gives students an opportunity to practice the skills
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they’ve learned.
The conceptual information takes the form of text paragraphs, exhibits, lists, and tables.
The activities contain various types of questions, answers, activities, graphics, and other
information. Throughout a unit, instructor notes are found in the left margin.
Each unit title page lists an estimated time for completion, but you have a great deal of
control over how long it will actually take to get through the material. Many of the
activities have questions or scenarios designed to stimulate discussion. You can adjust
the amount of time a unit takes by deciding how many students you ask to respond and
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how long you allow a discussion to continue.
Course summary
This section provides a text summary of the entire course. It is useful for providing
closure at the end of the course. The course summary also indicates the next course in
this series, if there is one, and lists additional resources students might find useful as
they continue to learn about the subject.
Glossary
The glossary provides definitions for all of the key terms used in this course.
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Index
The index enables you and the students to quickly find information about a particular
topic or concept in the course.
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vi Sales Skills: Basic
Manual conventions
We’ve tried to keep the number of elements and the types of formatting to a minimum
in the manuals. We think this aids in clarity and makes the manuals more classically
elegant looking. But there are some conventions and icons you should know about.
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Convention/icon Description
Italic text In conceptual text, indicates a new term or feature.
Bold text In unit summaries, indicates a key term or concept. In an

independent practice activity, indicates an explicit item
that you select, choose, or type.
Instructor notes. In the left margin, provide tips, hints, and warnings for
the instructor.
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Next to an instructor note, indicates a warning for the
Warnings prepare
instructors for potential
instructor.
classroom management
problems.
Next to an instructor note, indicates a tip the instructor

Tips give extra
information the instructor
can share with students.
can share with students.
Next to an instructor note, indicates a setup the instructor

Setup instructor
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notes give a context for
can use before delivering a step or activity.
instructors to share with
students.
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Introduction vii
Activities
The activities are the most important parts of our manuals. They are usually divided into
two columns, with questions or concepts on the left and answers and explanations on
the right. To the left, instructor notes provide tips, warnings, setups, and other
information for the instructor only. Here’s a sample:
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Do it! A-1: Steps for brainstorming
Exercises
1 Sequence the steps for brainstorming.
Begin generating ideas Select the purpose.
Select the purpose Organize for the session.
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Organize for the session Review the rules.
Ask questions and clarify ideas Begin generating ideas.
Ask questions and clarify ideas.

Review the rules
PowerPoint presentations
Each unit in this course has an accompanying PowerPoint presentation. These slide
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shows are designed to support your classroom instruction while providing students with
a visual focus. Each one begins with a list of unit objectives and ends with a unit
summary slide. We strongly recommend that you run these presentations from the
instructor’s station as you teach this course. A copy of PowerPoint Viewer is included,
so it is not necessary to have PowerPoint installed on your computer.
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viii Sales Skills: Basic
Topic B: Setting student expectations

Properly setting students’ expectations is essential to your success. This topic will help
you do that by providing:
• A description of the target student at whom the course is aimed
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• A list of the objectives for the course
• A skills assessment for the course
Target student
The typical students of this course will be sales representatives, sales managers, or sales
executives, who need to learn how to conduct successful sales.
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Course objectives
You should share these overall course objectives with your students at the beginning of
the day. This will give the students an idea about what to expect, and will also help you
identify students who might be misplaced. Students are considered misplaced when they
lack the prerequisite knowledge or when they already know most of the subject matter
to be covered.
After completing this course, students will know how to:
• Describe and implement the sales process, collaborate with clients, understand
client’s decision-making practices, and define common sales terms.
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• Develop your professional character and manage yourself by establishing
credibility and behaving professionally.
• Handle clients by prospecting, making sales calls, networking, and helping
clients find solutions to their problems.
• Identify the client objections, create a sales presentation to influence their
perceptions, and effectively respond to objections.
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Introduction ix
Skills inventory
Use the following form to gauge students’ skill level entering the class (students have
copies in the introductions of their student manuals). For each skill listed, have students
rate their familiarity from 1 to 5, with five being the most familiar. Emphasize that this
is not a test. Rather, it is intended to provide students with an idea of where they’re
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starting from at the beginning of class. If a student is wholly unfamiliar with all the
skills, he or she might not be ready for the class. A student who seems to understand all
of the skills, on the other hand, might need to move on to the next course in the series.
Skill 1 2 3 4 5
Defining the sales process
Collaborating with clients
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Understanding decision-making practices of clients
Defining common sales terms
Identifying your beneficial personal characteristics
Identifying your beneficial skills
Establishing credibility
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Identifying professional behavior
Prospecting for potential clients
Making successful sales calls
Using networking to gain clients
Discussing the importance of visibility and allies
Putting the client at ease
Finding solutions to clients’ problems

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Defining the problem-solving process
Defining a proactive approach
Identifying client objections
Handling stalling and objections
Creating a sales presentation
Responding to objections effectively

x Sales Skills: Basic
Topic C: Classroom setup

In addition to a manual, each student should be provided with a pad and pens or pencils
for jotting down notes questions. Students should have a comfortable place to sit and
ample table space to spread out their materials.
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Computer requirements
If you wish to use the PowerPoint presentation, you’ll need the following:
• A Pentium-class or better computer
• A keyboard and a mouse
• A sound card and speakers
• Windows 98, NT, 2000, or XP
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• A minimum of 32 MB of RAM, depending on your operating system
• CD-ROM drive
• A Super-VGA monitor
• An overhead monitor projector
• PowerPoint 2000 or later, or PowerPoint Viewer
Classroom requirements
• A white board or flip chart and markers
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• Printout of the Sales process document (one for each student)
• A box containing seven slips of paper with the letters of the PLEASED acronym
on them
First-time setup instructions

The first time you teach this course, you’ll need to perform the following steps:
1 If necessary, download the PowerPoint presentations for the course to your
computer.
a Connect to www.courseilt.com/instructor_tools.html.
b Click the link for Sales Management to display a page of course listings, and
then click the link for Sales Skills: Basic.
c Click the link for downloading the PowerPoint files, and follow the
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instructions that appear on your screen.

2 If necessary, download the student data for the course to your computer.
a Connect to www.courseilt.com/instructor_tools.html.
b Click the link for Sales Management to display a page of course listings, and
then click the link for Sales Skills: Basic.
c Click the link for downloading the student data files, and follow the
instructions that appear on your screen.
3 Print copies of the data file to use as handouts during class.

Introduction xi
Topic D: Support
Your success is our primary concern. If you need help setting up this class or teaching a
particular unit, topic, or activity, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Please
have the name of the course available when you call, and be as specific as possible
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about the kind of help you need.
Phone support
You can call for support 24 hours a day at (888) 672-7500. If you do not connect to a
live operator, you can leave a message, and we pledge to return your call within 24
hours (except on Saturday and Sunday).
Web-based support
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The Course ILT Web site provides several instructors’ tools for each course, including
course outlines and answers to frequently asked questions. To download these files, go
to www.courseilt.com/instructor_tools.html.
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xii Sales Skills: Basic
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1–1
Unit 1
Sales fundamentals
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Unit time: 90 minutes
Complete this unit, and you’ll know how to:
A Describe and implement the sales process.
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B Work with clients to understand their
decision-making process.
C Define common sales terminology.

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1–2 Sales Skills: Basic
Topic A: The sales process

Explanation The selling process is a dynamic interaction between a professional salesperson and a
client. The salesperson’s main objectives are to learn about the client’s needs and
determine how to help the client fulfill those needs. The client’s main objective is to
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satisfy the need by acquiring the best goods and services available for the most
reasonable price.
As a salesperson, you must help people discover that they need your product or service.
Often, people do not realize that they need a product or service until they hear about it.
If a person hasn’t heard of your product or service, start probing. Ask questions to learn
about the person’s needs and how you can satisfy them.
Basic steps of the sales process
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The sales process can be viewed as six interwoven steps:
1 Know your company, products, and services.
2 Identify needs and potential clients.
3 Spread the word.
4 Establish a relationship.
5 Propose and negotiate.
6 Maintain your relationships.
Knowing your company, products, and services

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Before contacting potential clients, ensure that you know as much as you can about the
products or services you are selling. Clients will question you about what you are
selling and how it can benefit them. If you are unable to answer the questions about
your products or services, clients will doubt your credibility.
Identifying needs and potential clients

It is important for you to identify the needs that can be fulfilled or the problems that can
be solved if a person buys your product or service. After you know how your product or
service can benefit people, you should be able to determine the profiles of potential
clients. The client profile might include who they are, where they live, and how to
contact them.
Spreading the word

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You need to make sure that people are aware that your product or service exists.
Spreading the word is a marketing venture, so join forces with marketing personnel to
share ideas and find a creative and memorable way to tell people about your product or
service.

Sales fundamentals 1–3
Establishing a relationship
Establishing a relationship does not only mean building a rapport with potential clients,
but also relating your product or service to them in terms of how it can benefit them.
You should always remember these two realities:
• People buy benefits not features.
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• People buy from salespeople they like.
It is also important to explain to potential clients how you can provide the product or
service. They might want to know when the product or service is available and at what
cost. Answer their questions thoroughly and honestly, and make sure that the
information you provide is concise and relevant.
Proposing and negotiating

When you make a proposal to a prospective client, you might or might not get a positive
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response. If the person is interested, but disagrees with the terms of the proposal,
negotiate different terms and submit another proposal. You might have to modify your
proposal several times, but if you are persistent and patient, you increase your chances
of closing a successful sale.
Maintaining your relationships

Maintaining your relationships with potential and current clients is important to your
success as a salesperson. Because people’s needs change over time, make sure that
you’re always in touch with your clients, or you might lose them to the competition.
One way of maintaining relationships with clients is obtaining feedback about their
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level of satisfaction with the product or service and about your sales approach. Conduct
surveys or call clients and ask, “What made you decide to buy from me?” You must
remember that clients are valuable sources of information and can help you improve
your sales style and product or service.
Moreover, it is through maintaining relationships with clients that you build up a
clientele. A solid client base is essential for a successful career in sales. The more
connections you make and keep, the more opportunities you’ll have to help people.
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Do it! A-1: Understanding the sales process

Exercises
1 The selling process is a highly dynamic interaction between:
A A professional salesperson and a client
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B A company and a client
C A company and a professional salesperson
D A manager and an employee
2 Identify and sequence the basic steps that occur as part of every sale.
Maintain your relationships Know your company, products, and

services.
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Address objections
Identify needs and potential clients.
Propose and negotiate
Spread the word.
Identify needs and potential clients
Establish a relationship.
Show the benefits of the product or service
Propose and negotiate.
Know your company, products, and services Maintain your relationships.
Establish a relationship
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Spread the word
3 During a sale, the main objective of the clients is to:

A Identify their own needs
B Satisfy their own needs
C Get a good price, regardless of quality
D Build a rapport with the salespersons
Make sure that all

4 A salesperson wants to analyze his last sale, so he creates a document listing the
students have a printout of actions he performed during the sales process. For each of the following actions,
Sales process.doc. identify the corresponding step of the sales process.
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Tell them to write the 2 and 6

number of each action in
Knowing your company, products, and services
Sales process.doc against
its corresponding step. Identifying needs and potential clients 9 and 11
Spreading the word 5 and 7
Establishing a relationship 1
Proposing and negotiating 4 and 10
Maintaining your relationships 3 and 8

Topic B: Elements of selling

Explanation Most salespeople choose this profession as a result of their passion for meeting and
interacting with people. They also want to help people by providing quality products or
services. Before you jump headfirst into sales, you need to think about why you want to
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sell. Although sales is challenging and can be highly rewarding, it is not for everyone.
People who choose sales only to make money are likely to be disappointed, dissatisfied,
and discouraged.
A salesperson must be communicative and shouldn’t hesitate to approach people. While
searching for clients, if you determine that a person is not a potential client, you should
still try to cultivate a friendly relationship with that person. You never know who that
person will send your way.
Communicating with clients
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You should always take a collaborative approach when dealing with clients. Moreover,
when you talk to clients, you should try to understand their decision-making practices.
There are different avenues of communication that you can use when selling. You can
sell a product or service face-to-face, over the telephone, in magazines, trade journals,
and newspapers, or on television and the Internet. The form of communication that you
choose depends on a number of factors, such as what you sell, where you live, and who
your clients are.
When you communicate, you should not make people feel that you are talking them into
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buying a product or service. Collaborate with clients and become their partner in trying
to solve a problem or fulfill a need. By taking a collaborative approach, you align
yourself with potential clients and act as their consultant rather than as a salesperson.
You can demonstrate improvements in their way of life or business practices and also
show how these improvements can generate profits.
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Common myths about selling

When you have something to sell, you need to separate fact from fiction by
understanding some common sales myths. The following table lists examples of
common myths about sales practices:
Fiction Fact
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Push the product and stay in Pushing a product or service does not guarantee a sale.
control, the potential client Clients do not want to feel that they have been bullied
will give in and buy. into buying.
Do and say anything to Be honest and ethical in your treatment of clients. Never
make the sale. lie, coerce, bribe, or embarrass a potential client. Never
make promises you cannot or do not intend to keep.
Keep your persuasion tactics ethical.
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Anticipate and respond to Permit clients to ask questions and voice concerns
objections before a potential freely. By listening before responding, you show respect
client can raise them. for their curiosity and point of view.
The more people you speak Concentrate on the quality, not on the quantity of sales
to, the more chances you calls. Get and keep clients, then amass more clients
have to make a sale. through networking and referrals from your satisfied
clients.
A positive attitude is the key A positive attitude is helpful but is not “The Answer” to
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to success. a successful sales career. If you get discouraged, always
try to find the positive side of the discouraging
experience. Learn from both the highs and lows of your
sales experiences, and be persistent.
Dazzle them with features The most important fact to remember is that people buy
of a product. benefits, not features. You should tell clients how a
product or service can benefit them, and demonstrate
these benefits by offering examples of satisfied clients.
Your selling strategy should rely more on facts than on fiction. Otherwise, you’ll
damage your chances with potential or existing clients, as well as a successful sales
career.
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Do it! B-1: Collaborating with clients

Exercises
1 Which of the following is a fact rather than a sales myth?
A You should permit clients to ask questions and voice concerns freely.
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B You should push the product and stay in control.
C The more people you speak to, the more chances you have for a sale.
D You should dazzle clients with features of the product.
2 Which of the following can help a salesperson ensure successful sales?

A Offering examples of satisfied clients
B Keeping a positive attitude
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C Staying in control
D Dazzling the client with product features
3 What are some of the communication techniques you can use when selling?
• Face-to-face
• Telephone
• Magazines, trade journals, and newspapers
• Television
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• Internet
Use this scenario as a 4 A salesperson is giving a presentation to a client about the latest computer
basis for the discussion. launched by their company. During the presentation, the salesperson shares the
following, “This system contains a Pentium 4 processor with 512 MB RAM, and
a 40-GB hard disk. You’ll also get a CD writer and printer free with the system.”
Even though the product was competitive with respect to the other products in the
market, the salesperson could not generate interest in the product and wasn’t able
to sell it.
What could be the reason for the failure?

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Here, the salesperson emphasizes the different features of the product rather than its
benefits. As a salesperson, it is important to remember that people buy benefits, not
features.
Ask two or three Have you ever had this kind of experience (as a salesperson or client)?
volunteers to share their
answers.

Personal decision-making practices

Explanation It is important for a salesperson to understand the decision-making practices of people.
People usually arrive at decisions after considering all the facts carefully. They might
also make illogical decisions based on emotions. Because people have diverse decision-
making practices, you need to understand the key issues that potential clients consider
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when making the decision to buy. By understanding the client’s key issues and looking
at your product or service from their perspective, you can gear your sales approach to
individual clients.
When trying to understand a person’s decision-making practices, you should answer the
following questions:
• Does the person have the final say as to whether to purchase the product or
service? It can be frustrating to spend time speaking to a person only to find out
that the person does not have purchasing authority. Try to meet and speak with
the person or people who have decision-making authority.
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• What will the person benefit from the product or service? The answer to this
question should be the central focus in your sales approach.
• What criteria will the person use to evaluate the product or service? People
use a variety of criteria to evaluate your product or service. To know what sales
approach to take, you need to know the criteria that a person will use.
• Which of these criteria is most important? If people are more interested in
what a product can do for them rather than its price, you should focus on the
benefits and not on the savings they can make by purchasing this product.
• What information does the person need or want? For example, if a person
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has limited knowledge of computers, avoid getting into product specifics,
especially technical acronyms that might confuse him or her. Instead, provide
basic information that will not intimidate the person.
• What does the person expect in terms of delivery, quality, performance, and
materials? People want to know whether you have the ability to provide a high-
quality product or perform a service within a specific time frame according to
their specifications. Find out what these specifications are.
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Do it! B-2: Discussing decision-making practices

Exercises
1 When trying to understand decision-making practices of a client, you should ask
yourself:
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A Will this person benefit from my product or service?
B Will this person use criteria to evaluate my product or service?
C Which of the criteria is most important?
D How should I explain the features to this person?
2 A client considers certain key issues when deciding to buy a product. How can
you gear your sales approach to individual clients by understanding these key
issues?
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Understanding a client’s key issues will help you look at your product or service from the
perspective of the client, so you’ll know what sales approach to take.
3 It is important to understand that a lot of the time clients make purchase decisions
based on:
A Emotion
B Print advertising
C Fact
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D Features
Share this scenario with 4 A sales representative from Icon International’s Office Supply division
the students, and then approaches a prospective client interested in buying copiers from Icon. One of
choose two of them to
enact it as a role-play. you will enact the role of the sales representative, and another will be the
prospective client. When speaking with the client, the sales representative has to
The purpose of the role- ask several questions to identify the client’s decision-making practices.
play is to identify the
client’s decision-making
practices. After the role-play, discuss whether the questions asked by the sales representative
were helpful in understanding the decision-making practices of the client.
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Topic C: Understanding sales terms

Explanation For a better understanding of the sales process, you should be familiar with common
sales terms.
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Sales terminology
There are various terms that are exclusive to the sales field. These include:
• Feature
• Benefit
• Prospecting
• Cold calling
• Warm calling
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• Networking
• Filter system
• Jargon
• Credibility
• Buyer’s remorse
• Buyer’s revenge
• Euphemisms
• Question overload
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• Information overload
Features and benefits

It is important to know the difference between a benefit and a feature because people
tend to buy benefits not features. A feature is essentially what you as a salesperson
propose to do for, or provide to, a client. Suppose you sell two types of telephones, one
that has a speakerphone, and other that does not. The speakerphone is the feature that
you provide.
A benefit is what a product or service does for a client. The “what” might or might not
be tangible. For example, if you provide a speakerphone to a client, the benefit is that
the person can talk on the telephone and still retain the freedom of using hands for
another task, simultaneously.
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Prospecting
Prospecting involves searching for people who have a need for your product or service.
Before prospecting for potential clients, you should do the following:
1 Organize your information. Keep your sales information handy and understand
your product or service thoroughly. You must be prepared to answer questions.
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2 Develop a plan. Plan to contact twenty people during the day, and then do it. If
after fifteen contacts you still have not received a positive response, persist and
make the last five contacts. Instant gratification is rare in sales. On average, it
takes five or six contacts with the same person before you can make a sale. As a
result, you need to be patient and determined.
Cold calling
Cold calling involves contacting people you do not know and have never met. This
approach to prospecting can be daunting and discouraging for both experienced as well
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as inexperienced salespeople. As a result, many people resort to cold calling only after
other approaches to prospecting have failed.
Cold calling does not necessarily mean making telephone calls. It can also mean
sending out mass mailings, faxing advertisements, and speaking about your product or
service to every new person that you meet.
Warm calling
Warm calling involves contacting people you already know to tell them about your
product or service. These people can be friends, family, professional acquaintances,
people you have met in the community, or referrals. Because warm calling involves
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speaking to people with whom you already have a connection, salespeople feel more
comfortable making warm calls than they do making cold calls.
Warm calling has a high incidence of success. When you approach a person who knows
you or has heard about you from a trustworthy source, you stand a good chance of
making a sale.
Networking
Networking involves establishing new connections through people you already know or
through organizations to which you belong. For example, when you speak to friends,
you might ask them if they know other people who can benefit from your products or
services. You should network wherever you go, whether you’re attending your child’s
sporting event or the neighborhood block party. The more people you speak to, the more
comfortable you’ll feel when making contact with strangers.
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Networking not only helps you establish new relationships, but also leads to a greater
number of sales, additional business contacts, and more learning experiences.
Successful salespeople make themselves known through networking as well as by
making lasting, positive impressions on the people they meet.

Filter system
A filter system is a way of sifting through information to determine who has a need for
your product or service. By using a filter system, you can narrow the field of
prospective clients based on various criteria, such as where clients live, their income
levels, cultural background, occupation, and hobbies. A narrow range of prospective
clients gives you the greatest opportunity for success.
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When using a filter system, you can establish a benchmark that identifies the ideal
candidates for your product or service. For example, if you sell bulk quantities of
industrial cleaning supplies, you would target businesses rather than residences.
Jargon
Jargon is a set of words unique to a specific field of study or profession. People in the
sales profession have their own set of such words. Sometimes they also use technical
terms associated with their product or service.
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It is acceptable to use sales jargon in the presence of fellow salespeople. On the other
hand, when speaking to a current or potential client, it is imperative that you refrain
from using jargon of any kind. This applies to jargon related to the sales industry as well
as product features. If you use jargon, you risk:
• Intimidating the person
• Making the person feel ignorant for not understanding the terms
• Miscommunication
• Losing a sale
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To assess a person’s level of knowledge about your product or service, you might ask,
“How familiar are you with our product or service?” This will help you perceive your
product or service from the client’s point of view so that you can explain the benefits
appropriately.
Credibility
Credibility is believability. If a person believes what you say, then that person finds you
credible. As a result, much of your credibility depends on how people perceive you. For
example, honesty is more than simply telling the truth. People can speak truthfully, but
if their actions do not match their words, then others will not perceive them as credible.
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Buyer’s remorse
Buyer’s remorse is the negative, self-deprecating feeling a client might have after
purchasing a product or service. Some causes of buyer’s remorse include:
• The client was poorly informed about the product or service.
• The client decided to make the purchase before being mentally prepared to do
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so.
• The client made a purchase and then saw a better deal elsewhere.
People who feel buyer’s remorse blame themselves for making an unwise purchase.
You do not want your clients to feel buyer’s remorse. Take these steps to prevent clients
from feeling this way:
• Tell clients what they want to know about your product or service.
• Give your clients adequate time to make the purchase decision. Because this
depends purely on your judgment, try to read whether the client feels pressed to
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make a decision. Keep in mind that you should never pressurize a client.
• Establish a strong relationship with your clients. If a competitor has a similar
product or service that is more cost-effective than yours, clients will not make an
issue of the price difference if they like and trust you.
Buyer’s revenge
Buyer’s revenge occurs when a client moves beyond buyer’s remorse. People with the
buyer’s revenge mindset feel that the salesperson swindled them. Although sometimes
clients are justified in feeling swindled, at other times, sincere and well-meaning
salespeople are falsely accused of deceptive behavior.
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Buyers who feel that they have been cheated might:
• Refuse to repeat business with the salesperson
• Tell other people about the negative experience with the salesperson
• Take legal action
As with buyer’s remorse, you do not want your clients to fall into the buyer’s revenge
mindset. As a result, you should speak to your clients after the sale to make sure that
they are satisfied. Beware of the indications of a dissatisfied client, such as refusing to
return calls or giving stilted answers to your questions.
Try to pinpoint the problem and do what you can to fix it. Otherwise, you risk losing
their business, as well as the business of other potential or current clients.
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Euphemisms
Euphemisms are words or phrases with positive connotations that are used in place of
words or phrases that carry negative connotations. In the sales industry, several words
or phrases are used to add a client-oriented touch to the selling process. The following
table describes examples of euphemisms used in sales:
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Negative Positive
“I sell Product X ...” “I help people find solutions ...”
Asking for a “referral” Asking for a “personal introduction”
“I’ll prepare the contract ...” “I’ll prepare the agreement ...”
Getting the “signature” of a person Getting the “approval” or “authorization” of
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a person
Asking a person what “problems” Asking a person what “challenges” that

that person has person has
Saying that a product is “used” Saying that a product is “pre-owned”
Question overload
Question overload is what people feel when you fire multiple questions at them without
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giving them adequate time to formulate responses. Overloading people with questions
not only flusters and confuses them, but also embarrasses and frustrates them.
As a result, when speaking to potential and current clients, you should avoid asking a
series of questions. Instead, you should promote a flowing dialogue that incorporates
these questions.
Information overload
Information overload is what people feel when you give them more information than
they want. Overloading people with information can lead to confusion, which can
hinder their decision-making process.
When speaking to potential or current clients, you should speak in terms they
understand and provide them with the information they need. Avoid giving them
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excessive or extremely technical information.

Do it! C-1: Discussing sales terminology

Exercises
Click the picture on the left 1 Watch the movie. Why did the client interrupt the salesperson during the
of the slide to play the interaction?
movie.
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Because the salesperson used technical jargon to explain a service, which the client did not
understand
2 In the following scenario, Marcus D’Angelo and Maggie Roberts are seated at a
table in a break room.
Maggie: Hey, Marcus. I hear you bought a new Clean Cut lawnmower. How
do you like it?
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Marcus: Well, I picked it up last weekend at Yard Care World. I bought it on
sale, so I thought I was getting a pretty good deal.
Maggie: You don’t sound too happy about your purchase. What’s the
problem?
Marcus: Oh, I just wish I’d looked around at other models before settling on
this one. I usually do my homework before making a major purchase. This
time, instead of looking at the different options, I settled on the Clean Cut.
Maggie: Do you think you made a bad purchase?

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Marcus: I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a bad purchase. I just wish I had
looked at other options before making a decision.
What is Marcus feeling after making the purchase?
Marcus is feeling buyer’s remorse about the purchase.
Ask as many students as Have you had a similar feeling after buying a product? Share your experience.
you have time for.
Click the picture on the 3 Watch the movie. What euphemisms were used as examples in the conversation?
right to play the movie.
More economical and pre-owned
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Ask as many students as 4 List some euphemisms you’ve recently heard on the radio or television.
you have time for.
5 Which of the following is an example of cold calling?
A Sending a note to a neighbor
B Approaching an acquaintance
C Faxing advertisements
D Selling magazines
E Mass mailing

6 Which of the following correctly defines “buyer’s remorse?”

A The negative feeling a person might have after making a purchase
B How people feel if they think they have been cheated by a salesperson
C The confusion a person feels after being asked a series of questions
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D How people feel after they miss an opportunity to buy a product or service
7 Match the following euphemisms with their respective negative connotations:

personal introduction, agreement, approval, challenges, and pre-owned.
Signature Approval
Used Pre-owned
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Referral Personal introduction
Problems Challenges
Contract Agreement
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Unit summary: Sales fundamentals

Topic A In this unit, you examined the sales process. You learned that the selling process is a
highly dynamic interaction between a professional salesperson and a client. You also
discussed the six interwoven steps of the sales process.
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Topic B Next, you learned to use a collaborative approach to help you solve client problems.
You discussed the common sales myths. You also discussed the importance of
understanding personal decision-making practices. You discussed understanding a
person’s key issues and looking at your product or service from their perspective so that
you can gear your sales approach to individual clients.
Topic C Finally, you defined common sales terms, such as feature, benefit, prospecting, cold
calling, warm calling, and networking.
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Review questions
1 Which of the following is a common sales euphemism for signature?
A Approval
B Autograph
C Inscription
D Endorsement
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2 Choose the action that is typical of people who feel “buyer’s revenge.”
A Giving false information to others about a product or service
B Telling others about the bad experience with the salesperson
C Deciding to purchase only after they are ready to do so
D Making a purchase, and then seeing an inferior deal elsewhere
3 Choose the answer that most correctly defines “jargon.”
A Words that most people would understand
B Words used to describe a specific item
C Words used deliberately to mislead people
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D Words unique to a specific profession or industry
4 What are some of the benefits of becoming a salesperson?

You can meet and interact with people and help them by providing a quality product or service.
5 What is warm calling?

Meeting people you already know (family, friends, professional acquaintances) to tell them about
your product or service

6 Use the following clues to complete the crossword.

ACROSS:
3. The client’s faith in what the salesperson says
5. A word or phrase that has positive connotations and is used in place of a word
or phrase that carries negative connotations
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6. Searching for people who have a need for your product or service
DOWN:
1. A set of words unique to a specific field of study or profession.
2. Making connections with new people through people you already know or
through organizations to which you belong.
4. This is what a product or service does for a client
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1 2
J N
A E
3
C R E D I B I L I T Y
G W
4
O B O
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N E R
N K
5
E U P H E M I S M
F N
6
P R O S P E C T I N G
T
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2–1
Unit 2
Your professional self
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A Develop positive personal characteristics.
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B Establish credibility, and behave
professionally with clients.
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Topic A: Developing your character

Explanation The characteristics of successful salespeople are numerous and diverse. As a
salesperson, you can develop your character by applying the PLEASED acronym to
your life and work. You can also use several beneficial skills, such as interpersonal,
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leadership, negotiation, and problem solving.
Beneficial personal characteristics

You can use the PLEASED acronym to determine which of these characteristics you use
in your life and work:
• Persist in the face of rejection.
• Listen to people.
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• Empathize with people.
• Adapt to the needs of others.
• Solve problems.
• Excel at dependability.
• Deal honestly with people.
Persisting in the face of rejection

When a person says “No” to you, you should not give up too easily. The person might
have turned you down because they were not willing to buy your product or service at
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that moment. Try to overcome the objections, but do not push too hard.
As a general rule, after a person has said, “No,” three times, you should move on to the
next issue. In the case of complete rejection, close the meeting professionally and move
on to the next client. Hearing “No” can be discouraging, so you should use positive
reinforcement to maintain a healthy attitude and boost your self-confidence. Set small
goals and reward yourself when you achieve them. A healthy self-confidence can help
you carry on after hearing “No” and help you control the fear of failure.
You need a strong sense of self and purpose to withstand rejection. If you do not have
these, you’ll find it difficult to inspire others to trust you and your product or service.
Listening to people
Listening is perhaps the single most important thing you can do when you meet with a
potential or current client. Although you might be eager to jump in and tell the person
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that you have a solution to the problem, do not interrupt. You must always be polite.
You can make people understand that you are listening by making eye contact, nodding
your head, leaning forward slightly, and adding interjections, such as “Okay” and “I
see.” Take notes, paraphrase what you heard, and ask questions to clarify your
understanding.

Your professional self 2–3
Empathizing with people

If a client has a problem or is angry, you should first determine why. Then, assure your
client that you understand the their plight. Thereafter, devise a strategy to handle the
situation and act immediately. Acting promptly to address such situations not only
shows that you are concerned about the client’s peace of mind, but also ensures that the
person becomes a regular customer.
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Adapting to the needs of others
Remember that when you speak to a potential client, your job is to ensure that the
client’s needs are met rather than your sales quota. To adapt to the needs of others, you
need to put the client’s needs first.
Solving problems
Problem solving is closely related to empathizing with people and adapting to their
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needs. When you have a problem, you want to find a solution. Your clients feel the
same way. When solving problems, be careful that you do not offer impossible
solutions. If you do, the client will see you as another problem.
Excelling at dependability
Do not make empty promises. If you say that you’ll do something, do it. When you
prove to people that you are dependable, they will turn to you for help. If you fail to
follow through on a promise, you are not likely to get a second chance. For example, if
you arrange a meeting for ten o’clock Monday morning, you should arrive at least ten
minutes early, not just on time. Arriving early gives you time to adjust to the
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environment and ensure that your attire, thoughts, and materials are organized.
Dealing honestly with people

Honesty builds trust, which builds relationships. The truth is easier to remember than
trying to recall the white lies that you told. By developing a reputation as an honest,
trustworthy salesperson, you only have positive things to gain.
Besides the characteristics of the PLEASED acronym, imagination and creativity are
also important. Having an imagination is important for these reasons:
• You limit your vision when you look at a problem from a single angle alone. As
a result, you are unable to find the best solution. For problems that need creative
solutions, you need to look beyond what is in front of you, visualize
possibilities, and be open-minded.
• Clever remarks, creative sales pitches, and unconventional means of contacting
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people can leave a lasting impression. When you want someone to remember
you and your product or service, you must give the person a positive reason to
remember you.

In addition to the PLEASED acronym guidelines, here are some additional guidelines to
keep in mind.
• Stay focused on what is important by connecting with people and genuinely
trying to help them. This not only improves your sales performance, but also
bolsters your confidence and strengthens your motivation.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with clients and nonclients. The more
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contacts you make and the more relationships you establish, the stronger and
faster your network will grow.
• Research the sales market. It is important for you to have a broad knowledge of
industries and current events, as well as a specific knowledge of the products in
the market.
• Maintain good records and files. Salespeople encounter a tremendous amount of
information when researching clients and competitors. Because it’s difficult to
remember everything, you must have an organized system to keep track of
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important information.
• Maintain a positive attitude even when things go wrong, and focus on the
positive not the negative.
• Try to be creative. As creativity is an important trait in the sales profession, you
should develop it whenever possible. Some ways to stimulate your creativity
include reading, solving crossword puzzles, brainstorming, participating in
community activities, and attending continuing education conferences or
seminars. Exercising your mind in a variety of ways facilitates the flow of
creative ideas. Being informed of current events can also improve your
creativity. Reading newspapers and magazines not only keeps you aware of
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current events, but also gives you the opportunity to learn about how people
solve problems. Moreover, knowledge of current events also helps you to
engage people in conversation.
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Do it! A-1: Identifying beneficial personal characteristics

Exercises
Identify seven students to 1 This is a game of identifying letters. Your instructor will ask seven students to
play the game. pick a slip of paper from a box. After reading the slip of paper, these seven
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students will come to the front of the class, one after the other, and speak for one
Make sure that you minute trying to explain the characteristics corresponding to the letter written on
have a box containing
seven slips of paper with the slip of paper. The remaining students need to identify the letters related to the
the different letters of the PLEASED acronym from the explanation of the characteristics.
PLEASED acronym
written on them. 2 John has purchased a cabinet from Icon International. However, for the last two
months, he has not been able to assemble the cabinet because one of its hinges
was missing. He makes continuous requests to the customer service department
but to no avail. He becomes frustrated and contacts a sales representative from the
customer service department. This sales representative is experienced in dealing
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with client problems.
Encourage a discussion Discuss the personal characteristics that the salesperson needs to deal with this
that leads from this situation effectively.
general answer to more
specific ones.
As the client is upset with the customer service from the company, the salesperson needs to
empathize with him. The salesperson should listen, understand the problem, and act
promptly.
Click the picture on the 3 Watch the movie. Which of the following personal characteristics is being
slide to play the movie. addressed in the movie?
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A Dealing honestly with people
B Adapting to the needs of others
C Excelling at dependability
D Listening to people
Why do you think the client was unhappy?
Because the salesperson failed to follow through on a promise to the client
4 Why is it important to maintain complete records?
It’s impossible for a salesperson to remember all the information about clients and
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competitors. Records can help the salesperson keep track of important information.
5 Why should a salesperson be creative?

A To figure out how to sidestep objections
B To find innovative solutions to problems
C To make a boisterous impression on clients
D To push people into conversations

6 How should a salesperson deal with rejection?

A Immediately move on to another customer
B Close the meeting professionally
C Make eye contact and nod to show understanding
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D Learn the reason for the rejected offer
7 Which of the following can help you become a successful salesperson?

A Researching currency exchange rates
B Keeping track of outdated information
C Maintaining relationships with nonclients
D Working only to increase your sales volume
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8 Which one of the following describes the actions salespeople should take to show
that they are listening to the clients?
A Interrupting clients to save their time
B Slightly leaning back in chair
C Periodically nodding the head
D Jumping in to tell clients the solution
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Beneficial skills
Explanation The following skills are assets to every salesperson:
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership skills
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• Negotiation skills
• Problem-solving skills
Interpersonal skills
Salespeople must have the ability to speak to people on a friendly, nonthreatening level.
Essential interpersonal skills include:
• Empathizing with people
• Understanding others’ points of view
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• Listening closely and patiently
• Tactfully delivering bad news
Leadership skills
Salespeople need to exercise good leadership skills because people want to associate
with leaders, not followers. If you want a person to do something, you must convince
the person that you are trustworthy and that you won’t lead the person astray. For
example, a potential client might ask you whether you use the product you sell. Can you
imagine the client’s reaction if you say that you don’t?
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Because discerning people do not follow just anyone, you must develop strong
relationships with people and prove that you are trustworthy. Good leadership inspires
confidence, builds trust, and can help you make a sale.
Negotiation skills
Negotiation is the process by which two or more parties give and accept concessions to
reach a mutual agreement. Salespeople must have good negotiation skills when
discussing options and making proposals to clients. During a successful negotiation
session, both parties have the opportunity to express concerns and work towards a
mutually acceptable agreement. Neither party should leave a negotiation feeling
dissatisfied or frustrated.
One major key to successful sales is the ability to close a deal through negotiations and
by overcoming objections. Sometimes, salespeople get so involved in befriending a
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potential client that they do not get around to closing a sale. As a result, the ability to
successfully negotiate and complete a sale is an important skill for salespeople.
Problem-solving skills
Problem solving involves coordinating knowledge, experiences, attitudes, intuition, and
the ability to generate a variety of options to solve a problem. As a salesperson, you
must understand that every problem is unique. You cannot apply a cure-all solution to
multiple situations just because the situations seem similar.

Do it! A-2: Identifying beneficial skills

Exercises
1 Identify the beneficial skills that are being addressed in each of the situations
given below: interpersonal, leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving.
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You approach a client with your product. She asks you whether Leadership
you own that product, and you tell her that you’ve been using
the product successfully for the past year.
A client approaches you with a problem. You develop a unique Problem-solving

plan to satisfy his needs.
You listen to your client’s problem but recognize that you Interpersonal
cannot help her. You tactfully tell her that although you cannot
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help her, you know someone who can.
Your client has objections to some points in your proposal. You Negotiation
both discuss the issue and reach an agreement to modify the
points and overcome the objections.
2 Which skill helps salespeople develop a unique plan to meet each client’s needs?
Problem-solving
3 Which of the following describes an interpersonal skill that salespeople should

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have?
A Empathizing with people
B Speaking quickly and often
C Applying one solution to multiple problems
D Blatantly delivering bad news
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4 In the following scenario, Lance Helms and Dean Kramer are in Lance’s office.
Dean is a salesperson, and Lance is a potential client.
Lance: (skeptical) I don’t know ... I’d like some time to think about it. I’m not
sure I really need life insurance at this point. My wife and I are healthy, and so
are the kids.
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Dean: (sincere, serious tone) I’m glad to know that you and your family are in
good health. You know, it’s important to invest in a life insurance policy when
you’re healthy because you can get better benefits than if you wait until you or
your wife gets sick or are involved in an accident. Some companies do not
write life insurance policies on people who have certain pre-existing
conditions.
Lance: (resisting) Let me ask you this, do you have a life insurance policy on
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yourself?
Dean: Absolutely, and one on my wife, as well. We have two small children at
home and a mortgage on our house. If anything happens to my spouse or me,
the life insurance is enough to cover the mortgage plus other debts. It’ll also
provide additional monthly income to maintain our standard of living.
Lance: (thinks for a moment before speaking) All right. Let me take one of
these brochures, and I’ll talk it over with my wife.
Dean: Shall I call you the day after tomorrow to see when it is convenient for
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us to get together?
Lance: (smiling) Okay. That sounds good.
Dean: (smiling) Mr. Helms, I appreciate you meeting with me this afternoon,
and I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow.
Which personal skill of the salesperson is being addressed through this

conversation?
Leadership
If Dean had said that he didn’t have a life insurance policy himself, what impact
would this have had on Lance?
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Lance would not trust Dean’s words, because he would feel that Dean was leading him
somewhere he himself would not go.

Topic B: Managing yourself

Explanation As a salesperson, you should behave in a manner that establishes your credibility among
clients. Clients expect you to behave professionally and be helpful. When they come to
you with a problem or need, they expect you to listen, empathize, and act.
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Credibility
As credibility depends on how people perceive you, reinforce your professional
behavior with empirical or visible activity. These actions can help you establish
credibility among your potential and current clients:
• Provide evidence.
• Stay on top of the competition.
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• Project reliability.
Providing evidence
Do not merely tell clients what you can do for them, but show them what you can do.
There are two ways to provide evidence, product demonstrations and testimonials or
proof of successes from satisfied clients.
People want to know how a product can benefit them. When you give a product
demonstration, it is important that you focus on the benefits they can reap by using the
product rather than focusing on its features. Always emphasize benefits over features.
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Staying on top of the competition
To be a successful salesperson, you must know your competitors and how their products
and services compare with yours. Clients might ask you how your product or service
compares to what a competitor has to offer. Knowing about your competitors also helps
you develop a sales strategy that emphasizes the positive aspects of your product or
service in comparison to that of your competitors.
Another way to stay on top of the competition is to “go the extra mile.” After speaking
to clients, you should follow up with some form of communication to thank them for
their time. This shows that you appreciate their time and are sincerely interested in
them.
Projecting reliability
Show people that you are reliable through your actions. For example, if you tell a
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potential client that you’ll find the answer to a question, find the answer as soon as
possible and relay it back to the client. Failing to do what you say can get you into
trouble.

Do it! B-1: Establishing credibility

Exercises
1 In the following scenario, Amanda Douglas and Marcus D’Angelo are seated at a
table in a break room. Both are salespeople and co-workers from the same firm.
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Amanda: Hey, Marcus, how’s it going? I’ve noticed that your door’s been shut
all morning.
Marcus: Things are going okay. I shut my door so that I could concentrate on
my research for an upcoming sales meeting.
Amanda: Do you have a new account?
Marcus: Yeah, and I want to be sure that I have the latest information on what
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our competitors are doing. I hate to go into a meeting unprepared.
Amanda: (nodding) I know what you mean. It’s tough when clients ask you
questions about the competition, and you don’t have an appropriate response.
Marcus: (nodding) Yeah, and that’s exactly the situation I’m determined to
avoid. Harvey’s has funneled a lot of money into research and development
during the last quarter. I want to know what they’ve been up to.
What situation being addressed here does Marcus want to avoid when speaking
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with his client?
Inadequate information about competitors
Ask two or three students Have you experienced the kind of situation addressed in the conversation in your
to share their experiences. work? If yes, share your experience.
Click the picture on the 2 Watch the movie. What was the strategy used by the salesperson to show the
slide to play the movie. benefits of the product?
Providing evidence
Encourage a discussion Was the salesperson able to convince the client? How?
that leads from this
Yes, the salesperson provided evidence about the benefits of her product and established
specific ones.
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her credibility.
3 Knowing your competitors helps you to:

A Evade questions about them
B Downplay their positive aspects
C Develop an effective sales strategy
D Provide proof of dissatisfied clients
Ask as many students as 4 Have you ever had a situation where you could not provide the required
you have time for. information to your client or were not provided with the information you wanted?
If yes, share your experience.

Professional behavior
Explanation Behaving professionally means dressing appropriately, avoiding the use of offensive
language, arriving on time for meetings, and giving clients straightforward answers to
their questions.
Salespeople should be enthusiastic and proactive. Potential clients will take an interest
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in your products and services only if you show interest. Enthusiasm, such as laughter, is
catching. If you share information with people in a genuinely enthusiastic manner, your
sales approach will not only grasp and hold their attention, but also spark their interest.
Taking a proactive approach means anticipating possible scenarios and preparing
solutions to handle them. By being proactive, you pay careful attention to details and
have the most current information. The reasons why you should take a proactive
approach to sales are:
• By thinking ahead and using creativity to explore alternatives and analyze
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issues, you can find solutions to potential problems before speaking to clients.
• By studying your competition and their sales practices, you can determine what
it takes to “go the extra mile.” Find positive ways to set yourself apart from your
competition, and you’ll come out ahead of the competition.
• A proactive approach is service oriented, and clients want great service.
Rules for speaking with clients

Follow these four rules for speaking with clients to show your professionalism:
• Never interrupt clients when they are speaking. Listen patiently until clients
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finish speaking. Interrupting clients can make them irritable and unwilling to
listen to you.
• Never tell clients that they are wrong or have done something wrong.
Telling clients that they are wrong will make them defensive, which does not
build solid client relationships.
• Never make critical remarks about competitors or anyone else. Such
behavior is unethical, and clients might know someone who works for a
competitor. As a result, making disparaging remarks about another company can
dissuade people from giving you the opportunity to help them.
• Never make assumptions about clients. You should not make assumptions
regarding the needs, background, or feelings of potential clients. Always ask
questions to clarify a client’s position.
Assess your performance as a salesperson

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Your performance as a salesperson depends not only on the number of sales you make
during a quarter, but also on the number of people with whom you make positive
contact, your level of job satisfaction, and your motivation. You should regularly assess
your performance to determine the actions or habits that help you and the ones that hurt
you. Keep records not only of the sales you make, but also of the ones you do not make.
Then, look at your failed sales and try to identify a link among them that points to a
problem area.
Another way to assess your performance is to set goals. Some common goals set by
salespeople include contacting a certain number of people per day or returning calls
within 24 hours or less. Reward yourself for achieving the goals you set. A reward
system can bolster your motivation and improve your performance.

Do it! B-2: Behaving professionally

Exercises
1 Why should you take a proactive sales approach?
A You might not be able to solve problems before clients find out about them.
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B You can find good ways to stand out from your competition.
C You can avoid taking a service-oriented approach.
D You can gather random client information in your free time.
Use this scenario as a 2 You are in a sales meeting with your client. During the meeting, you find that the
basis for discussion. client is unable to correctly interpret the details you are providing. You have
pointed this out to the client many times, but he still interprets it wrongly. After
some time, you get frustrated and tell him “you’re just not getting it right.”
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Every time the client finds it difficult to understand what you want to
communicate, you tell him that he is wrong. How does this affect the meeting?
Telling the client that he is wrong will make him defensive, which might lead to an argument
and prevent you from building a good relationship.
3 In the following scenario, two sales representatives, Caroline and Justin are seated
in Caroline’s office. Caroline is experienced and is giving advice to Justin.
Caroline: One point I can’t stress enough is the need to plan. Be prepared for
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the best and worst situations. In other words, be proactive.
Justin: But I don’t like to make assumptions about people or about what’s
going to happen.
Caroline: I don’t mean that you should make assumptions about people or
events. I mean that you need to think about possibilities, the things that might
happen. You don’t have to assume that the best or worst will happen or that a
person will behave one way instead of another.
Justin: Oh, I see what you mean. Let me ask you, have you ever felt like you
weren’t prepared for a situation?
Caroline: Well, when I first started in the sales business, I worked for a
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company that manufactured garbage compactors. I’d sold 20 of them when

clients started complaining about the amount of noise the compactors made
when they were used. Instead of calling those clients and talking to them about
the noise issue, I waited to see whether or not they’d call me.
(continued on the following page)

Justin: Did any of the clients call you?
Caroline: All but three of them, and they were not happy. What I should have
done was call them before the compactors were installed. If I had warned them
about the noise, they would not have been so startled and irritated the first time
they used the compactors.
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Encourage a discussion What did you learn from the preceding scenario?
The importance of taking a proactive approach and how this approach can help avoid angry
specific ones.
and unsatisfied clients
4 Ronald Spear, the owner of Kopy Kats Copy and Print Center, is interested in
purchasing several new copiers from Icon International. As a salesperson in Icon
International’s Office Supply division, you meet Ronald to help him make a final
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decision. You know that Ronald has also contacted Straightline Copiers, your
main competitor.
How would you answer the following questions posed by Ronald?
“What type of support do you offer after we purchase the copiers? Some
companies don’t offer assistance if the copier breaks or needs repair.”
A I’ll tell you, Mr. Spear, our service program is the best in the business. We
offer a number of ways for you to contact someone for a service or
maintenance concern.
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B We offer a helpline that permits you to call us with your questions and
concerns. If you purchase copiers from Icon, we give you an account number
and password, so you can access the helpline easily.
C Well, we offer several options to help you with any service you might need.
Our service also includes a hotline that you can call any time you need to.
D You get right to the point. I like that in a potential client. It really shows that
you’re motivated to buy soon. In answer to your question, I’m sure our
service program will be adequate for your needs.
“Do you offer on-site assistance with repairs?”

A We do offer on-site assistance, but to be honest, we have a 24 to 48 hour
turnaround time on the requests we receive. So, you might have to wait for a
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couple of days for a service technician.

B Our on-site repair service is comparable to others on the market. If I were
you, I wouldn’t expect to call and have someone show up at your business
immediately. We have only a few experienced technicians, so they’re busy.
C We offer a fantastic on-site repair service. We can have someone out to fix a
broken copier in a reasonable amount of time. Nevertheless, we do ask that
you fix your own copiers whenever possible.
D Yes, we do. I can tell you more about our on-site service program after
you’ve committed to purchasing at least one copier. I guarantee that you’ll be
impressed with all that it offers.

“So, we might have to wait two days before someone comes out to our office to
fix our copier. Well, that’s better than Straightline Copiers. They said it could take
a week to get someone out to repair a copier.”
A Yeah, Straightline Copiers doesn’t have a quick turnaround time on their
service calls. As they spend all their money trying to acquire new accounts,
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they don’t have much money to take care of their existing customers.
B At Icon, we pride ourselves on our quick turnaround time. We feel it’s
important to take care of the customers we already have, so they’ll purchase
from us again.
C Let me tell you something, Mr. Spear. You cannot trust every company in
this industry. I’m not going to mention any names, but a lot of them are only
concerned about finding new clients.
D It doesn’t surprise me to hear you say that. Straightline Copiers doesn’t have
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the best track record when servicing its clients. Icon surpasses them in taking
care of its existing clients.
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Unit summary: Your professional self

Topic A In this unit, you learned about developing your character. You learned how to apply the
PLEASED acronym to your life and work. You also discussed the interpersonal,
leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving skills that are assets to every
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salesperson.
Topic B Finally, you examined actions that help establish credibility among clients. These
actions include providing evidence, staying on top of the competition, and projecting
reliability. You learned about the importance of enthusiasm and a proactive approach
in professional behavior. You also learned about the rules that you must follow when
speaking with clients and how to assess your performance as a salesperson.
Review questions
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1 In addition to listening to your clients, developing your imagination and improving
your creativity can help you gain and maintain clients. Which of the following is an
effective way to improve your creativity?
A Studying current events
B Adapting to the needs of others
C Developing solutions that might work
D Building relationships by being honest
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2 Which skill helps salespeople close a deal?
Negotiation
3 Which of the following is an action included in the PLEASED acronym?

A Promise results.
B Say what you mean.
C Empathize with people.
D Assume a solution.
4 Which of the following will help you establish credibility when speaking to clients?
A Providing evidence
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B Disparaging competitors
C Projecting flexibility
D Developing relationships

5 What should you avoid when speaking to clients?

A Sharing information
B Taking a collaborative approach to problem solving
C Saying that the client is right about something
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D Making assumptions about their needs
6 Which of the following affects your performance as a salesperson?

A The number of sales others make
B Your level of motivation
C Having a penalty system
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D Level of job satisfaction of your clients
7 How will researching the current market benefit salespeople?
Researching the current market gives salespeople an awareness of the other products that are
available to potential clients. Salespeople need to have a broad knowledge of their industry as
well as specific product knowledge.
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3–1
Unit 3
Handling clients
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A Find your clients by prospecting, making

sales calls, and networking.
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B Connect with your clients by increasing
your visibility, developing business allies,
and putting them at ease.
C Examine the problem-solving process, and

find solutions for clients’ problems.
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Topic A: Finding your clients

Explanation In traditional sales styles, salespeople dazzled consumers with promises without
considering whether the consumers actually needed the product or service. These selling
styles are no longer effective today because cautious consumers are unlikely to settle on
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the first product or service offer that they see.
When clients buy

These points will help you better understand the buying practices of your clients:
• Clients buy benefits not features.
• Clients buy because they want to, not because you want them to.
• Clients buy from people they like and trust.
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• Clients buy when they have a need.
• Clients buy when they have a strong emotion, not an actual need, for a product
or service. Your client’s emotions can override the fact that they do not need a
product or service. In other words, people do not need something until someone
else has it.
You can locate clients through prospecting and building a sales network. There are
several other guidelines too that you should keep in mind when making sales calls.
Prospecting
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Prospecting is the act of searching for people who have a need for your product or
service. When prospecting, you should try to make a connection with every person you
meet whether it’s the mail carrier, your neighbor, or the person next to you on the bus.
Although you cannot be sure that these people will need your product or service, you
should still reach out to them. People who don’t need your product or service might
know someone who does.
When prospecting, you must know your product or service and understand the needs or
problems it can address. Before you begin prospecting for potential clients, you should
do the following:
• Organize your information. Keep your sales information handy and understand
your product or service thoroughly. You must always be prepared to answer
questions.
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• Develop a plan. If you plan to contact 20 people during the day, do it. If after 15
contacts you still have not received a positive response, persist and make the last
five. Instant gratification is rare in sales. On average, it takes five or six contacts
with the same person before you make a sale. As a result, you must be patient
and determined to stick to your plan.
• Talk to co-workers. Find out how your fellow salespeople prospect for clients.
It helps to have friends in the sales profession to go to for advice and
encouragement when you are not sure of yourself.
• Get feedback from current clients. Talk to your current clients about what
they like or dislike in your sales approach and make improvements where
necessary.

Handling clients 3–3
Approaches to prospecting
There are several approaches to prospecting. The approach you take can depend on a
number of factors, such as where you live in relation to your prospects, the number of
prospects you intend to reach, and the communication resources available to you.
Approaches to prospecting include cold and warm calling, mass mailings and e-mails,
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faxes to businesses, fliers on bulletin boards, and messages on Internet Web sites.
Finding potential clients

One of your goals should be to visit places that the users of your product or service
frequent. Depending on the product or service you sell, you can meet potential clients
almost anywhere.
If finding clients among your daily contacts is difficult, consider joining an industry-
related club or organization. For example, if you supply uniforms for sports teams, you
should attend sporting events or even join a team. This will bring you in contact with
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people who need your product.
Researching potential clients

You can research potential clients through personal contacts, magazine articles,
almanacs, and Internet Web sites. When researching potential clients, it is important that
you do the following:
• Verify the reliability of the source, if possible.
• Ensure that the information is current.
• Take an organized approach to gathering, processing, and storing the data you
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collect.
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Do it! A-1: Prospecting for potential clients

Exercises
Select seven students to 1 Your company has launched a new product and is in the process of prospecting
role-play this scenario. for new clients. One of you will enact the role of a salesperson, three will act as
The salesperson can get
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help from co-workers and co-workers of the salesperson, and another three will act as the salesperson’s
ask for feedback from current clients. The salesperson has been assigned to prospect in a specific area
current clients. and therefore needs to prepare.
The purpose of this role-
play is to identify the How well did the salesperson prepare for prospecting? Did the salesperson
specific actions to be complete all the actions that need to be taken before prospecting?
taken before prospecting.
2 List some approaches to prospecting.
After the role-play, discuss
these questions.
Answers might include:
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• Cold and warm calling
• Mass mailings and e-mails
• Faxes to businesses
• Fliers on bulletin boards
• Messages on the Internet Web sites
3 What should you do when researching potential clients?

A Organize the data you collect.
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B Verify the source’s stability.
C Confirm that information is dated.
D Assess your sales performance.
4 “It takes only one contact with a person to make a sale.” Discuss.
Ask as many students as 5 What client tips can you share with a new salesperson joining your team?
you have time for.
• Make connections with people, clients and nonclients.
• Go to places where you can find people likely to use your product.
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• Consider joining an industry-related club or organization.

Sales calls
Explanation To make successful sales calls, whether on the telephone or in person, use the guidelines
of the PHASED acronym:
• Prepare for the call.
• Have a confident attitude.
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• Answer questions directly and honestly.
• Show respect for the other person’s time.
• Engage the person in conversation.
• Do not forget to follow up.
Preparing for the call

The best way to prepare for the sales call is through research. Find out what you can
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about the person and the company. After researching, you should make two lists:
• Stimulating and probing questions that you plan to ask during the sales call
• Objections a person might raise during the call
Take care that the questions you ask are relevant and not facts that you could have
found yourself by research. If you are not prepared and do not know about the
background of the person or company, the person will question your competence.
When speaking to people, it is important that you do not interrupt them when they voice
objections. You should always listen first and then respond. You might find that their
objections differ from the ones you had anticipated, affecting your response.
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Having a confident attitude
Confidence permits you to call up a stranger or walk into an organization and ask to
speak to the manager. Your level of confidence influences how people perceive you. If
you are not sure of yourself or feel timid about contacting a person, your body language
will reflect those feelings.
Whether speaking to a person face-to-face or on the telephone, you should ensure that
your body language conveys confidence, as shown in Exhibit 3-1. You can
communicate confidence through your body language by doing the following:
• Standing and sitting up straight
• Having a firm handshake
• Looking the person in the eye
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It is also important to remember that your facial expression affects your tone of voice.
As a result, you should try to smile when speaking to someone on the telephone.
Smiling will help you sound relaxed and friendly.

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Exhibit 3-1: Demonstrating a firm handshake
Answering questions directly and honestly

When you talk to people about your product or service, they are likely to ask questions.
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The best way to answer them is directly and honestly. Do not tell people what you think
they want to hear. This can cause you to forget what you have said and to whom.
You should also try to answer questions promptly. Avoid using fillers, such as “um” and
“uh.” If you use fillers or hesitate before answering a question, the person might doubt
the truthfulness of your answer.
Finally, if you do not have the answer to a question, admit it. Tell the person that
although you do not have the information, you’ll get it and respond as soon as possible.
Showing respect for the time of the person

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When you call or approach people without an appointment, you interrupt them. As a
result, you should show respect for the person’s time by taking the following steps:
1 Identify yourself immediately by stating your name and your company’s name.
2 After identifying yourself, state your reason for contacting the person.
3 Ask whether it’s an appropriate time to have a discussion. If the person says
“No,” you should ask, “When would be a good time to call? I have some
important information I’d like to share with you.”
Engaging the person in conversation

If the person you contact has time, you should engage them in friendly conversation.
When you enter the office or home of a person, carefully observe your surroundings.
See whether there are any pictures of family and friends or trophies and awards on
display. Talking about any of the items you see is a good way to start a conversation.
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Do not forget to follow up

When people express interest in your product or service, they need some time to make
the decision to buy. Permit them that time. If you do not hear from them after a
reasonable amount of time, you should follow up with a note or a phone call. This
reinforces that you are interested in helping the person.

Do it! A-2: Making successful sales calls

Exercises
1 In the following scenario, Maggie Roberts and Nicholas Richter are seated at a
table in the conference room. Maggie is a salesperson from a printing company,
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and Nicholas is a potential client. They have moved past small talk, and Maggie is
asking probing and stimulating questions.
Maggie: Now, Mr. Richter, I understand that your company has a new logo
and that you need someone to print corporate stationery, letterheads, and
business cards.
Nicholas: That’s right. The new logo is similar to the old one. Only, it’s more
modern. There aren’t as many straight lines. It has more curves and has a
sleeker look.
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Maggie: (opens the folder and takes out a sheet of paper) Yes, I’m familiar
with the new logo. I looked it up on your company’s Web site and printed out
a copy (holds the paper so Nicholas can look at it).
Nicholas: (looking at the sheet of paper, then at Maggie, he’s mildly surprised
and nods slightly) I’m impressed, Maggie. It’s refreshing that you took time to
prepare for this meeting. Not every printing company I’ve dealt with has paid
that much attention to detail. I appreciate it.
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Encourage a discussion Maggie researched Mr. Richter’s company before the meeting. How did this help
that leads from this her during her talk with Mr. Richter?
specific ones.
By doing a complete research on Mr. Richter, Maggie was able to ask all the relevant
questions that would help her understand the needs of the client. Maggie’s actions have also
ensured that Mr. Richter is confident of her competence.
Tell students that there 2 Which of the following guidelines should be followed when making sales calls?
are not necessarily
“correct” answers to this A Prepare for rejection.
question.
B Show respect for people’s time.
C Adapt to the needs of others.
D Empathize with people.
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Click the picture on the 3 Watch the movie. What was the strategy adopted by the salesperson while
slide to play the movie. answering the clients questions?
Answering questions directly and honestly

Networking
Explanation Networking involves connecting with new people through people you already know or
through organizations to which you belong. For example, you might ask your friends
whether they know anyone who can benefit from your product or service. As
networking is aimed at finding potential clients, you should network wherever you go,
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such as the sporting event of your child or the neighborhood block party. The more
people you talk to, the more comfortable you’ll feel when making contact with
strangers.
Networking not only helps you establish new relationships, but also leads to a greater
number of sales, additional business contacts, and more learning experiences.
Successful salespeople make themselves known through networking, as well as through
making lasting, positive impressions on the people they meet.
Tips for networking
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Follow these tips to develop and maintain your sales network:
• Mimic the sales style of a successful salesperson you admire. Although the
sales style that works for one person might not work for another, you can
incorporate their strengths into your own style and eliminate any weaknesses.
• Positive visualization. View yourself as a successful salesperson, and you’re
likely to become one. If you imagine yourself having a sales network of over
200 people, you can build that network. You must understand that building a
large network takes time and patience.
• Develop relationships with people. When you get to know people, and they
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like and trust you, they will want to help you. Although some people might
never become your clients, they could recommend others who can benefit from
your product or service.
Filter system
The filter system helps you sift through information to identify people who need and are
best suited to your product or service. By using a filter system, you narrow the field of
prospective clients based on various criteria. A narrow range of prospective clients
gives you the greatest opportunity for success. When using a filter system, you can
establish a benchmark that identifies the ideal candidates for your product or service.
For example, if you sell bulk quantities of industrial cleaning supplies, you would target
businesses rather than residences.
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Do it! A-3: Discussing networking

Exercises
1 In the following scenario, Marcus D’Angelo and Lance Helms are seated in
Lance’s office. Marcus is a salesperson and Lance is a potential client. They have
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determined that Marcus’s service cannot solve Lance’s problem. Now they are
having a friendly discussion.
Marcus: Well, I’m sorry we don’t have the right fit for what you need.
Lance: Oh, that’s okay. I appreciate your help, Marcus. I hope you don’t feel
that I’ve wasted your time on a wild goose chase.
Marcus: (smiling and shaking his head) No, Lance, not at all. In fact, I’d like
to call you in a few months to see how you’re doing and whether your needs
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have changed.
Lance: Sure, that’ll be fine, (pauses as if thinking, with head cocked) You
know, I just thought of someone who could use your help. His hobby is
putting together models of antique cars. I know he’s looking for someone to
custom build a display cabinet for them. It’s not a big project, but from what
I’ve seen, your workmanship is excellent.
Marcus: Thank you Lance, I’d be happy to give him a call. (reaches for a pen
and notepad) What’s his number?
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Encourage a discussion Was the meeting of any benefit to Marcus? Why?
Yes. Although Marcus couldn’t help Lance, he received the name of a potential client from
specific ones.
him.
Ask two or three In your opinion, what are Marcus’ strengths as a salesperson?
volunteers to share their
answers.
2 How do you think networking can help a salesperson discover clients?

• Helps you establish new relationships
• Leads to a greater number of sales
• Develops additional business contacts and more learning experiences
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3 Which of the following correctly describes networking?

A Using organized methods to contact people
B Narrowing the field of prospective clients
C Meeting clients through people you already know
D Selling to businesses rather than residences

Topic B: Connecting with your clients

Explanation When connecting with clients, you should follow several guidelines such as being
sincere, polite, honest, and dependable. It is also important that you project confidence
by making eye contact and shaking hands. People form opinions of those around them
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by simply observing their behavior. Do not just think confidently, you must behave
confidently as well.
Know the difference between pushy and persistent. Always be persistent, but know
when to quit. Respect a person’s time, and, make sure that your conversation does not
infringe on the person’s needs or other obligations.
The importance of visibility and allies

Making yourself and your product or service visible is essential to the success of your
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sales. Advertising and self-promotion help you create visibility. For example, people
who provide an individual service, such as real estate brokers and lawyers, use
advertising to heighten their visibility. Running advertisements in newspapers and
magazines can also generate leads. Posting fliers where people are sure to read them and
radio and television advertisements are other ways of creating visibility.
If you choose a visual form of advertisement, ensure that the images are memorable, not
busy or cluttered. No matter what form of advertisement you choose, ensure that the
message is clear and correct.
Besides creating visibility, it is also important to have business allies:
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• Having regular business contacts helps you send business to one another.
Suppose a person comes to you with a problem that you cannot solve, but you
know someone else who can help. When you refer a client to another
businessperson, that businessperson is likely to return the favor.
• Collaborating with professionals who offer products or services that complement
yours can help you generate ideas about promoting your product or service.
• Speaking to other professionals about how they solve problems or handle
situations can help you find new ways to confront your sales challenges.
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Do it! B-1: Discussing the importance of visibility and allies

Exercises
1 Having business allies can help you:
A Acquire business from your competitors
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B Find new challenges to confront
C Generate ideas for advertising
D Filter your sales network
Encourage students to 2 What are some ways of creating visibility?

think of some other ways
of creating visibility from
their experiences.
• Running advertisements in newspapers and magazines
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• Posting fliers where people are sure to read them
• Advertising on radio and television
3 What important guidelines should you follow when connecting with clients?
• Be sincere, polite, honest, and dependable.
• Project confidence.
• Be persistent.
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Guidelines for putting clients at ease

Explanation When speaking to people on the telephone or in person, you should try to put them at
ease. This helps you build relationships and makes potential clients willing to listen to
you and trust you. People who are at ease in a situation are more likely to make good
decisions and think more clearly.
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To put clients at ease during a sales call, you should:
• Smile and introduce yourself warmly by name. Giving a potential client your
name makes the contact personal from the beginning.
• Address people formally, saying “Mr. Jacobs” or “Ms. Crown,” unless they
request that you address them informally.
• If the encounter is not planned, ask whether the person can speak to you at the
present time. If the answer is “No,” ask for a better time.
• Sincerely ask how the person is. Find out the person’s situation to determine
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whether you can help.
• Check your posture. Your posture communicates how you feel. For example, if
you sit rigidly, you convey that you are not comfortable. This is likely to make
the client uncomfortable too. If a prospective client is seated, you should be
seated too, unless you are giving a presentation.
Distractions from physical environment

The physical environment can provide many distractions to influence a sales call:
• Place of meeting. If the room in which you meet a prospective client is too hot
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or cold, the temperature will distract either one or both of you.
• Proximity. When you meet a prospective client, sit next to the person rather
than across from them. Sitting besides a person gives the meeting a collaborative
feel, whereas sitting across from them gives the meeting a confrontational feel.
• Noise level. Noise can be distracting for both you and your prospective client.
As a result, you should try to meet in a place that has minimal background noise.
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Do it! B-2: Putting the client at ease

Exercises
1 The owner of an Internet Café that is due to open soon is worried about opening
on schedule. He is even more anxious when he finds out, just two weeks before
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the opening, that he needs a security system. He contacts a salesperson in Icon
International’s Security Products division. He explains that his bank has informed
him that he needs to have a security system for the computer and electronic
equipment to be eligible for the loan. He says that as he has never owned a
business before, this has caught him off-guard.
How will you connect with the client to put him at ease?
Approach the person warmly and show that you understand his situation. Determine whether
you can help him and then generate a solution.
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2 Which option lists environmental factors that can influence a sales call?
A Noise, weather, temperament
B Proximity, temperature, mood
C Weather, temperature, proximity
D Temperature, proximity, noise
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Topic C: Finding solutions

Explanation People cannot feel satisfied with a solution if they feel that they have compromised on
something to achieve it. As a result, you should always strive to create a win-win
situation when working with clients. Both you and your client will benefit from the
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outcome.
Create a win-win situation

You can create win-win situations by keeping these factors in mind:
• Solving problems needs patience, creativity, and a genuine desire to help your
client.
• Your client is your ally not your competitor, so you must understand and view
the problem from the client’s perspective.
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• There are limits to what you and your client can do, so know what actions are
acceptable.
• You have to negotiate and compromise to find an acceptable solution.
A proactive approach to understanding client problems will help you find effective
solutions.
The problem-solving process

When handling potential clients, you should first try to understand their situation and
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the problem for which they need a solution. These steps will help you find the root of
the problem and guide you through the problem-solving process:
1 Identify the person’s key issues.
2 Determine the extent to which you can help.
3 Discuss solution ideas.
4 Listen to and openly address concerns.
5 Permit time for a decision and follow up.
6 Help implement the solution.
Identifying the person’s key issues

To identify the key issues, you must listen carefully to what the person has to say about
the situation and the problem.
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Ask stimulating and probing questions to identify these key issues. Some examples of
stimulating and probing questions are:
• What are some unique requests made by your customers?
• What characteristics do you look for in a house?
• If you could design a car, what would it look like and what would it do?
You should also ask questions to clarify any areas of uncertainty. It is critical to have a
sound understanding of the problem before proceeding to the next step.

Determining the extent to which you can help

Sometimes, you can only partially solve a problem, or you cannot help at all. If you
determine that you cannot help a person at the present time, explain that your product or
service cannot solve the problem. As you might be able to help the person in the future,
consider the person as a link in your sales network and keep in touch with them.
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Discussing solution ideas
During this part of the conversation, you should identify the features of your product or
service and then explain clearly how the client can benefit from them. Remember,
clients buy benefits, not features. When discussing potential solutions, the goal is to
create a win-win situation. This not only benefits both you and the client, but also
ensures that the client is satisfied with the solution.
Listening to and openly addressing concerns
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When you solve the client’s problem, openly address any concerns that the person might
have about the problem and its potential solutions. If you think of an issue that does not
occur to the client, you should make it known. Suppressing issues is dishonest and
eliminates the opportunity to create a true win-win situation.
Permitting time for a decision and follow up

You should permit the client a reasonable amount of time to weigh the options and
make a decision. Following up is important at this stage of the problem-solving process.
If a client has not called you with a decision, you should contact the person to find out
the reason for the delay. When following up, you can say, “We’re anxious to assist you
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in any way we can. Is there something we can do?” or “What additional information can
I provide?”
It is also important that you never pressure a client into making a decision. This can
bring on buyer’s remorse, which might lead the client to consider the decision a
mistake.
Helping implement the solution

Review with your client the exact actions you and the client will take toward
implementing the solution, as well as the consequences of those actions. For example,
suppose a client decides to buy 100 units of your product. You agree to deliver all units
by a specified date and time, and your client agrees to pay for them when they arrive.
The client will withhold payment on the damaged units, if any, until replacements
arrive.
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Do it! C-1: Discussing the problem-solving process

Exercises
1 Identify and sequence the steps involved in the problem-solving process.
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Help implement the solution Identify the person’s key issues.
Discuss solution ideas Determine the extent to which you can

help.
Show respect for the person’s time
Discuss solution ideas.
Listen to and openly address concerns
Listen to and openly address concerns.
Engage the person in conversation
Permit time for a decision and follow
up.
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Identify the person’s key issues
Help implement the solution.
Determine the extent to which you can help
Permit time for a decision and follow up
2 Which of the following helps create win-win situations?

A Fully explaining to clients why they have problems
B Genuinely desiring to help your clients
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C Patiently refusing to give up on finding solutions
D Insistently persuading your clients to buy
Click the picture on the 3 Watch the movie. Was the salesperson able to help the client in finding a solution
slide to play the movie. to his problem? How?
Yes. Although the salesperson couldn’t help the client directly, she referred him to someone
who could help him better.
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4 In the following scenario, Amanda and Connie are seated at a table in the
conference room. Amanda is a salesperson, and Connie is a potential client.
Amanda: What else would you look for in a copy machine?
Connie: I need a copier that can print up to 1,000 copies in one stretch without
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going haywire. The one I have now can’t handle that much at once.
Amanda: (making notes) Okay, and how often do you need to make color
copies?
Connie: (shaking his head) We don’t need color copies for what we do.
Amanda: What type of documents do you copy most often?
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Connie: I manage a legal office. We make copies of depositions, discovery
materials, and other legal documents.
Amanda: So, you need a copier that can handle a variety of paper sizes.
(makes notes) How often do you need to make two-sided copies?
Connie: (nods) All the time.
Amanda: And how about space? Is your current copier freestanding, or do you
have a tabletop copier?
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Connie: Currently, we have a small one that sits on a table, but we have space
for something larger.
Amanda: Okay, (pointing to a page) this is our SuperCopy 4 model. It can

produce 50 copies per minute, as well as sort and staple the copies, if you’d
like.
Connie: Yeah, that looks the right size. Can it also make enlargements?
Encourage a discussion Which step of the problem-solving process is being addressed here?
Identifying the key issues of the client
specific ones.
What does Amanda do to identify the key issues of the client?

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Amanda asks probing questions to clearly understand what Connie is looking for in the new
copy machine and makes notes of the information.

Being proactive
Explanation When you take a proactive approach to selling, you demonstrate thoughtfulness and the
ability to plan. It is better to prepare for the unexpected than to be surprised when
something unplanned happens. If you wait for something to happen and then react to it,
you might not be able to respond appropriately.
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For example, if you use an overhead projector during a sales presentation, and the
projector’s light bulb burns out, you should have a spare on hand. Not having a spare
light bulb on hand shows poor planning on your part, which detracts from your
presentation and your credibility. On the other hand, if you change the light bulb
immediately, your audience will be impressed.
Avoiding being reactive

Another way of being proactive is to think of possible objections that clients can make
during your sales presentation and formulate responses to these objections. When
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speaking to clients, you should listen closely to their objections without interrupting.
You should respond only after the clients finish speaking.
You can also think of problems that your clients might encounter while using your
product or service, and devise a variety of ways to resolve them. However, it is
important for you to realize that each problem is as unique as your clients are.
Consequently, you should tailor solutions to fit the actual problems when they arise.
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Do it! C-2: Taking a proactive approach

Exercises
1 Being proactive instead of reactive demonstrates:
A Thoughtfulness when planning
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B Inability to plan effectively
C Hasty preparation for meetings
D Desire to impress your clients
2 Which of the following is an example of proactive behavior?

A Thinking of possible objections that clients might raise
B Making a list of comebacks to say to rude clients
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C Interrupting clients when they speak
D Realizing that similar problems have similar solutions
Use this scenario as a 3 You are a salesperson with Icon International, a company that manufactures
basis for discussion. garbage compactors. The product was a success until customers started
complaining about the amount of noise that the compactors make when they are in
use. The customer service department did not take necessary steps to solve this
problem, even after getting many customer complaints. This problem resulted in
loss of sales to the company.
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How would being proactive in dealing with customer complaints have helped the
company from losing sales?
By taking a proactive approach, the company would have been able to identify possible
problems that clients could encounter while using the product, and devise solutions for
them.
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Unit summary: Handling clients

Topic A In this unit, you learned how prospecting can help you find new clients. You discussed
the actions that must be taken before you begin prospecting. You looked at the
PHASED acronym as a guideline for making sales calls. In addition, you discussed
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building a sales network.
Topic B Next, you discussed connecting with your clients. You learned the significance of
making yourself and your products or services visible. In addition, you discussed the
importance of business allies, and learned how to put your clients at ease during a sales
call.
Topic C Finally, you learned how to find solutions for your clients. You learned how to create
win-win situations and that taking a proactive approach demonstrates thoughtfulness
and the ability to plan. You also discussed how to avoid being reactive.
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Review questions
1 When speaking to clients on the telephone or in person, why should you try to put
them at ease?
It helps you build relationships with clients and makes them willing to listen and trust you.
2 Which of the following correctly defines prospecting?

A Researching economical statistics
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B Finding people who need your product
C Determining the best sales location
D Discovering new ways to sell your service
3 Before you begin prospecting, you should:
A Clearly describe the features of your product.
B Develop a plan for upstaging competitors.
C Perform several relaxation exercises.
D Get feedback from current clients.
4 Expand the guidelines of the PHASED acronym that will help you make sales calls
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successful.
• Prepare for the call.
• Have a confident attitude.
• Answer questions directly and honestly.
• Show respect for the person’s time.
• Engage the person in conversation.
• Do not forget to follow up.

4–1
Unit 4
The sales presentation
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A Identify any client objections.
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B Create a sales presentation to influence
clients’ perceptions.
C Respond to objections effectively.

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Topic A: Anticipating objections

Explanation Taking a proactive approach to sales means anticipating objections and formulating
responses before meeting with clients. By raising and dispelling objections before
clients raise them, you stay in control of the presentation, prevent the need to defend
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yourself and your product or service, and prove that you see your product or service
from the client’s perspective.
Understand the key issues

By looking at your product or service from the client’s perspective and understanding
their key issues, you can anticipate potential objections and concerns. This will help you
gear your sales approach to individual clients.
Key issues are of great concern to your clients. They include price, durability, quality,
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aesthetics, and availability. As key issues relate directly to the needs of a client, you
should ask your clients stimulating and probing questions and then determine the key
issues from the answers they give. You can organize and prioritize a client’s key issues
by using a chart known as the key-issues matrix. This chart has a heading for the client’s
name and generally consists of five columns: key issues, priority level, benefits,
features, and evidence. It is important to use a key-issues matrix when gathering
information about clients. The matrix not only organizes and prioritizes the issues but
also serves as a valuable reference for future contact with your clients.
Stalling and objections

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People raise objections when they think critically about how your product or service
functions and how they could be affected by it. If you can answer their objections
satisfactorily, you are likely to make a sale.
People stall when there is an unresolved issue that they are unwilling to expose. You
need patience, persistence, persuasion, and trust to get them to admit such issues. If
people do not trust you, they are not likely to open up and give you the opportunity to
address unresolved issues. You can tell when a client is stalling by reading verbal and
nonverbal cues. For example, if a client gives you evasive answers, saying, “I need
some time to think,” or “I’m not sure,” then the client has unresolved issues that you
need to uncover and address. Other signs include infrequent eye contact, tense facial
muscles, and fidgeting.
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The sales presentation 4–3
Objections to making a purchase

Understanding the reasons why people object to making purchases can help you respond
to and effectively overcome their objections. Objections to making purchases can be
grouped into two categories:
• Personal. People raise personal objections when they see a potential for risk or
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threat from buying your product or service. These risks or threats can be real or
imagined, tangible or intangible, and rational or irrational. You should take the
personal objections of people seriously, listen to them carefully, and address
them truthfully. For example, if you sell cleaning solutions, your clients might
worry about the safety aspects. If they have small children or pets, they will
want assurance that the cleaning solution comes in tamper-resistant containers.
• Economical. People raise objections for economical reasons when they think a
product or service is not cost effective, it will become obsolete, need frequent
maintenance, or wear out with regular use. You must listen carefully to, and
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truthfully address, these objections.
The common personal and economical objections people have when making a purchase
are:
• They simply don’t want the product or service, or they don’t believe they need
it.
• They have used a product or service for years and are afraid to change.
• They have heard negative reports about you, your product or service, or your
company.
• They don’t have enough information about the product or service, or they aren’t
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satisfied with the information you have given them.
• They cannot afford the product or service.
• They fear the level of risk that can accompany a major purchase.
• They want to shop around to see whether there is a better deal elsewhere.
• They might not have the authority to buy the product or service.
• There is something about the product or service that they do not like.
• They are satisfied with an existing vendor.
Price and cost

Price is the amount of money clients pay to purchase a product or service. Cost is the
amount of money clients can save over time by owning your product or service. If your
product does not have a competitive price, you can still persuade clients to buy it by
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demonstrating that it will pay for itself as time passes. For example, as a general
contractor, you charge a higher price for your services than a competitor does. You can
successfully persuade clients to choose your services by demonstrating that your
workmanship is superior to that of your competitor and that your finished work will last
20 years rather than the 10 promised by your competitor. Although your initial price is
greater, your clients avoid having to pay twice for the same work.

Do it! A-1: Handling stalling and objections

Exercises
1 Why is it important to anticipate objections?
A It helps you defend yourself against threats.
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B It permits clients to see your perspective.
C It helps you stay in control of your presentation.
D It facilitates comebacks to objections.
2 In the following scenario, Crystal Matthews, a salesperson, has given a

presentation to Nicholas Richter, a potential client. Nicholas is still not convinced
and is raising objections to buying the product or service.
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Nicholas: (matter-of-factly) I’m sorry, but I fail to see what makes you better
than my current supplier.
Crystal: Well, Mr. Richter, we guarantee to stock a full range of styles and
colors. We have contracts with over 150 manufacturers, which help us to fill
bulk orders in a matter of days instead of weeks.
Nicholas: But, we don’t generally have that sort of demand. My current

supplier has been around for years, and I trust him to get me what I need in a
reasonable length of time.
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Crystal: Yes, but your business is in for a growth spurt, Mr. Richter. The
building going up next to yours will be a home improvement store. That’ll
bring a lot more people in your direction, which means the potential for a lot
more business.
Nicholas: (conceding) I admit I’ve considered that possibility. (pauses to

think) And, much as I’d like to maintain my loyalty to my current supplier, I
really don’t think he’ll be able to keep up the pace if we start getting more
orders.
Crystal: I’d like to arrange a time when I can take you around our warehouse,
just to show you what we have and how we catalog our inventory.
Nicholas: (nods) Well, I like to know who I’m dealing with and how they
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operate, so that sounds like a good idea.
Why does Nicholas object to Crystal’s proposal?
Because he is satisfied with his current vendor
How does Crystal help Nicholas realize the need for the product?
Crystal helps Nicholas understand that as his business is in for a growth spurt, the current
supplier will not be able to meet his requirements.

If time permits, have 3 Which of the following is an example of what a person says when stalling?
students share a few
examples of responses A No, I haven’t heard of your product or service.
they can use when
stalling. B Well, I need some time to think things over.
C I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon with an answer.
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D I’d like to know more, but I need to reschedule.
4 Choose the correct definition of price.

A Amount of return on an investment
B Amount saved by using a service
C Amount paid for maintenance
D Amount paid to purchase a product
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Click the picture on the left 5 Watch the movie. Observe the client’s body language. What does it indicate?
of the slide to play the
movie.
The client is showing evasiveness and avoiding eye contact with the salesperson. His
fidgeting in his seat shows that he might be stalling because of unresolved issues.
Use this scenario as a 6 Icon International excels at providing office equipment to business organizations.
basis for discussion. A company that is in the process of purchasing several new pieces of office
equipment has approached Icon.
The Purchasing Manager for the company contacts the sales representative from
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Icon International’s Office Products division. The sales representative
successfully understands the client’s needs and presents a proposal. However, the
client is still raising some objections to buying the product.
What actions should the sales representative take to identify and address the
client’s objections effectively?
Encourage a discussion Ask probing questions to understand the reasons for objections. This will help him respond
that leads from this to and effectively overcome the objections. Whether the objections are personal or
general answer to more economical, the sales representative should take them seriously, listen to them carefully, and
specific ones. address them truthfully.
Click the picture on the 7 Watch the movie. How does the salesperson overcome the price objections of his
right of the slide to play client?
the movie.
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The salesperson tells the client that his product is superior in efficiency and reliability. The
product’s performance record is impeccable. Although the product’s price is higher, owning
it can save the client money in the long run.

There are not necessarily 8 Classify the following objections into personal and economical.
“correct” answers to this
question. Encourage a
Clients do not want the product or service, or they Personal
discussion.
do not believe they need it.
Clients have used a product or service for years and Personal
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are afraid to change.
Clients have heard negative reports about you, your Personal

product or service, or your company.
Clients do not have enough information about the Economical

product or service, or they are not satisfied with the
information given to them.
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Clients cannot afford the product or service. Economical
Clients fear the level of risk that can accompany a Personal

major purchase.
Clients might not have the authority to buy the Economical

product or service.
There is something about the product or service that Personal

clients did not like.
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Clients are satisfied with the existing vendor. Personal
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Topic B: Creating a sales presentation

Explanation Because the success of your presentation depends on how you communicate your
message to an audience, you need to pay attention to who will hear your message and
how you’ll deliver it.
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When creating sales presentations, keep in mind that your introductory and closing
messages need to be catchy. You should try to create presentations that are persuasive,
stimulating, focused, and flexible. You should also influence clients’ perceptions during
sales presentations.
Creating a presentation
There are nine steps to creating a sales presentation.
1 Learn everything about your product or service and your company.
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2 Identify how your product or service can help the people in your audience.
3 Investigate the key issues of your audience so that you can determine how the
product or service addresses those issues.
4 List the key concerns of your audience, as well as the good and bad aspects of
your product or service. This helps you analyze potential objections so that you
can gear your presentation to your audience.
5 Determine the formality of your presentation based on who will hear your
message.
6 Visit the room in which you’ll give your presentation so that you can see the
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environmental factors that might affect your audience members.
7 Construct an outline for your presentation, including your main points and how
you’ll transition from one point to the next.
8 Write the introduction, body, and closing for your presentation.
9 Evaluate and gather material you can use to improve, clarify, and support your
presentation, such as handouts or other visual aids.
Introduction of the sales presentation

You must have a strong introductory message that will grab your audience’s attention
and focus it on you. Capturing their attention early helps you establish a relationship
with them and arouses their interest.
As part of your introduction, you should also give your audience a brief preview of the
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main points that you’ll cover during the presentation. The preview arouses interest by
giving them an idea of what to expect. When delivering your introduction and
throughout your presentation, you should speak with conviction and appropriate
enthusiasm. This improves your credibility by showing that you believe in your product
or service.

Closing the sales presentation

People tend to remember the first and last things they hear, so you must give a strong
closing to reinforce the information you shared during the opening and body of the
presentation. Briefly review the main points. This helps the audience retain the
information by keeping it fresh in their minds.
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In the closing, you also need to restate why clients should buy your product or service.
Stress the benefits that relate directly to their key issues. If you offer a service, you
could close your presentation by saying, “Allow me to join your team” or “My team is
available today to work with you, so we can immediately start resolving these issues.”
In other words, try to create an atmosphere in which they want to buy.
Do it! B-1: Discussing the presentation

Exercises
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1 Choose the answer that most closely describes the first step for creating a sales
presentation.
A Identify the features of your product or service.
B Choose the presentation room.
C List the key concerns of your audience.
D Learn about your product or service.
2 Why is enthusiasm important while delivering the introduction of your sales

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presentation?
Your enthusiasm shows that you believe in your product or service, and this helps in
establishing credibility.
Ask a volunteer from a 3 Your company has launched a new refrigerator. As a salesperson, you need to
group to give the prepare and give a presentation about the product to the clients.
presentation to the class.
Split into groups and prepare the presentation.
How effective was the presentation? Discuss.
What steps did you follow to create the presentation?

• Learned about your product and company
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• Identified how your product can help your audience

• Investigated the key issues of your audience
• Listed the key concerns of your audience
• Determined the formality of your presentation
• Visited the room for the presentation
• Constructed an outline for the presentation
• Wrote the introduction, body, and closing
• Evaluated and gathered material to improve, clarify, and support your presentation

Characteristics of a good presentation

Explanation A good sales presentation will include the following characteristics: persuasiveness,
stimulating message, focus, and flexibility.
Persuasiveness
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Your presentation must persuade clients that they need your product or service. Provide
evidence to illustrate and support your persuasive arguments. When creating your
presentation, keep in mind these approaches that can help you persuade your clients:
• Demonstrate a cause and effect relationship.
• Show your clients a problem and give them the solution.
• Draw comparisons between your product or service and that of a competitor.
• Describe situations in which clients can see themselves benefiting from your
product or service.
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Stimulating message
Your presentation must engage and hold the attention of your clients. As the attention
levels of clients rise and fall throughout a presentation, you must make your
presentation interesting to maintain the highest possible level of attention. A good way
to keep their attention is to involve them in the presentation. For example, if you
conduct a product demonstration for a large group of clients, ask a volunteer from the
audience to help you with the demonstration. People are more likely to pay attention to
a presentation when it involves action.
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Focus on key issues
Your presentation must focus only on the key issues. Do not waste time talking about
product features or services if your clients are not interested in them. In addition, it is
important that you discuss only five main points during your presentation. The longer
your presentation lasts, the more difficult it will be to keep the attention of your clients.
By staying focused on the issues they find most important, you can hold their attention
better.
Flexibility
If the presentation is not very formal, you might answer the questions raised even if they
steer the presentation in a different direction. Although you need an agenda to ensure a
logical flow, you should respond to your clients’ questions. During the presentation, if
you sense that your clients are losing interest, you should find a way to recapture their
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attention by drawing them into the presentation. For example, let’s say one half of your
clients are interested in price and the other in quality. While you discuss price, the
clients who are interested in quality start looking around the room. To reinvolve them in
the presentation, you should provide an example about the quality of the product or
service.

Do it! B-2: Identifying the characteristics of a good presentation

Exercises
1 Icon International provides PCs with greater storage capacity and faster
processing capability. A client, who purchased a PC from Icon two years ago, has
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again approached Icon as his business needs have changed.
Currently, the client has a PC with 32 megabytes of memory. He wants to upgrade

the PC to at least 128 megabytes of memory. He has had considerable growth in
business in the last two years and expects the same in the next two years.
As a salesperson from Icon, how will you persuade the client to go for a new PC
rather than upgrading the old one?
There are not necessarily Answers might include:
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“correct” answers to this
question. • Provide evidence during the presentation that illustrates and supports the persuasive
arguments.
• Make the client realize that with the continued growth, there is a need for a better PC than
the one he has now.
• Simply adding more memory now won’t adequately prepare the client for that growth.
2 What are some characteristics of a good sales presentation?

A Functional, credible, focused, and persuasive
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B Flexible, stimulating, credible, and timely
C Persuasive, stimulating, focused, and flexible
D Stimulating, focused, flexible, and comprehensive
3 Your company has recently started the business of supplying network accessories.
Another company needs new office equipment, including network accessories.
The Office Manager of the company has contacted you. As your company is new
to this business, you must present yourself as a knowledgeable and credible
salesperson.
How would you give a presentation to communicate your message effectively to

the client?
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• Have a strong introductory message that will grab and focus the attention of clients.
• Persuade clients that they need the product or service by demonstrating that it meets
their needs.
• Make the presentation stimulating by involving clients in the presentation.
• Have an agenda to ensure a logical flow of the presentation but at the same time respond
to the client’s questions in between the presentation.

4 In the following scenario, Travis, a salesperson, is giving a presentation to two

potential clients, Nicholas and Ronald.
Travis: The InfoEase Modem helps you log on to the Internet instantly and
download large files in a few minutes.
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Nicholas: I have a question.
Travis: (smiling, friendly) Sure.
Nicholas: Is the InfoEase an internal or external modem?
Travis: It depends on which model you want. Model A is an internal modem,

and model B is an external modem.
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Ronald: Does the external model have adjustable volume?
Travis: (nods) Yes, all of our external modems have adjustable volume.
Nicholas: And what’s the difference in price between the internal and external
modems?
Travis: Well, as Model B, the external modem, has its own power supply, it’s
about $10 more than the internal, Model A.
There are not necessarily How would Travis continue the discussion to get the clients back into the
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“correct” answers to this presentation?
question.
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Presentation elements
Explanation A sales presentation can be implicit or explicit. An implicit presentation draws subtle
comparisons between your product or service and that of a competitor. For example,
many products claim to be “the best in the world.” During an implicit presentation, you
might say, “Icon provides the finest Internet learning tools in the industry today.” You
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should give implicit presentations to clients who already know something about your
product or service. It is important that you know your audience well. Otherwise, you
risk getting into two uncomfortable situations, talking over your clients’ heads or
talking down to them.
Conversely, an explicit presentation directly addresses the product or service of a
competitor. For example, an explicit presentation might be worded as, “Are you happy
with your current laundry detergent? Do your white clothes come out as clean as the
ones that have been washed in Brand X?” If you choose to deliver an explicit
presentation, be careful that you neither badmouth your competitors nor talk down to
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your clients. You should also be cautious of using scare tactics to persuade clients. If
you use statistics during your presentation, make sure that they are the most current and
accurate figures available.
Putting clients at ease

Whenever you speak to clients, you should try to put them at ease. This helps you build
relationships with them and makes them willing to listen to and trust you. They’re also
more likely to make good decisions and think more clearly when they are comfortable.
To put your clients at ease during a sales presentation:
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• Smile and introduce yourself warmly by name.
• Give the clients a brief explanation of the main points of your presentation.
• Make eye contact and do not be afraid to talk with your hands.
• Tell a humorous story, if appropriate.
Establishing authority during a sales presentation

When people have questions, they seek out people who are most likely to have the right
answers. If you want to know how to eat healthy, you ask a physician or a dietician. If
you want to know why your car overheats, you ask a mechanic. In the same manner,
when people need a product or service, they look for the source that offers experience,
convenience, quality, and affordability.
As a result, if you want people to listen to your sales presentation and buy your product
or service, you must prove that you are knowledgeable, credible, trustworthy, and eager
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to help them.
Influencing the perceptions of a client during the presentation

Salespeople use several euphemisms to influence the perceptions of clients. Most people
react favorably to euphemisms, leaving them with a good impression of a product or
service.

When a product or service does not satisfy a key issue

If your product or service does not meet their key issues, you should tell clients, rather
than permitting them to discover it later. If you fail to do so, you are essentially lying to
them and not looking out for their best interests. By pointing out mismatches between
your product or service and the key issues of clients, you demonstrate integrity, which
earns your clients’ trust and helps you build a rapport with them.
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If your product has benefits that the clients do not care about, do not waste time telling
them about these benefits. On the other hand, if you are not sure whether the clients are
interested in a benefit, mentioning it can lead them to realize a need they had not
considered.
The same guideline applies to pointing out benefits or features that a competitor has but
that you do not. Point out where your product falls short only if it affects a key issue
that the clients will use when deciding to buy.
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Environmental factors that affect a presentation
Environmental factors such as temperature, lighting, and noise can distract people
during your presentation. Choose the presentation room well in advance so that you can
eliminate any environmental distractions.
You should also consider the time when you’ll give your presentation. For example,
some people tend to get lazy after lunch, so if your presentation follows lunch, you need
to start with an attention-grabbing opening. Another thing to remember is that more and
more people carry cell phones and pagers, which can be disruptive during a
presentation. Politely ask your clients to turn off their cell phones or pagers and refrain
from using them during the presentation.
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Getting feedback from clients
You can gauge the success of your presentation by asking for feedback from your
clients. For example, you should arrange a debriefing, or an individual meeting, with
each of your clients. This will help you determine the areas of your presentation that
need improvement as well as the ones that are most effective. Debriefings are especially
important after a successful presentation because you can identify the approaches or
arguments that you should continue using.
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Do it! B-3: Identifying presentation elements

Exercises
1 In the following scenario, Amanda is giving a presentation to prospective clients.
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Amanda: (enthusiastically, with conviction) With hundreds of inter-regional
courier services to choose from, it’s a big decision to settle on just one. Well,
I’m here to tell you that of all the courier services out there, Quick Courier is
the best. We have a fleet of over four hundred cars and trucks operating in the
Dallas region to transport your business information and supplies. If you call
us for a delivery, we guarantee to pick it up within fifteen minutes or the
delivery is half price.
Identify the type of presentation that Amanda is giving to her prospective clients?
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Implicit
2 Which of the following sentences can positively influence the perception of a

client?
A I really appreciate your personal introduction.
B I sell a great line of business solution products.
C I can help you solve that problem in no time.
D I need you to sign right here on the dotted line.
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Click the picture on the 3 Watch the movie. How would you deal with a situation where your product or
slide to play the movie. service does not satisfy a client’s requirement?
In this situation, the salesperson should make the client understand that although a feature
doesn’t satisfy the client’s specific requirement, it addresses the key issue. Although the
product didn’t have the same range as the MC300, it could satisfy the client’s key issue.
4 What environmental factors can affect your sales presentation?

A Cell phones, temperature, and pagers
B Food, lighting, and noises
C Temperature, lighting, and noises
D Cell phones, pagers, and attendance
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Ask as many students as 5 Think of some examples of implicit and explicit presentations that you might have
you have time for. heard in advertisements by various companies.

Topic C: Responding to objections

Explanation When responding to objections, you should be courteous and empathic. Listen carefully
to the objection and paraphrase it to ensure that you have understood correctly. While
listening, try to identify the positive and negative aspects of the person’s motivation for
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raising the objection.
Addressing objections effectively

The best way to respond to an objection is by asking questions. This ensures that you
have understood the objection clearly.
Determining the client’s true objections

One of the reasons why people do not buy a product or service is because the
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presentation failed. Another is that the salesperson did not properly qualify the person as
a candidate for the product or service. If the salesperson qualified the person properly as
a candidate and the person still did not buy, then one of these two things went wrong,
the person concluded that the product or service does not resolve the key issues, or the
person did not want to pay the price asked.
If people do not buy because they are satisfied with the current supplier, you should
continue to keep in touch with them. You can help them in case the current supplier
cannot fulfill their needs, the supplier’s customer service does not meet their
expectations, or their needs change.
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The best way to determine the client’s true objections is to follow these steps when
asking probing and stimulating questions:
1 Restate the first key issue and get the client to admit that it is indeed an issue.
2 Explain how your product or service addresses the issue.
3 Ask clients whether the product or service successfully addresses the issue.
After completing these steps, if you and your clients agree that the product or service
successfully addresses the key issues, you should attempt to close the sale. For example,
you might ask whether you could proceed to install a service as it satisfies their key
issues. If clients refuse, they probably have additional hidden concerns.
Difficulties when responding to objections

Some reasons why salespeople have difficulties when responding to objections are:
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• Lack of knowledge
• Inexperience
• Low confidence
• Inadequate preparation

Salespeople can overcome difficulties when responding to objections by taking these

actions:
• Overcome lack of knowledge by learning about your product, service, company,
clients, and competitors.
• Defeat inexperience by consulting co-workers and clients about the sales
approaches and techniques that work most effectively.
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• Boost your self-confidence by setting and achieving realistic goals.
• Avoid inadequate preparation by planning for meetings and presentations well in
advance.
Points to consider when responding to objections

You should keep these points in mind when responding to objections:
• Stick to your clients’ key issues. If you don’t, they can become frustrated and
feel that you have not listened to them.
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• People buy benefits, not features, so you should respond to objections in terms
of the benefits that the clients will derive. Nevertheless, keep in mind that it is
often easier for clients to follow your logic by restating the feature along with
the benefit.
• Tell stories and give testimonials about success stories to support your assertions
about how your products or services can help people, especially if members of
the audience raise objections similar to the ones raised by your clients.
• If your product or service has won awards, show these awards to your clients to
bolster their confidence in it.
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• If people have heard negative reports about your product, service, or company,
tell them what you and your company have learned from being in the business.
• It might be helpful to draw comparisons between your product or service and
that of a competitor, but be careful that you do not say anything slanderous
about the other company or its product or service.
If you determine that price is their main objection to buying your product or service,
incorporate it into your persuasive arguments. Whenever possible, show clients how
your product or service can increase their bottom line. In addition, any time you can
statistically prove that it will pay for itself, say so and offer proof.
When speaking with a client, do not be afraid to say something such as, “Now, let’s
review your key issues. As we discussed, our product does X, Y, and Z.” If you can get
the clients to agree that your product or service addresses a key issue, then it is harder
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for them to object.

If this approach doesn’t work, there might be another key issue that you are not aware
of. In that case, it might be helpful to say, “As we discussed, our service meets all your
key issues. Is there any issue we have overlooked?”
In cases where there are multiple objections, you should use a key-issues matrix to rank
the objections in the order of importance according to the client’s needs. Be sure that
you understand each objection and then address the most important ones first.

Useful skills when responding to objections

There are two skills that can be useful when you respond to objections:
• Interpersonal skills. These skills help you to build relationships with clients.
You must listen to clients so that you can see their perspective and empathize
with them. By showing that you understand their viewpoint, you develop a
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rapport that is vital to overcoming their objections.
• Leadership skills. These skills help you establish authority as a spokesperson
for your product or service. As people want to associate with leaders rather than
followers, you can overcome objections by convincing clients that you are
knowledgeable and trustworthy.
Practicing your responses

After you have determined how you want to respond to the objections of a client, you
should practice delivering these responses. Practicing responses aloud helps you hear
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how you sound when you speak to your clients. After hearing your response aloud, you
might realize that it does not sound right.
You should also practice your responses so that you can deliver them with confidence.
Do not make your responses sound contrived or rehearsed, or your clients will question
your sincerity.
Behavioral clues to look for when discussing objections

When discussing objections with a client, you should try to read the body language of
the person. Posture, facial expressions, and tone of voice indicate a person’s feelings. If
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a client’s body language tells you that the client is uncomfortable, irritated, or restless,
take a break from the conversation or shift to a different topic for a while.
Some common behavioral clues to look for when discussing objections include:
• Crossed arms, which can indicate interest or impatience
• Tense facial expressions, such as a furrowed brow, which can indicate
concentration or irritation
• Leaning forward, which shows that the person is interested and would like an
opportunity to speak
• Loud or rapid speech, which indicates excitement or anger
When you speak to a client on the telephone, you do not have the advantage of viewing
the client’s expressions or body language. As a result, you need to pay close attention
not only to what the client says but also to how they say it. When speaking to a client on
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the telephone, you should conduct yourself as though you are meeting the person face-
to-face.

Do it! C-1: Addressing objections

Exercises
1 What are some reasons why people do not buy?
A The potential client was qualified properly.
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B The salesperson has limited experience.
C The potential client has low self-confidence.
D The sales presentation failed.
2 In the following scenario, Caroline Harris is giving a persuasive presentation

about her service to Connie Harper and Lance Helms.
Caroline: (standing) The finance coordinators at Smart Financial Solutions can
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help you establish sensible financial practices as you get your new business off
the ground.
Connie: (skeptical) I understand that it’s important to keep track of where the
money goes, but a lot of that is just common sense.
Caroline: (nods once) That’s true, much of it is common sense. However, as

your business grows, you’ll hire more people. Those people might not have
the same “common sense” as you do when it comes to money matters. If you
have a money-management system in place, it ensures that everyone keeps
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track of expenses in the same manner.
Connie: Yeah, okay. Go on.
Caroline: It’s important to have an effective, firmly established system for

money management from the beginning. By establishing sensible financial
practices early on, you are better able to (counting on fingers) track your
profits, control your operating expenses, and manage your cash flow.
Lance: That sounds good, but where do we start?
Caroline: We start by evaluating your current financial practices, which

includes your budget and expenses.
How can you respond to the objections of your clients effectively?

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When responding to objections, you should be courteous and empathic. You should listen
carefully to the objection. Persuade clients that they need the product or service.
How can you overcome difficulties when responding to objections?
By learning about your product, service, company, clients, and competitors

3 A company that is planning to shift to a larger office has to equip itself with
additional office equipment. The Purchasing Manager of the company has
contacted Icon International regarding the need for office equipment.
You are a salesperson from Icon’s Product division. You have already made initial
contact but this is the first time you are meeting the client face-to-face. During the
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meeting, you recognize the objections the client has.
What actions should you take to effectively address the objections of your client?
Encourage a discussion Answers might include:

that leads from these
general answers to more • Stick to the key issues of client.
specific ones.
• Respond to objections in terms of what the benefits can do for the clients.
• Tell stories and give testimonials about success stories.
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• Draw comparisons between your product or service and that of a competitor.
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Unit summary: The sales presentation

Topic A In this unit, you discussed anticipating client objections. You learned that key issues
are the client’s greatest concern. You discussed the difference between stalling and
objections. You categorized the reasons for objections into personal and economical.
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In addition, you discussed the difference between price and cost.
Topic B Next, you examined the process of creating a sales presentation. You learned that a
good introduction and closing is essential in a presentation. You identified the
characteristics of a good sales presentation as persuasiveness, a stimulating message,
focus on key issues, and flexibility. You defined implicit and explicit presentations.
You learned how to put clients at ease, establish authority, and influence clients’
perceptions during a presentation. You also discussed the environmental factors that
affect a presentation.
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Topic C Finally, you discussed responding to objections and how you should be courteous and
empathic. You learned that addressing objections effectively requires determining the
client’s true objections. You discussed the reasons why salespeople have difficulty
responding to objections and learned about the points to consider and the useful skills to
have when responding to objections. Finally, you learned that practicing responses
aloud helps you hear how you sound when you speak to your clients.
Review questions
1 What chart heading would you want to include in a key-issues matrix?
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A Priority levels
B Budget constraints
C Supply lists
D Failed ideas
2 Which of the following is an explicit presentation?
A Our product is the best in the world.
B We out-distance competitors by miles.
C IntelliBuy has the best value for your money.
D You can’t find a better deal elsewhere.
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3 Which of these actions can help you determine the true objections of a client?
A Agree with the client.
B Restate the key issues.
C Try to close the sale.

D Take a break to regroup.
4 How are interpersonal skills useful when responding to objections?
They help you to build relationships with clients.

S–1
Sales Skills:
Basic
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Course summary
This summary contains information to help
you bring the course to a successful
conclusion. Using this information, you will
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be able to:
A Use the summary text to reinforce what

students have learned in class.
B Direct students to the next courses in this

series (if any), and to any other resources
that might help students continue to
develop their sales skills.
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S–2 Sales Skills: Basic
Topic A: Course summary

At the end of the class, use the following summary text to reinforce what students have
learned. It is not intended as a script, but rather as a starting point.
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Sales Skills: Basic
Unit 1
In this unit, students learned about the sales process. They examined the six steps of the
sales process. Next, they discussed how the collaborative approach in sales helps them
solve client problems. Students also identified common sales myths and learned about
the importance of understanding people’s decision-making practices. Finally, they
defined common sales terms.
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Unit 2
In this unit, students learned about developing their character. They learned how to
apply the guidelines of the PLEASED acronym into their life and work. They also
discussed the interpersonal, leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving skills that
are assets to every salesperson. Finally, they learned about the actions that will help
them establish credibility among clients. They also discussed the importance of
enthusiasm and a proactive approach in professional behavior.
Unit 3
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In this unit, students learned about prospecting to find clients. They also learned how to
apply the guidelines of the PHASED acronym when making sales calls, as well as
when building a sales network. Next, they learned about connecting with clients. They
learned the importance of visibility and business allies and how to put the client at ease
during a sales call. Finally, they discussed finding solutions for clients and how to be
proactive instead of reactive.
Unit 4
In this unit, students learned how to anticipate objections. They defined the difference
between stalling and objections. Next, they examined the process of creating a sales
presentation. Students identified the characteristics of a good sales presentation as
persuasiveness, a stimulating message, focus on key issues, and flexibility. Students
also discussed the different presentation elements. Finally, they discussed the reasons
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why salespeople have difficulties responding to objections and the useful skills to help
with this.

Course summary S–3
Topic B: Continued learning after class

Point out to your students that it is impossible to learn any subject effectively in a single
day. To get the most out of this class, it is important that students begin using the sales
skills they’ve learned as soon as possible. Course Technology also offers resources for
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continued learning.
Next courses in this series

This is the first course in this series. The next course is:
• Sales Skills: Advanced
Other resources
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Course Technology’s sister company, NETg, offers a full line of online and computer-
based courses on sales skills and a variety of other subjects. For more information, visit
www.netg.com. This course maps precisely to the following three NETg courses:
• Sales Skills: The Fundamentals
Course number: 44501
• Sales Skills: Prospecting and Addressing Needs
• Sales Skills: Overcoming Obstacles
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S–4 Sales Skills: Basic
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G–1
Glossary
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Benefit Negotiation
What a product or service does for a client. The process in which two or more parties give and
accept concessions to reach a mutual agreement.
Buyer’s remorse
The negative, self-deprecating feeling a client Networking
might have after purchasing a product or service. Making connections with new people through
people you already know or through organizations to
Buyer’s revenge which you belong.
Occurs when a client’s feelings move beyond
buyer’s remorse and they feel deceived. Price
The amount of money clients pay to purchase a
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Cold calling product or service.
Contacting people you do not know and have never
met. Prospecting
Searching for people who have a need for your
Cost product or service.
The amount of money clients can save over time by
owning your product or service. Question overload
What people feel when you fire multiple questions
Credibility at them without giving them adequate time to formulate
Believability. If a person believes what you say, responses.
then that person finds you credible.
Selling process
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Euphemisms Interaction between a professional salesperson and
Words or phrases with positive connotations that a client.
are used in place of words or phrases that carry negative
connotations. Warm calling
Contacting people you already know to tell them
Explicit presentation about your product or service.
Directly addresses the product or service of a
competitor.
Feature
What a salesperson proposes to do for, or provide
to, a client.
Filter system
A method of sifting through information to
determine who has a need for your product or service.
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Implicit presentation
Draws subtle comparisons between your product or
service and that of a competitor.
Information overload
What people feel when you give them more
information than they want.
Jargon
Set of words unique to a specific field of study or
profession.
Key-issues matrix
A chart for organizing and prioritizing the key
issues of clients.

G–2 Sales Skills: Basic
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I–1
Index
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A K
Addressing objections, 4-15 Key-issues matrix, 4-2
B L
Being proactive, 3-18 Leadership skills, 2-7
Benefits, 1-10
Buyer's remorse, 1-13 N
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Buyer's revenge, 1-13
Buying practices, 3-2 Negotiation
Defined, 2-7
C Skills, 2-7
Networking, 1-11, 3-8
Clients' key issues, 4-2
Cold calling, 1-11 O
Common sales myths, 1-6
Communicating with clients, 1-5 Objections to making a purchase, 4-3
Cost, 4-3
Creating business allies, 3-10 P
Creating visbility, 3-10
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PHASED acronym, 3-5
Creating win-win situations, 3-14 PLEASED acronym, 2-2
Credibility, 1-12 Presentations
Creating, 4-7
D Effective characteristics, 4-9
Decision-making practices, 1-8 Elements, 4-12
Price, 4-3
E Problem-solving process, 3-14
Problem-solving skills, 2-7
Establishing credibility, 2-10 Professional behavior, 2-12
Euphemisms, 1-14 Prospecting, 1-11, 3-2
Explicit presentations, 4-12
Q
F Question overload, 1-14
Features, 1-10
S
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Filter systems, 1-12
I Sales process steps, 1-2

Sales terminology, 1-10
Implicit presentations, 4-12 Selling process, 1-2
Information overload, 1-14
Interpersonal skills, 2-7 W
J Warm calling, 1-11
Jargon, 1-12

I–2 Sales Skills: Basic
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Sales Skills:

Australia • Canada • Mexico • Singapore

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Sales fundamentals 1-1

Your professional self 2-1

Handling clients 3-1

The sales presentation 4-1

Course summary S-1

NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

B Use prerequisites, a target student

C Set up a classroom to teach this course.

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Topic A: About the manual

Course Technology ILT philosophy

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NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

Bold text In unit summaries, indicates a key term or concept. In an

Next to an instructor note, indicates a tip the instructor

Next to an instructor note, indicates a setup the instructor

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Begin generating ideas Select the purpose.

Select the purpose Organize for the session.

Ask questions and clarify ideas Begin generating ideas.

Ask questions and clarify ideas.

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Topic B: Setting student expectations

NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

Collaborating with clients

Defining common sales terms

Identifying your beneficial personal characteristics

Identifying your beneficial skills

Prospecting for potential clients

Making successful sales calls

Using networking to gain clients

Discussing the importance of visibility and allies

Putting the client at ease

Finding solutions to clients’ problems

Defining the problem-solving process

Defining a proactive approach

Identifying client objections

Handling stalling and objections

Creating a sales presentation

Responding to objections effectively

NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

Topic C: Classroom setup

First-time setup instructions

instructions that appear on your screen.

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NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

NOT FOR PRINTING OR INSTRUCTIONAL USE

Complete this unit, and you’ll know how to:

A Describe and implement the sales process.

C Define common sales terminology.

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Topic A: The sales process

Basic steps of the sales process

Knowing your company, products, and services

Identifying needs and potential clients

Spreading the word

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Proposing and negotiating

Maintaining your relationships