Professional Salesmanship

Topic 1 Overview of Professional Salesmanship

Salesmanship is defined as the level of skill you have in convincing people to buy or in
persuading people to do something. It is considered as the art of selling goods and services of
the seller to the buyer (Vidal, 2017). Salesmanship is not just selling i.e., transferring the
ownership of goods in exchange for money. It is the process of persuading the prospective
customers to buy the goods or services which they really need.
Examples:
 A worker at a car dealership who sells the most cars month after month is an
example of a person with great salesmanship skills.
 A manager who successfully motivates a staff to take on and accomplish a
project on which they may be reluctant to work is an example of a person with
great salesmanship skills.
Salesmanship is a seller-initiated effort that provides prospective buyers with information
and motivates or persuades them to make favorable buying decisions concerning the seller's
products or services.
The benefits of salesmanship are that it helps in increasing the supply of goods to the
society. By contributing to increased sales and production, it brings about an increase in the
level of employment and higher income to the society. Further, salesmanship itself directly
absorbs a large number of people.

Evolution of Personal Selling

The successful professional salesperson of today and the future is likely a better listener
than a talker, is more oriented toward developing long-term relationship with customers rather
than placing an emphasis oh high-pressure, short-term sales techniques, and has the skills and
patience to endure lengthy, complex sales process.
Personal selling is an important part of marketing, which is usually a separate
organizational function that creates, communicates and delivers value to customers, and
manages customer relationship in ways that benefit both the organization and its customers.
So, what does it take to be a successful salesperson? Some experts believe that a
person’s attitudes, personality, and work methods (together classified as their “approach to
work”) are virtually the entire basis for professional success. Common sense dictates that a
person’s approach to work plays an important role in their performance on the job.

Personal Characteristics Needed for Success in a Selling Career

By the very nature of the work itself, successful salespeople possess a unique set of
personality attributes that enable them to succeed. Mediocre sales performance cannot be
disguised as a salesperson’s success or failure is revealed immediately by the bottom-line
results. It takes a special kind of individual to succeed in sales. There are five key qualities that
are essential for success: 1. Empathy, 2. Focus, 3. Responsibility, 4. Optimism, 5. Ego-drive.

Empathy
Empathy is the ability to identify with customers, to feel what they are feeling and make
customers feel respected. Empathy is not sympathy, which involves a feeling of loyalty with
another individual. It is more than understanding their concerns from an objective standpoint. A
salesperson showing empathy can gain trust and establish rapport with customers by being on
their side and not appearing judgmental. Empathy allows the salesperson to read the
customers, show concern, and clearly demonstrate his or her interest in providing a proper
solution.
 What to look for in good performers:
 Ability to identify and react accurately to the behavior and emotions of customers
 Identify other people’s feelings/frustrations objectively without necessarily
agreeing with them
 Ability to establish rapport easily and put people “at ease” in their presence
 Good listening skills
 Curiosity—the candidate asks questions that require more than a yes or no
answer
Poor performers:
 Experience difficulty in establishing rapport with a wide variety of people
 Experience difficulty in adapting their personality style to others with different or
non-complimentary styles
 Have difficulty recognizing and responding to subtle verbal, non-verbal and
behavioral cues

Focus
A person with focus is internally driven to accomplish goals and can stay attentive to one
topic. Focused individuals are more demanding of themselves than other people and they are
self-motivated. They are able to organize themselves and recognize what needs to be done in
order to achieve their goals.

In a salesperson, focus produces best results when it is balanced with empathy. You
then see a person who listens and identifies with the customer while keeping focused on set
goals, and who is able to translate these goals into solutions for the customer.
What to look for in good performers:
 Are goal-orientated and have the ability to articulate their goals clearly and
assign timelines
 Do not depend upon the sales manager for direction or guidance
 Possess the self-discipline and conscientiousness to service customers and
develop the business from that customer on successive sales calls
 Clear, direct answers to interview questions
Poor performers:
 Need to have performance objectives/standards defined for them and need
occasional reminders of what those objectives are
 Need structure and external assistance from a manager to keep them from being
distracted and "on track” with their objectives
 Are anxious about things being performed according to the rules or established
procedures
 Tend to get distracted and involved in behaviors and relationships that do little
towards meeting long-term objectives

Responsibility
A person with a strong sense of responsibility does not place blame on other people
when placed in a difficult situation. This type of person, referred to as an “agent”, gets things
done and when obstacles arise, accepts any errors or omissions that have occurred. He or she
does not get defensive nor do they try to blame the situation on circumstances or on other
people by making statements such as, “It’s not my fault boss that consumer confidence has
declined due to terrorism and the war in Afganistan.” Sales managers should strive to hire
agent-type representatives.
What to look for in good performers:
  Possess an appropriate sense of urgency, as exemplified in the need to see the
sale progress and to bring situations to a resolution
 Anticipate consequences and evaluate alternatives before acting
 Tend to not have excuses for a situation and take action when situations require
action
 Maintain a positive outlook towards situations and people—tends to admire, and
not to criticize a lot
 Can accept valid criticisms and suggestions for performance improvement
Poor performers:
 Tend to blame people, circumstances and other external factors for why
something did not succeed or why something was not completed
 Are comfortable with the status quo and perform only what is required of them
 Fail to go above and beyond what is required to meet customer expectations

Optimism
A salesperson with a healthy amount of optimism can be described as someone who is
slow to learn helplessness. This person has persistence—a trait that is critical in the sales
world because of the frequency of rejections salespeople experience. In the face of failure,
some people throw their hands up in the air and resign themselves to the disappointment
because they feel helpless to change the situation.

Others, however, see themselves as being more resilient and that a customer’s refusal
is not a rejection of themselves personally, but of the opportunity being offered. Salespeople
who possess a large amount of optimism like themselves and when they encounter failure,
although disappointed, it does not destroy their positive view of themselves. They consider
themselves still in the running and able to turn the situation around. They believe that they can
make things better by using a different approach, or by trying again.
What to look for in good performers:
 Initiative and the ability to focus on opportunities and solutions
 Focus on what can be done as opposed to what cannot be accomplished
 Refusal to allow rejection on one sales call to affect their ability to perform on the
next
 Persistence in forcing an important issue even in the face of possible rejection
Poor performers:
 Experience “paralysis” when faced with setbacks, problems or obstacles
 May suffer from inconsistent performance, or have a sales track record filled with
peaks and valleys

Ego-drive
Ego-drive is similar to optimism in that both traits require persistence. But ego-drive is
persistence for the purpose of succeeding and above all winning. It’s all about competitiveness.
When a person hangs in there with fists clenched and a teeth-gritting appetite to succeed at his
or her goal, you see a powerful ego-drive. This person is self-motivated and a self-starter with
clear ideas of what he or she wants to achieve.
What to look for in good performers:
 Enjoy competitiveness and constantly look for ways to measure themselves
against their peers
 Possess leadership qualities and is not afraid to exert pressure to influence
others
  Enjoy sales as a profession for it provides personal gratification and ego
enhancement
 Determined to win and willing to take risks
Poor performers:
 Rely on manipulation instead of trust and rapport for results
 Possess a “win-at-all costs” attitude often at other people’s expense
 Find minimal personal gratification in making a sale

Understanding Buyers
The Six Stages of the Consumer Buying Process and How to Market to Them
Far too often, retailers think that consumer buying is randomized. That certain products
appeal to certain customers and that a purchase either happens or it doesn’t. They approach
product and service marketing in the same way, based on trial and error. What if there were a
distinctive set of steps that most consumers went through before deciding whether to make a
purchase or not? What if there was a scientific method for determining what goes into the
buying process that could make marketing to a target audience more than a shot in the dark?
The good news? It does exist. The actual purchase is just one step. In fact, there are six
stages to the consumer buying process, and as a marketer, you can market to them effectively.

1.Problem Recognition
Put simply, before a purchase can ever take place, the customer must have a reason to
believe that what they want, where they want to be or how they perceive themselves or a
situation is different from where they actually are. The desire is different from the reality – this
presents a problem for the customer.
However, for the marketer, this creates an opportunity. By taking the time to “create a
problem” for the customer, whether they recognize that it exists already or not, you’re starting
the buying process. To do this, start with content marketing. Share facts and testimonials of
what your product or service can provide. Ask questions to pull the potential customer into the
buying process. Doing this helps a potential customer realize that they have a need that should
be solved.

2. Information Search
Once a problem is recognized, the customer search process begins. They know there is
an issue and they’re looking for a solution. If it’s a new makeup foundation, they look for
foundation; if it’s a new refrigerator with all the newest technology thrown in, they start looking at
refrigerators – it’s fairly straight forward.
 As a marketer, the best way to market to this need is to establish your brand or the
brand of your clients as an industry leader or expert in a specific field. Methods to consider
include becoming a Google Trusted Store or by advertising partnerships and sponsors
prominently on all web materials and collaterals.
Becoming a Google Trusted Store, like CJ Pony Parts – a leading dealer of Ford
Mustang parts – allows you to increase search rankings and to provide a sense of customer
security by displaying your status on your website.
Increasing your credibility markets to the information search process by keeps you in
front of the customer and ahead of the competition.

3. Evaluation of Alternatives
Just because you stand out among the competition doesn’t mean a customer will
absolutely purchase your product or service. In fact, now more than ever, customers want to be
sure they’ve done thorough research prior to making a purchase. Because of this, even though
they may be sure of what they want, they’ll still want to compare other options to ensure their
decision is the right one.
Marketing to this couldn’t be easier. Keep them on your site for the evaluation of
alternatives stage. Leading insurance provider Geico allows customers to compare rates with
other insurance providers all under their own website – even if the competition can offer a
cheaper price. This not only simplifies the process, it establishes a trusting customer
relationship, especially during the evaluation of alternatives stage.

4. Purchase Decision
Somewhat surprisingly, the purchase decision falls near the middle of the six stages of
the consumer buying process. At this point, the customer has explored multiple options, they
understand pricing and payment options and they are deciding whether to move forward with
the purchase or not. That’s right, at this point they could still decide to walk away.
This means it’s time to step up the game in the marketing process by providing a sense
of security while reminding customers of why they wanted to make the purchase in the first time.
At this stage, giving as much information relating to the need that was created in step one along
with why your brand, is the best provider to fulfill this need is essential.
If a customer walks away from the purchase, this is the time to bring them back.
Retargeting or simple email reminders that speak to the need for the product in question can
enforce the purchase decision, even if the opportunity seems lost. Step four is by far the most
important one in the consumer buying process. This is where profits are either made or lost.

5. Purchase
A need has been created, research has been completed and the customer has decided
to make a purchase. All the stages that lead to a conversion have been finished. However, this
doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing. A consumer could still be lost. Marketing is just as important
during this stage as during the previous.
Marketing to this stage is straightforward: keep it simple. Test your brand’s purchase
process online. Is it complicated? Are there too many steps? Is the load time too slow? Can a
purchase be completed just as simply on a mobile device as on a desktop computer? Ask these
critical questions and make adjustments. If the purchase process is too difficult, customers, and
therefore revenue, can be easily lost.

6. Post-Purchase Evaluation
Just because a purchase has been made, the process has not ended. In fact, revenues
and customer loyalty can be easily lost. After a purchase is made, it’s inevitable that the
customer must decide whether they are satisfied with the decision that was made or not. They
evaluate.
If a customer feels as though an incorrect decision was made, a return could take place.
This can be mitigated by identifying the source of dissonance, and offering an exchange that is
simple and straightforward. However, even if the customer is satisfied with his or her decision to
make the purchase, whether a future purchase is made from your brand is still in question.
Because of this, sending follow-up surveys and emails that thank the customer for making a
purchase are critical.