Chapter = 17

Personal Selling and salesmanship

Richard Buskrik says

“Personal selling consists of contacting prospective buyers of product personally”

T.N. Knox says

“Salesmanship is the art of persuading prospective customers to buy what you have to sell”

Features of salesmanship • Face-to-face• Persuasion and not compulsion• Creates the urge to buy the product • Winning the buyer’s confidence• Sound and lasting relation• Adjust the message• Immediate feedback• Discourages bargaining• Universal• Inborn/acquired• Selling technical and industrial productsss

Importance of personal selling• Immediate feedback• Flexible• Demonstration• Most suitable for technical and industrial products• Minimum wastage of selling efforts• Clarification of doubts , queries and objections• Performs entire selling job• More customer satisfaction• Very suitable for marketing of services• Creation of demand• Promotes new products• Increase knowledge of customers• Collects market information• Increases employment• Helpful in facing competition• Helpful in relationship marketing

Limitation of personal selling

• Very costly• Turnover of sales force• Not much useful for convenience consumer

goods• Inefficient sales force• Time consuming• Busyness of customers• Wrong tactics adopted by some salesmen

Scope of salesmanship

• Trade and salesmanship• Services institution and salesmanship• Professional organisation and salesmanship• Non-business organisations salesmanship

Types of salesman

• Manufacturer’s salesmen• Wholesaler’s salesmen• Retailer’s salesmen• Specialty salesmen• Industrial salesmen• Exporter’s salesmen• Service salesmen

Duties of salesmen• To adequate sales• To avoid wasteful selling expenses• To deal strictly• To safeguard the trade secrets• Goodwill• Good relations with customers• To collect market information• Sales report• Loyal and honest• Not to interfere• Latest sales techniques• Detailed knowledge of product

Qualities of a good salesman• Physical qualities• Mental qualities• Social qualities• Moral qualities • Product knowledge• Customer knowledge• Effective communication skills• Develop good customer relationsss

Stages of personal selling

• Pre-sale preparation• Prospecting for potential customers• Pre-approaching• Approaching• Presentation and demonstration• Overcoming the objections • Closing the sale• Follow up

AIDAS theory of selling

• Attention• Interest• Desire• Action• Satisfaction