Chapter 3

SELLING SKILLS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp65lSl8_94

DR. SHANTHI VENKATESH

 FIVE BASIC RULES FOR SELLING

1. Customer first – always put yourself in customers shoes

2. Market hold – Basics: Business environment, market size, growth, share, composition, new
opportunities etc.
3. Conceptual skills: Marketing concepts and associating them with commonly used
industry / company jargons. A few jargons: ABC-Always Be Closing, AIDA-Attention,
Interest, Desire, Action, BANT-Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline, BOFU-Bottom of the
Funnel, Closed-won/Closed-lost, Cold call, Conversion rate, Lead, LTV, Pain point,
Pipeline, Quota, SLA-Service Level Agreement, Soundbite, Weighted Pipeline
4. Product and company knowledge
5. Homework, homework, homework !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y4b-DEkIps
 SELLING SKILLS

Listening skills
Critical Thinking / Problem solving skills
Objection Handling skills
Sales Closing Skills
Communication & Body Language
LISTENING SKILLS
Do you know these?
More than 35% of businesses think listening is a
top skill for success
We listen at 125-250 wpm, think at 1000-3000
wpm
75% of the time we are distracted, preoccupied
or forgetful
20% of the time, we remember what we hear
Less than 2% of people have had formal
education with listening
 LISTENING SKILLS
Listening skills form the basis of:
 Continued learning
 Teamwork skills
 Management skills

Negotiation skills
 Emotional intelligence
LEVELS OF LISTENING
ACTIVE LISTENING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpxteBi1K58

 Active listeners speak 30% of the time and listen 70% of the time. Sometimes, we have to try
hard not to interrupt – the only acceptable reason is to clarify or confirm what has been said.
 TIPS
 Display involvement in what the person is saying
 Carefully observe the person speaking
 Resist distractions
 Try to stay focused on what is being said
 Ask for clarification of anything that you do not fully understand
 Delay making judgments about what is said.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Skills
 Understand the customers & customer segments
 To know the unearthed potential
 Market and Competitor knowledge
 Make informed decisions
 For better negotiations
 For tactical handling of situations
 Gives an edge to salesmen
Information
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE8IgZyhxb0
&t=67s

 Company
 Customer
 Competitor
 Business Environment
 Future changes
 Market Dynamics
 Market Metrics
 CLASS ASSIGNMENT –
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
DISCUSSION ON TALKING POINTS
1. You are a Sales Manager in a leading firm in the manufacture of aluminum castings.
You have a client, who is with you for the last 20 years and is contributing 25% of your
revenues. The client now is considering to change the vendor. You are given the
responsibility to win back the client.
2. You have relaunched a ready to eat food brand, which had become unsuccessful in
the past. You are currently looking at modern trade for better mileage. Convince a
leading modern trade network for giving you the much needed “big push”.
3. You are a Sales Manager with one of India’s leading B2B packaging products vendor.
With the advent of small and localized manufacturers, companies are now feeling that
your products are “expensive”. Show how you will win back one of the companies.
4. You are a Corporate Account Manager for a Food Coupon giant. You are needed to
convince a big corporate house into replacing an existing food coupon brand with
yours.
5. You are Business Development Manager with an emerging cloud computing firm. You
are given a responsibility to convince a small business firm (SME) into buying your
product.
 OBJECTION HANDLING
 Rule No 1: World is very small – sales world is even smaller
 Rule No 2: Don’t take anything personal
 Rule No 3: You need not remember TRUTH !!
 Common Objections
 Price
 Delivery
 Offers / Schemes
 Payment Terms
 Decision
 Willingness to change
BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE OBJECTION
HANDLING
 CONFIDENCE
 TRUST
 RELATIONSHIP
 RESPECT
 EXPERTISE
 KNOWLEDGE
 IN DEMAND
CLOSING SKILLS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuyIRL-
lfNc
 FINAL STEP IN TRANSACTION
 MORE THAN 70% HAVE DIFFICULTIES
 CRITICAL
 BEGINNING OF A RELATIONSHIP
 SURVIVAL
MISTAKES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tblmslbnnFc

 IMPATIENT
 ASSUMPTION
 EXCESSIVE FRIENDLINESS
 ASSURANCE
 FEASIBILITY CHECK
 DESPERATION
COMMUNICATION SKILLS

 Important both in transactional and relationship selling

 Five essential behavioral elements:
 Truth of words communicated
 Predictability of actions
 Competency (ability / knowledge / resources)
 Intent or empathy
 Likeability
 Communication Process - Selling
 Source: Sales Person
 Intended Message: Information about company and its products, benefits etc.
 Encoding principles: Sales Presentation, Sales literature – direct mail, phone calls,
telephone calls
 Receiver: Customer.
 Decoding facts: un-distorted meaning, essence and facts
 Strategy: Do a proper homework, Avoid big words, use an active voice, the dress code,
body movements, voice intonations, expression of emotions – laughter / surprise etc., be
ready with factual information/data
Managing Noise in communication

 Noise is a negative factor that hinders the

smooth process of communication
 Physical: from mobiles, laptops, shoes (!),
accessories that the sales person wears
 Psychological: Distractions within –
fantasies, daydreams, mental blocks
 Personal: Self-focus, defensiveness,
experiential superiority, egocentrism.
Communication and Body language

 Non-verbal or visible cues

 Retention from a sales presentation: 55% body language, 38% tone, 7% words
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IowGcxmAgc
 Personal appearance: Helps customers draw perceptual inferences based on
appearance. Appearance puts audience in hostile/ friendly/ agreeable/ argumentative
positions
 Body language: Posture, gesture, facial expression, eye contact
 Space distancing: 4-12 ft distance from prospects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFLjudWTuGQ
 SALES PITCH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gSJW-4ynG0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNpuQHY2hDE
 A sales pitch is a planned presentation of a product or service designed to
initiate and close a sale
 Sales Pitch is a brief and impactful presentation prepared and done by
sales personnel in order to impress upon / win their prospect / client /
customer. Sales Pitch is expected to result either in winning an appointment
for further discussion or in sales closing or in continuance of relationship,
depending upon the product, client and situation. It is usually a one-way
presentation.
 Expectations for Sales pitch presentation (preferably in order)
 Basics: Greeting, Visiting Card Exchange, yourself, company, product, features,
USP, Benefits, Price, Feedback
 Enhancers: Preparation, Content, Confidence, Communication, Conviction,
Pleasant, Courteous, Body Language, Nervousness, Attempt to close
 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
 Knowledge of prospect – the decision maker, the user and their role in buying decision
 Knowledge of product and company you belong
 Preparing and rehearsing before hand
 Clear and well-articulated
 Eye-contact, cool and pleasant demeanor
 Greeting everyone before the talk
 Brief talk about the company and introduce your team (optional)
 Highlighting the USPs / Benefits of your product
 How the product will benefit the customer – short run and long run
 Keep showing how important the prospect is for you
 Comparison with competitors on critical points (like price / quality / delivery/ service)
 Highlighting clientele and benefits they have earned because they bought your product
(especially if one of your clients is your prospect’s competitor / acquaintance)
 Following the time and checking to ensure you finish on time
 Concluding remarks / Opening for questions
 “Any other style to close the talk that you may deem fit”
DRESS CODE FOR SALESMEN
 DRESS CODE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRESENTATION
“DRESS RIGHT” – INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREFERRED ATTIRE FOR SALES PITCH PRESENTATION: “SUIT IS OPTIONAL”
 MEN:
 Shirt: Solid colours – generally whites, creams and light blues, mild stripes / checks is fine
 Trouser: Generally dark coloured. Fitting (NOT VERY LOOSE) and full length to cover till socks
 Shoes: Black or Brown leather shoes (belt colour to go with the colour of the shoes)
 Tie: Choose ties to go well with your shirt and body constitution, thin ties are trending, you may go without a tie, if you
are planning to use an open suit.
 Grooming: Trimmed and kempt hair, trimmed and neat beard is trending in the circles. Shouldn’t give an “unshaven”
face impression. Minimum make up. Only formal watches, if leather to match shoe and belt colour (NO SPORTS
WATCHES)

 WOMEN:
 Shirt / Top: Curved fit, preferably silk, colour: any colour, Solid / pleasant prints, elbow length and short sleeves are
trending. NO SLEEVELESS
 Trouser: Generally dark coloured; loose fittings are trending (NOT PALAZZOS HOWEVER!). Ankle or full length
 Skirt: Formal knee length or full length skirt with minimum slit. Shouldn’t be tight fitting. For uncomfortable skirt lengths –
go for stockings.
 Shoe: Formal flatforms/ shoes; Upto 2 inch heel only, full covered or peep-toe, no graphics / prints on shoes. No shine
shoes are trending in corporate circles. Stockings - if short skirts, no socks otherwise.
 Grooming: Minimum make-up; loose / tied hair – should be neat looking. Minimum accessories, formal watches – chain
or leather (NO BLING STUFF)