Personal Selling
A Simple Exercise to start
off…
 At this point in time
 In the event of
 Due to the fact of
 At a later date in time
 On a daily basis
 Each and everyone
 In my opinion, I think
 In the majority of
instances
 In an intelligent manner
 Irregardless
 Owing to the fact of
 Close scrutiny
 Terminated the scheduled
engagements
 Refer back
 True facts
 When and if
 For a period of two weeks
 Specific example
Answers
 Now  Regardless
 When  Due to
 Because  Scrutinize
 Later  Cancelled the
 Daily appointment
 All  Refer
 I think  Facts
 Usually  If
 Intelligently  For two weeks
 example
Road Map
 Evolution of Personal Selling

 Preliminary steps in the selling process

 Advanced steps in the selling process

 “What not to do” in Personal selling

Evolution of Personal
Selling
Early history of selling
 Marketing’s early development

 Personal Selling
 Town economy
 Agricultural Middlemen
 Bagman
 Yankee Peddler
 Wagon Peddler
 Greeters
 Drummers
 Credit Investigators
Selling in the 20th century

“Things were different in the 1890’s, but

people still bought from people (not from
companies) and the salesmen’s ability to
produce new business, develop new
markets, introduce new products and find
new customers was as necessary then as
it is today.”
Jack Falvey
Selling in the 20th century
 From production to sales
 Great depression of 1930’s
 Creation and growth of corporate departments
to support sales efforts

 Traditional sales approaches

 Canned sales presentations
 Stimulus - Response theory
 Selling formulae - AIDR / AIDA
Selling in the 20th century
 Emergence of marketing concept
 Increased sophistication of buyers
 Further professionalization of purchasing
management
 Wider adoption of marketing concept
 Better training of sales people

 Team work in selling

 Systems selling
Sales Activities & Tasks

 Selling  Training
 Handling orders  Entertaining
 Product servicing  Traveling
 Information handling  Assisting distributors
 Account servicing  Conferences and
meetings

Development / Missionary / Maintenance /

Support
Classifying Sales People
 Creative Selling Vs Service Selling

 Thomas Wotruba’s classification

 Provider
 Persuader
 Prospector
 Problem solver
 Procreator
Selling in the 90’s
 Partnering / Relationship selling / Team selling /
Value added selling / Consultative selling

 Emphasis on
 Marketing research
 Situational / Personal / Relationship factors
 Buyer – Seller dyad

 Communication as the essence of interaction

 B2B – Selling center Vs buying center
Personal Selling

“When you’re out there selling, face-to-

face with your customer, there is no place
to hide. It’s the acid test.”

James Koch
The Personal Selling Process
 Preliminary steps
 Prospecting
 Preparing

 Advanced steps
 Presenting
 Handling objections
 Closing
 Follow up
Personal Selling
Preliminary steps
Prospecting
 Identification & qualification of potential
buyers
 Networking
 Sales Lead

 Prospecting Process
 Define Target Market
 Generate Sales leads
 Qualify Prospects
Identifying Prospects

 Present Customers
 Former Customers
 Cold Calling
 Spotters
 Directories and Mailing lists
 Prospecting Services
Identifying Prospects

 Referrals
 Center of influence
 Endless Chain prospecting
 Personal Contacts
 Trade shows and exhibits
 Direct Marketing
 Lead Management system
Qualifying Prospects

 MAN approach
 Money
 Authority
 Need
Preparing
 Pre-Approach
 Who is the customer?
 Gatekeeper
 Economic Buyer

 Users

 Technical personnel

 What are the customer’s needs?

 Dominant Buying motive
 What other information is required?
 Where does one obtain information?
Preparing
 Call Planning
 Specifying the objectives
 Why am I going on this interview?
 What am I trying to make happen?

 If the prospect says “yes, I want to buy,” what am I

going to recommend?
 Developing a strategy
 Making an appointment
Personal Selling
Advanced Steps
“Salesmen fail not when they open their
mouths, but before they open them. Their
appearances convey they are not likable,
not honest, not trustworthy, not even
sincere”

John T. Molloy
Presenting

 Approach
 Probe for needs
 Convince the prospect

 Adaptive selling
Approach
 First impressions are essential
 Preparation
 Beginning the presentation
 Ask questions
 Use a referral
 Offer a benefit
 Offer a service
 Compliment the prospect
 Give something of value
Probing for needs

 SPIN selling
 S – Situation questions
 P – Problem Questions
 I – Implication Questions
 N – Need payoff Questions

 Empathy
 Active listening skills
Probing for needs
 Types of questions
 Open-ended questions
 Reflective questions
 Directive questions

 Benefits of questions
 Learn about the prospect
 Maintain control over the sale
 Involve the prospect
 Build relation
 Establish trust
Convincing the prospect
 Persuasion

 Features-Benefits selling

 Presentation techniques
 Visual aids
 Testimonials
 Examples
 Guarantees
 Demos
Handling objections
 Sales resistance Vs Objections

 Objections as opportunities
 Types of objections
 Timing
 Price
 Source
 Competition
Responding to objections
 Prospect states the objection
 Listen carefully
 Ask questions
 Respond to the objection
 Yes…but method
 Boomerang method
 Comparison method
 Compensation method
 Case history method
 Confirm your response
Closing

 When to close?
 Looking & Listening for buying signals
 Verbal
 Non-verbal buying signals
 Using a trial close
Closing

 How to close?
 Alternative proposal close
 Assumptive close
 Gift close
 Action close
 One more yes close
 Balance sheet close
 Direct close
Follow up

“I’ll be there after the sale because after I

have sold something to someone, I can
sell them more. I just don’t disappear”

Xerox Corporation
Follow up
 Post sale action

 Customer relations
 Handling complaints promptly & pleasantly
 Maintain contact with customers
 Keep serving the customers
 Show appreciation
Self analysis
 Were the planned sales objectives
achieved?

 What could I have done better?

 What did I learn from this call that will

contribute to my future success?
What not to do?
 Failing to seat the prospect properly
 Pointing finger / pencil at the prospect
 Sitting awkwardly in chair
 Having a calendar in the wall
 Smoking
 Slapping / Poking
 Chewing gums
 Mocking
 Talking fast
Thank you…