Professor Chip BesioCox School of Business

Southern Methodist University

Personal Selling and Public Relations

Personal selling and sales management quiz. What are your answers?

Basic Types of Selling Approaches

1. Stimulus-Response

2. Need Satisfaction

3. Problem-Solution

Personal Selling

•Personal Selling – Definition• Direct communications between paid representatives and prospects that lead to purchase orders, customer satisfaction and post-sale service.

•Sales Management – Definition•The planning, implementing and control of personal contact programs designed to achieve the sales and profits of the firm.

Personal Selling

Missionary Salespeople

Sales Engineer

Team Selling

Conference Selling

Seminar Selling

THE MANY FORMS OF PERSONAL SELLINGCUSTOMER SALES SUPPORT PERSONNEL

How outside order-getting salespeople spend their time each week

Comparing order takers and order getters

Stages and objectivesof the personal selling process

THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS:BUILDING RELATIONSHIPSPROSPECTING

• Prospect

• Lead

• Qualified Prospect

Types of Prospects

Cold Canvassing/Cold Calling

Preapproach Stage

• When to Contact

• International Customs

THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS:BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Approach Stage

• Gestures

• Customs

THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS:BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Presentation Stage

THE PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS:BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Needs DiscoveryTypes of questions

1. Permission Close-ended2. Fact-finding Factual information3. Feeling finding Open-ended questions4. Checking Confirm questions understanding

Personal Selling

Advocating SkillsThree Elements of Presentation

1. Features Tangible or intangible

2. Benefits Solutions to buyers problems, related to buying motive

3. Evidence Proof benefit will be realized

Personal Selling

Handling Objections• Acknowledge and Convert

• Postpone

• Agree and Neutralize

• Acceptance

• Denial

• Ignore

Personal Selling

Close Stage

• Assumptive Close

• Direct Close • Summary Close

• Single Obstacle

• Choice Close

Personal Selling

SellingTechnique

Direct Ask for the order in a straight-forward manner

Summary Summarize the benefits already coverin the presentation

Single Asks for the order if last obstacle is

Obstacle overcome

Closing Techniques

SellingTechnique Assumption Assume readiness to buy and

focus on the transaction details

Choice Focus on version to be ordered

Closing Techniques

Follow-up Stage

• Repeat Sales

• Referrals

Personal Selling

Pillars of Sales Support

Supportthe

buying decision

Dealwith

Dissatis-faction

Enhancethe

Relation-ship

Support BuyingDecision

• Reduce buyer anxiety

• Make a follow-up call

• Ask for feedback

Manage the

Implementation

• Assist w/ approval process

• Introduce support resources

• Monitor & report progress

Pillars of Sales Support

Deal withDissatisfaction

• Empathize with the buyer

• Respond to problems -- use objection handling techniques

• Anticipate buyer concerns and expectations

• Reinforce the Benefits

Pillars of Sales Support

Enhance the Relationship• Be a resource for info, help and ideas• Grow the business internally

• Ask for referrals

• Be available• Arrange continued personal communications• Maintain quality of products/services

• Provide ongoing updates and progress reports

Pillars of Sales Support

Public Relations

Public Relations – a form of communication management that seeks to influence the image of an organization and its products or services.

Public Relations – can also be essential in minimizing the negative impact of a problem or a crisis, e.g. Toyota’s - Brakes; BP’s - Oil Spill.

Publicity Tools

• News Release

• News Conference

Public Relations

• Personal Appearances

• Photo “Opps”

Public Relations

Publicity Tools

• Public ServiceAnnouncement (PSA)

Public Relations

Publicity Tools

• Events