400 Selif process Rear aopca follows when sling, which include prospecting and ‘qualifing, prapproach, approach, presentation and demonstration, handling objections, closing, and follow-up. Prospecting The step in the selling process in which the salesperson identifies qualifed potential 3): PRINCIPLES OF PERSONAL SELLING Part 3. Developing the Marketing Mix customer is lower than the company’s average, Chris may be concents ‘wrong customers or may not be spending enough time with eich aan Looking back atthe annual number of calls (line 11), Bennett may be mcg calls than the average salesperson. If distances in the territory are not mith si ent, this may mean Chris is act putting in a fll workday is poor at p ing or minimizing waiting time, or spends too much time with certain We now turn from designing and managing a sales force to the actual pet ing process, Personal selling is an ancient art that has spawned a large bo ature and many principles, Effective salespeople operate on more“Uay instinct—they-are highly trained in methods of territory analysis and’ management. The Personal Selling Process companies take a customer-oriented to personal sellin people to ‘easton to find solutions. This approach 3 Gitomer needs provide sles opponrioe Tat canoer Appreciate gg tions, and that customers wil be loyal to salespeople who ave their ests at heart. The problem-solver salesperson fits better with the mark than docs a hard-sell salesperson or the glad-handing extrovert. Buyer solutions, not smiles; results, not razle-dzzzle:They want salespeople Who | ‘concerns, understand their needs, and respond with the right products and Steps in the Selling Process ‘Most training programs view the selling process as consisting of several se the salesperson must master (See Figure 16.3). These steps focus on the go ting new customers and obtaining orders from them, However, most sé spend much of their time maintaining existing accounts and building If customer relationships, We discuss the relationship aspect of the persox process in a later section. Prospecting and Qualifying : ‘The first step in the selling process is prospecting customers. Approaching the right potential customers is $ erucial to ‘one expert puts it:“If che sales force Sear Chasing anivorie who is Handling | 5 pegtions J nayyetes Major steps in effective sellingChapter.16 Personal Selling and Sales Management seems to have a budget, you risk accumulating a roster of expensive-t to-satisfy customers who never respord to whatever value proposition you have] He continues, “The solution to this isn’t rocker science. [You must] train salespeoy ple to actively scout the right prospects. IFnecessary, create an incentive program to reward proper scouting,”*6 ‘The salesperson must often approach many prospects to get just a few sales, Although the company supplies some leads, salespeople need skill in finding their ‘own. They’ can ask current customers for referrals, They can build referral sources, such as suppliers, dealers, noncompeting salespeople, and bankers. They can joi organizations to which prospects ‘can engage iii speaking and writing activities that will draw attention, They can search for names in newspapers or directories and use the telephone and mail to track down, Jeads. Or they can drop in onannounced on various offices (a practice known as “cold calling”). | Salespeople also rieed to know how to qualify leads—that is, how to identify the good ones and screen out the poor ones, Prospects can be qualified by lool ing at their financial ability, volume of business, special needs, location, and poss bilities for growth. Preapproach | Before calling on a prospect the salesperson should learn as much as possible about the organization (what it needs, who is involved in the buying) and its buyers (their characteristics and baying styles). This step is known a the preapproach. The silegperson can consult standard industry and online sources, acquaintances, and others to learn about the company. The salesperson should sct call objectives, which ay be to qualify the prospect, to gather information, or to make an immediate sale ‘Another task is to decide on the best approach, which might be a personal vist! a phone call, or a letter. The best timing should be considered carefully because may prospects are busiest at certain times. Finally, the salesperson should give thought fo ‘an overall sales strategy for the account. Approach ‘During the approach step, the salesperson should know how to meet and greet the buyer and get the relationship off to a good start. This step involves the salespersop’s appearance, opening lines, and the follow-up remarks. The opening lines should b poiitive, such as “Mr. Johnson, I am Chris Bennett froma the Alltech Company. My company and I appreciate your willingness to see me. I will do my best to make this visit profitable and worthwhile for you and your company." This opening might be followed by some key questions to learn more about the customer’ needs or by showing a display or sample to attract the buyer's attention and curiosity. Presentation and Demonstration During the presentation step of the selling process, the salesperson tellu.she.prod= uct “stozy” to the buyer, showing hovi the product will make.or sae money. The salesperson describes the product features but concentrates on presenting customer benedits. Using a need-saisfaction approach, the salesperson starts with a search for the customer's needs by getting the customer to do most of the ‘talking. ‘This approach calls for good listening and problem-solving skills. “I think:of myself more as a .... well, psychologist,” notes one experienced salesperson, “I listen to customers. [listen to their wishes and needs and problems, and I try to figure out a solution. If you're no: a good listener, you're’ not going to get the order.” Another salesperson suggests, “It’s no longer enough to have a good relationship with a client. You have to understand their problems.You have to feel their pain’'?” |602 ‘Handling objections ‘The step in the selling process in which the salesperson seeks ‘out, clarifies, and overcomes customer objections to buying, / Glosing ~The step in the sling proces jin which the salesperson asks the eutomer for an onde. Part 3. Developing the Marketing Mix In the sales presentation, the salesperson tells the product story to the buyers. pushy, late, and sf cape or “onsnid The qualities they value most empathy, honesty, dependability, thoroughness, and follow-through. Sales p tations can be improved with demonstration aids, such as booklets flip char, uct, they will better remember its features and benefits. Sales presentations can be improved with product samples or demonstaidg Visual aids can show how a product performs and provide other information 33g it, Booklets and brochures remain useful as “leave behinds” for customer rele “Today, advanced presentation technologies allow for fall multimedia presenta only one or a few people. Audio and videocassettes, laptop computers with pi tation software, and online presentation technologies have replaced the dip ‘Advanced Sterilization Products, a Johnson & Johnson company, even pro sales force with a virtual reality presentation, called the STERRAD Experi Originally designed for use at conferences, the presentation equipment has redesigned for sales calls and consists of a small video player with five he ‘easily transported in an ordinary-size briefease. Prospects don 2 helmet for a reality tour of the inner workings of the STERRAD Sterilization System for ng ical devices and surgical instruments. The presentation provides more informatily a more engaging way than could be done by displaying the actual machinery” Handling Objections Customers almost always have objections dui win the i psn place an order. The problem can bi aie a. In han anpitach objections as opportunities.to_ provide mé seston 5 sori, mei os objections. Closing After handling the iP ognize the-sale, Salespeople should know how to recognize closn tls fom the buyer, nelading phys actions, comments and questions Forerap ep in the selling. which the follows up after the gue customer 3 and repeat business, and enhancing BD value-laden relationships Personal Selling and Sales Management ple, the customer might sit forward and nod approvingly or ask about prices and Credit terms, Salespeople can use one of several closing techniques. They can ask for the order, review points of agreement, offer to help write up the order, ask whether the buyer wants this model or that one, or note that the buyer will lose out if the order is not placed nov.The salesperson may offer the buyer special reasons to close, such as a lower price or an extra quantity at no charge. * Follow-up ' ‘The last step in the selling process—follow-up—is necessary if the salesperson ‘wants to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business. Right after closing; the salesperson should complete any details on delivery time, purchase terms, and other matters. The salesperson then should schedule a follow-up call when the initial ‘order is received to make sure there is proper installation, instruction, and servicing, ‘This visit would reveal any problems, assure the buyer of the salesperson’s interest, ‘and reduce any buyer concerns that might have arisen since the sale, Relationship Marketing ‘The principles of personal selling as just described are transaction oriented_—their aim: is to_help salespeople closes specific sale a customer. But in many cases,.the! company is not seeking simply a sale: It has targeted a major customer that it would! like’ t6 Win, and keep, The. company would like to show that it has the capabilities to serve the customer.over-the long haul in.a mutually profitable relationship ‘Most companies today are moving away from. transaction marketing, with its} ‘emphasis on making a sale. Instead, they are practicing relationship marketing, which emphasizes maintaining profitable Jong-term relationships with customet creating. superior curomer value and satieion, hy are realizing that when’ erating in maturing markets anid facing suffer competition, it costs a lot more fo) wrest new customers from competitors than to.keep,clirrent cUsOmers. | “Today's customers are large and often global, They prefer suppliers. who cant _ sell and deliver a coordinated sef of products and services to many ‘locations. They. favor suppliers who can quickly’ solve problems that arise in their different parts ofthe nation or world, and who can work closely with customer teams to imipiOWE products and processes. For these customers, the sale is only the begin ning of the relationship. | { i { t