MKTG 75 • Customers deserve the most courteous attention we

PROFESSIONAL SALESMANSHIP can give them.

• Customers are the lifeblood of this and every
CHAPTER 1. SELLING AS A PROFESSION
business. Customers pay your salary. Without
What is selling? customers we would have to close our doors.
• Don't ever forget it!
A traditional definition of personal selling refers to the
personal communication of information to persuade a Four main elements in customer relationship process
prospective customer to buy something—a good, service, ABCS - Analyze, Benefits, Commitment, and Service.

idea, or something else—that satisfies that individual’s • Salespeople analyze customer needs, present
needs. product benefits, and gain commitment for the
purchase. They provide excellent service to maintain
and grow the relationship. Customer product and
service satisfactions give the salesperson the
opportunity to restart the sales cycle by continuing to
analyze customer needs.

Sales Job are Different

• Salespeople represent their companies to the

outside world. Consequently, opinions of a company
and its products are often formed from impressions
left by the sales force. The public ordinarily does not
judge a firm by its office or factory workers.
• Other employees usually work under close
supervisory control, whereas the
Relationship Selling • outside salesperson typically operates with little or no
direct supervision.
Relationship selling is a technique that prioritizes building
• Salespeople probably need more tact, diplomacy,
a connection with customers and potential buyers to
and social poise than other employees in an
close sales. Rather than solely using the price and other
organization. Many sales jobs require the
details to sell a product or service, the salesperson focuses
salesperson to display considerable emotional and
on the interactions they have with their customers.
social intelligence in dealing with buyers.
What is a customer? • Salespeople are among the few employees
authorized to spend company funds. They spend this
• Customers are the most important people in any money for entertainment, transportation, and other
business. business expenses.
• Customers are not dependent on us. We are • Some sales jobs frequently require considerable
dependent on them. traveling and time spent away from home and
• Customers are not an interruption of our work. They family.
are the purpose of it.
• Customers do us a favor in doing business with us. What Does a Professional Salesperson Do?
We aren't doing customers a favor by waiting on 1. Creates new customers.

them. 2. Sells more to present customers.

• Customers are part of our business-not outsiders. 3. Builds long-term relationships with customers.

Customers are not just money in the cash register. 4. Provides solutions to customers' problems.

Customers are human beings with feelings, and they 5. Provides service to customers.

deserve to be treated with respect. 6. Helps customers resell products to their customers.

• Customers are people who come to us with needs 7. Helps customers use products after purchase.

and wants. It is our job to fill them. 8. Builds goodwill with customers.
 9. Provides company with market information. - Asking prospect's opinions during and after
presentation.
Major Skills Enhanced in Selling
6. Objections
- Uncovering objections.
1. Conceptual skill is the cognitive ability to see the
7. Meeting objections
selling process as a whole and the relationship
- Satisfactorily answering objections.
among its parts. Conceptual skill involves the seller’s
8. Trial close
thinking and planning abilities.
- Asking prospect's opinion after overcoming each
2. Human skill is the seller’s ability to work with and
objection and immediately before the close.
through other people. Salespeo- ple demonstrate 9. Close
this skill in the way they relate to other people, - Bringing prospect to the logical conclusion to
including custom- ers or people within their own buy.
organizations. 10. Follow-up and service
3. Technical skill is the understanding of and proficiency - Serving customer after the sale.
in the performance of spe- cific tasks. Technical skill
What About You?
includes mastery of the methods, techniques, and
equip- ment involved in selling—such as How do you view the honesty and ethical standards of
presentation skills and uses for one’s products. today’s businesses and sales- people?

Selling in the 21st century According to poll survey:

Major changes occurring today will continue to occur in • What does the public think about salespeople? Only
the distant future and require salespeople to be 9 percent of the over 2,700 respondents had a
knowledgeable in areas they didn’t need to know about positive attitude.
only a few years ago these include: • What do you think about salespeople? Thirty-two
percent had a positive attitude.
1. international/ global selling,
• After graduation, would you accept a sales job?
2. diversity of salespeople and customers,
Forty-four percent said yes.
3. customer partnerships,
4. technology, and How some salespeople are viewed
5. ethics.
For the last two decades, Gallup (one of America’s leading
Ten Important Steps In The Customer Relationship pollsters) has found that insurance salespeople,
Selling Process. advertising practitioners, and used car salespeople are
the three lowest-rated job categories on perceived
1. Prospecting
honesty and ethical standards.
- Locating and qualifying prospects.
2. Preapproach New definition of personal selling
- Obtaining interview; determining sales call
objective; developing customer profile, customer Personal selling refers to the personal communication of
benefit program, and sales presentation information to unselfishly persuade a prospective
strategies. customer to buy something—a good, a service, an idea, or
3. Approach something else—that satisfies that individual’s needs.
- Meeting prospect and beginning customized
sales presentation. How would you treat the following in terms of personal
4. Presentation selling?
- Further uncovering needs; relating product
• Parents
benefits to needs using demonstration,
• Grandparents
dramatization, visuals, and proof statements.
• Partner
• Best friends

5. Trial close
Golden rule of personal selling such as law, medicine, journalism, the military, or his or her
own business.
A rule is a prescribed guide for conduct or action.
Selling is not just for salespeople; it is a must for everyone.
The Golden Rule of Personal Selling refers to the sales
In today’s competitive environment, where good
philosophy of unselfishly treating others as you would like
interpersonal skills are so valued, the lack of selling
to be treated. Reciprocity is not expected.
capability can put anyone at a disadvantage. So, as you
Remember: If you do not like to get cheated in a purchase, read this book and progress through the course, think
don’t cheat others. about how you can use the material both personally and
in business.
True! Everybody Sells!
What salespeople are paid to do?
Everyone sells. From an early age, you develop
communica- tions techniques for trying to get your way in When a sales manager sees one of her salespeople, the
life. You are involved in selling when you want someone to question is always, “Did you sell anything today?”
do something. Salespeople need to sell something “today” to meet the
performance goals for:
For example:
• Themselves, in order to serve others, earn a living,
• if you want to get a date,
and keep their jobs.
• ask for a pay increase,
• Their employer, because without the generation of
• return merchandise,
revenues the company fails.
• urge your professor to raise your grade,
• Their customers because their products help
• or apply for a new job.
customers fulfill their needs and help their
You are selling. You use personal communication skills to organizations to grow.
persuade someone to act. Your ability to communicate
Salespeople need to close sales and at the same time
effectively is a key to success in life.
maintain a great relationship with the buyer. Think about
Interest In Serving the Customer Improves as Our Self- that last sentence. It is a very important thing to
Interest Decreases. understand and learn. Salespeople want to sell to their
present customers today, more tomorrow, and even more
the day after that. How do you sell someone something
and remain his or her business friend?

Why choose a sales career?

Six major reasons:

1. the opportunity to provide service to others; (Service

to others)
2. the wide variety of sales jobs available; (Variety of
Sales jobs)
3. the freedom of being on your own; (Freedom)
4. the challenge of selling; (Challenge)
5. the opportunity for advancement in a company; and
Your Sales Class Will Help Make You a Better
(advancement)
Communicator.
6. the rewards from a sales career. (Rewards)
This is why so many people take sales courses. They want
Types of sales jobs
to improve their communication skills to be more
successful in both their personal and business lives. The 1. Selling in Retail
skills and knowledge gained from a selling course can be 2. Direct Sellers
used by a student who plans to go into virtually any field, 3. Selling for a Wholesaler
4. Selling for a Manufacturer
Selling in retail technical industrial products. The salesperson working for
a manufacturer.
A retail salesperson sells goods or services to consumers
for their personal, nonbusiness use. Retail selling is so Order Takers VS Order Getter
important to a society that this book has numerous
Order-takers may ask what the customer wants or wait for
examples of it.
the customer to order. They do not have a sales strategy
Three common types of sellers who sell at retail are the: and often use no sales presentation. Order- takers must
be employed to bring in additional business that the
1. in-store salesperson,
employer probably would not obtain without their efforts.
2. direct seller who sells face-to-face away from a
Many never attempt to close the sale. They perform useful
fixed store location
services. However, few truly create sales.
3. telephone salesperson.
Order-getters the creative selling of tangible goods or
Retailers include bakeries, banks, caterers, hotels, video
intangible services in highly competitive lines (or where
stores, travel agents, and stores selling clothes,
the product has no special advantages) moves
electronics, flowers, food, and furniture.
merchandise that cannot be sold in equal volume without
Customer contact person is another name for a a salesperson. They get new and repeat business using a
salesperson. Although the title may be different, their job creative sales strategy and a well-executed sales
is the same—to help you buy. presentation. The salesperson has an infinitely more
difficult selling situation than that faced by the order-
Direct sellers
taker.
Direct sellers sell face-to-face to consumers typically in
Sales personal career path
their homes who use the products for their personal use.

Selling for a wholesaler

Wholesalers (also called distributors) buy products from

manufacturers and other wholesalers and sell to other
organizations. A wholesale salesperson sells products to
parties for

• Resale, such as grocery retailers buying items and

selling to consumers.
• Use in producing other goods or services, such as a
home builder buying electrical and plumbing
supplies.
• Operating an organization, such as your school
Rewards in selling
buying supplies.
1. Nonfinancial Rewards
Firms engaged in wholesaling are called wholesaling
middlemen. Classifying wholesaling middlemen is difficult Sometimes called psychological income or intrinsic
because they vary greatly in (1) the products they sell, (2) rewards, nonfinancial rewards are generated by the
the markets to which they sell, and (3) their methods of individual, not given by the company.
operation.
2. Financial Rewards
Selling for a manufacturer
Many are attracted to selling because in a sales career
Manufacturers’ salespeople work for organizations financial rewards are commonly based solely on
producing the product. The types of manufacturer’s sales performance. Many professional salespeople have
representative positions range from people who deliver opportunities to earn large salaries. Their salaries average
milk and bread, to specialized salespeople selling highly even higher than salaries for other types of workers at the
same organizational level.
Is a Sales Career Right for You? CHAPTER 2. RELATIONSHIP MARKETING

Ask yourself these questions: What Is the Purpose of Business?

1. What are my past accomplishments? • The purpose of business is to increase the general
2. What are my future goals? well-being of humankind through the sale of goods
3. Do I want to have the responsibility of a sales job? and services.
4. Do I mind travel? How much travel is acceptable? • This requires making a profit in order to operate
5. How much freedom do I want in the job? the business and provide beneficial products to
6. Do I have the personality characteristics for the job? the marketplace.
7. Am I willing to transfer to another city? Another state? • Profit is a means to an end.
• Businesses have two major functions:
A Sales Manager’s View of The Recruiter
1. Production of goods or creation of services
We look for outstanding applicants who are mature and
intelligent. They should be able to handle themselves well 2. Marketing those goods and services.
in the interview, demonstrating good interpersonal skills.
The Primary Goal of Business
They should have a well- thought-out career plan and be
able to discuss it rationally. They should have a friendly, The primary goal of business should be to transform the
pleasing personality. A clean, neat appearance is a must. marketplace and workplace into an environment where
They should have a positive attitude, be willing to work everyone is treated as they would like to be treated.
hard, be ambitious, and demonstrate a good degree of Business should be fair to all parties involved in both the
interest in the employer’s business field. They should have buying and selling of goods and services.
good grades and other per- sonal, school, and business
What Is Marketing?
accomplishments. Finally, they should have clear goals
and objectives in life. Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes
for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging
Common Characteristics Which Applicants Are Judged
offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners,
1. Appearance, and society at large. American Marketing Association’s
2. Communication skills,
Transaction
3. Maturity,
4. Personality, - a trade of values between two parties; it forms a
5. Experience, relationship between buyer and seller.
6. Enthusiasm, and
7. Interest in the job. Exchange

Love of selling is at the heart of helping others. - refers to the act of obtaining a desired product
from someone by offering something in return.
Spell success with four S’s – SSUCCESS
Once the transaction has occurred, the exchange is
complete. The sale is made whether it involves buying a
stereo or voting for a political candidate.

Marketing Management Orientation

Production Concept A service is an action or activity done for others for a fee.
Lawyers, plumbers, teachers, and taxicab drivers perform
- This is the oldest concept of marketing. Under this
services.
concept the company focuses on production of whatever
they produce that is sold in the market. In this concept, An idea is a concept, image, issue, or philosophy.
they don’t focus on what customers need. large
The term product can be a good, service, idea, or a
production means the product so cheap and affordable
combination of these.
that it will be sold in the market. The main disadvantage of
this concept is that the customer does not always Value-added refers to benefits received that are not
purchase the easy and cheap available product. included in the purchase price of the individual good,
service, or idea.
Product Concept
Product
- The product concept focuses on the better quality
of the product. As they think the better product means the - A bundle of tangible and intangible attributes,
customer buys the product easily. But the companies do including packaging, color, and brand, plus the services
not care about the customer’s needs and wants. They and even the reputation of the seller.
produce the product as the best of their knowledge.
Major types of products
- The company thinks that the good quality of the
1. Consumer products
product will be sold easily but in reality, the only quality of
the product does not matter that much the price also - Produced for and purchased by households or
matters. end consumers for their personal use.

Selling Concept 2. Industrial products

- In selling concept, the marketers think that the - Sold primarily for use in producing other products.
production and quality of the product do not lead to the
sale, so they start attracting the customer towards them. Four Elements to the Marketing Mix and Four Promotion

The product needs to be sold by the salesman. Activities

Marketing Concept

- In the marketing concept, companies start to

focus on the customer’s need and what customer wants
and how to satisfy their need. The company stops selling
those products what they produce they change the
production according to the customer’s need and wants.

Societal Marketing Concept

- In this concept, the company focuses on the

satisfaction of the customer but also the society will
accept it or not. Focus on future generations’ use of
resources on the ground they start the use of solar power
form thermal power because of renewable energy.
Distribution Moves Products to Customers
Terms You Should Know!
Distribution
A firm’s marketing mix consists of four main elements—
product, price, distribution or place, and promotion. - Refers to the channel structure used to transfer
products from an organization to its customers. It is
A good is a physical object that can be purchased. A radio, important to have the product available to customers in a
a house, and a car are examples of a good. convenient and accessible location when they want it.
Three groups of customers: Example of Each Marketing Mix Elements

1. Household

- Refers to a decision-making unit buying for

personal use.

2. Firm

- An organization that produces goods and

services.

3. Government

- An organization that has two functions: the

provision of goods and services to households and firms
and the redistribution of income and wealth.

Promotion: You Have to Tell People About It

Relationship Marketing
Promotion
- The creation of customer loyalty. Organizations
- as part of the marketing mix, increases company use combinations of products, prices, distribution,
sales by communicating product information to potential promotions, and service to achieve this goal. Relationship
customers. marketing is based on the idea that important customers
need continuous attention.
The Four Basic Parts of a Firm’s Promotional Effort

1. Personal Selling, Relationship Marketing and The Sales Force

2. Advertising, A major issue in an organization’s relationship marketing

program is the role of the sales force. Firms use
3. Public Relations salespeople in many ways. However, these four basic
4. Sales Promotion. questions are guidelines that define the role of the sales
force:
Promotion Activities
1. How much selling effort is necessary to gain and
hold customers?

2. Is the sales force the best marketing tool,

compared to advertising and other sales promotion
methods, in terms of cost and results?

3. What type of sales activities—for example,

technical assistance, frequent or infrequent sales calls—
will be necessary?

4. Can the firm gain strength relative to its

competition with its sales force?

Personal Selling Builds Relationships

Personal selling is an essential element of any

organization’s marketing mix. The main functions of
personal selling are to generate revenue and provide
service to help make customers satisfied with their
purchases. This builds relationships and is the key to CHAPTER 3. ETHICS FIRST THEN CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP
success in today’s competitive marketplace.
MANAGEMENT’S SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Levels Of Relationship Marketing
• Social responsibility is management’s obligation
What type of relationships should an organization have to make choices and take actions that contribute
with its customers? Is the cost of keeping a relationship to the welfare and inter- ests of society as well as
worth it? To answer these questions, let’s define the three to those of the organization.
general levels of selling relationships with customers:
• A stakeholder is any group within or outside the
Transaction selling organization that has a stake in the
organization’s performance. Each stakeholder
- Customers are sold to and not contacted again.
has a different interest in the organization.
Relationship selling
• Eight important Stakeholders: CCC GOMES
- The seller contacts customers after the purchase
to determine if they are satisfied and have future needs.

Partnering

- The seller works continually to improve its

customers’ operations, sales, and profits.

- 80-20 principle

Consultative Selling

- The process of helping the customer achieve

strategic short- and long-term goals through the use of
ORGANIZATION’S MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
the seller’s good and/or service.
• Once a company is aware of its stakeholders,
The term consultative selling is not a new one, but sales
what are its main responsibilities to them?
managers are redefining it to reflect the values of today’s
Companies have four types of responsibility:
more sophisticated customers and sales forces.
(1) economic,
E-Sales Calls
(2) legal,
E-sales calls allow a supplier’s sales team to make a
presentation to any buyer group at locations around the (3) ethical, and
world.
(4) discretionary
The salesperson, or team, will be positioned in front of the
computer interacting with the buyer or buying team. The
salesperson will need the competencies of making both
the face-to-face, or one-on- one sales call, plus the group
and telephone presentation.
DEMONSTRATING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY salesperson at this level might ask, “What can I get
away with?”
A corporation can demonstrate social responsibility in
numerous ways, including these: • Level Two: Conventional. an individual conforms to
the expectations of others, such as family, friends,
• Taking corrective action before it is required.
employer, boss, or society, and upholds moral and
• Working with affected constituents to resolve legal laws. A salesperson at this level might ask,
mutual problems. “What am I legally required to do?” when making
an ethical or moral decision.
• Working to establish industrywide standards and
self-regulation. • Level Three: Principled. an individual lives by an
internal set of morals, values, and ethics
• Publicly admitting mistakes.
regardless of punishments or majority opinion.
• Getting involved in appropriate social programs. The individual would disobey orders, laws, and
consequences to follow what he or she believes is
• Helping correct environmental problems. right. This person fol- lows the Golden Rule. When

• Monitoring the changing social environment. making an ethical or moral decision a

salesperson at this level might ask, “What is the
• Establishing and enforcing a corporate code of right thing to do?”4
conduct.

• Taking needed public stands on social issues.

• Striving to make profits on an ongoing basis.

WHAT INFLUENCES ETHICAL BEHAVIOR OF SALESPEOPLE?

• Organizations are composed of individuals. These

individuals’ morals and ethical values help shape
those of the organization. Critical to making
decisions in an ethical manner is the individual
integrity of the organization’s managers,
especially those in top management positions.
Thus, two major influences on the ethical behavior
of sales personnel are employees and the
organization itself.

• Worldview - This “big picture” view of life that

directs our behavior is based upon our core belief
system. .. they tend to have different views on
ethics and morality.

• Morals are their adherence to right or wrong

behavior and right or wrong thinking. As one
thinks, one does! That includes you and me.
ETHICAL BEHAVIOR
LEVEL OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Sales personnel are frequently faced with ethical
• Level One: Preconventional. an individual acts in
dilemmas.
his or her own best interest and thus follows rules
to avoid punishment or receive rewards. This Ethical behavior refers to treating others fairly. Specifically,
individual would break moral and legal laws. In it refers to
making an ethical or moral decision, a
• Being honest and truthful.
 • Maintaining confidence and trust. SALESPEOPLE’S ETHICS IN DEALING WITH THEIR
CUSTOMERS
• Following the rules.
• Bribery - means to give gifts of money, in cash or
• Conducting yourself in the proper manner.
kind, to someone in order to persuade them to
• Treating others fairly. make favorable and biased decisions for business
gains. In the U.S., bribery is considered an unfair
• Demonstrating loyalty to company and
business practice and is, therefore, illegal
associates.
• Misrepresentation - When a customer relies on a
• Carrying your share of the work and responsibility
salesperson’s statements, purchases the product
with 100 percent effort.
or service, and then finds that it fails to perform as
ETHICAL DILLEMA promised, the supplier can be sued for
misrepresentation and breach of warranty.
• An ethical dilemma takes place in a decision-
making context where any of the available ESTABLISH CODE OF ETHICS
options requires the agent to violate or
• A code of ethics is a formal statement of the
compromise on their ethical standards. ... The
company’s values concerning ethics and social
agent must be faced with a choice or the need to
issues. It states those values or behaviors that are
make a decision. The agent must have more than
expected and those that are not tolerated. These
one course of action available.
values and behaviors must be backed by
EXAMPLES OF ETHICAL DILLEMA management’s action. Without top management
support, there is little assurance that the code will
• Taking credit for others’ work be followed.

• Offering a client a worse product for your own • An ethics committee is a group of executives
profit appointed to oversee company ethics. The

• Utilizing inside knowledge for your own profit committee provides rulings on questionable
ethical issues. The ethics committee assumes
SALESPEOPLE’S ETHICS IN DEALING WITH THEIR EMPLOYER responsibility for disciplining wrongdoers. This
responsibility is essential if the organization is to
• Misusing company assets - a salesperson can
directly influence employee behavior.
give customers valuable product samples or a
credit for damaged merchandise when there has INTEGRITY, TRUST AND CHARACTER
been no damage.
• A person with integrity is honest without
• Moonlighting - Salespeople are not closely compromise or corruption.
supervised and, consequently, they may be
tempted to take a second job—perhaps on • Trust refers to the belief that another will act as he

company time. Some salespeople attend college or she is expected to act.

on company time • Integrity and trust form the attributes that make

• Cheating - A salesperson may not play fair in up and distinguish the organization and

contests. salesperson, often referred to as character

• Technology theft - salesperson or sales manager • Integrity, trust, and character help form the values

quits, or is fired, and takes the organization’s or moral code of conduct toward others.

customer records to use for his or her or a future

employer’s benefit.