Sales Vocabulary

after-sales n. service that continues after a product has been sold [eg: repairs etc]
service

Online support is an important part of after-sales service for buyers of software.

buyer n. 1 any person who buys anything 2 a person employed by a firm to buy

Does your bank offer special loans for first-time home buyers?

client n. a person who buys services from a lawyer, architect or other professionals

How much do lawyers in the UK charge their clients for basic legal advice?

close v. to finalize a deal or sale; to make a sale

We can close the deal as soon as the customer accepts our usual terms and
conditions.

cold call v. to telephone a prospect without previous contact - also n.

Would you work for a company that tries to boost sales by cold-calling people at
random?

customer n. a person who buys goods or services from a shop or business

A retail business like ours depends on building relationships with

regular customers.

deal n. a business transaction - also v. dealer n.

Do you think $1,500 a month for an apartment like this is a good deal?

discount n. a reduction in the price; a deduction [usually expressed as a percentage (%)]

 We'll give you a ten per-cent discount if you place the order today.

follow up v. to continue to follow persistently; to maintain contact [eg: after a lead]

Make sure you follow up any leads by contacting them again the next day.

guarantee n. a promise that a product will be repaired or replaced etc if faulty - also v.

All our mobile phone sales are covered by a 12-month money-back guarantee.

in bulk in large quantity, usually at a lower price

You get a much better deal if you purchase products in bulk, of course.

lead n. useful indication of a possible customer to be followed up

How did you go with those leads I sent yesterday? Any sales?

objection n. a reason given by a prospect for not buying - to object v. see overcome

The sales objections we have to overcome the most are about price and the fear
of replacing a trusted brand.

overcome v. [-came, -come] to overcome an objection to show an objection is invalid; to

beat an objection

To overcome an objection, tell your prospect about your product's unique selling
proposition.

product n. something made and usually for sale - to produce v. see service

A good sales rep makes a product seem so exciting that the buyer feels they must
have it.
prospect n. a possible or probable customer; prospective customer

Make sure your prospect is someone with the power to make purchasing
decisions, or you'll be wasting your time.

representative n. sales representative person who represents & sells for a firm; salesperson -
also sales rep [informal abbr.]

How many sales representatives are we currently employing on our sales team?

retail v. to sell in small quantities (as in a shop to the public) - also n. see wholesale

They started off retailing books in a store, but now they retail a huge range of
products worldwide on e-commerce websites.

service n. work done usually in return for payment - to serve v. see product

The main difference between selling a product and a service is that buyers can
see, touch and feel a product, but they have to imagine a service.

USP n. Unique Selling Proposition, a feature that makes a product or service stand out
from its competitors, such as lowest price, highest quality, best design etc -
also Unique Selling Point

When selling, be sure to emphasize your product or service's USP.

wholesale v. to sell in bulk (as to a shop for resale to the public) - also n. see retail

If you're wholesaling a product, the price you charge should be around half the
recommended retail price that retailers will charge.