Untitled Quiz

Selling as a Profession - Chapter 1

• This chapter introduces the rewarding career of selling.
• Students should be able to define and explain selling.
• Selling is a personal communication meant to persuade a prospective customer to buy something.
• Everyone engages in selling.
• Personal selling is linked to the Golden Rule of personal selling, which involves treating others as you would like to be treated.
• Reasons people pursue sales careers include service, variety, freedom, challenge, and rewards.
• Sales jobs include retail selling, direct selling, selling for wholesalers, and selling for manufacturers.
• Different sales job activities and characteristics needed for success in sales.

What is Selling?

• A traditional definition of personal selling is the personal communication of information to convince a prospective customer to purchase something.
• This could include goods, services, ideas, or other things.
• The goal is to satisfy the customer's needs.

What is Salesmanship?

• Salesmanship is the process of convincing potential customers to buy.
• Salespeople use logic, arguments, and product features to persuade customers.
• Salesmanship is important because it allows salespeople to persuade consumers and benefit both the buyer and the seller.

What About You?

• People's views on the honesty and ethical standards of businesses and salespeople vary.
• Public opinion polls reveal a lack of positive attitudes towards salespeople.
• The majority of respondents in polls have negative views about salespeople.

How Some Salespeople Are Viewed

• Gallup polls show that salespeople, insurance practitioners, and used car salespeople are among the lowest-rated job categories for perceived honesty and ethical standards.

New Definition of Personal Selling

• Personal selling is the process of persuading a customer to buy a good or service, an idea, or other things that satisfy their needs through personal communication.

Golden Rule of Personal Selling

• A prescribed guide for conduct is the Golden Rule of Personal Selling.
• It focuses on treating others the way you'd like to be treated.
• Reciprocity isn't expected; instead, focus on ethical treatment.

Everybody Sells?

• Everyone sells, from interacting with others to trying to get their way.
• Examples of selling include asking for a date, increasing salary, returning goods, etc..

Types of Sales Jobs

• Categories of sales jobs include retail sales positions, direct sales, wholesale sales, and manufacturer's sales.
• Order Takers and Order Creators are the two primary sales roles. They will differ in the goal of the interaction.

Selling in Retail

• Retail salespeople sell goods to consumers.
• Common retail salespeople may be in-store, direct, or by phone.

Examples of Selling in Retail

• Examples of retail stores/venues include bakeries, banks, travel agencies, and furniture stores.

Direct Sellers

• Direct sellers sell goods and services outside retail stores, typically in the customer's homes or other non-retail venues.
• They cut out the middlemen in the distribution process, instead taking products from a manufacturer and selling them to consumers directly.

Selling for a Wholesaler

• Wholesalers buy products from manufacturers and resell them to retailers or other organizations.
• These wholesalers typically handle products for resale by large companies like grocery stores.

Selling for a Manufacturer

• Manufacturers’ salespeople help organizations in the production of goods to sell them through retail channels.

Two Types of Sellers

• Two primary roles in sales -- Order Takers and Order Makers.
• These roles will differ in their goals.

Order Takers

• Order takers are not in charge of motivating customers to purchase products.
• Their main role is to receive and fulfill customer orders.
• They don't attempt to sell more than what is being ordered.

Order Creators

• These salespeople focus on identifying and connecting with potential customers.
• Their goal is to identify prospective customers and persuade them to buy products.

Missionary Salespeople

• They target individuals or groups in business operations and offer support.

Order Getters

• Their main goal is to persuade potential customers to make a purchase.
• They rely heavily on personal selling, negotiation, and relationship building.

A Salesperson's Career Path

• Salespeople can advance to management positions like Regional Sales Managers, through experience.

Rewards in Selling

• Sales careers offer both financial and non-financial rewards.
• Financial rewards include high salaries, commissions, and other incentives.
• Nonfinancial rewards could be the satisfaction of helping others, freedom, accomplishment.

Is a Sales Career Right for You?

• Questions related to personal characteristics and goals are useful for evaluating if a sales career is suitable.
• Considerations like accomplishments, future goals, travel needs, and personal traits are important factors.

A Sales Manager's View of the Recruiter

• Sales recruiters look for qualified individuals with strong interpersonal skills, a well-defined career plan, a positive attitude, and solid work ethic.
• Appearance and experience are important traits.

Common Characteristics

• Traits such as appearance, communication skills, maturity, personality, experience, enthusiasm, and job interest are essential.

Love of Selling

• Love for the job and helping others drive sales success.
• Selling effectively requires knowledge, stamina, strategic thinking, communication, and service to others.

Relationship Marketing - Chapter 2

• Relationship marketing focuses on building customer loyalty through a combination of factors like products, pricing, distribution, promotions, and service.
• It emphasizes continuous attention to important customer needs, building lasting relationships, and differentiating from one-time transactions.

Levels of Relationship Marketing

• Basic marketing = the salesperson's main objective is to sell the product and has no follow up after the purchase.

• Reactive marketing = the brand actively seeks customer feedback.

• Accountable marketing = the company will check in with customers who purchased a product, showing commitment after the first sale.

• Proactive marketing = the brand keeps continuous tabs on customers to build relationships.

• Partnership marketing = a high level of collaboration from customer, brand and company, for the mutual benefit.

Benefits of Relationship Marketing

• Increased customer lifetime value, lower long-term marketing costs, higher customer satisfaction, deepening customer understanding, reliable customer base.