Lecture # 10 (a)

SZABIST - HYDERABAD
 Qualities in a Salesperson

Liked Disliked

Reliability/credibility Is difficult to
Professionalism/ communicate with
integrity Lacks knowledge of
Product knowledge the customer’s
company
Innovation in
problem solving Is overly aggressive
Presentation/ Makes promises
preparation that his or her
company cannot
deliver
 Personal Selling

Overview

A form of Person-to-person
communication in which a salesperson
works with prospective buyers and
attempts to influence their purchase
needs in the direction of his or her
company’s products or service
 Personal Selling

Personal Selling’s Primary Purposes

 Enhancing Brand Equity

 Educating Customers
 Providing Product Usage & Marketing
Assistance
 Providing After-sale Service & Support To
Buyers
 Personal Selling

Personal Selling’s Unique Role

1. High Level Of 4. Communicate

Customer Attention More Technical &
Complex Information

2. Customize The 5. Demonstrate A

Message Product’s Functioning
& Characteristics

3. Yields Immediate 6. Develop Long-term

Feedback Relationship
 Personal Selling

Attractive Features

Job freedom

Variety & Challenge

Opportunities For
Advancement

Attractive Compensation
& Non-financial Rewards
 Personal Selling

Modern Selling Philosophy

I. Based on trust and mutual agreement

II. Customer-driven atmosphere
III. Act as if on customer’s payroll
IV. After-sales service is key
V. No one solution is appropriate for all
customers
VI. Professionalism and integrity are essential
Selling Activities
 Personal Selling

Types of Sales Jobs

Trade Selling
 Typically
Missionary Selling employees of
manufacturer.
 Sell through their
Technical Selling
direct customers
 Requires limited
New-business Selling prospecting and
places greater
Retail Selling emphasis on
servicing accounts

Telemarketing
 Personal Selling

Types of Sales Jobs

Trade Selling
• Employees of
Missionary Selling manufacturers
• Typically
Pharmaceutical
Technical Selling
Industry
• Sells for its direct
New-business Selling customers
(Distributor /
Retail Selling wholesalers)

Telemarketing
 Personal Selling

Types of Sales Jobs

Trade Selling
• Typically trained in
Missionary Selling technical fields such
as chemistry,
engineering, computer
Technical Selling science, and
accounting
New-business Selling • Must be able to
communicate
complicated features
Retail Selling
to prospective
customers
Telemarketing
 Personal Selling

Types of Sales Jobs

Trade Selling
• Must continuously
Missionary Selling call on new accounts
• Bird-dogging, cold
calling
Technical Selling
• Continually work to
open new accounts
New-business Selling • e.g., Office copiers,
personal computers,
Retail Selling business forms, and
personal insurance
Telemarketing
 Personal Selling

Types of Sales Jobs

Trade Selling
• Customer comes to
Missionary Selling the salesperson
• Have considerable
product knowledge,
Technical Selling
strong interpersonal
skills, and ability to
New-business Selling work with a diversity
of customers
Retail Selling

Telemarketing
 Personal Selling

Types of Sales Jobs

Trade Selling
• Is used to support or
even replace the
Missionary Selling sales forces
• Versatility applies to
Technical Selling both consumer-
oriented products
and business-to-
New-business Selling
business marketing
• Not appropriate for
Retail Selling all sales
organizations
Telemarketing
 Personal Selling

Factors in Evaluating the Use of a

Telephone Sales Force

1. How essential is face-to-face contact?

2. Customers geographically concentrated or
dispersed?
3. How large are typical order sizes?
4. What decision criteria are important
5. How many decision makers?
6. What is the nature of purchase?
7. What is the status of the decision maker?
8. What specific selling tasks have to be
performed?
 Personal Selling

Team Selling

1. To best represent the customer’s interests by

capitalizing on the strengths and expertise of
various personnel
2. Also prevalent in business-to-business selling
situation
3. Include experts drawn from throughout the
organization
 Personal Selling

Salesperson Performance

Aptitude
o Includes interests,
intelligence, and
Skill level
personality
characteristics
Motivational level o Some people better
suit to one type of
Role perceptions sales job than
another
Personal characteristics o All must be
customer oriented
Adaptability and empathetic
 Personal Selling

Salesperson Performance

Aptitude
o Includes selling,
interpersonal, and
Skill level
technical skills
o Companies instill
Motivational level the skills needed for
success
Role perceptions o One of the most
important skills
Personal characteristics —”Close a Sale”
o Getting along with
Adaptability immediate superior
 Personal Selling

Salesperson Performance

Aptitude
o The amount of time
and energy a person
Skill level
is willing to expend
performing tasks
Motivational level o Reciprocally related
to performance
Role perceptions o People are driven in
different ways
Personal characteristics

Adaptability
 Personal Selling

Salespeople: Four General Personality Types

Competitors Ego-driven

Desire to win and Desire to be the

to best,
beat rivals to win awards,
to be organized
Achievers
Service-oriented
Routinely set
higher Good at building
goals and like relationships with
accomplishment customers
 Personal Selling

Salesperson Performance

Aptitude
o Accurate role
perception is crucial
Skill level
o Often they face role
conflicts that
Motivational level diminish their sales
performance
Role perceptions o Organizational
Citizenship
Personal characteristics Behaviors (OCBs)

Adaptability
 Personal Selling

Salesperson Performance

Aptitude
o Age, physical size,
appearance, race,
Skill Level
gender, etc.
o It doesn’t ensure
Motivational level sales success or
failure
Role Perceptions o Successful
salespeople are
Personal Characteristics androgyny (possess
both male and
Adaptability female traits)
 Personal Selling

Salesperson Performance

Aptitude
o Ability to adapt to
situational
Skill level
circumstances
o Due in part to
Motivational level personal aptitude
but also includes
Role perceptions learned skills
o Absolutely essential
Personal characteristics for success

Adaptability
 Personal Selling

Excellence in Selling

 First Impression  Self-esteem

 Depth of knowledge  Extended focus

 Breadth of knowledge  Sense of humor

 Adaptability  Creativity

 Sensitivity  Taking risks

 Enthusiasm  Honesty & ethics