SPMA 3P95

Jan 24th
Section 1
Week 4: The Personal Selling Process
Readings:

 Spiro, Stanton, Rich. “The personal selling…” (pg. 58-73)

Spiro, Stanton, and Rich (2003)

 Personal selling process: “…those activities related to generating sales and satisfying the
customer.” (pg. 58)
 They list 8 steps in the sales process…

1. Prospecting – Salespeople need leads. How do you get them?

o Your big-league team’s CRM system! (Where do you get leads without CRM
systems?)
o Referrals from customers
o Referrals from co-workers
o Networking
 Join civic organizations.
o Published directories.
 Chamber of commerce directory
o From the leads, you first pick the most promising ones… (seem a good fit,
have the $) to concentrate on
2. Pre-approach: Planning the Sale
o You’ll likely have to phone these leads. What will you say?
o Keep in mind you may have a TON of inventory
o That first phone call should be geared to them, where you guestimate what
might “hook” them, for example...
Two leads that are just names to you:

 ABC Industries and Tom’s Ladies Wear

 Ideally you research them (ex. Corporate website), but sometimes you have to judge
them by name alone

3. The Approach
o The call begins with your usual “spiel” where you ask for someone, identify
yourself, and say what you are up to.
 (Remember – the goal is usually a face-to-face meeting)
o How would the spiel change for TLW and ABC?
o If you get their interest, you arrange a meeting…

The Meeting (The approach continues)

 Make a favorable impression and build rapport

o Firm handshake, eye contact, natural small talk.

4. Need Assessment
o Ask many questions so they can explain their business and what they would like
to improve/change.
Back to the cases:

 For ABC: “Do you have company outings, or mgt. parties?

 Tom’s: Is your business cyclical? Are there times of the year where you have special
promotions?

5. The Presentation
 Sometimes the first meeting ends at Need Assessment
 Sometimes you keep going into the presentation. (Often go by gut feeling).
 Peoples’ weeks are cyclical, suggest meeting them next week the same time.
 The presentation is your pitch as to how your sporting property can satisfy
their needs/wants.
 You introduce part of your inventory (product), explain how it works
(features), explain the advantages (vs your competitors alternatives), and
stress the benefits…
ABC Industries:

 Product: Luxury Suite

 Feature: Seating for 12, waitress service, air conditioning
 Advantage: Relaxing summer night with superior amenities
 Benefit: Memorable evening of corporate bonding
Tom’s:

 Product: Sponsor of Ladies’ Night Promotion

 Feature: Coupon distribution to all women
 Advantage: Targets their customers directly
 Benefit: More store traffic, increased sales

6. Meeting Objections
  Don’t freak out if they have objections – they indicate that they have some interest
 Responding to objections:
o Listen: learn as much as you can about the objection
o Clarify: make sure you really understand the objection
o Respect: don’t get defensive, its probably not personal
o Respond: address the objection – you might be able to solve it on the sport, or
maybe go back to the office to utilize the expertise of others

7. Gaining Commitment
 If you have done your job, the prospect has been convinced to give your proposal
further attention.
 Now ask the buyer to commit to some action that moves the sale forward.
 Maybe everyone is ready for you to close the deal; maybe another meeting is necessary.
 If another meeting is necessary, do everything you can to schedule it on the spot.

8. Follow-up (You made the sale, now what?)

 Touch base with the client (during/after) to make sure you are actually satisfying their
wants/needs.
Readings:

 Broughton. “Bucks lead way…”

 Halberstam. “Eagerness, empathy…”
 Boe. “Selling is a contact sport...”
 Guiducci. “The first 7 seconds of a cold call...”
 Fautsch. “Persuasion.”
 McKelvey. “Students gain on-the-job...