CHAPTER 8

PERSONAL SELLING
SKILLS
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OUTLINE

 Customer - Oriented Selling

 The Personal Selling Process:

 The Opening

 Need & Problem Identification

 The Presentation & Demonstration
 Dealing with Objections
 Negotiation

 Closing the Sale

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 Follow-up
CUSTOMER - ORIENTED SELLING

 Customer Oriented Selling is the degree to which salespeople

practice the marketing concept by trying to help their
customers make purchase decisions that will satisfy their
needs.

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CUSTOMER - ORIENTED SELLING

 Customer - Oriented Selling is characterized as:

 The desire to help customers make satisfactory purchase

decisions;
 Helping customers assess their needs;
 Offering products that will satisfy those needs;
 Describing products accurately;
 Avoiding deceptive or manipulative influence tactics;
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 Avoiding the use of high pressure sales techniques.
CUSTOMER - ORIENTED SELLING

 Research has shown that successful selling is associated with the

following:
 Asking questions;
 Providing product information, making comparisons and offering evidence
to support claims;
 Acknowledging the customer’s viewpoint;
 Agreeing with the customer’s perceptions;
 Supporting the customer;
 Releasing tension;
 Having a richer, more detailed knowledge of customers;
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 Increased effort and self-confidence in one’s own ability.
THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS

 The Opening:
 Initial impressions can cloud later perceptions.
 Salespeople should:
 Respect the fact that buyers are busy people;

 Dress to be businesslike in their appearance;

 Open with a smile, a handshake and introduce themselves and the

company they represent;

 Start with opening remarks that are business related;
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 Avoid the cardinal sin to open with: “Can I help you?” statement.
THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS

 Need & Problem Identification:

 Need analysis approach: Suggests that early in the sales process,

the salesperson should adopt a question-and-listen posture 
Use of open rather than closed questions.

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THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS

 The Presentation & Demonstration:

 Salespeople should:

 Put more emphasis on benefits rather than features;

 Not be mislead by the term presentation into believing that they

have to do all the talking alone;
 Should reduce the purchase related risk in the minds of buyers
through:

 Reference selling
 Demonstrations
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 Guarantees
 Trial orders
THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS
 Conducting demonstrations (1/2):

 Commence with a concise statement of what is to be done or proved;

 Show how potential purchasers can participate in the demonstration process;

 Make the demonstration as interesting and as satisfying as possible;

 Show the potential purchaser how the product’s features & benefits can fulfill his or her needs or solve his
or her problem;

 Attempt to translate such needs into a desire to purchase;

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THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS
 Conducting demonstrations (2/2):

 Do not leave the purchaser until s/he is completely satisfied with the demonstration;

 Summarize the main points by re-emphasizing the purchase benefits that have been put forward during the
demonstration;

 The objectives of a demonstration should be:

 (a)to enable the salesperson to obtain a sale immediately.
 (b) to pave the way for future negotiations.

 In case of (a), ask for the order now or in case of (b), arrange for further communication.

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THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS
 Negotiation:

 Start high but be realistic;

 Attempt to trade concession for concession;

 Implement behavioral skills;

 Buyer’s negotiation techniques.

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THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS
 Implement behavioral skills:

 Ask lots of questions;

 Use labeling behavior;
 Do not label disagreement;
 Maintain clarity by testing understanding and summarizing;
 Give feelings;
 Avoid counter-proposing;
 Avoid the use of irritators;
 Do not dilute your arguments;
 Avoid personalizing the discussion.

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THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS

 Buyer’s negotiation techniques:

 The shotgun approach: ‘If …. Then technique’;

 The “sell cheap, the future looks bright” approach;

 The “Noah’s Ark” approach.

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 THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS

 Closing the sale:

 Know how to grab the right opportunity at the right moment  Intentions.

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THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS

 Follow-up:

 Ensure customers’ satisfaction;

 Provide reassurance that the purchase was the right one 

Reducing cognitive dissonance.

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