Selling

5.05 Demonstrate the selling

process utilizing effective
techniques to aid customers in
making buying purchases
 Marketing
Broader range of activities to sell product/service, client
relationship etc.; determine future needs and has a
Approach
strategy in place to meet those needs for the long term
relationship.
Overall picture to promote, distribute, price
Focus products/services; fulfill customer's wants and needs
through products and/or services the company can offer.
Analysis of market, distribution channels, competitive
Process products and services; Pricing strategies; Sales tracking
and market share analysis; Budget
Market research; Advertising; Sales; Public relations;
Scope Customer service and satisfaction .
Horizon Longer term
Strategy pull
Marketing shows how to reach to the Customers and
Priority
build long lasting relationship
Marketing targets the construction of a brand identity so
that it becomes easily associated with need fulfillment.
Identity
Sales
makes customer demand match the products the
company currently offers.
fulfill sales volume objectives
Usually one to one
Once a product has been created for a customer
need, persuade the customer to purchase the
product to fulfill her needs
Short term
push
Selling is the ultimate result of marketing.
Sales is the strategy of meeting needs in an
opportunistic, individual method, driven by
human interaction. There's no premise of brand
identity, longevity or continuity. It's simply the
ability to meet a need at the right time.
 1.
Up-selling
vs Cross-selling
vs Suggestive-selling
• Up-selling is when you call a person’s attention
to an item of greater quality (and cost)

• Cross-selling is when you inform a guest of a

related item that naturally “goes” with the
main product

• Suggestive selling, you are acting as a

consultant (the most professional technique)
 Pre-Approach

•Product
knowledge
•Prepare
merchandise
work area
•Prospecting for
customers
 Approach

The first face-

to-face
contact with
the customer
How to approach the customer…
•Be courteous and respectful
•Establish good eye contact
•Be enthusiastic
•Show a sincere interest in the customer
•Be friendly and genuine
•Use the customer’s name
•Time the approach appropriately
 Approaches

•Service Approach
•Greeting Approach
•Merchandise Approach
 Service Approach

Salesperson asks the customer if he

or she needs assistance
Example: “May I help you with
something?”
*Ineffective because it elicits a negative
response
 Greeting Approach

Salesperson simply welcomes the

customer
Example: “Good afternoon, Sir.”
 Merchandise Approach

Salesperson makes a comment or asks

questions about a product that the
customer is looking at
Example: “That shirt is made of a
cotton and polyester blend, so it’s
machine washable.”
*Most effective initial approach in retail sales
because it focuses attention on the merchandise.
 2.
Determining the needs of customers

•Observing
•Listening
•Questioning
 Observing

•Look for
buying motives
that are
communicated
nonverbally
 Listening

•Listening •Maintain good eye

helps you pick contact
up clues to the •Provide verbal and
nonverbal feedback
customer’s
needs •Give your undivided
attention
•Listen with empathy and
an open mind
•Do not interrupt
 Questioning

Who? •Do ask open-ended questions to

encourage customers to do the talking.
What? •Do ask clarifying questions to make
sure you understand customers’ needs.
When?
•Don’t ask too many questions in a row.
Where? •Don’t ask questions that might
embarrass customers or put them on the
How? defensive.
Why?
 3.
Product Presentation

During the product presentation phase of

the sale, you show the product and tell
about it.
Goal of the product presentation is to
match the customer’s needs with
appropriate product features and benefits
 Selecting and Explaining Products
•Which product to show
•What price range to show
•How many products to show
•What to say
Features and benefits; highly descriptive
adjectives and active verbs; avoid slang; use
jargon and/or layman’s terms when
appropriate
What to do during the presentation
•Displaying and handling the product
Creatively display the product

•Demonstrating
Builds customer confidence

•Using sales aids

Samples, models, visual aids, graphs, charts

•Involving the customer

 4.
Understanding Objections
Objections
Concerns, hesitations, doubts, or other
honest reasons a customer has for not making a
purchase
Excuses
Insincere reasons for not buying or not
seeing the salesperson; customers often use
excuses when they are not in the mood to buy or
when concealing real objections
Common Objections

•Need
•Product
•Source
•Price
•Time
 Common Objections

Product
Concerns about things such as
construction, quality, size, appearance,
or style
 Common Objections

Need
Need objections occur when the
customer has a conflict between wanting
something but not truly needing it
 Common Objections

Source
Source objections generally occur due to
negative past experiences with the firm
or brand
 Common Objections

Price
Most common with high-quality,
expensive merchandise
 Common Objections

Time
Objections based on time reveal a
hesitation to buy immediately; these
objections are often excuses
 Handling Objections

•Listen carefully
•Acknowledge the customer’s objections
•Restate the objections
•Answer the objections
Methods for handling objections

•Boomerang
•Question
•Superior point
•Direct denial
•Demonstration
•Third party
 Methods for handling objections

Boomerang
The objection comes back to the
customer as a selling point
 Methods for handling objections

Question
The customer is questioned in an effort
to learn more about the objections
raised
 Methods for handling objections

Superior point
The salesperson acknowledges
objections as valid, but offsets them with
other features and benefits
 Methods for handling objections

Direct denial
Provides proof and accurate information
to answer objections; best used when the
customer has misinformation or when
the objections are in the form of a
question
 Methods for handling objections

Demonstration
Answers objections by illustrating one
or more features of a good or service;
“seeing is believing”
 Methods for handling objections

Third party
Using a previous customer or another
neutral person who can give a
testimonial about the product
 5.
Closing the Sale

•Close the sale when the customer is

ready to buy
•Look for buying signals
•Use a trial close to test the readiness of
the customer and your interpretation of
a positive buying signal
 Rule for Closing the Sale

•If you think the customer is ready to make a

buying decision, stop talking about the product.
•When a customer is having difficulty making a
buying decision, stop showing additional
merchandise
•Help a customer decide by summarizing the
major features and benefits of a product
 Rule for Closing the Sale (cont.)
•Don’t rush a customer into making a buying
decision
•Use words that indicate ownership, such as you
and yours
•Use major objections that have been resolved
to close the sale
•Use effective product presentations to close the
sale
•Look for minor agreements from the customer
on selling points that lead up to the close
 Methods for Closing the Sale

•Which close
Encourages customers to make a decision
between two items

•Standing-room-only close
Used when a product is in short supply
or when the price may be going up
Methods for Closing the Sale (cont.)

•Direct close
A method in which you ask for the sale
•Service close
Explains services which overcome
obstacles or problems