1. Personal Selling: Preparation and Process

2. Salesperson : Activities
Selling activities
Non Selling activities (preparation of sales reports, collecting payments, obtaining market information, travelling and waiting to see customers)

3. The Personal Selling Process
FOLLOW UP
SERVICE
CLOSING THE SALE
OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS
PRESENTATION AND DEMONSTRATION
APPROACH
PRE-APPROACH (Precall Planning)
PROSPECTING AND QUALIFYING
The Personal Selling Process 12

4. Prospecting
It is identifying or finding prospects i.e. prospective or potential customers.
A prospect is not the same as sales lead.
Methods of prospecting or sales lead generation are:
referrals from existing customers,
company sources (website, ads., tradeshow, teleprospecting),
external sources (suppliers, intermediaries, trade associations),
salespersons’ networking,
industrial directories, (6) cold canvassing

5. Qualifying
Companies qualify sales leads by contacting them by mail or phone to find their interests (or needs) and financial capacity.
Necessary conditions for probable prospect:
Probable prospect should have need
Probable prospect should afford to buy
Leads are categorized as:
Hot prospects, Warm prospects and Cool prospects
Hot (good requirements), Warm (medium requirements), Cool (low requirements)
It usually takes about four calls to convert an initial enquiry into sales.

6. Pre-approach Information gathering about the prospect
Sources of information: Internet, industrial directories, government publications, intermediaries, annual reports, trade magazines, suppliers etc.
In-depth information about the customer makes salesperson confident.
Planning the sales call
Setting call objectives
Planning the sales strategy:
- Date, Time, products, features and benefits may meet the customer needs
- Adaptive selling (modification to selling objectives or plans)

7. Approach Make an appointment to meet the prospect
Make favorable first impression
Select an approach technique:
Introductory (name, company’s name, greeting and a firm handshake)
Customer benefit (Identify one major buying motive)
Product (Useful when product is new - Presentation/Demonstration)
Question (Two way communication – make the prospect curious about the product)
Praise
The approach takes a few minutes of a call, but it can make or break a sale
The approaches like free gift may not be liked by some prospects and may violated the ethical guidelines.

8. Presentation and Demonstration
There are four components:
1. Understanding the buyer’s needs
- Situational questions, Problem identification questions, Problem impact questions, Solution value questions, Confirmation questions.
2. Knowing sales presentation methods / strategies
3. Developing an effective presentation
4. Using demonstration as a tool for selling

9. a. Understanding the buyer’s needs
Situational questions : Questions about the prospects current situation or any facts the salesperson needs
Problem identification questions : Uncover the customers problems
Problem impact questions : Make the buyers realize the impact or consequences of the problem and the need to solve the problem
Solution value questions : Help the buyer assess the value or usefulness of a solution
Confirmation questions : for eg Would you be interested to know how our service can minimize the errors in your system?

10. b. Knowing Sales Presentation Methods/Strategies
Stimulus response method / Canned approach.
It is a memorised sales talk or a prepared sales presentation.
The sales person talks without knowing the prospect’s needs.
E.G. Used by tele-marketing people, door to door sales person
Non-technical products
Continue Process until Purchase Decision
Salesperson
Provides
Stimuli
Buyer
Responses
Sought

11. b. Knowing Sales Presentation Methods/Strategies
Formula method / Formulated approach/ Mental state selling.
It is also based on stimulus response thinking that all prospects are similar.
Shortcomings are: prospects’ needs are not uncovered and uses same standard formula for different prospects.

12. b. Knowing Sales Presentation Methods/Strategies (Continued)
Need – satisfaction method
Interactive sales presentation
First find prospect’s needs, by asking questions and listening
Use FAB approach: Features, Advantages, Benefits
Effective method as it focuses on customers
Continue Selling until Purchase Decision
Present Offering to Satisfy Buyer Needs
Uncover and Confirm Buyer Needs

13. b. Knowing Sales Presentation Methods/Strategies
Team selling method
- Group presentation

14. c. Developing an Effective Presentation
Some of the guidelines are:
Plan the sales call
Adapt presentation to the situation and person
Benefit Plan
Don’t Overload
Use the prospect’s language
Make the presentation convincing – give evidence
Use technology like multi-media presentation

15. d. Using Demonstration
Sales presentation can be improved by demonstration
Demonstration is one of the important selling tools
EGs: Test drive of cars; demonstration of industrial products in use.
Benefits of using demonstration for selling are:
Buyers’ objections are cleared
Improves the buyer’s purchasing interest
Helps to find specific benefits of the prospect
The prospect can experience the benefit
Planning and conducting demonstration by rehearsing with colleagues.
Contingency plan in case of power failure

16. Overcoming Sales Objections / Resistances
Objections/ Resistance/ Oppositions take place during presentations / when the order is asked.
Two types of sales objections:
Psychological / hidden
Logical (real or practical)
Methods for handling and overcoming objections:
(a) ask questions, (b) turn an objection into a benefit,
(c) deny objections tactfully, (d) third-party certificate,
(e) compensation (benefits)

17. Trial close and Closing the sale
Trial close checks the attitude or opinion of the prospect, before closing the sale (or asking for the order)
If the response to trial close question is favorable, then the salesperson should close the sale.
Buying Signals:
- Examining product, asking for another’s opinion, asking questions , being friendly.
Some of the techniques used for closing the sale are:
(a) alternative-choice, (b) minor points, (c) assumptive,
(d) summary-of-benefits, (e) T-account, (f) special-offer,
(g) probability and (h) negotiation

18. Closing techniques alternative-choice (prospect is given the choice)
minor points (payments in installments, colour, model)
Assumptive (starring to wrap, getting credit card machine, asking would you like to take it with you )
summary-of-benefits,
T-account- balance sheet close(Assets and Liabilities)
special-offer
probability (I will think about it – Please let me know what is the probability)
Negotiation (both of us win)

19. Negotiation When to negotiate?
(a) When the buyer puts certain conditions for buying to the seller,
(b) When agreement between the buyer and the seller is needed on several factors,
(c) When the product is customized,
(d) When the final price is to be decided
How to prepare for negotiation?
(a) planning, (b) building relationship, (c) purpose
Styles of negotiation
(a) I win, you lose, (b) Both of us win (or win-win style),
(c) You win, I lose, and (d) Both of us lose

20. Follow-up and Service Necessary for customer satisfaction
Successful salespeople follow-up in different ways: For example,
Check customer order
Plan follow-up visit at the time of delivery
Account penetration
Relationship marketing

21. Selling Process in Asian Paints

22. Selling Process in ICICI BANK

23. THANK YOU