Sales Management

Book Cover Here

Edition Number: 2nd edition
Author: Drotsky, A.
ISBN 978 1 48512 124 4

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Chapter 1: Sales careers and the selling
process
• Overview of personal selling
• Roles of the salesperson
• Drivers of change in sales management and
selling
• Selling as a career
• Types of sales jobs
• The steps in the selling process

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• Learning objectives:
– comment on the roles of salespeople;
– define a professional salesperson;
– describe the drivers of change in sales
management and selling;
– distinguish between the different types of sales
jobs;
– discuss the four sales presentation methods that a
salesperson can use;

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• Learning objectives (cont.):
– discuss the sales presentation as a selling tool;
– discuss the different categories of objections that
a salesperson must be able to handle;
– explain how a salesperson should react to
objections during a presentation;
– discuss the different sales-closing techniques; and
– discuss the three categories of the follow-up.

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• Sales manager must be competent and
knowledgeable
• Sales manager depends on the salesperson’s
abilities and skills to execute their planning to
secure sufficient sales volume, profits and
growth

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• Selling = ‘personal communication of
information to unselfishly persuade a
prospective customer to buy a product,
service, idea to satisfy needs’
• Salespeople, sales force, sales
representative(s) and professional sales
representative(s) are responsible for
generating sales

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• Roles of the salesperson
– sales role: to stimulate demand and to persuade
customers that they need a product or service
– marketing role: to meet the needs of both
customers and the business by developing and
applying sales strategies in the selling process
– customer relationship (partnering) role: to build
and maintain relationships with the customers by
being customer-oriented

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• Drivers of change in sales management and selling
– building long-term relationship with customers
– developing a sales organisation structure
– creating a feeling of job ownership and commitment in
salespeople
– shifting sales management style from commanding to
coaching
– leveraging technology for success
– integrating salesperson performance evaluation
– being aware of the drivers of change in selling

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• Selling as a career
– ‘Why should I choose sales as a career?’
– The major reasons are:
• opportunity to serve others by helping them
• variety of sales jobs available
• freedom and independence
• challenges that a sales career offers
• opportunities for advancement
• financial and non-financial rewards

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• Types of sales jobs
– Retail salespeople: sell goods and services to
consumers for their personal use
– Wholesale salespeople: purchase products from
manufacturers and other wholesalers and then
sell on to retailers for resale
– Manufacturers’ salespeople: work for
organisations that produce a product or service

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• The steps in the selling process
– Prospecting
– Pre-approach
– Approach
– Presentation
– First trial close
– Determine objections
– Handling objections
– Final trial close
– Closing the sale
– Follow-up

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• Step 1: Prospecting
– the lifeblood of selling
– identifies new prospects to increase sales and to
replace customers lost over time

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• Step 1: Prospecting (cont.)
– Prospecting methods:
• sources are cold calling, referrals, content marketing,
networking, email marketing, webinars, seminars, social
networking and advertising
– Five steps:
• Set objectives for prospecting
• Allocate time to prospecting activities
• Decide on the best prospecting method to meet objectives
• Customise the prospecting plan
• Evaluate the results

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• Step 2: Pre-approach
– salesperson must learn everything possible about
the prospect
– could use contact management software or the
internet to explore
– learn about the prospect’s operations, its current
customers, competitors, products, present
suppliers and special relationship with current
suppliers

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• Step 2: Pre-approach (cont.)
– salesperson must prepare the prospect for the
first sales contact by using pre-notification and
seeding techniques
– salesperson can obtain information by a low-
profile preliminary call at the prospect’s business
site
– get the appointment

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• Step 2: Pre-approach (cont.)
– preparing the sales presentation that will be used
during the presentation step in the selling process
– sales presentation methods:
• structured sales presentation method
• semi-structured sales presentation method
• unstructured sales presentation method
• customised sales presentation method

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• Step 3: Approach
– prospects observe the salesperson’s appearance,
manner, and mannerisms
– different approaches that the salesperson can use:
• introductory approach
• product demonstration approach
• customer benefit approach
• curiosity approach
• question approach

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 – different approaches that the salesperson can use:
• statement approach
• premium approach
• survey approach
• compliment approach
• shock approach

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• Step 4: Presentation
– Requirements of a presentation:
• cover all the important points in a logical order
• describe the product or service the salesperson has to
offer
• indicate how the sales representative’s presentation
will be beneficial for the client
• cover the necessary detail to close the sale
• enable the sales representative to achieve their goals

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• Step 4: Presentation (cont.)
– salesperson must strive to maintain interest
– make use of persuasive communication by asking
questions and listening to the answers
– remember to watch the prospect’s body language
– keep control by directing the conversation as
planned
– using visuals and demonstrations

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• Step 5: First trail close
– attempt to test the prospect’s attitude toward the
sales presentation
– ask for the prospect’s opinion by posing a question
to the prospect
– favourable response to the trial close questions is
a sign that the prospect is ready to buy

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• Step 6: Determine objections
– any concerns, statements or questions raised that
are a sign of hesitation or unwillingness to
purchase the product
– valid or invalid objections

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• Step 6: Determine objections (cont.)
– Different categories of objections:
• Uncommon
• Hidden
• Stalling
• No-need
• Price
• Product
• Source

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• Step 7: Handling objections
– Anticipate objections
– View objections as opportunities
– When responding to an objection, reflect a
positive attitude and body language, while
showing a sincere interest in the prospect’s
opinion
– Listen to the objection carefully

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• Step 8: Final trial close
– not the final close
– used by the salesperson to establish the
prospect’s frame of mind by asking a question

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• Step 9: Closing the sale
– Reasons why salespeople fail to close the sale:
• Lack of skills
• Feeling of guilt
• Fear of closing

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• Step 9: Closing the sale (cont.)
– The close can take place as follows:
• An early close
• Midway close
• Close at the end

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• Step 9: Closing the sale (cont.)
– Techniques of closing the sale:
• Asking for the order
• Alternatives close
• Assumptive close
• T-account close
• Minor point close
• Standing-room-only close
• Technological close

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• Step 10: The follow-up
– long-term client relationships are built on integrity
and effective after-sales service
– categories:
• After-sales action
• Customer relationship
• Self-evaluation

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• Summary
– sales manager is responsible for the strategic
planning for the sales force
– selling jobs are classified into three categories
– ten steps  prospecting, pre-approach, approach,
presentation, trial close, determining the
objections, handling the objections, trial close,
close, and follow-up

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