Personal selling as a Career

Subject : Commerce

Lesson : Personal selling as a Career

Lesson Developer : Sonal Jain

College/ Department : Bharati College, University of Delhi

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi

 Personal Selling as a Career

Lesson: Personal Selling as a Career

Table of Contents:

1. Learning Outcomes
2. Introduction
3. Benefits in sales Career
4. Career opportunities in selling
4.1 Selling Career under Different Employers
4.2 Career Path of a salesperson
5. Difficulties in sales career
6. Measures for making selling an effective career
Summary
Exercises
Glossary
References

1. Learning Outcomes:

After you have read this chapter, you should be able to:
 understand the importance of sales career,
 explain the opportunities in sales career,
 recognize the career opportunities under different employers,
 evaluate career path of a salesperson,
 comprehend the Difficulties in sales career,
 appreciate the measures for making selling an effective career,
 Decide whether sales job is good for you or not.

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2. Introduction
Personal selling is a stimulating, and fulfilling career. It is a career where a person can
reach astonishing heights. It is a rule for some companies that they require sales
experience as a prerequisite for advancement into managerial ranks. A salesperson
experiences a totally different kind of world in a selling career. Persuading a person to
buy may be considered to be an uphill task, but having achieved that honour gives
immense satisfaction to the seller. Therefore we see that selling as a career can be
daunting and challenging. It is appropriate to choose a selling career only when there is
an urge to venture out and sell. For instance, an Indian salesman has to work in any
kind of market space and his target audience may differ every time! It has been seen
generally that persons with fair amount of patience and perseverance can stay and
survive in the selling business. Further career exploration has become still more
demanding these days owing to the influx of products in almost every sphere. To build a
rewarding career in sales other prerequisites are to have an exquisite brain for the
product viz. having all the knowledge that is required to sell a product/service or even
more. When we say even more we require the sales person to add up his knowledge and
wisdom to every situation in selling. We know that the selling environment is a different
ball game altogether, it is a very dynamic field. So keeping oneself abreast of different
situations that can crop up would be an added advantage.

So the question now is apt, why a selling career? A career in selling is rewarding, most
of the studies indicate that salesperson earn significantly more than other employees.
The reason behind this earning is the commission that they receive over and above the
fixed salary paid to them. Therefore the earnings of successful sales personnel attract
the people to choose selling as a career. Secondly, the sales career helps in the
attainment of psychological needs of a person also called Psychic Income viz. recognition
and security. It has been indicated in many research studies that selling professionals
are more likely to receive recognition in abundance. The accomplishments of sales
personnel do not go unheeded. Secondly the job security of sales personnel is immense.
Even during turbulent times the company would not think of laying-off the sales
personnel, because sales personnel contribute directly to the value of the company.
Thirdly, there is always scope for career advancement. A seller doesn’t remain static for
long, as they work in glaring environments where performance has high visibility.
Fourthly, demand for professionally skilled sales personnel could be found almost
everywhere, and the demand is increasing owing to the advancements in every field.
From the latest fashion items to industrial products everything needs to be sold.
Therefore selling skills are needed in a variety of industries; this makes the job of a
seller mobile.

Value Addition 1: Did You Know

Dhirubhai Ambani Started his Career as a Salesman
Dhirubhai Ambani is said to have started his entrepreneurial career by selling "pakora" to
pilgrims in Mount Girnar over the weekends.

Source: http://bigdreamdhirubhaiambani.blogspot.in/2008/04/story-of-success.html

Value Addition 2: Points to Ponder

Titles which identify a sales personnel

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 Personal Selling as a Career

Sales Engineer
Technical Representative
Sales co-ordinator
Sales Consultant
Sales Associate
Sales Counsellor
Marketing Representative
Account Executive
Account Representative
Management Representative
Source: Manning, G. L., and Reece B. L. (1990). Selling Today: A Personal Approach.
ISBN 0-205-12102-0

In personal selling, a salesman has to go through seven basic stages, and this applies to
all types of products or services being sold. These stages form the part of personal
selling process, which is depicted in Figure:

Figure 1: The Personal Selling Process

The seven stages depicted in the above figure are shown in the form of a wheel. The
process of selling goes on after the follow up stage. The relationship of the sales
representative with the customer is strengthened after the follow up stage. In addition,
the customer needs change over time; therefore the salesperson needs to keep in touch
with the customer for offering new products and services.

 Prospecting: It is the first step in which the salesperson finds the lead. A lead
must be qualified in terms of need or want, authority, money, and eligibility to
buy the product before being considered as a prospect.

 The Pre-approach: In this stage, the salesman collects the detailed information
about the prospects. According to the information, the salesman further plans a
strategy for approaching the prospects.

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 Approaching the Prospect: The first impression of the salesman, in this stage,
affects the prospects decision. Salesman tries to hold the prospects attention and
interest. A salesman, to be successful, learns how to alter their approach as per
the prospects.

 Sales Presentation and Demonstration: In order to sell the product to the

prospects, salesman focuses more on the sales presentation or way of
communication. The aim of an effective sales presentation or demonstration is to
let the prospects know that the salesman is solving their problem by offering the
product and not just selling it.

 Handling Objections: Generally, the prospects have certain doubts in their mind
regarding the price, product, source, money etc. which are known as the
objections. A salesman needs to handle these objections by offering them
solutions.

 Closing the Sale: This stage is important for a salesperson as the prospects
gives the order of product. While closing the sales the salesman asks the
prospects about giving the order. A salesman learns variety of closing techniques
to make the sale successful.

 Follow Up: After making the sale, the salesman keeps in contact of the
customer. He handles the complaints of the customers, which helps in satisfying
the customers. A satisfied customer is more likely to become a loyal customer,
who make the repeat purchase or buy another product of the seller.

Value Addition 3: Activity

Personal Selling Process
Suppose you are a salesperson of an insurance company. You have received three
months training and acquire product knowledge, competition and selling skills. You
have been transferred to new zone and you don’t know much about the zone. However,
you have been given the names, numbers and addresses of people who have inquired
for and purchased the products. How will you start working in the new zone? From
which stage of personal selling process will you start?

Value Addition 4: Video

Selling As A Career (1953)
Click on the link below to know how you a salesman of works. He deals with customers
in the morning and does preparations at home for next day’s work in the evening. They
play very important role in our life and their main focus is to satisfy the customer’s need.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZVs_2Lswfg

3. Benefits in Sales Career

Among the college graduates job of selling is quite popular, particularly when it is
available to anyone who is interested in doing. One of the reasons for this popularity is
the benefits associated with it. Sales offer a good start for those who desire for a
managerial career. Generally, youngsters prefer doing sales than any other job as it
gives them the opportunity to work with the customers directly. As a salesman,
youngsters can understand how the business works from the bottom line. Following are
the specific benefits that a salesperson may enjoy if he is focused on his work:

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Figure 2: Benefits in Personal Selling career

 Financial Rewards
Salespeople are considered as the best salaried employees in the business. They
earn more than the non-sales employees of the company. Other than the
increment in the salary on an annual basis the salespeople earn money in the
form of the commission, bonus, and cash prizes etc. Commission is given to the
salespeople on the basis of order size or profitability registered by the company.
Bonus is given to the salespeople when they exceed their predetermined target.
Salespeople can make as much money as they want by getting the business to
the company, which depends on their ability to sell. This rewards system attracts
lots of youngsters towards selling career.

 Perks
Apart from earning good money, salespeople do enjoy the facility provided to
them by the company in the form of “Perquisites or Perks”. It includes car,
apartment, mobile phone, laptops etc which acts as a motivational factor for the
salesman. Also it may be in the form of discount coupons of restaurants,
vouchers of branded apparels, ticket for cricket matches etc. These perks are
given to those salespeople who perform well and give profits to the company.
They are known as the non-cash rewards. For example, Bank of America gives its
employees the shopping vouchers when they achieve their target.

 Recognition
Sales career offers the salesman a high degree of recognition. Other than the
rewards in the form of cash and kind, the successful salesman get recognition
from the top management. The salesman is then asked for their advice in
important decision regarding sales management. Also, he gets the opportunity to
train his subordinates.

 Independence:
In the sales job, the salesman is empowered by their seniors to perform the given
responsibilities with full autonomy. Successful salespeople are free to set their

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own working hours, their seniors hardly supervise them and they develop their
unique style of selling. Even after enjoying that much liberty, salespeople still
enjoy the same benefits that are given to the other employees of the company. If
the salesman achieves the target of the day by the afternoon, he may be allowed
to leave and rest at home also.

 Adventure & Satisfaction:

Sales job is very challenging and adventurous at the same time, as the salesman
deals with a plethora of varied customers daily. Each customer has different
needs and problems which bring freshness in the work. A successful salesman
does not get bored of his work because he can sense the novelty of his work each
time he ventures out. Also, his job gives him the satisfaction in terms of money
and providing the customers what they need. The feeling of solving the problems
of the customer by offering him a suitable product gives the satisfaction to the
salesman. Today, the youngsters prefer working in an environment of a
challenging job. Selling is a best suited career option for those who love
adventure and challenges.

 Job Security
The salespeople are considered as the lifeblood of the organizations. When it
comes to hiring and firing the staff, sales staff is hired first and fired in the end in
any organization. When it comes to lay-off, the organizations do not contemplate
in removing the sales personnel as they are the only source of getting the
business or orders. This signifies the importance of sales personnel in an
organization.

Value Addition 5: Activity

Reason to choose sales as a career
Think about do you want to make your career in personal selling. If yes, then What are the
factors that may influence your decision? Is it because of money, job independence, Or
challenging job?

Discuss your thoughts and feelings in your peer group?

4. Career Opportunities in Selling

Selling is a great place to start, no matter what direction one’s future career takes.
There is a whole range of career opportunities in the selling line, and these opportunities
are fulfilling and they mostly advance the career of sales personnel in a positive manner.
A person should choose selling as a career after analysing the future scope of the job
and his aptitude. Selling is a platform wherein the sales person could augment his
position in the hierarchy of the company. The roles of sales representatives are very
challenging and therefore full of rewards and recognition. Sales personnel are regarded
as life blood of any company because they are the ones who take the company’s product
to the consumer echelons. The sales personnel are always in a better position to gauge
the intent of the customer. Salespeople are the first representatives of the company who
are taken into consideration before designing new lines of product. Salespeople portray
the real aspirations, needs, and interests of the customers. Therefore the importance of
a selling career can never be dumbfounded. On the contrary selling career is an
evergreen arena which if skilfully moulded brings laurels to the sales representative. We
are going to study in the following sections the different roles a salesperson can be
assigned and the career path which a salesperson can choose to augment his position in
the hierarchy of the company.

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4.1. Selling Career Under Different Employers

Selling careers have different offerings and requirements which vary in different
circumstances. Therefore every sales person should know about the employment
settings and the characteristics of those employment circumstances. Selling as a career
can be chosen according to the employment offer and on one’s own aptitude and
interest. Stimulating the desires and studying the behaviour of prospects instils an
interest among the sales personnel. However, the only caveat is to choose ones selling
career wisely, because any misfit would not let the salesman succeed and he shall turn
out to be a very average salesman. For example, if a salesperson, having interest and
aptitude in selling televisions (retailing business), is asked to sell the automobile spare
parts (manufacturing business), he may not be happy and satisfied while selling. Selling
careers according to employers are depicted in the figure:

Figure 3: Selling Career under Different Employers

4.1.1 Retailer
In retail sales, every customer is being treated as an individual. Salesperson makes
every effort to identify the needs of the customers and chooses the suitable product for
them. After closing the sale, salesperson takes care for the arrangement for delivery or
pick up. Also, salesperson keeps a record system in detail that includes important
information regarding each customer. Two types of salesperson are hired by the retailers
- clerks (order takers) and associates (sales consultants). Clerks are supposed to
perform routine duties. They take order in the retail shop. Earnings of clerks are not high
but salesperson gets the chance for getting promoted to higher level retail positions by
working in this position. The nature of a clerk’s job is as follows:

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 Salesperson or clerk should acquire minimal training

 He is not supposed to have more product knowledge
 He works as a part time employee
 He is supposed reply to customer’s request for product
 He hardly make sales presentation
 He rarely provide after sale service

Associates are the salespersons who engage in selling the product to the customers.
They identify the needs of the customers and choose a product according to the need.
They act as the consultants also. They earn more comparing to the clerks as they
contribute highly to the earnings of the employer. Following are the characteristics of the
associate’s position:

 Salesperson or Associate should have constant extensive training.

 He must acquire high product knowledge
 He works as a full time employee
 He identifies customer needs by asking question
 He is supposed to make sales presentation
 He provides after sale service

In retailing, products that require more personal selling are fashion apparel, electronics
items, furniture, automobiles etc. This type of sales job is available for both men and
women. Also, age is hardly a barrier to work in this line. However, earnings depend on
the type of product, training level, and initiative of individuals. This sales job is very
popular and considered the best among the inexperienced people as after gaining
experience they are promoted to work in the departments or store management
positions.

Value Addition 6: Did You Know

Joe Girard As A Great Retail Salesman
This Detroit native made a name for himself as the greatest car salesman of the post-
war era. As a young boy, he sold subscriptions to the Detroit Free Press door-to-door
and learned that sales operated according to a law of averages all its own. The more
doorbells he rang, the more money he made. He carried that philosophy forward when
he graduated to selling big-ticket items. During a 15-year period that began in 1963, he
sold more than 13,000 Chevrolets at a local dealership—at one point selling 18 cars in a
single workday.
Source: http://www.inc.com/ss/10-greatest-salespeople-of-all-time?slide=1#4

4.1.2 Wholesaler

The role of wholesaler came into picture when it was difficult for the retailers to buy the
products directly from the manufacturers. Wholesalers have become an important link
between the manufacturer and the retailer or individual customers. Many big institutions,
whether public or private, depend on the services provided by the wholesalers. For
example, Hospitals require instruments, drugs, cleaning supplies etc., which can be
provided by a single wholesaler. When the business of the wholesaler expands, the
requirement for the salesperson also increases. Two types of salespersons are employed
by the wholesaler i.e., Inside salesperson and Outside salesperson.

Inside salesperson works by taking telephone orders. This role of inside salesperson has
grown in popularity because of the increasing cost of personal selling. Nowadays, some
wholesalers, in order to save the cost, are taking their salesperson off the road and
giving them the training to work through telephones and e-mail only. Though the
telephone bills increase while working with inside salespeople, but this increase is
significantly less than the sales expenses occurred by the salesperson normally. Also,

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inside salespeople have been found to give more business to the wholesalers by boosting
the sales up. New salespeople, before initiating to contact the customers, are given voice
training and other behavioural training. During the training they learn how to initiate the
conversation, how to convince the customer over phone, and lastly how to close the
sales etc. In the figure below, voice trainig is given to the employees by the trainer.

Figure 4: Voice Training to Salespeople

The outside salespeople are required to have the detailed knowledge of the product.
They are supposed to be entirely aware of the competitors operation also. The
responsibility of the outside salesperson differs from one wholesale firm to another.
Some wholesale firms deal in a single line of product (for example, electrical products),
whereas some wholesale firms deal in a extensive range of product lines. They play the
role of a consultant as well.

4.1.3 Manufacturer

A manufacturer sells most of its products to the consumers via wholesalers. However, to
sell the products to wholesaler also, the manufacturer needs the salesperson who can
convince and sell the product. While contacting the buyers, a salesperson is supposed to
keep one thing in the mind that the buyers respond more readily to the rational rather
than emotional buying appeals when it comes to buy the product from the manufacturer.
The salesperson may be required to make the sales presentation before the skilled
buyers. So, he needs to have sufficient product knowledge and the knowledge of the
buyer’s business operation. A manufacturer can employ three types of salesperson viz.
Field Salesperson, Sales Engineer, and Detail Salesperson.

A field salesperson is a person that sells the standard office equipment to the buyers. He
generally handles well-established products and does not need to possess a high degree
of technical knowledge of the product.

A sales engineer is a person who possesses the in-depth and technical knowledge of the
product. He also possesses the ability to discuss the technical facets of the product. A
salesperson’s skill in identifying, analysing, and solving customer problems is very
important during sales. The success of a new product that represents an innovation in
technology depends on the salesperson’s performance. Therefore, He needs to prepare
himself to answer a series of highly technical queries with convictions.

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A detail salesperson contributes to the manufacturing company by developing goodwill

and stimulating demand for the products. These types of salespeople do not get paid on
the basis of numbers of orders taken; rather they are given recognition for boosting up
the sales of the products indirectly. To improve the marketing of the product, they call
the wholesaler, retailer and other individuals and get their feedback. They are also
helpful to the company in providing training to sales staff. They are also capable in
giving advice to the customers regarding credit policies, store layout, storage, and
pricing of products.

4.1.4 Service

For past few years it has been visible that the amount spent by the customers on
services has increased. This trend will continue in the near future as well. This field has
opened the doors for salespeople. Huge numbers of sales personnel are required in this
field. Generally before buying the service, customers require assistance from a
knowledgeable person. Here comes the role of the salesperson, they assist the
customers to choose the service that will provide them benefit. By selling the following
most important services salespeople can shape their career:

 Insurance: One of the most promising careers in sales is selling insurance to the
customers. Generally, customers buy insurance that includes life, health, fire,
automobiles, casualty etc. Salesperson assists the customers by telling them the
type of insurance policy should be bought by them. For this, the salesperson is
required to have full knowledge and capable of telling customers benefits also.

 Investment securities: Well-trained professionals are hired by the companies

to sell the securities. Before actually starting to work the salespeople are given
training for about two or three months.

 Banking: now days, most banks prefer a sales promotion programme and one of
their key strategies is personal selling. Banks hire salespeople who help in getting
business by selling credit cards and other services to the customers. These
salespeople are also required to attend the training programme organised by
their employers.

 Hotel services: With the growing business in the economy, today, the business
of the hotels is also increasing. Every year lots of conferences and conventions
are being held by the companies and institutions. In this case, the salespeople
cater the business by using their art of selling. Salespeople play an important role
by selling space with food, beverages and other services for a conference or
meeting.

 Real Estate services: A customer spends lots of his savings in buying

properties. Salespeople are required to act wisely as they have to match the need
and budget of the customer with the appropriate property. Salespeople are held
responsible for the deals and after having acquired years of experience their
career grows at a swift rate.

Value Addition 7: Activity

Sell a Product
Use your skills and whatever you got to know about selling, in selling small stationary in your
school and later on try to sell those products to your instructor by convincing them to buy
your product. If you achieved that then there are chances for you to perform well in the sales
job.

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4.2 Career Path of a salesperson

While planning about the salespeople’s future, a successful salesperson has basically
three options available to him. These are Professional Selling, Sales Management, and
Marketing Management. Today, many companies are offering these multiple career paths
to newly appointed salesperson. However, whatever path a salesperson chooses, his
concerns and work challenges go forward as he passes through the various stages of his
career. He prepares himself for greater job responsibilities and advancement when he
stays for long time on the chosen path. Sales manager or human resource manager
helps the salesperson in examining his skills and performance record. This evaluation
becomes the basis for deciding about the best suited career path. The figure below
shows that a salesperson has three paths and he decides best suited path after
evaluating each career path.

Figure 5: Career Path of a

Salesperson

 Professional Selling

If a salesperson enters the professional selling career path, he may have to spend
three to five years as a ‘sales representative’, after which he is promoted to ‘senior
sales representative’. After spending five to seven years, senior sales representative
is promoted to the position of ‘master sales representative’. Successful master sales
representative is then promoted to the ‘national or key account sales
representatives’, who are responsible for selling to a few major and important
customers of the country. After achieving success, he may be promoted to the post
of the CEO of the company.

 Sales Management

In this path, a salesman gets promoted to ‘sales supervisor’ or ‘sales manager’,

where he gets the responsibility of guiding a few sales people in a given sales
branch. On the basis of his performance and experience, then he gets promoted to
‘branch sales manager’ and after that to ‘district manager’. From district manager, he
gets the promotion zone, division and regional sales manager, where these
hierarchical labels may differ from one company to another. After spending few
years, he gets promoted to ‘national sales manager’ or ‘vice president of sales’.
Finally, a sales person who has performed well may get the chance of becoming CEO
of the company.

 Marketing Management

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When a salesman achieves success in field sales, then there are the chances that he
may get selected for the marketing management sales career path. This career path
starts with the position of a ‘product or brand manager’ for a product category. A
successful product manager may then, get promoted to ‘director of product
management’ and then ‘vice president of marketing’. Based on the performance, he
may get selected for the position of ‘president’ and ‘CEO’.

Figure 6: Options Available to Salesman in Sales Career

In the figure above, salesman is having three options available to him while deciding
about his career path. The first option is to go for professional selling, in which he
may get the opportunity to be promoted from salesmanship to sales representative
to senior sales representative to master sales representative to national/key account
sales representative to CEO of the company. The second option, sales management,
leads him salesman to sales supervisor/manager to branch sales manager to district
sales manager to zone/division/regional sales manager to national sales manager or
vice-president of sales to CEO of the company. The last, but also very important
option is Marketing Management. For a salesman, this path leads to Product/Brand
manager to Director of product management to vice-president of marketing to
president and CEO of the company.

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5.Difficulties in sales career

There are certain difficulties, which could be faced by sales personnel in his sales career.
A salesman should be aware of these difficulties and try to overcome these by coming up
with some suitable solutions at the right time. The possible difficulties, which a salesman
could face while performing, the sales duties are as follows:

Figure 7: Difficulties in Sales Career

Daunting Profession:
Job of personal selling is not an easy profession to cater. In this job, a salesman is
required to put lots of efforts to get the business i.e. sales deal to the company. From
the very inception i.e. starting from prospecting to handling objections of the client in
the selling process, the salesman is always on his toes. Besides these intellectual efforts,
this job also requires a lot of travelling, which could be taxing. The personal life of the
sales personnel also suffers on account of faulty work-life balance. The way out to these
problems is following a balanced approach. Therefore a salesman needs to engage in the
work he does, so that the problem of disinterest does not arise.

Little Respect for the beginners:

As a beginner in sales profession, selling job has a little respect not only in India but all
over the world. To perform this job, a person does not require a very good academic
record. This makes the entry to selling job easier for those who do not acquire good
qualifications. Easy entry to this job attracts lots of incompetent people. Generally the
routine sales stuffs are assigned to unskilled sales personnel. On the whole, no minimum
educational qualification creates a perception in the minds of people that this job is not a
respectable job as anyone can do it. So the solution is to develop a selling environment
in which sales representative are given their due importance. We have seen in the lesson
before that the sales representatives are one who sell the products and bring real repute
to the organization. Even unskilled sales personnel mean business and they bring value
to any organization. Therefore a more pragmatic approach from the society is required.

High Stake in Consumer Loyalty:

A salesman represents the company and product in the eyes of the customers.
Therefore, the salesman needs to always be on his toes to impress the customers. If he
leaves the good impression on the customers then they will buy the product again and
become loyal to the company. If the salesman does not succeed in leaving good
impression then the customers will switch to some other brand or company. The
salesman is held responsible for this act that’s why he works cautiously. Thus we see the
onus of bringing prospects and retaining customers is in the hands of the sales

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representative and thus the pressure emancipating out of the responsibility. The way for
every sales representative is to have belief in oneself and the product one is selling and
maintain confidence throughout the sales career.

Target based environment:

The sales job is a target-based job. The employers set the daily, weekly, and monthly
targets for the salespeople. The salespeople are required to fulfil those targets, but it is
not guaranteed that the targets will be achieved always. Sometimes salespeople may not
achieve their set targets, which can bring frustration to the salespeople, as their rewards
are based on their performance. Any kind of frustration or job dissatisfaction is not good
for the salesman and the company. An unsatisfied salesman generally does not perform
the job according to his own merit.

Uncanny and rude customers:

All salesmen are not lucky enough to get good customers. In some occasions the sales
representatives bump into customers who are rude and uncanny, which may well
become a hindrance in sale. These types of customers are not easy to handle. A
salesman needs to deal with these types of customers intelligently. The aforesaid
behaviour of the customers sometimes discourages the salesman also.

Performance based payment:

Some people think that selling job has lots of benefits including extra perks and
emoluments, however to earn this money a salesman is required to work hard. The
major part of payment to the salesman is variable and depends upon his performance.
He earns more money in the form of commission on sales, bonus etc. When he performs
well he gets the extra financial rewards otherwise not. This type of payment system
discourages the sales representatives. There may be certain instances when the sales
personnel do everything required to bag the sales, but end up getting a negative
response from the customer. In such situations the motivation and morale of the sales
representative is shattered. So the organizations need to devise proper mechanism
through which the performance management of the sales representative can be assessed
in a proper manner.

Dynamic Sales Environment:

In the selling job, it becomes difficult for the salesman to predict the customer’s
behaviour and also the sales environment. It is difficult to predict when a customer feels
the need of changing the product or when he would stop buying the product. Human
behaviour is dynamic, which increases the problems for the salesman.

Lay-off of unproductive salesman:

The companies spend lots of amount on the sale force. So, good performance is
expected out of every salesman. If a salesman constantly does not perform well, the
company may terminate that salesman. To save his job, a salesman is required to give
his best in the job.

5 Measures for making selling an effective career

To make selling a career is a difficult choice. It has its own share of risks involved in it.
However, the rewards are exquisite too. We have seen in this lesson the pros and cons
of choosing selling as a career. Now, the lesson would deal with the measures as to how
selling could be turned into an effective career for aspirants.

Figure 8: Measures for Making Selling an Effective Career

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 Effective Training: is the utmost necessity for turning amateurs into pruned
sales representative. Proper training should be given to the salespeople so that
they can enhance their skills, learn more about the sales environment and learn
how to deal with the customers in different circumstances. Proper training could
include real life scenarios explained through simulation exercises. Simulation
exercises may include such ‘out of the book situations’ which need judgmental
insight of the sales representative. Such training should prepare the sales
representative to face real life scenarios and application of mind which could be
different to copy book routine situations. In the figure below, a sales trainer is
giving training to the employees so as their efficiency can be improved.

Figure 9: Sales Training

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 Level of Motivation: For sales personnel to be effective the motivation should

come from within. It is often seen that motivated sales personnel do not panic in
an extreme situation. They are motivated to do the work in the right way.
Therefore, high degree of intrinsic motivation is needed within the salesperson.

 Initiator and Innovator: the quest for every sales person should be to achieve
a loyal customer base. Therefore, a salesperson who can take the great initiative
while approaching and communicating with the customers is the one who has the
maximum consumer loyalty. By initiative it means to be a initiator of desired set
of activities which subsequently leads to sales. So this initiative for a salesman
can be in the form of tackling customer problems and being a facilitator.
Innovativeness is also a desired learning which should be there in every
salesman’s armoury. The salesman can be innovative in bringing out new utilities
of a product, he can be innovative in suggesting varied measures to counter
problems of the client, or he can bring novel ways in providing consultations and
advice to the customers.

 Social Dynamics: A salesperson should be aware of the social dynamics. Social

dynamics refers to the caveats that are being followed in the society. The society
has numerous problems; awareness of the same could be a boon for the
salesman. If the salesperson is aware of these dynamics then only he could
provide solutions to those problems. It is seen that the social problems or social
needs are intertwined with individual’s own needs and desire. So a salesman
could well device ways to bring forth their product as a solution to the problems.
He can work for developing the need of the product and connect the product with
that need.

 Ethics and Morality: Salesperson should follow the ethics of the business. A
salesman is generally authenticated to use the company’s fund, so it is expected
out of the salesperson to use the funds in an ethical way and not for personal
purposes. Similarly, the sales personnel need to be ethical while dealing with the
customer. There should not be any coaxing and persuading of the customer which
could eventually lead to sale but not consumer’s satisfaction. This signifies that
the salesperson should not sell the product in an unethical way. The customers
today are well updated and also loyal to those brands from which they derive
utmost satisfaction. Therefore, any unethical means used by the seller is often
deciphered which brings harm to the repute of the company.

Value Addition 8: Points to Ponder

Attributes of a salesman required to have an effective selling
career
 Creativity: Salesperson should be creative. The sales job is very challenging and
to handle it nicely, a salesperson should look for creative ways to face it.
 Patience: Salesperson should be patient while dealing with the customers.
Sometimes few customers behave rudely or aggressively but a salesperson
should not get irritated with that behaviour rather act calmly.
 Flexible in Dealings: A salesperson should be flexible. He needs to have five or
six plans of action in his mind and if plan one gets failed, he would easily be able
to switch to the next one as per the behaviour of the customers.
 Diplomatic: Salesperson should handle the objections diplomatically. Every
salesperson must be prepared for the objections of the customers. He should
handle the objections in a way that the customer gets satisfied and place the
order.

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Value Addition 9: Did You know

10 Reasons Why Top Sales People are Successful
Top sales people are more successful now a days because they:
 do what they love to do,
 decide exactly what they want,
 Back Their Sales Career Goals With Perseverance,
 Commit to Lifelong Learning,
 Use Their Time Well,
 Follow the Leaders,
 Know That Character is Everything,
 Use Their Inborn Creativity,
 Use Their Inborn Creativity,
 Pay the Price of Success
Source: http://www.briantracy.com/blog/sales-success/key-to-success-sales-career-top-
sales-people/

Value Addition 10: Did You Know

How to boost your sales career
Click on the link below to know how you can boost up your sales career. Here, in the
article the author has given seven tips which can be followed in order to improve sales
career.
Source:http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-career-7-tips-to-boost-
your-sales-career/20130425.htm#1

Value Addition 11: Did You Know

Karsanbhai patel
He started career by selling home-made detergent on a bicycle. Today, 68-year-old
Karsanbhai Patel, founder of Rs 3,000-crore diversified Nirma group, has joined the club
of Gujarati businessmen who own private aircraft.
Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-
trends/founder-of-nirma-group-karsanbhai-patel-acquires-rs-40-cr-agustawestland-
chopper/articleshow/20471994.cms

Summary
 Personal selling is a stimulating, and fulfilling career. It is a career where a
person can reach astonishing heights. It is appropriate to choose a selling career
only when there is an urge to venture out and sell.
 In personal selling, a salesman has to go through seven basic stages and this
applies to all types of products or services being sold. The stages are prospecting,
planning the sales call, approaching the prospect, sales presentation &
demonstration, handling objections, closing the sale and follow up.
 Among the college graduates job of selling is quite popular, particularly when it is
available to anyone who is interested in doing. One of the reasons for this
popularity is the benefits associated with it.
 The specific benefits that a sales person may enjoy are financial rewards, perks,
recognition, independence, adventure & satisfaction, and job security.
 There is a whole range of career opportunities in the selling line, and these
opportunities are fulfilling and they mostly advance the career of sales personnel
in a positive manner.

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 Selling as a career should be chosen after analysing the future scope of the job
and aptitude of the aspirant. Otherwise, any misfit would not let the salesman
succeed and he shall turn out to be a very average salesman.
 Selling careers have different offerings and requirements which vary in different
employment situations. Different employment situations include retailer,
wholesaler, manufacturer and service.
 In retail sales, Salesperson makes every effort to identify the needs of the
customers and chooses the suitable product for them. After closing the sale, he
takes care for the arrangement for delivery or pick up. Two types of salesperson
are hired by the retailers - clerks and associates.
 When the business of the wholesaler expands, the requirement for the
salesperson also increases. Two types of salespersons are employed by the
wholesaler i.e., Inside salesperson and Outside salesperson.

 The manufacturer needs the salesperson who can convince and sell the product to
customers. A manufacturer can employ three types of salesperson viz. Field
Salesperson, Sales Engineer, and Detail Salesperson.
 While providing the service, salesperson assists the customers to choose the
service that will provide them benefit.
 Sales manager or human resource manager helps the salesperson in examining
his skills and performance record. This evaluation becomes the basis for deciding
about the best suited career path. These are Professional Selling, Sales
Management, and Marketing Management.

Glossary
 Augment: To improve one’s position to higher levels, or to increase.
 Ethics: The investigation of moral values in a given situation or place.
 Laying-off: The action taken by the organizations to remove the employees
from their jobs in a large scale. Laying-off is generally related to mass lay-off.
 Prospect: It refers to the prospective client/buyer.

Exercises:
A. Objective Type Questions:

Question 1:
Match the following theories with their correct descriptions:

Theory description

1. Clerks a. Wholesaler

2. Sales engineer b. Retailer

3. Inside salesperson c. Manufacturer

Question 2:

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Benefits that a salesperson may enjoy is:

a. independence

b. perks

c. recognition

d. all of the above

Question 3:

The possible difficulty which a salesman could face while performing the sales duties is
__________.

a. financial rewards

b. rude customers

c. job security

d. none of the above

Question 4:

A satisfied customer is more likely to become a ________ customer:

a. rude

b. good

c. loyal

d. none of the above

Question 5:

A sales engineer is a person who possesses the in-depth and _________ knowledge of
the product.

a. technical

b. selling

c. buying

d. none of the above

B. Short Questions:

1. Briefly explain the Personal Selling Process.

2. What are the selling opportunities under different employers?
3. Write a short note on professional selling as an option in career path of a
salesperson.

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4. Explain the types of salespersons employed by the wholesaler.

C. Long Questions:

1. Explain in detail the benefits of sales career.

2. Explain in detail the Personal Selling Process.
3. Discuss in detail the options available to a salesperson while deciding about his
career path.
4. Explain the career opportunities for a salesperson.
5. Explain in detail the measures for making selling an effective career.
6. Write a note on selling opportunities under a retailer by giving a real life example.

Answers to Objective Type Questions:

1. 1-b, 2-c, 3-a

2. d,
3. b,
4. c,
5. a

References
Work Cited

 Anderson, Rolph. E., Dubinsky, Alan. J. (2004). Personal selling: achieving

customer satisfaction and loyalty. Houghton Mifflin.
 Cant, M. C., & Heerden, CH. Van. (2008). Personal Selling. Formeset Printers
Cape. ISBN: 9 780702 166365
 Peterson, R. (1978). Personal selling: an introduction. Wiley.

Web-links

 http://www.oldandsold.com/articles07/career-39.shtml
 http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/007310132x/315792/ch01.pdf
 http://media.briantracy.com/downloads/pdf/everyoneisasalesperson.pdf

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