Republic of the Philippines

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY NAIC

(Formerly CAVITE COLLEGE OF FISHERIES)
Bucana Malaki, Naic, Cavite
www.cvsu-naic.edu.ph

Management Department
Bachelor of Science in Business Management III
MKTG 75 – PROFESSIONAL SALESMANSHIP

Module I:
SELLING AS A PROFESSION
Lesson 1: Lesson 1: Selling and Salespeople

Prepared by:

RHONALYN C. PAPA
Assistant Professor I

Reviewed by

EDRIANE E. SERRANO
Management Department, Chair

Noted by:

MAT M. NUESTRO
Director for Curriculum and Instruction
 PREFACE

This module aims to provide students with management principles that emphasized on
sales, selling and techniques and policies including salesmanship, retailing, and wholesaling.

This will aid the students to develop and showcase their skills in selling, demonstrating, and
presenting products and services professionally.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Author, Rhonalyn C. Papa, is a full-time faculty member of the Management

Department of Cavite State University Naic. She finished Master in Business Administration
in Cavite State University Indang and earned six units in Doctor of Philosophy in Business
Administration in De La Salle University, Dasmariñas. She started her teaching career in
2009 wherein she teaches mostly marketing subjects.

She is currently residing at Calumpang Cerca, Indang. Cavite

 MODULE 1: SELLING AND SALESPEOPLE

Objectives:
After the completion of the chapter, students will be able to:

After the completion of the unit, students will be able to:

1. define sales, salesperson, personal selling and salesmanship
2. discuss the different type of salespeople
3. discuss the characteristics of salespeople
4. explain the rewards in selling
Instructions to Learners:
1. The learner is advised to answer the pre-test to determine how much is already
known by the learner about the topic and the post-test to find out how far the learner
learned from the module.
2. The answered pre-test and the activities should be submitted on the next face-to-face
meeting
PRE-TEST: How much did you know?

Answer the following based on your learned knowledge.

1. What is your own understanding about selling?

_
 LESSON 1: SELLING AND SALESPEOPLE

What is a sale?

A sale is when the seller gives goods or services to the buyer in exchange for money.

It's the act of selling a product or service and getting paid for it.

It marks the completion of a business deal.

Salespeople are hired to understand buyers' needs and convince them to purchase
products or services.

A sale is a transaction where one party gets something, and the other party gets
money or other assets in return. Sometimes, it can refer to an agreement on the price of a
financial asset in the markets. No matter the situation, a sale is like a deal between a buyer
and a seller.

Salesmanship

Professional salesmanship is about convincing someone to like a product, service, or

idea. It's the process of persuading and convincing a potential customer to choose a product
or service that meets their needs and wants. In other words, its helping customers see how a
product or service can make their life better.
This kind of salesmanship happens in person, where a salesperson talks directly to a
customer. The goal is to show the customer that the product has something special that can
solve their problems or fulfill their needs.

- Is the art or skill in selling

Salesmanship is a skill used in personal selling, where a seller talks directly to a

buyer. It's all about influencing and persuading the buyer to make a decision to purchase a
product or service. This can involve providing information or using psychology to encourage
the buyer to decide to buy.
In essence, salesmanship is the seller's effort to give potential buyers the information
they need and convince them to make a positive decision to buy what the seller is offering.
In today's world, salespeople need to adapt and communicate effectively with various types
of people (Ghose, 2020).
In simpler terms, salesmanship is about convincing someone to buy something, even
if they hadn't initially decided to do so. It's about making people want what you're selling and
helping them make up their minds (Prof Stephenson).

What is the difference between selling and salesmanship?

"Personal selling" and "salesmanship" are terms that are sometimes used
interchangeably, but they have a distinct difference. Personal selling is the broader concept,
while salesmanship is just one component of it. It's important to note that salesmanship is
not the entirety of personal selling. Personal selling, along with other critical marketing
aspects like pricing, advertising, product development, research, marketing channels, and
physical distribution, is a method used to put marketing plans into action.
The main goal of marketing is to connect a company's products with potential
markets and facilitate profitable exchanges, where products are traded for money. On the
other hand, the primary purpose of personal selling is to connect the right products with the
right customers and facilitate the transfer of ownership.
Salesmanship involves the skill of persuading and convincing individuals to purchase
a product. It's about using logic, arguments, and product features to persuade potential
customers to choose your product over others.
On the other hand, selling is the straightforward act of transferring goods or services
to a buyer in exchange for money or other valuable items. It's a transactional process
conducted by a registered business entity.

Why salesmanship is important?

1. One can find virtually no occupation or profession that does not demand skills.

2. The customer usually goes to the seller instead of the seller seeking out for
customers.

Salesmanship benefits consumers greatly by aiding them in making informed buying

decisions and selecting the right products they desire. A good salesman serves as a friendly
and knowledgeable guide to customers.
Consumers prefer to engage with salespeople who are well-informed about the
rapidly changing business landscape and can provide current advice.

Importance of Salesmanship to Consumers

1. Raises Standard of Living

Salesmanship plays a crucial role in enhancing consumers' quality of life by

encouraging them to purchase comfort and luxury items. It influences consumption patterns
and leads to increased product usage.
Our improved quality of life is, in part, thanks to the contributions of salesmanship.

2. Greater Satisfaction

Contemporary salesmanship focuses on providing solutions to customers'

purchasing challenges. It identifies their needs and provides products that align with their
desires, ensuring maximum customer satisfaction.
3. Provides Advice

Salesmanship has transformed into a valuable service for consumers. With changing
buying habits, salespeople have adapted by becoming advisors, consultants, and guides to
customers.

4. Increases Knowledge

Salesmanship involves actively listening to customers and providing them with the
information they need. Salespeople educate customers about product use, inform them
about new products, discuss prices, designs, quality, and raw materials. They explain,
demonstrate, compare, and enlighten, serving as representatives of businesses and social
ventures. Through their efforts, salespeople expand knowledge about their products.

5. Source of Excitement

Salesmanship goes beyond mere product functionality; it provides customers with

pleasure, excitement, and emotional experiences. Nowadays, when people purchase shoes,
it's not just about keeping their feet warm and dry. They buy shoes to feel a certain way –
whether it's masculine, feminine, rugged, sophisticated, young, glamorous, or trendy. In
essence, we're not just selling shoes; we're selling excitement and emotions.

6. Assists in Decision Making

Consumers often face a challenge when choosing between competing products. In

these situations, they rely heavily on the guidance of salespeople. Salesmanship plays a
crucial role in helping consumers make informed decisions. Salespeople are there to assist
and provide valuable guidance to buyers.

7. Convincing the Customers to Buy

Salesmanship is a transformational process that turns potential customers into actual

buyers. It does this by building trust in the seller and product, using persuasion effectively.
Salesmanship aims to meet customer preferences and desires, leading to a better
understanding of the product and ultimately customer satisfaction.

8. Link with the Customer

Salespeople play a crucial role in connecting with customers. Even well-thought-out

marketing strategies can falter if the sales team doesn't perform effectively. For many
customers, the salesperson represents the entire company. Salespeople serve both their
customers and their company by fostering positive, ongoing relationships between them.

9. Diagnosis Customers’ Needs

In today's world, salespersons have evolved. They're not the flashy product pitchmen of the
past. Instead, they're becoming experts at diagnosing customers' needs and issues.
10. Fulfilling Customer’s Service Standards

Salespeople in numerous companies are now being selected, trained, and motivated
to handle increasingly intricate job responsibilities. They are also placing a greater emphasis
on addressing the expanding array of consumer choices and striving to meet the demand for
higher customer service standards.

Methods of Communication with Customers

Personal selling - face to face interaction

Advertising - impersonal mass media
Sales promotion - extra value, incentives to costumers
Publicity - communication through significant unpaid presentations about the firm
Word of mouth - way of communication to costumer at no cost

Integrated Marketing Communications

Integrated marketing communications is a well-organized communication approach

aimed at boosting the effectiveness of reaching customers. It involves bringing together all
marketing communication tools, methods, functions, and resources within a company to
create a unified strategy that maximizes its influence on consumers and other end users
while keeping costs in check. This management concept is designed to ensure that all
aspects of marketing communication, including advertising, sales promotion, public relations,
and direct marketing, collaborate cohesively rather than operating in isolation.

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is a strategy used by organizations to

unify and manage their communication efforts. According to the American Association of
Advertising Agencies, IMC is a comprehensive plan that assesses the strategic roles of
various communication disciplines and combines them to ensure clear, consistent, and
highly effective communication. The main idea behind IMC is to create a smooth and
coherent experience for consumers across all aspects of the marketing mix. This means that
every marketing communication channel collaborates, reinforcing the brand's core image
and message, rather than working independently.

The Shift from Fragmented to Integrated Marketing Communications

Before integrated marketing communications became prominent in the 1990s,

marketing mainly relied on mass communications. This involved broadcasting information to
large audiences through TV, radio, and other media channels. It was a one-way approach
where advertisers shared their products and messages without considering the diverse
preferences of consumers.
This approach often didn't work well because it was like trying to fit everyone into a
single mold. It was expensive, and it was hard to measure the impact on sales. However, as
technology improved, marketers could collect and analyze consumer data more effectively,
especially with tools like store scanners. This allowed them to see how their marketing
efforts related to what consumers were buying.
Companies also started restructuring their operations, bringing more marketing tasks
in-house. Even advertising agencies had to adapt, expanding their roles to cover all aspects
of marketing, not just advertising, for their clients.
 These days, companies dedicate their marketing budgets to various areas
like trade promotions, consumer promotions, branding, public relations, and
advertising. There's been a shift away from spending on mass media and traditional
advertising, making integrated marketing communications (IMC) even more crucial
for successful marketing.
Now, marketing is seen as a two-way conversation between marketers and
consumers, a change in the advertising and media industries that can be
summarized by the following market trends:

Here are the simplified market trends:

1. Instead of relying solely on mass media ads, there's a shift towards various
communication channels.
2. Niche media that caters to individual preferences is gaining popularity due to
increased segmentation in consumer tastes.
3. The market has moved from being controlled by manufacturers to being
dominated by retailers, with consumers having more control.
4. Data-driven marketing is on the rise, focusing on personalized approaches
rather than generic advertising.
5. Businesses are being held more accountable, especially in advertising
practices.
6. Performance-based compensation within organizations is becoming common,
benefiting both sales and companies.
7. The internet's widespread availability and unlimited access have transformed
the way goods and services are offered online.
8. There's a stronger emphasis on creating marketing communications that
deliver value to target audiences while also reducing costs.

Learning Organizations

In a true learning organization, everyone is always learning and improving. They use
their own experiences and learn from others, whether they succeed or fail. Learning is
deeply ingrained in the organization, guided and exemplified by top management. Every
member knows that continuous learning is not just encouraged but also rewarded.
Communication flows openly and inclusively in such organizations, involving people
at all levels. Senior leaders lead by example, sharing what they learn as they learn it. Those
who embrace learning receive recognition, opportunities for growth, promotions, and even
financial incentives, while those who resist may find themselves transitioning out.
Being a learning organization isn't just beneficial; it's a competitive advantage. These
organizations outperform competitors, possess a unique brand strength, and can attract and
retain top talent. They gather and retain knowledge about their environment, ensuring
continuity even as staff changes.
Ultimately, learning organizations evolve and adapt to stay competitive in today's
business world, driven by the demands of the modern environment.
Two Types of Learning

Adaptive Learning:
 Improving existing knowledge to perform current tasks more effectively.
Generative Learning:
 Going beyond current products, markets, policies, and procedures to gain fresh
insights and innovations.

Types of Salespeople

1. Manufacturer’s Salespeople

- They are salespeople who may sell to wholesalers, retailers, or other middlemen.
- Those who sell to ultimate consumers
- Those who sell to industrial concerns
People who work for manufacturers and who sell to the distributive trades can be
further grouped into three major types:

a. The Pioneer-Product Salespeople: These are individuals responsible for finding

buyers for new products among wholesalers, distributors, and dealers. To excel in
this role, one needs to be self-motivated, proactive, assertive, and creative. There is
always high demand for professionals in this field. (They could be selling various
items like computers, DVD players, refrigerators, or brand-new watches.)
b. Dealer-Servicing Salespeople: These salespeople don't need to be as aggressive
or creative as the first type. Persistence, enthusiasm, warmth, and friendliness are
key qualities for this role. They enjoy more job security, a steady income, and less
stress. They regularly reach out to retailers or wholesalers, offer their available
goods, and ensure their established outlets don't run out of stock.
c. Merchandising, Detail, and Missionary Salespeople: These individuals are focused
on boosting sales and are often referred to as "sales promoters." They gather the
latest market information, provide guidance to middlemen, and work to positively
impact sales volume. They are traditionally known as "merchandisers," "detailers,"
and "missionaries."
Merchandisers collaborate with company jobbers and dealers to increase sales by:
Providing sales training to the middlemen's sales staff, with a strong emphasis on
product knowledge and applications.
Creating in-store product displays.
Assisting in resolving common business issues such as missing shipments, defective
goods, consumer complaints, and unusual product applications.
Helping with dealer inventory checks and processing orders for necessary
replenishments, forwarding these orders to the distributor preferred by the dealer.
Offering unselfish advice on how to manage the business more effectively. As the
dealer prospers, so will the dealer’s suppliers.
The detailers are employed by drug and textbook companies.
 Missionaries are typically employed by manufacturers that don't directly sell their
products to the general public. Instead, they provide materials or component parts to other
users or manufacturers.

2. Wholesaler’s Salespeople

This describes a person who acts as a go-between for the manufacturer and retailers
or industrial customers. They stock a wide range of diverse products in a warehouse, making
them readily accessible to dealers. These intermediaries perform various important functions
in facilitating the supply chain.

3. Retailer’s Salespeople

These individuals play a crucial role in the marketing process since they act as both
buyers and sellers. They purchase products from producers and wholesalers and then offer
a wide range of items to retailers. These intermediaries maintain large inventories in
warehouses, ensuring speedy access for dealers.

4. Specialty Salespeople

These businesses specialize in selling a specific category of products. They typically

offer higher-priced items that require customers to personally choose what they want to buy.
To succeed in this type of sales, it's essential to be creative, proactive, persistent, and
possess strong selling abilities.

Two classifications of specialty sales people:

1. Consumer Product Experts - These salespeople specialize in items like vacuum

cleaners, refrigerators, encyclopedias, brushes, cosmetics, greeting cards, books, or
cookware.
2. Industrial Product Specialists - They focus on selling items like cash registers and
office machines, and they're trained to provide service in addition to making sales.
They are often known as problem solvers for the company.

The Pledge of a Salesman

Pederson and Wright (1971) distinguished authorities in salesmanship wrote the following
creed:
The Professional Salesman’s Creed
1. I will place customer and company interest above self – interest.
2. I will be constantly alert to the concept that successful selling must bring mutual and
continuous benefits to both the buyer and seller.
3. I will maintain an optimistic and positive attitude toward my business at all times.
4. I will maintain loyalty to my company, my associates and my customers.
5. I will do everything possible to support the free – enterprise system based upon open
competition and freedom of choice in the market place.
6. I will continue to develop new knowledge’s, skills, and attitudes to keep pace with the
changing technological and social environment.
7. I will make every effort possible to utilize efficiently my total capacities in rendering
quality service to my customers and company.
8. I will never violate the trust and confidence of my customers or associates.
9. I will maintain honesty and integrity in all of my dealings with my customers,
competitors, colleagues, and company.
10. In all of my personal activities I will attempt to do what is right and just for all parties
concerned.

Rewards in Selling

Combining both cash and noncash rewards can significantly enhance sales
performance at a lower cost compared to relying solely on cash incentives. According to
John Farrell, the Senior Director of Client Strategy at the Carlson Marketing Group, noncash
incentives, on average, can increase sales by over 13% with just a 4% increase in
expenses. This translates to a three-to-one ratio of increased revenue to additional costs.
Noncash incentives come in various forms. Many sales representatives highly value
rewards like travel experiences and special gifts as tokens of recognition. However, the most
effective noncash rewards offer a level of flexibility similar to cash. These could be in the
form of certificates that allow winners to choose from a diverse and appealing catalog of
goods. When the catalog itself is well-known and respected, it enhances the significance and
memorable value of the incentive award (Canaday, 2021).

Give Them Choices

Even when facing economic challenges, sales managers continue to offer special
incentives to their representatives. However, limited budgets emphasize the need for
efficient incentive programs, as highlighted by Michael Dermer, the President of 1-800-Gift
Certificate.
Dermer argues that gift certificates can be a powerful choice because they provide
rewards that recipients genuinely desire, offering them choices. This eliminates the need to
spend time and resources identifying specific rewards and allows a focus on program
implementation and business objectives.
Selecting the right reward, especially for top-performing reps, can be a daunting task.
Dermer uses the example of golf clubs, which can change rapidly. Sales managers are often
pressed for time and shouldn't have to continuously research the best golf clubs. This
challenge becomes even more complex when dealing with a large sales force. In contrast, 1-
800-Gift Certificates can create a diverse portfolio of rewards suitable for reps across
different regions, genders, ages, and income groups.
1-800-Gift Certificates sources its reward portfolios from national retailers, travel
companies, and merchandise firms. This wide range allows them to offer incentives that
cater to various types of sales representatives.
Moreover, 1-800-Gift Certificates excels in the three essential elements of an
effective motivation program: knowledge, technology, and sourcing. They have the expertise
gained from working with over 1,000 corporate clients, the technological capabilities for
Internet-based tracking and redemption systems, and partnerships with national companies
to source the right rewards.
Dermer emphasizes that experience with past incentive programs provides a
significant advantage because it helps avoid common mistakes and capitalizes on lessons
learned.
Effective incentive "plumbing" is also crucial. Dermer mentions a scenario where a
client with independent distributors nationwide lacked a common information system. 1-800's
Internet-based awards system allowed each distributor's representatives to choose their
earned gift certificates or travel rewards, making it more manageable. Additionally, clients
can track the reward system's implementation and make adjustments as needed.
Sales forces typically employ one of two reward strategies: quarterly incentives for
exceeding revenue targets or ongoing incentives based on points earned for various
business achievements. Dermer suggests that ongoing programs, with their flexibility, are
more potent incentives because reps can be rewarded for specific achievements, such as
product sales or lead qualification.
However, motivating representatives with special rewards can be as intricate as
designing a compensation plan. Dermer emphasizes that many factors, including business
objectives, sales force demographics, past program experiences, and budget, need
consideration. He underlines the importance of listening to what the company aims to
achieve.
While gift certificates offer flexibility, Dermer acknowledges that cash remains a
strong competitor. Companies often have cash bonus systems in place, and gift certificates
complement cash incentives rather than replacing them.
Dermer believes that gift certificates are the right approach for many companies
because they cater to everyone's preferences. He recognizes that while sales managers
may desire to personally select rewards daily if resources were unlimited, practical
constraints make this an impractical approach.

"THE MOST POWERFUL INGREDIENT IN BUSINESS IS POSITIVE MOMENTUM, GET IT

AND KEEP IT"

- Dan Lightfritz
 Activity 1:

Role playing: What salespeople do?

Submit a picture of YOU showing at least (3) three activities of Salespeople.

Discuss the picture.

Activity 2:

Submit a picture of you showing at least (3) three characteristics of Salespeople.

Discuss the picture.

Activity 3:

Memorize and understand the “Salesman’s Creed”.

Note: the activities should be submitted on our next face-to-face meeting

 References

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https://www.sellingpower.com/2010/02/02/5891/rewards-and-recognition
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https://www.googlesir.com/importance-of-salesmanship-to-consumers/
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integrated-marketing-communications/
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