Personal Selling and Salesmanship PDF

Chapter 2: Lessons 1 and 2 Personal Selling and Salesmanship  Personal Selling Salesmanship Personal Selling is a personalized sales method that employs person-to-person interaction between a sales representative and prospective customers to influence the customer’s purchase decision Pe...

Chapter 2: Lessons 1 and 2 Personal Selling and Salesmanship  Personal Selling Salesmanship Personal Selling is a personalized sales method that employs person-to-person interaction between a sales representative and prospective customers to influence the customer’s purchase decision Personal Selling is a promotional sales technique where a salesperson (1) uses person-to- person communication, (2) to sell an offering, and (3)uses personalized sales strategy, Uses face-to-face communication. Personal selling involves direct contact of the salesperson and the customer.  To sell an offering. The purpose of personal selling is to motivate and persuade the customer to purchase the intended offering a detailed explanation or demonstration of the product.  Uses personalized sales strategy. This strategy involves the salesperson to understand the needs and wants of the customers, develop personalised connections, communicate the value of the offering in a way that persuades the customer to buy the offering. OBJECTIVES of Personal Selling. 1. Build brand and product awareness 2. Increase sales 3. Building close long - term relationships 4. Supporting customers 5. Stimulating the offering’s demand 6. Reinforcing the brand  1 Build brand and product awareness By educating customers on the company’s offerings and their benefits.  2 Increase sales By identifying and persuading the prospects to buy a business’s offering.  3 Building close long - term relationships With the customers by enforcing person-to- person two-way communication.  4 Supporting customers of complex, technical, or high-priced items by providing detailed technical information.  5 Stimulating the offering’s demand by helping the customers throughout their decision-making process and guiding them towards the business’s offering.  6 Reinforcing the brand by building long term relationships with the customers over time by meeting them and helping them in their decision-making process.  FEATURES of Personal Selling 1. Human Contact 2. Development of Relationship 3. Two-way flow of Communication 4. Quick Communication 5. Flexibility 6. Satisfaction 7. Persuasion  Human Contact It involves person-to-person interaction where a seller interacts directly with the prospective customer and executes a personalised sales strategy according to the customer’s needs, wants, and expectations.  Development of Relationship Personal selling involves developing a relationship between the seller and the buyer where trust is established, and the prospective buyer can rely on the salesperson. Moreover, this technique even results in the salesperson becoming a part of the buying process.  Two-way flow of communication Unlike mass marketing, personal selling is characterised by a two- way flow of information. The prospective buyers get their chance to ask questions and clear their doubts directly from the seller before purchasing.  Quick Communication Since personal selling involves person-to-person interaction, the communication flow is really quick.  Flexibility It involves the salesperson to tailor the sales pitch according to the prospective audience’s persona and requirements, making this sales tool flexible.  Satisfaction The process of personal selling requires the salesperson to understand the customer’s needs and satisfy the same by offering the customer the opportunity to buy something he has to offer.  Persuasion Personal selling isn’t just about informing prospective customers about the company’s offerings. It also involves using the power of persuasion to make customers accept the seller’s point of view or convince the customer to take a particular action.  TYPES of Personal Selling 1. Order Takers 2. Order Getters 3. Order Creators  ORDER TAKERS Order takers receive requests and queries from customers. In simple terms, the customer approaches these salespersons. They usually hold positions like retail sales assistants or telemarketers and focus mainly on determining customer needs and pointing to inventory that meets such needs.  ORDER GETTERS Order getters reach out to new prospects and persuade them to make a direct purchase. These are in-field salespersons who bring in new clients to the business.  ORDER CREATORS Order creators don’t close the deal, but persuade the customers to promote the business’s offering, leading to sales eventually. For example, a pharmaceutical company reaching out to a doctor to persuade him to prescribe the company’s medicine. ACTIVITY TIME KEY TAKEWAYS