SELLING SKILLS

Session Coverage
• Personal Selling & Promotion Mix Element
• Value Proposition & Customer Value Creation
• Buyer-Seller Dyads
• Theories of Selling
• Sales Process
– Prospecting
– Sales Resistance
– Closing Sales
– Key Accounts Management
• Diversity of Personal Selling Situation
 Anatomy Of A Sales Executive
Big nostrils to
smell prey
Eyes that can
look at dragons
squarely in Eyes
Thick skinned

Gift of the gab

Stout feet to prevent

Stomach for huge meaty doors from slamming
targets
Personal Selling & Promotion Mix Elements
Marketing
mix

Products Prices Promotion Distribution

Advertising Public Personal Sales Direct

relations selling promotion Marketing

Sales
management

Planning Motivating
Budgeting Compensating
Recruiting and selecting Designing territories
Training Evaluating performance
 Direct Marketing Mix
Elements

• Tele Marketing
• Cyber / Web Marketing
• Personal Selling
• Mail Marketing
• Multi Level Or Network Selling/Marketing
 Direct Marketing VS Direct Selling
Some Marketers consider them same as both do-not involve Store Retailing
Direct Marketing
Two Different Terms
•Larger than Non Store Retailing
•Tackles all tasks of Marketing (Customer
Identification, Demand Generation,
Packaging, Modification, distribution, price
negotiation, promotion, sales promotion in
integrated compressed manner.
Direct Selling
(Part of Non Store Retailing, A Part of
Marketing)
•Home Selling: Done by
Employees/Sales Person. One to One,
Takes products to buyers home
•Direct Selling/Multi-level selling:
Done by Independent
Salesperson/Distributors, If done in a
group, referred to party selling
 Value Creation-Customer is the most vital asset

• Personal Selling is moving from transaction based methods to

relationship based methods.
• Rather than trying to maximize sales in the short term,
relationship based selling focuses on solving customer
problems, providing opportunities and adding value to the
customer’s business over a period of time.
• CEO & all managers may say "Our employees are our most
valuable assets". But the salesman knows better - Employees
exist because of customers
• Think about Customer first
• Think about Solving customer's problems

7
 Buyer Seller Dyads

A salesman and the prospective buyer when

interact are an example of “buyer-seller
dyad”. THE DICTIONERY MEANING OF DYAD
IS “A PAIR OF UNITS TREATED AS ONE”.
 Franklin Evans researched buyer seller
dyads in Life Insurance Business
• Findings:
• Prospects who bought insurance know more about the salesperson and
their companies and felt positively towards them.
• The more alike salesperson and their prospects were, the greater
likelihood that sales would result. This was true in physical characteristic
(age, height), other objective factors( income, religion, education) ,
personality factors (politics, introvert etc) and social cultural factors
• Many people are ready to buy insurance from those who are known to
them personally. Thus, insurance companies take a stand of making sales
agents, rather than hiring them because these agents are able to sell
insurance much better through their contacts
• Significance:
• Whenever possible, assign similar prospects, that will improve chance of
successful dyadic relationship. In B2B selling, it is easier as there are
fewer number of prospects than in B2C selling.
• It is not desirable to hire a sales executive from one demography and
represent the company in altogether new demography.
 2. Hanary Tosi-Buyer Seller Dyads
• Findings
• Studied the dyads of drug wholesalers retail pharmacists and salespeople
• Satisfaction with the salesman behavior allows salesperson to get into the
store
• Expectations of buyer with the performance of salesperson may be
related significantly to the success and failure of salesperson. For
Example: Customer believes that it is desirable that salesperson visits
regularly, use a relaxed , easy approach in selling, may personally inform
him of price changes, schemes in fast moving merchandise.
• Once, this happens, the anxiety and concern of customer will reduce and
a creative environment for an effective selling situation will arise.
• Significance:
• Customer Perception of How the behavior or sales person fits the
customers conception (idea) should be the necessary condition for dyadic
interaction to continue
 3.Buyers Initial Conditioning with
respect to selling:
• Findings:
• There is also a mindset cultivated from childhood that sales is all about
tricking the customer into buying the product. This is a critical element
because it affects the interaction between the buyer and the seller in a
great way
• People are taught from the early childhood to be beware of tricky
salesperson.
• Studies indicate that buyers believe that salespersons lack product
knowledge, fail to follow-up, generally unreliable, bad manners,
commercial dishonesty, blatant use of flattery, Un-original Presentations.
• Significance:
• So, it is necessary to create a better impression about the product and try
to convince customer about the usefulness of the product by eliminating
his previous perceptions.
• It is thus significant to ensure that the sales personnel undergo a
comprehensive and continuous training on matters regarding ways of
overcoming resistance.
• Sales people should be trained in such a manner that they overcome the
resistance, so as to have a positive interaction.
 THEORIES OF SELLING
SALES STRATEGIES
Sales people use different selling
methods to suit different relationship
strategies. No hard & fast rules –
Flexibility is the key
 ART OR SCIENCE
• Art:
• This approach focuses on experiences of successful sales
people.
• These salespeople have been successful because of their
grasp on practical, learned-through-experience-psychology
and their ability to apply it in sales situations.
• These theories focus of what to do and how to do rather
that why to do.
• Based on Experiential knowledge gained from years of
living in the market. Rather than systematic knowledge
• Science: Borrowed knowledge from behavioral sciences i.e.
Buying formula
 THEORIES OF SELLING
1 AIDAS Theory of Selling Seller Oriented
2 Right Set of Circumstances Theory of Seller Oriented
Selling/Situation Response Theory
3 Buying Formula/Need Satisfaction Theory of Selling Buyer Oriented
4 Behavioral Equation Buyer decision process
and salesperson
influence process

AIDAS Theory of Selling: believes that in a successful sales interview, prospects

mind goes through 5 successive mental stages.
Positive Features:
•Forces the salesperson to plan the sales presentation prior to calling on the
customer
•Helps the salesperson to recognize that timing is the most important element
in the purchase decision process
•Careful listening is necessary to determine which stage the buyer is in at any
given point.
 1. Securing Attention
E.g. Student attention towards lecture
• The initial attempt of the sales person must be to MAKE the customer completely at ease or relaxed.
And casual conversation is one of the best openers
• People like to talk and hear about themselves or if there are favorable/positive comments about
prospects business.
• Ask questions to involve the listener. Ask about their jobs, their families, their hobbies, or other areas
that you might have in common.
• The sales person can use 3 main techniques to get customer attention
1. Have a ready sales pitch: should have an idea of what you are going to speak, along with the normal
conversation starters. It shouldn’t be that you have a 500 word speech ready and as soon as you are in
front of the customer you start reciting it. A sales pitch should greet the customer, ask him for his free
time and then proceed. Gauge the customer reception and remember – if the customer is irritable, it
is best to postpone your pitch for later or vary it on the spot according to the customers mood.
2) Try to relax the customer: The customer will have expectations from you. Thus having a calm
conversation with him, asking him about his business and interests and his future prospects and than
later on connecting YOUR product to his vision is important. In this manner the customer slowly
relaxes and by himself and You can then lead him onto the product presentation stage and gain his
interest.
3) Do not appear too eager: Enthusiasm in sales is important. However it is necessary not to appear too
eager because eagerness in itself can be a turn off and the customer might lose interest. Remember –
Shouting gains attention for a minimum time period whereas talking stays in the memory. You
therefore need to talk to your customer rather than shout.
 2. Gaining Interest
• Some sales people are very good in the opening but as the
technicalities take over, they become uncomfortable while
explaining the product.
• Whereas others who are strong in the product department might
open bluntly but create interest in the second stage
• Tell the story. How did you invent this new product? Did a trip to a
foreign country inspire you? Where did you come across a
wonderful antique fabric used in your creation?
• Stories are a powerful connector which will become “part of your
product,” and the buyer will retell those stories when showing their
purchase to others

• Throughout, this phase, hope is to search out the selling appeal that
is most likely effective.
 3. Kindling Desire
• Development of sales obstacles, prospects objections,
external interruptions, deviation remarks can sidetrack
the presentation during this phase.
• Obstacles must be faced and ways found to get around
them. Objections need answering to prospects
satisfaction.
• He has to create enough desire in the customers mind
such that he immediately has to buy the product.
Imagine an aqua guard sales man or a tupper-ware sales
person. They highlight the product in such a manner
that you might be thinking “Why didn’t I buy this
product before”.
 Inducing Action and Building
Satisfaction
• Inducing Action: Experienced salespersons rarely try to close until
they are positive. Some salespersons never ask for Yes or No
because of fear for No for which they think there is no retreat. It is
better to ask for order straightforwardly.

• Building Satisfaction: The customer has just parted with his money.
Just like you part your money and expect good service, he expects
the same too. So even after he has bought the product, you need to
reassure the customer that he has made the right decision. The
product is good for the customer and you only presented the
product. It was his decision and he is right about it. These small
cues post the sales process really give confidence to the customer
and he then looks forward to your product rather than thinking
whether or not he has made the right decision.
 Theory 2: Right Set of Circumstances theory of
Selling/Situation Response theory:
• Theory had psychological origin in experiments with animals and holds that particular
circumstances in a given selling situation will cause the prospect to respond in a
predictable way.
• IF salesperson presents proper stimuli, the desired response (sales) will come.
• Set of circumstances include internal and external factors to the prospect.
• For eg. Salesperson tells a prospect; let’s go for a cup of coffee
• External Factor for Prospect: Salesperson and Remark
• 4 Internal Factors: To have cup of coffee, To have it now, To go out, To go out with
salesperson
• Theory focuses on External Factors at the expense of internal factors, It is a seller
oriented theory
• Used by Telemarketing, door to door salespersons: Designs series of statements
through comprehensive sales scripts wherein prospect says yes time after time until it is
hoped that he is inclined to say yes to the entire sales proposition.
• Limitation: This theory is based on salesperson domination in the flow of conversation.
If there is a professional buyer, who takes an active role in sales dialogue
• Without knowing the needs of buyer, the salesperson present all the features of the
product
• This method is followed by telemarketing, door to door salespersons and for training
new salespersons. When canned sales presentation is prepared by company’s
experienced people based on research it can be useful for new salespeople.
 Theory 3:/Need Satisfaction Theory of Selling
Buying Formula Theory of Selling
• Need Satisfaction Theory: Customer is buying to satisfy a need.
This method focus on customer rather than salesman
• Salesperson uses questioning, probing to uncover important
buyer needs. Customer response dominates the interaction and
only after relevant needs have been established, does the
salesperson begin to relate how his or her offering can satisfy the
needs.
• Customers seem to appreciate this method and are often willing
to spend considerable time in these meetings
• This method avoids the persuasion part of sales message
• This method is challenging and most creative part of selling. The
salesperson starts with uncovering and understanding needs by
asking situation, problem identification, implication and need-
payoff questions. Only after clearly understanding the needs of
buyer, the salesman gives a real proposal or moves into sales
presentation to show how his product can solve problem.
• This is done in three ways: Features, Advantages and Benefits
 FAB (Features, Advantage and
Benefit)
• Features are any Physical characteristics of a product.
• Advantage is the Performance characteristic of a product
that describes how it can be used or will help the buyer.
• Benefit is a favorable Result they buyer receives from the
product because of a particular feature or advantage that
has the ability to satisfy a buyer’s need.
• A sales person may have excellent knowledge of the
product, yet be unable to describe it in terms of that allow
prospect to visualize the benefits of purchasing it.
• This is because many sales people present only product
features and advantages, leaving the buyer to imagine its
benefits.
 Selling Methods:

Product Feature Advantage Benefit

Ceiling fan 2 Ball bearings Very quiet Great for classrooms

Fruit juices 100% juice Great nutrition On-the-go meal for

children
FAB Vacuum Vacuum Works twice as Saves up to 15 to 30
Cleaner cleaners’ high fast minutes in cleaning
speed motor time
Product made of Reduces service and
stainless steel Will not rust replacement cost
Maxima
Digital Watch
Rolax Watch

Attributes – Car – Price , Safety , Resale value , Mileage , Leg space , Boot space , 4-W
drive , Colour , Dashboard , Acceleration , look-at-me , …..
Create a 10-pronged FAB approach to selling of a Car ( say New Maruti Swift ) to
customers with varying needs.
Product Features Advantage Benefit
Maxima The display dial is extra Makes it trendy & in-tune with Look-at-me appeal . Stand out
digital watch large sized. international trends.. within the peer group.

Multi-functions like alarms , Only sub-Rs 1000 brand with Superior value appeal.
stop watch & countdown these features.
timer.

Available in 10 colour Breaks the monotony & lends Versatile accessory that you
choices. brightness to look. can mix-n-match with your
dressing.

Rolex oyster Price of Rs 3 lacs Affordable only to the very Symbol of class & success for
watch wealthy. the world.

Quartz movement uses Removes wear / tear of the Unmatched life time accuracy
revolutionary XYZ movement.
technology .

Mother of pearl dial face Lends it premium & exclusive The watch would be a true
look. reflection of your taste &
personality and thus would be
a truly big status symbol.
 Theory 4: Behavioral Equation
Theory:
• J A Howard explains buying behavior in terms of the purchasing decision process. It is viewed as phases of
learning.
• Four essential elements of learning process in the stimulus response model are:
• Drive: Strong Internal Stimuli that impels the buyer’s response.2 kinds 1. Innate drive: Physiological (hunger,
thirst, pain, cold, sex) 2. Learned Drives: Striving for status and social approval. Dominant in economically
advanced societies
• Cue: Stimuli that determines when buyer will buy. A. Triggering cues activate decision making process.
• Examples: External Stimuli: Colour of Packaging, weight or price, Informational Cues: Advertisement, discussion
with other people including salesperson
• Response: What buyer does
• Reinforcement: An event that strengthens buyers tendency to respond
• B=P X D X K X V
• B= Response of Buyer
• P=Predisposition or force of habbit
• D=Motivation to buy / Drive level of buyer
• K= Value of product and its potential satisfaction to buyer
• V=Intensity of Cues, product or information
• Salesperson’s Influence Process:
• P=Salesperson Influences P (predisposition) directly for eg. Through interacting with the buyer. Greatest impact
comes with usage of the product
• D=Salesperson exerts influence being strong when buyer seeks information (motivated) in terms of information
cues
• K= When buyer has narrowed down on choices to few sellers, the salesperson by communicating the merit of
the company brand can cause it to appear relatively better, thus affect K (Potential Satisfaction of Buyer)
• V=Salesperson can vary intensity of his or her effort, so making the difference in V (intensity of cues)
 Prospecting
and qualifying Personal Selling Process:
Pre-approach • Salespeople perform many activities which may be broadly
classified into selling activities and non-selling activities.
• The non-selling activities include :
Approach Preparation of sales reports.
Collecting payments
Obtaining market & competitor information
Discovering and
Understanding Travelling
Waiting to see customers
Training / Meetings
Presentation &
demonstration • The selling activities consist of various steps of the selling
process.
Overcoming • Understanding the PS process is the science of selling.
objections
• No magic formula for sale but following the process would
improve the chances of success.
Closing the sale

Follow up and
service
 Case- United Machines Ltd
• United Machines Ltd, Selling Process Started with Prospecting (Searching
and Identifying potential Customers). It was done by outside salesperson
by requesting existing customers to suggest names of prospective
customers. It was also done by inside salespersons, who work within the
company, by using internet and phone.
• Prospective customers are than qualified by using criteria
• 1. Requirement of company’s products 2. Their financial ability to buy 3.
Likelyhood to buy in near future 4. Approx value of requirement
• Based on these criteria, prospective customers are placed in three groups
• Group A-High Value of Requirement in Near future-Given to Company’s
sales engineers for converting
• Group B-Average Value of Requirement in Near Future-Inside salespeople
to communicate
• Group C-Requirement after long duration of time-kept in separate file to
follow-up
 Case-Prospecting
• How United Machines Ltd converted AC
Equipment into customer by using sales
process?
• Process started with inside salespeople using
internet and telephone identifying AC
Equipment who wanted to set-up industrial
compressor manufacturing unit. They needed
metal forming and metal cutting machines
that were manufactured by United Machines.
 Pre-Approach and Approach:

• Requirement, near future and large value,

Gathers as much information as possible from
various sources. He called AC Equipment
purchase executive for an appointment for
meeting.
 Discovering and Understanding:

• First meeting was positive, Atul collects lots of

information like production plan, type of machine
needed, purchase process, key buying committee
members. He then fixes a meeting with technical
people such as production manager, design engineer,
maintaince engineer to understand technical
specifications. In this meeting, Atul is accompanied by
design head and production head
• Atul collects “Request for Quotation”(RFQ) letter from
AC Equipment who also sent such letters to other
machine tools manufacturers. Quotation prepared with
the help of technical team and submitted
 Sales Presentation and
Demonstration, Closing Sales
• Three members reach (Sales Manager, Design head and Atul) reach for
presentation. Need-Satisfaction theory is used for sales presentation pointing
out specifically designed and customized machines to satisfy specific needs.
• Additional Benefits:
• Effective after sales service ( visit of company’s technician within 4 hours of call)
• Free training of maintaince staff
• 2 years of free warranty
• Special competitive prices
• Closing the Sales:
• Negotiations took place in positive manner with “both of us win” style
• After 2 weeks, United Machines, received the order from AC Equipment valued
5 crores indicating technical specifications and other terms.
• Atul and other persons involved in selling process congratulated and asked to
check order carefully for any discrepancies. Atul told to collect 40 % advance
payment agreed during negotiation and mentioned in the order.
 PROSPECTING
• Difference Sales Lead and Prospecting: Sales lead indicates the name and address of a
person or business firm who is probable prospect. Once it is found that sales lead needs
the company’s product and has the money and ability to make a decision to buy, sales lead
becomes a prospect.
• Methods of identifying leads:
• Consulting Existing Customers
• Referrals from External Sources: Suppliers, Intermediaries, bankers, trade associations,
Chamber of commerce, Commercial Dot Com Vendors( companies sell leads at reasonable
amount, type sales leads in Google)
• Referrals from internal company sources: Website, Trade Shows, Direct Mail, Company
Advertisement and telemarketing
• Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) System: Major Secondary Data Source, used in
industrial marketing. Each firm is assigned 4 digit number on the basis of main line of
business (International or Indian Standard Industrial Classification) can discover the name
and address, their sales volume etc. of list of organizations
• http://mospi.nic.in/classification/national-industrial-classification/alphabetic-index-5digit
• https://connect2india.com/indian-companies-with-B
• Publications: Newspapers, Directories, Yellow pages, Trade Journal, Commercial
Publications
• Networking by salespeople: Become members of Rotary/Lions clubs, civic organizations,
clubs
• Cold Canvassing-Making Cold Calls
 PREAPPROACH

• Involves two tasks:

a. information gathering in greater depth by carrying research.
b. planning sales call

• Information gathering in greater depth by carrying research:

• Type of business
• Product and services
• Purchasing practices
• Location of plants
• Name and background of people who make buying decisions
• Purchase orientations and practices
• Planning sales call:
• Whom to see
• Where to go
• What are the call objectives
• How to approach prospect
 APPROACH

• Introductory Approach: Name, Company

Name followed by business card
• Opening Benefit Approach: Opens with a
statement about how product or services
could help the buyer. Insurance agent:
• Product Approach: If product in new, colorful
and unique. Give the product to the retailer
and wait for the reaction
DISCOVERING AND UNDERSTANDING
BUYERS NEEDS:
• Research have found out that in successful
sales calls it is the buyer who does most of the
talking not the salesman. Effective salesman
gets customer to talk by asking smart
questions.
• SPIN Model was developed to understand
customer’s needs
 The SPIN Model
Situation Questions Problem Questions
about the client’s present about the client’s problems,
situation difficulties or dissatisfactions.

Implication Questions Implied needs

about the effects or
consequences of client’s clients statements of problems,
problem difficulties, dissatisfaction

Need -Payoff Questions Explicit needs

about the value or usefulness
of a proposed approach or
solution
clients statements of wants or
desires for action
35
 Situation Questions
What equipment How old is this
do you use now unit?
How many
people do you
employ here?

• Finding facts about the customer’s existing situation

Situation Questions:
How many people will occupy this conference hall which needs to be
air-conditioned?
Who is involved in the buying decision of this product?
How often do you carry out preventive maintaince for this product?
Senior buyers do not like to answer these questions, successful
salespeople do their thorough research at pre approach stage.
Situational questions should not be asked on sensitive areas like
conflict between different departments
 Problem Questions
Is your existing Are you satisfied
machine hard to use? with..?

Do you have
quality
problems?

• About customer’s problems, difficulties or dissatisfactions

Have you experienced any problems in servicing your machines?

Have you had any difficulty in controlling quality
Have you experienced any delays in getting material from existing suppliers?
Are you satisfied with the response time of the current service provider?
 Implication Questions
What effect does that Will it slow down your
have on output? proposed expansion?

Could that lead

to increased
costs?

• About the effects, consequences or implications of the

customer’s problems
Research shows Implication Questions:
• Are strongly linked to success in larger sales
• Build up customer’s perception of value
• Are harder to ask than Situation or Problem Questions
 Implication Questions:

• Questions ask buyer about implications, consequences

or impact of buyer’s problem on its operations. The
purpose is to make the buyer think about the
consequences of not solving the problem
• What impact the delays in receiving the components
have on your production and satisfaction?
• Have these staff problems led you to lose your clients
• What consequences the errors in your system have on
your customers?
• Purpose of implication questions is to build desire to
buy the salesperson product or service
 Need-payoff Questions

What benefits do
How would that help?
you see?

Why is it
important to solve
this problem?

• About the value or usefulness of a proposed solution

Research shows Need-Payoff Questions:
• Are strongly linked to success in larger sales
• Increase the acceptability of your solution
• Are particularly effective with influencers who will present
your case to the decision maker
 Implication Vs. Need-payoff Questions
What’s the difference?

What effect does Does that lead to

that have on bottlenecks in other
output? areas?

IMPLICATION
QUESTIONS Does that mean you can’t
meet your targets?

Implication Questions develop PROBLEMS

 5. HANDLING PSYCHOLOGICAL/HIDDEN
OBJECTIONS:
• Ask questions: listen to buyer carefully, never interrupt, nothing annoys the buyer more. Clarify
objections after reframing them into questions
• Buyer: Price of product is higher than competitor
• Salesperson: yes, do you know why it is higher, than he explains the benefits to make it price worth
• Turn Objections into benefits: Experienced salesperson with positive attitude can turn objections into
benefits or reasons to buy
• Prospect: 4 weeks of delivery time is too long, we need it in 2 weeks, so that including installation
project is complete in 5 weeks
• Salesperson: Equipment is specifically designed and manufactured for your needs. With 4 weeks
delivery, we can complete installation in less than a week and project will be on time.
• Deny objections tactfully:
• Buyer: A friend of mine bought this car 2 years ago and it had lots of problems
• Salesperson: Yes, I agree 2 years ago there were few problems. We sorted all problems in 6 months at
factory as well as at customers home free of cost. The sale is highest, check with your friend take his
opinion about performance and take a call
• Third party certificate: Sometimes, salesperson names certain clients as proof of testimony. Customers
ask for address and numbers and takes initiative. Favorable responses result in getting an order
• Price objections: Typical objection, cost is too much and not worth
• Go to spin model, if buyer feels, he cannot afford product, offer different model with lower price
• Compare price vs value for competing alternatives
• Break the price in smaller possible units-product price 1,00,000. Life 10 years-you pay 10,000 per year.
 6. TRIAL CLOSE AND CLOSING SALES

• Trial close gives an indication to salesperson that how near he is to

the actual close. Ask for opinion rather than decision of prospect.
Salesperson will get to know, whether buyer liked the benefits
offered by product. When should salesperson close the sales, when
prospect is ready and gives certain hints like:
• Prospect examines the product carefully
• Ask questions: when can you deliver this product? What is the final
price? What are the payment terms
• Ask another persons opinion: Colleagues, relatives over the phone
• Becomes Friendly: Anxiety and pressure of buyer changes into
relaxation and becomes friendly
• Salesperson gets to know, it is time to close
 7. CLOSING THE SALE/CLOSING
•
TECHNIQUES
Always summarize major benefits after the presentation. Summary should be very brief indicating major
benefits flowing to buyer.
• Major Closing Techniques:
• Alternative Choice Close: Prospect given choice between two or more models or items. Which of the 3 models
do you prefer? Response will be either of the 3 models or objection which if satisfactorily handled would close
sales
• Minor Points Close: by having the prospect to make decision on minor product points, the salesperson can
cleverly lead into discussion to buy. Salesperson asks questions in quick succession like: If you buy this AC,
which one would you prefer? How soon would you like it to be delivered? Would you like to pay on installment
basis? With these kind of minor questions, prospect typically develops positive inclination towards buying
product.
• Assumptive Close: Salesperson assumes sales are made. Ask questions like name spelling, home office address,
quantity desired, colour etc.
• Summary-of-benefit Close: Very popular as it is simple and straightforward. Find out major benefits of product
that appeal to prospect specific needs. FAB-Show feature, explain advantage, lead to benefits Example: AC has
high efficiency rating (Feature), consumes less electricity (advantage) saves 20 % on electricity bill (Benefit).
When do you want the delivery, today or tomorrow.
• T or Balance Sheet Close: Salesperson takes a piece of paper and draws large T. Places benefits of buying on left
side and drawbacks on right side For eg. Vaccum Cleaner-High Speed moter, works very fast with less effort,
immediate delivery and easy payment plan.
• Special Offer Close: Salesperson done his best but prospect resists. If you buy this mobile today, I can give 3%
special discount on cash
• Probability close: Method used when prospect says: I will think over it or I will let you know. Salesperson says
please let me the probability that by next week you will buy this product. If probability is more than 50 %,
chances bright or low
• Negotiation Close: Salespersons should have positive and helpful attitude
 8. FOLLOW-UP

• Some buyers suffer from post-purchase

anxiety (cognitive dissonance) about wisdom
of their purchase decision particularly if there
are problems on high value products. The
follow-up visit assures the buyer and reduces
the dissonance.
• Relationship Marketing: Salesperson builds
long term mutually beneficial partnerships
with their key customers.