Module 1

SALESMANSHIP: ITS NATURE AND REWARDS ADVANTAGES OF SELLING AS A CAREER

• Relatively high income
Salesmanship: • Travelling
• It is an art of convincing and persuading people • Satisfaction of rendering service
to buy the product. • Chance for advancement
• It is the ability or skill in selling • Managing one self
• More chances to meet and interact with people
FORMS OF SELLING • Meet challenges
❖ Personal Selling – it can be called as direct • More fun
selling, hard selling or pressure selling. • No need for academic laurels
❖ Non-Personal Selling – This is selling through the
aid of some form of media like advertising, DISADVANTAGES OF SELLING AS A CAREER
sampling, window display and other forms of • Long hours work
promotion. it is also called as soft selling. • Compensation is not on a regular basis
TYPES:
• Lots of frustration
a) Advertising
• Limited reach
b) Sales Promotion
• Expensive
c) Telemarketing
d) Online Selling
DIFFERENT COMPENSATION PLANS (for salespeople)
e) Direct Mail
❖ Straight Salary Plan – It is considered as the
PERSONAL SELLING
simplest compensation plan. The salesmen
• It is the employment of men and women who
receive a fixed amount at regular intervals
determine the needs of potential buyers and
usually every 15th or end of the month
attempt to persuade these prospects to satisfy
❖ Straight Commission Plan – the theory of the
their needs through the purchase of products
plan is that the performance of the salesmen will
and services.
have to be measured according to their
➢ It is the direct face to face interaction between a
productivity.
buyer and a seller with the objective of making a
❖ Combination Salary and Commission Plan – The
sale and satisfying the needs of the buyer.
salesmen receive a base salary, but he also gets
➢ It is an oral presentation through conversation
a percentage on commission.
with the buyers with the aim of making a sale.
FRINGE BENEFITS OF A SALESMAN
PROFESSIONAL SALES REQUIREMENTS
• Bonuses
• It fully satisfies the needs and wants of a
• Allowances (transportation, food,
customer.
communication)
• The salesman earned profit from the sale.
• Trip Packages (Local or Overseas)
• The producer gained profit from the sale.
• Vehicle
• There is continued patronage from the
• Gifts
customer.
• Membership clubs (Gym, Golf Club, etc.)
SALESMAN IN DIFFERENT NAMES
• Other benefits
• Salesman/ Saleswoman
• Sales Executives
SALESMANSHIP NOT By a Salesman
• Sales Associate
• Politicians
• Sales Representative
• Priest or Ministers
• Salesclerk
• Professionals
• Sales Engineer
• Job Applicants seeking employment
• Sales Representative
• Lover offering his love and affection to his/her
• Sales Staff
sweetheart
• Medical Representative
• Organizations for a cause (Charitable
• Account Executive
Institutions)
SALESMAN’S RESPONSIBILITIES, DUTIES AND • Showmanship
QUALIFICATION • Ambition
• Industry
• Salesman’s Job • Observation
• To get orders • Enthusiasm
• To interpret the people’s, need and selling them • Courtesy
goods and services which they are willing to buy • Dominance
• To permit the establishment of a permanent • Tact
business relationship • Loyalty
• To serve prospects by giving advice on selling, • Adaptability
merchandising, advertising, and management
problems SELLING PROCESS

DIFFERENT TYPES OF JOB FOR SALESMAN ❖ PROSPECTING

• Salesman as a communicator • Prospecting is the 1st and the foremost stage of
• Salesman as a problem solver the selling process.
• Salesman as an educator • Prospecting means identifying and locating
• Salesman as a human relations expert Potential buyers.
• It helps in planning the whole selling efforts so
SALESMAN’S AIM that there is no or minimum of wasted calls.
• To sell himself • Regular and systematic prospecting is the
• To sell the company foundation of all selling.
• To sell the product
❖ PRE-APPROACH
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SALESMAN • Pre-approach is the 2nd stage of the selling
• Selling process.
• Direct Selling • The salesman is to acquire enough information
• Advising and Counseling about such prospects in order to approach each
• Handling Complaints one in the most effective manner.
• Attending Sales Meetings • Pre-approach involves developing an
• Non-selling understanding about those prospective buyers
• Reporting who have been identified and on whom the
• Collecting salesman proposes to call.
• Assisting the credit department • This understanding may relate to buyers' needs,
• Organizing personality drafts and behavior patterns which
• Travelling are critical to their buying decision.
• Studying • Pre - approach prepares effective background of
making approach and ascertains the best and the
QUALIFICATIONS OF SUCCESSFUL SALES CAREER most effective method of approaching the
• Education prospect.
• Personal Characteristics
• Personality factors ❖ APPROACH
• Work habits and experiences • Approach is the 3rd stage of the selling process.
• Physical health • When the salesman comes in actual contact with
the prospect or likely customer, the next stage,
MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SALES PEOPLE namely, the 'approach' is reached.
• Honesty • The face-to-face contact with the prospect is
• Responsibility termed as approach.
• Courage • It involves use of different methods for seeking
an access to the prospect so that the
• Resourcefulness
product/offer may be presented to him.
• Confidence
• Imagination
❖ PRESENTATION AND DEMONSTRATION
• It is the 4th stage of the selling process.
• In this step, the salesman demonstrates to the
customer the need-satisfying characteristics of
the products being offered for sale.
• The objective of presentation and
demonstration is to help in convincing the
customer that the salesman's product is the best
one for satisfying his needs.
• In this way, effective presentation and
demonstration plays a vital role in the selling
process.
• Effective demonstration can be done through
AIDA approach.
• According to this approach, the product should
be demonstrated in such a manner that it gains
the customer's attention, holds his interest
builds up his desire for the product, and ends up
in purchase action.
❖ MEETING OR HANDLING OBJECTIONS
• It is the 5th step in the selling process.
• Under this step the salesman is required to
handle and overcome objections arising during
or as a result of presentation and demonstration,
it is just natural for the customer to ask
questions, raise objections and seek explanation.
• It is the most difficult situation that a salesman is
required to face.
• The salesman's job is to effectively meet, handle
and answer them in a most convincing and
systematic manner.
❖ CLOSING THE SALES
• It is the 6th stage of the selling process.
• After having answered and overcome objections,
it is the right time for the salesman to clinch the
deal by closing the demonstration. The object of
closing the sale is to get the customer in the
mood of saying 'yes' so that the salesman can ask
for the order.
• It is a very important step of the selling process.
• The salesman is expected to perform the same in
a very decent manner.
❖ FOLLOW – UP
• It is the 7th and last stage of the selling process.
• After closing, it is important for the salesman to
follow up the order booked so as to ensure that
the order is properly executed.
• Follow-up is also necessary to gather
information from the customers regarding
product use, problems, if any, and the level of
customer satisfaction.
• It builds up goodwill, ensures feedback and
encourages repeated purchases.
TEN COMMANDMENTS IN SELLING
1. Speak to people
2. Smile at people
3. Call people by name
4. Be friendly and helpful
5. Be cordial
6. Be genuinely interested in people
7. Be generous with praise
8. Be considerate of the feelings of others
9. Be thoughtful of the opinions of others
10. Be alerted to give service
MANNERS THAT A SALESMAN OUGHT TO OBSERVE
• Look pleasant and neat
• Wear simple clothes
• Good voice and diction
• Have a firm handshake
• Avoid tapping the desk with the finger or a pencil
• Buttoning or unbuttoning one’s coat, and
annoying physical movements such as crossing
and uncrossing one’s legs or nervous tapping on
the floor with one’s foot
• Avoid the repetitions of such phrases as “see
what I mean” and “you know” or starting every
sentence with “Now” or “And”
• Remember the names and surnames of
individuals you deal with
• Do not argue with the customers
• Avoid stepping on sentences
• Keep your promises
• Smile
• Keep physically fit
THE NEW SALESPERSON
• A techie
• Computer Literate
• A master of the Internet and of online selling
• An intelligence agent – S/He can get all the
information required in a sales transaction,
including the needs and wants of his target
market and the activities of the competition and
other major players in the industry
• Customer-oriented
• Master Strategist – He can draw up and execute
a well-balanced sales plan designed to help him
achieve maximum market growth, market share
and profit