Sales Knowledge: Customers, Products, Technologies 6 Chapter Sales Knowledge: Customers, Products, Technologies McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

6 6-3 Chapter

6 Main Topics Chapter The Tree of Business Life: Knowledge 6-4 Chapter Main Topics The Tree of Business Life: Knowledge Sources of Sales Knowledge Knowledge Builds Relationships Know Your Customers Know Your Company Know Your Product

6 Main Topics Chapter Know Your Resellers Advertising Aids Salespeople 6-5 Chapter Main Topics Know Your Resellers Advertising Aids Salespeople Sales Promotion Generates Sales What’s It Worth? Pricing Your Product Know Your Competition, Industry, and Economy Personal Computers and Selling

6 Main Topics Chapter Knowledge of Technology Enhances Sales and 6-6 Chapter Main Topics Knowledge of Technology Enhances Sales and Customer Service Sales: Internet and the World Wide Web Global Technology Provides Service Technology Etiquette

The Tree of Business Life: Knowledge Guided by The Golden Rule: Be an expert on everything associated with your product(s) Use wisdom when applying knowledge Remember, customers rely on you to truthfully provide knowledge and wisdom Realize that people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care T T Ethical Service T T T T T T T T Builds T r u e Relationships T C I

Sources of Sales Knowledge Sales training Experience

Knowledge Builds Relationships Knowledge increases a salesperson’s confidence Knowledge increases a buyer’s confidence in salesperson More knowledge leads to more sales and more relationships

Know Your Customers Find out all you can

Know Your Company General Company Information Company growth and accomplishment Policies and procedures Production facilities Service facilities

Know Your Product Product knowledge may include: Performance data Physical size and characteristics How the product operates Specific features, advantages, and benefits of the product How well the product is selling in the marketplace

Know Your Resellers Understand the channel of distribution Know as much about each channel member as possible

Advertising Aids Salespeople Main ingredients of a firm’s promotional effort Types of Advertising Differ National advertising Retail advertising Cooperative, or co-op, advertising Trade advertising Industrial advertising Direct-mail advertising Internet advertising

Exhibit 6-2: Advertising and Sales Promotion Information the Salesperson Provides the Buyer

Why Spend Money on Advertising? Companies advertise because they hope to: Increase overall sales and sales of a specific product Give salespeople additional selling information for sales presentations Develop leads for salespeople through mail-ins and ad response Increase cooperation from channel members through co-op advertising and promotional campaigns Educate the customer about the company’s product

Why Spend Money on Advertising?, cont… Inform prospects that a product is on the market and where to buy it Reduce cognitive dissonance over the purchase Create sales or presell customers between sales calls

Sales Promotion Generates Sales Consumer sales promotion Trade sales promotion Point-of-purchase (POP) displays Shelf positioning Shelf facings Premiums Sales promotion on the Internet

What’s It Worth? Pricing Your Product Price refers to the value or worth of a product that attracts the buyer to exchange money or something of value for the product

Exhibit 6-4: Examples of Prices and Discounts Salespeople Discuss in Their Sales Presentations

Know Your Competition, Industry, and Economy Understand competitors’ products, policies, and practices

Personal Computers and Selling The top 10 PC applications include: Customer/prospect profile Lead tracking Call reports Sales forecasts Sales data analysis Sales presentation Time/territory management Order entry Travel and expense reports Checking inventory/shipping status

Exhibit 6-6: Top 10 PC Applications

Knowledge of Technology Enhances Sales and Customer Service Personal Productivity Contact management Calendar management Automate sales plans, tactics, and tickets Geographic information system Computer-based presentations

Knowledge of Technology Enhances Sales and Customer Service, cont… Communications with Customers and Employer Word processing E-mail Fax capabilities and support Customer Order Processing and Service Support Salespeople's mobile offices

Exhibit 6-9: Salespeople Rely on Mobile Technology to Serve Their Customers GPS Device Cell Phone PDA

Sales: Internet and the World Wide Web The Internet The World Wide Web Web page Links Surfing the Internet

Web Sites Can Provide Valuable Information to Salespeople

Global Technology Provides Service Increased worldwide interaction

Technology Etiquette Netiquette – etiquette on the internet Cell Phones Voice Mail Faxes Speakerphones and Conference Calls

Summary of Major Selling Issues Company knowledge includes information on a firm’s: History Development practices Procedures Products Distribution Promotion Pricing

Summary of Major Selling Issues, cont… To reduce conflicts and aid channel members in selling products, manufacturers offer assistance in: Advertising Sales promotion aids Pricing allowances National, retail, trade, industrial, and direct-mail advertising create demand for products and are powerful selling tools in sales presentations

Summary of Major Selling Issues, cont… Salespeople should be able to confidently discuss price, discounts, and credit policies with customers Success in sales requires knowledge of the many technologies used to sell and service customers

Chapter 6 Appendix Sales Arithmetic and Pricing

Types of Prices List price – standard price Net price – after discounts Zone price – based on geographical location FOB shipping point – buyer pays FOB destination – seller pays

Discounts Lower the Price Quantity discounts Non-cumulative Cumulative Cash Trade Consumer

Exhibit 6A-1: Various Promotional Allowances Available to Resellers

Exhibit 6A-2: Types and Examples of Discounts Skip video Video Help

Resellers: Markup and Profit Gross profit Net profit Channel of distribution markup Markup arithmetic Return on investment

What Is the Percent Markup? $1.00 = cost to retailer $1.00 = dollar markup $2.00 = selling price

What Is the Percent Markup?, cont… It depends on whether you use Selling Price, or Cost Dollar markup is divided by either selling price or cost to retailer Selling price = 50% Cost = 100% We use selling price in calculating the percent of markup

What Is Markup? Markup is the dollar amount added to the product cost to determine its selling price Markup is often expressed as a percentage

Exhibit 6A-3: Example of Markup on Selling Price in Channel of Distribution

Exhibit 6A-4: Example of Using Unit Cost

Exhibit 6A-5: Profit Forecaster for Granola Bars Shown to Buyer Skip video Video Help

Organizations: Value and ROI Value analysis Product cost compared to true value Unit costs ROI is listened to

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