Sales Management

Pradip Kumar Mallik,

Associate Professor, Department of
Business Administration

© Oxford University Press 2011

 Chapter - 3

Personal Selling Process

© Oxford University Press 2011

 Learning Objectives
 Understand the components and steps of personal selling
 Explain the role of prospecting and how it helps in identifying
and locating customers
 Appreciate the importance and process of pre-approach and
approach as steps to start interaction with prospective buyers
 Understand ways of identifying the needs of the prospects
 Identify the different presentational techniques and ways of
handling customer objections
 Learn the importance and techniques of closing the sales
 Get insights of how to make follow-up calls after selling

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Personal Selling
Personal selling begins with identifying
customers and ends with ensuring
satisfaction to them.
It involves series of steps that are diverse,
complex and knowledge based.
Personal selling is considered as an
indispensible promotional tool.

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Process of Personal Selling

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Prospecting
Prospecting relates to locating and
qualifying new customers.
A prospective customer has
 A need for the product/service.
 The willingness to buy.
 Purchasing capacity.
 Authority to buy.
 Accessibility to the salespeople.

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Prospecting
Identifyingor locating prospective
customers involves:
 Identifying potential customers.
 Generating sales leads.
 Screening out weak leads.
 Selecting qualified prospects.
 Defining target customers.

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Sources of Identifying Prospects
Present customers. Telephonic contacts.
Former customers. Cold Calling.
Centre of influence Electronic mail
approach campaigns.
Personal contact Exhibitions and trade
method. shows.
Endless chain Direct mail.
method. Media.
Non-competing sales
Intermediaries.
force.

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Pre-Approach
Pre-approach is a stage of collecting
detailed information about prospects and
deciding on the best sales method to reach
them.
Decide on the mode of appointment with
the contact.
Deciding the call planning.
Preparing the sales talk.
Deciding on the sales strategy

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Techniques for Approaching
Prospects
Use referral.
Cite the company or brand name.
Compliment the prospect.
Offer a gift.
Give the prospect a feel of influence.
Ask a planning question or statement.
Demonstrate the innovativeness in a
product or service.

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Customer’s Need Discovery
Uncover the perceived need of the
prospect.
Initial aim should be to build trust and
rapport with the prospect.
Basic task of salesperson is to make the
prospect feel free and uncluttered.

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Guidelines for Questions

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Sales Presentations (Dos)
Specify unique features and benefits that
competitors cannot offer.
Create an association between product
features and customer benefits.
Combine verbal deliberation with
demonstration.
Ward off doubts and confusions of the
customers.

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Sales Presentations (Don’ts)
Do not indulge in one-sided presentation.
Do not criticize competitors
unnecessarily.
Do not involve in any argument with
customers.
Do not hide the demerits of the product or
service.

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Presentation Methods
Canned Presentation.
 Structured.
 No modification in script.
 May fail to arouse customer enthusiasm.
Organized Presentation.
 Salespeople are given checklist.
 Flexible
Tailored Presentation.
 Prepared for an individual customer.

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Handling Objections
Objection is the resistance from the
prospective buyers to block the
completion of selling.
Objections should be welcome as they
indicate prospect’s interest in the offer.
Objections should be seen as an
opportunity than an obstacle to sales.

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Types of Objections
Time Objection.
Need Objection.
Competition Objection.
Source Objection.
Service Objection.
Price Objection.
Pseudo Objection.

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Closing the Sale
Final attempt by the salesperson to make
the prospect agree to the business
proposal and place the order.

‘Closing the sale’ refers to a situation

when the salesperson reaches an
agreement with the propect.

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When to Close
Gauge the buying signal from the
prospect.
Buying signal can be verbal or non
verbal.
Use trail close before the actual close.
For trial close, ask questions like:
 I think the proposals match your requirement.
 Is this what you have been searching for?
 I think this was in your mind.

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How to Close
Alternative close.
Assumption close.
Concession close.
Gift close.
Balance sheet close.
Direct close.
Action close.
Bonus close.
Best-time close.

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After Sales Follow-up
Complement customer for taking a purchase
decision in favor of the company.
To prove that the company takes care of
customer’s convenience.
To affirm that the customer has taken the right
decision.
To build a relationship of trust, dependability
and integrity.
To generate more referrals from present
customers.

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