John Alfred A.

Mendivel,MBA
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Determine the different jobs of a salesman;
• Identify the common duties and responsibilities of a
salesman;
• Identify the qualifications for a successful sales career;
• Understand the mental characteristics of a sales
people
• Assess the sales etiquette a salesman should
observe;
• Determine the behavioral patterns of inferior and
superior salesman; and
• Apply the ten commandments of selling.
 SALESMAN’S JOB

The job of the salesman then is to serve.

He must serve his prospects by giving advice
on selling, merchandising, advertising and
management when it is necessary. In this way,
businesses establish long term relationship
with their clients. This is of paramount
importance in all types of selling. Where there
is no mutuality of interest, selling becomes a
“racket” or form of cheating.
1. Salesman as a Communicator

The sales presentation is a method of

informing prospects or customers about
the product, service or idea.
2. Salesman as a Problem-solver

A large segment of our population

have come to regard the salesman as a
high pressure persuader whose sole aim
is to convince the buyer to purchase
something which he does not need or
want.
 A salesman takes into consideration the
following factors before helping the buyer
arrive at the best decision. He must look into:
• The need to be satisfied
• The product to satisfy the need
• The source of the product
• The price to be paid
• The time to buy
• The purchasing power of the buyer
3. Salesman as an Educator

Patience plays a very important role n

the life of a salesman. He must realize
that it is not easy to convince a prospect.
He must be ready to point out, to explain,
to discover and to show to his prospects
the advantages of buying the product.
4. Salesman as a Human Relations Expert

The human factor is important in selling.

The salesman must be aware of his own
personality, with the people he comes in
contact with. He must fully understand the
role of personality in the buying decisions.
Knowing customer behavior and buying
attitudes, will greatly help him sell more.
 SALESMAN’S AIM

1. To sell himself – as the reliable trusted

man with whom consumers will do
business; a person who understands and
use the general principles of selling; a
good person who will treat his prospects
with courtesy and respect.
2. To sell the company – a firm who will
help in satisfying the needs and wants of
the prospects; progressive company that
has fair dealings and responsibilities to its
prospects.
3. To sell the product - a product that
promises to satisfy the needs and wants
of consumers; a product that has
undergone a great deal of concentrated
study, extensive research, and
observation which will serve the
customers at the lowest possible cost.
 COMMON DUTIES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
I. Direct Selling. Promoting company
goodwill. The salesman is the company’s
representative to its customers.

Advertising and Counseling

Handling Complaints
Attending Sales Meetings
II. Non-Selling Duties

Reporting
Collecting
Assisting the Credit Department
Organizing
Working with Management
Travelling
Studying
 QUALIFICATIONS FOR A
SUCCESSFUL SALES CAREER
1. Education - Sales and Marketing majors
are appropriate because they are
equipped with the basic background in the
field of selling.
2. Personal Characteristics - Effective
sales people are good communicators.
3. Personality factors such as persistence
and the ability to withstand rejection
appear to be positively related to
successful selling.
4. Work habits and experience –
Salesmen should not think that
experience is all that matters for a
successful career in selling. Experience is
only one of the contributors in successful
selling.
 Successful salespeople must possess initiative.
There must not be a need for someone to watch
over their shoulders to tell them what needs to be
done and when to do it.

The basic principles of selling have been

founded. They can be taught; they can be learned;
they can be practiced. Properly educated and
trained normal individuals can learn how to sell well.
In fact, it has been reliably estimated that 8 out of 10
people have the potential to become good
salespeople.
 Mental Characteristics
of Salespeople

In evaluating people, we identify

differences in mental as well as physical
characteristics. It is therefore necessary to
explore some of the differences in mental
characteristics as they apply to selling.
These mental characteristics are as follows:
1. Honesty 9. Ambition
2. Responsibility 10. Adaptability
3. Courage 11. Industry
4. Loyalty 12. Observation
5. Resourcefulness 13. Enthusiasm
6. Confidence 14. Courtesy
7. Imagination 15. Tact
8. Showmanship 16. Dominance
 Famous Five P’s of
Successful Selling
1. Product – The salesman have a
thorough knowledge of his product.
2. Personality – Adapt yourself to different
personalities you meet.
3. Perseverance - Selling starts when the
customer says “NO”.
4. Prospect - Get acquainted with your
prospect.
5. Picturesque Presentation – Use your
imagination while you are trying to
describe something to clients.

In the selling business, a sales representative

must be a good listener. However, too much
listening may cause the sales representative to lose
control of the interview.
Over the years, individuals and business
organizations failed because they lacked at least
one of the five P’s of successful selling.
 Manners that a Salesman
Should Observe
1. Look pleasant and neat.
2. Wear simple clothes. Consider the profile of
your prospect.
3. Good voice and diction.
a. Speak distinctly
b. speak with moderate speed
c. speak reasonably loud
d. emphasize key words and phrases; vary the pitch
f. speak in a conversational tone
g. speak sincerely
4. Have a firm handshake
5. Avoid tapping the desk with a finger or
pencil
6. Avoid unnecessary, annoying
movements and gestures
7. Remember the names of the individuals
you deal with
8. Do not argue with the customer
9. Avoid stepping on sentences
10. Keep your promises.
11. Smile
12. Keep physically fit.
 TEN COMMANDMENTS
OF SELLING
1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a
cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people. It takes 72 muscles to frown,
only 14 to smile.
3. Call people by name. The sweetest music to
anyone’s ear is the sound of his or her name.
4. Be friendly and helpful. If you would have
friends, be friendly.
5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you
do is genuine pleasure.
6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like
almost anyone if you try.
7. Be generous with praise. Be cautious with
criticism.
8. Be considerate of the feeling’s of others. It will
be appreciated.
9. Be thoughtful of the opinions of others. There
are usually three sides to a controversy; yours,
the other person’s and the right one.
10. Be alert to give service. What counts most in
life is what we do for others.
* Add to this a good sense of humor and a
dash of humility.