Chapter 20, Personal Selling and Sales Management, Class Notes
In the US, 14 million people are employed in sales positions,
according to the department of labor.
Sales personnel include stockbrokers, manufacturing sales
representatives, real estate brokers etc.
Most students in this class will have been employed as a sales person.
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Gives marketers:
- The greatest freedom to adjust a message to satisfy customers
informational needs, dynamic.
- Most precision, enabling marketers to focus on most promising
leads. vs. advertising, publicity and sales promotion
- Give more information
- Two way flow of information, interactivity.
- Discover the strengths and weaknesses of new products and
pass this information on to the marketing department.
- Highest cost. Businesses spend more on personal selling than
on any other form of promotional mix.
- Goals range from
- finding prospects
- convincing prospects to buy
- keeping customers satisfied--help them pass the word along.
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Order Takers
Seek repeat sales, make certain that customers have sufficient
product quantities where and when they need it. Do not require
extensive sales effort. Arrange displays, restocks them, answer
phone calls. Low compensation, little training required. High
turnover of personnel. 2 types:
- Inside Order Takers receive orders by mail/phone, sales person in
a retail store.
- Field Order Takers travel to customers. Use
laptop computers to improve tracking of inventory and orders etc.
Order Getters
Sell to new customers and increase sales to present customers,
sometimes called creative selling.
Generate customer leads, provide information, persuading customers
and closing sales. Required for high priced, complex and/or new
products. High pressure, requires expensive, time consuming
training.
Support Personnel
Facilitate the selling function. Primarily business to business
products.
- Missionary Salespeople Distribute information regarding new goods
or services, describes attributes and leaves materials, does not
close sales. Assist producers' customers in selling to their own
customers. IE call on retailers and persuade them to carry the
product. Pharmaceuticals may go to doctors offices and persuade
them to carry their products.
- Trade Salespeople May perform order taking function as well. Spend
much time helping customers, especially retail stores, to promote
the product. Restock the shelves, set up displays.
Technical Salespersons Offer technical assistance to current
customers. Usually trained engineers etc.
- Service Salespeople interacts with customers after sale is
complete.
Team selling...entire team of selling professionals in selling to
and servicing major customers, especially when specialized
knowledge is needed to satisfy different interests in customers'
buying centers.
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No 2 salespersons use exactly the same sales method, but it is
generally a seven step process:
-
Seek names of prospects through sales records, referrals etc., also
responses to advertisements. Need to evaluate if the person is
able (Undergraduate degree to attend a graduate program), willing and
authorized to buy. Blind prospecting-rely on phone directory etc.
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-
Review key decision makers esp. for business to business, but also family
- assess credit histories
- prepare sales presentations
- identify product needs.
Helps present the presentation to meet the prospects needs.
-
Manner in which the sales person contacts the potential customer.
First impression of the sales person is Lasting and therefore
important.
Strive to develop a relationship rather than just push the product.
Can be based on referrals, cold calling or repeat contact.
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-
Need to attract and hold the prospects Attention to stimulate
Interest and stir up Desire in the product so the potential
customer takes the appropriate Action. AIDA
Try to get the prospect to touch, hold or try the product. Must be
able to change the presentation to meet the prospect needs.
Three types of presentations:
- Stimulus Response Format:
Appropriate stimulus will initiate a buy decision, use one appeal after
another hoping to hit the right button...Counter Clerk @ McDonald's
"Would you like fries with your burger?"
- Formula Selling Format:
(Canned Sales Presentation) memorized, repetitive, given to all customers
interested in a specific product.
Good for inexperienced sales people.
Better with heavily advertised items that are presold.
Telemarketing a credit card!!
- Need Satisfaction Format:
Based on the principal that each customer has a different set of
needs/desires., therefore the sales presentation should be adapted to
the individual customer's needs, this is a key advantage of personal
selling vs. advertising.
Sales person asks questions first, then makes the presentation
accordingly.
Need to do homework, listen well and allow customers to talk etc.
Must answer two types of questions:
- for more information
- overcome objections.
Overcoming Objections
Seek out objections and address them.
Anticipate and counter them before the prospect can raise them.
Try to avoid bringing up objections that the prospect would not
have raised.
Price objection is the most common
Need to provide customers with reasons for the $s, build up the
value before price is mentioned
Must be convinced of price in own mind before you can sell to
customer.
Get budget info. on buyer before you try to sell, and must know
what they want, must sell service on top of product augmented product--to create
value!!
Must know value of product, provide warranties etc.!!
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-
Ask prospect to buy product/products. Use trial closes, IE ask
about financial terms, preferred method of delivery.
20% sales people generally close 80% sales., Avon, over 1/2 US $1.4
bn business from 17% of 415,000 SRs.
Need to be prepared to close at any time. The following are popular
closing techniques:
- Trial Close (Minor decision close)
- Assumptive close (Implied consent close)
- Urgency close
- Ask for the sale close
If prospect says no, they may just need more reasons to buy!!
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Must follow up sale, determine if the order was delivered on time,
installation OK etc. Also helps determine the prospects future
needs.
Accomplishes four objectives:
- customer gain short term satisfaction
- referrals are stimulated
- in the long run, repurchase
- prevent cognitive dissonance
Old school, sell and leave!!--Quickly before customer changes her
mind!!
Now:
- Stay a few minutes after sale--reinforce, make them feel good,
made wise choice, leave small gift (with co. name on it!!), call
office at any time etc!!
- Follow up, reinforce, know birthdays, new year etc, friendly
correspondence...relationship building!!
Handout...Toyota Calling In Japan's Car Market
Half of cars are sold door-to-door. This is shrinking due to
environmental changes. Toyota has more than 100,000 door-to-door
sales people.
Developing Long-term relationships is key, Keiretsu, do business
with only those you know and trust. Face-to-face meetings before
business to establish trust, the approach stage.
Follow up is key to relationship:
After sales:
- call inquiring on car's immediate performance
- hand written greeting cards
- written invitations for low cost oil changes
Prospecting includes:
- Driving schools for people to obtain licenses = prospects
- Also referrals from existing customers is very important
- Curtesy calls to clients who referred new customers.
Timing of presentation:
- To housewife in the middle of the day
- Just before 3 year "Shaken", following 2 years
"At first I had no intention of buying a new car, but Mr. Saito is
very good at proposing reasons why I should change" = $1,600
shaken.
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Sales force is directly responsible for generating sales revenue.
Eight general management areas:
-
Similar to other promotional objectives
Demand oriented or image oriented.
Major objective is persuasion, converting consumer interest into sales.
Sales objectives; expected to accomplish within a certain period of
time.
Give direction and purpose and act as a standard for evaluation.
Set for total salesforce and each individual salesperson.
Can be $s, units sold, market share to achieve, for individual
salespersons, also include ave. order size, ave. # of sales/time
period, and ratio orders/calls.
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- In-house vs. independent agents (manufacturer's sales agents).
- Organize by:
- Geography (simplest, but not suitable if product(s) are complex or
customers require specialized knowledge)
- Customer: Different buyers have different needs
- Product: Specific knowledge re: products is needed
- Size. Marginal analysis, or determine how many sales calls/year are
needed for an organization to effectively serve its customers and divide this total by the
average # of sales calls that a person makes annually. Also use subjective judgement.
MBNA estimates how many calls to expect, one year in advance, and then determines the size
of the salesforce at any given time.
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Need to establish a set of required qualifications before beginning
to recruit. Prepare a job description that lists specific tasks
the salesperson should perform and analyze traits of the successful
salespeople within the organization.
May use assessment centers--intense training environment that
places candidates in realistic problem settings in which they give
priorities to their activities, make and act on decisions.
Recruitment should be a continual activity aimed at reaching the
best applicants.
Applicants that most match the demographics of the target market.
Changing demographics, may be wise to hire hispanic sales people if
your territory is in Florida!!
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Use formal programs, or Informal on-the-job training. Can be complex or simple.
Training should focus on:
- the company
- products
- selling techniques.
Aimed at new hires and experienced personnel.
Can be held in the field, educational institutions or company
facilities.
Oldsmobile spent $25 million last year to teach its dealers
how to better treat its customers.
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To attract, motivate and retain sales people, that facilitate and
encourage good treatment of the customers.
Need to understand personalities of sales people. Strive for
proper balance of freedom, income and incentives.
Need to determine the best level of compensation required, and the
best method of calculating it.
- Straight salary
- straight commission (selling insurance)--single percentage of sales or
sliding rate
- Combination plan
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Need a systematic approach, must also satisfy non-financial needs:
- Job security
- Working Conditions
- Opportunities to succeed
Sales contests increase sales.
Symbolic awards--plaques, rings etc.
Can also use negative motivational methods for under performers.
Due to burn out--even the best need motivating!!
Ongoing process...keep reps. hungry
Need a motivational program.
Spend time with reps, personal attention!!
Take interest in them and the sales goals
- Compensation packet that rewards quality salesmanship and
extra effort
- Recognition of extra effort of sales force
- Make sure SR feel important
- Keep SR informed of company activities
- Make certain reps. believe in the company
- Goals must be realistic and achievable and changeable
- Determine what they want and give it to them
- Controlling and Evaluating Salesforce performance
Rely on information from call reports, customer feedback and
invoices. Performance is determined by objectives.
May compare with predetermined performance standards or with other
sales people working under similar conditions.
Handout Avon....
$4 billion business, relied solely on personal selling until
recently, environmental changes have changed this...no longer is
the wife expected to be at home...model is dual income earning
parents with children in day care.
Need to develop more efficient ways to reach customers.
Salespeople earn pure commission, 10%...50% for top sellers (over
$32,750)
Strategies tried:
- Avon Select.
Direct mail catalog and toll free number, attract those that didn't
know an "Avon Lady", or didn't want to deal with one. Also used
national TV and print campaign in conjunction.
Problems =
- Salesperson creates confidence in the brand, delivering much more
than advertising is able to do. When you take away the selling
relationship, you're left with a brand that's relatively naked.
- Key is not to undercut the field salesforce, similar to
dual distribution creating channel conflict.
Mary Kay Corp has also tried this strategy but differently and more
successfully:
- Catalogs carry different merchandise
- Forward commission to sales rep. in customer's area
"Never have a grey area regarding competing with sales force."
Other demotivational concerns:
- Restructured commissions
- Dropped awards, trips and other incentives
- Leadership Program.
A Multi-level marketing (MLM) concept. Rewarded for products sold
as well as people you recruit as a sales rep....by getting some of
their commission and a portion of the commission of reps.
they recruit etc. Created a hard sell environment and was
consequently scrapped.
To remotivate:
New CEO
- Reinstate Birthday presents
- Anniversary plates
- Annual Pins
- Phone Blitzs to indicate appreciation
"Gifts [and recognition] are part of the magic"
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