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Editor's Notes

• #5: This is called ‘adaptive selling’ since the salesperson adapts their approach according to the specific situation and it has been found to be a growing way of conducting sales interactions. Its importance is supported by research by Jaramillo et al. (2007) which showed that adaptive selling was associated with salespeople’s performance (as measured by their attainment of sales quotas). This is not to deny the importance of personal persuasion. In the real world, it is unlikely that a product has clear advantages over its competition on all points, and it is clearly part of the selling function for the salesperson to emphasise those superior features and benefits that the product possesses. However, the model for personal selling advocated here is that of a salesperson acting as a need identifier and problem-solver. The view of the salesperson as being a slick, fast-talking confidence trickster is unrealistic in a world where most sellers depend on repeat business and where a high proportion of selling is conducted with professional buyers.
• #6: In order to foster customer orientated selling, companies need to develop a corporate culture that views understanding customers and creating value for them as being central to their philosophy, and to use evaluation procedures that include measurement of the support given to customers, customer satisfaction with salesperson interactions, and the degree to which salespeople are perceived by customers to behave ethically. codes and policies. In addition, companies should include ethics in sales training courses, and employ sales managers who are willing to promote and enforce ethical codes and policies.
• #7: These important findings should be borne in mind by salespeople when in a sales interview. They also suggest that sales training can improve sales performance, not only by improving skills, but by enhancing the self-confidence of the trainees in their perceived ability to perform well.
• #9: These phases need not occur in the order shown. Objections may be raised during presentation or during negotiation and a trial close may be attempted at any point during the presentation if buyer interest is high. Furthermore, negotiation may or may not take place or may occur during any of the stages.. The evolved selling process assumes that the salesperson typically will perform the various steps of the process in some form, but the steps (phases) do not occur for each sales call. Rather, they occur over time, accomplished by multiple people within the selling firm, and not necessarily in any given sequence.
• #10: Buyers expect salespeople to be business like in their personal appearance and behaviour. Untidy hair and a sloppy manner of dress can create a lack of confidence. Further, the salesperson who does not respect the fact that the buyer is likely to be a busy person, with many demands on their time, may cause irritation on the part of the buyer. #Common courtesies should be followed. Opening remarks are important since they set the tone for the rest of the sales interview. Normally they should be business-related since this is the purpose of the visit; they should show the buyer that the salesperson is not about to waste time. Where the buyer is well known and by their own remarks indicates a willingness to talk about a more social matter, the salesperson will obviously follow. This can generate close rapport with the buyer, but the salesperson must be aware of the reason for being there and not be excessively diverted from talking business.
• #18: Reference selling involves the use of satisfied customers in order to convince the buyer of the effectiveness of the salesperson’s product. During the preparation stage a list of satisfied customers, arranged by product type, should be drawn up. Letters from satisfied customers should also be kept and used in the sales presentation in order to build confidence. This technique can be highly effective in selling, moving a buyer from being merely interested in the product to being convinced that it is the solution to their problem. Pre-demonstration Make the process as brief as possible Make the process as simple as possible Rehearse the approach to likely objections with colleagues Know the product’s selling points The demonstration should not go wrong if it has been adequately rehearsed beforehand Conducting the demonstration 1. Commence with a concise statement of what is to be done or proved. 2. Show how potential purchasers can participate in the demonstration process. 3. Make the demonstration as interesting and as satisfying as possible. 4. Show the potential purchaser how the product’s features can fulfil their needs or solve their problems. 5. Attempt to translate such needs into a desire to purchase. 6. Do not leave the purchaser until they are completely satisfied with the demonstration. Such satisfaction will help to justify ultimate expenditure and will also reduce the severity and incidence of any complaints that might arise after purchasing. 7. Summarise the main points by re-emphasising the purchasing benefits that have been put forward during the demonstration. Note that we state purchasing benefits and not sales benefits because purchasing benefits relate to individual buying behaviour. 8. The objectives of a demonstration should be: (a) to enable the salesperson to obtain a sale immediately (e.g. a car demonstration drive given to a member of the public); or (b) to pave the way for future negotiations (e.g. a car demonstration drive given to a car fleet buyer). 9. Depending on the objective above, in the case of (a) ask for the order now, or in the case of (b) arrange for further communication in the form of a meeting, telephone call, letter,
• #19: Advantages of demonstrations 1. Demonstrations are a useful ancillary in the selling process. They add realism to the sales routine in that they utilise more human senses than mere verbal descriptions or visual presentation. 2. When a potential customer is participating in a demonstration, it is easier for the salesperson to ask questions in order to ascertain buying behaviour. This means that the salesperson will not need to emphasise inappropriate purchasing motives later in the selling process. 3. Such demonstrations enable the salesperson to maximise the ‘u’ benefits to potential purchasers. In other words, the salesperson can relate product benefits to match the potential buyer’s buying behaviour and adopt a more creative approach, rather than concentrating on a pre-prepared sales routine. 4. Customers’ objections can be more easily overcome if they can be persuaded to take part in the demonstration process. In fact, many potential objections may never even be aired because the demonstration process will make them invalid. It is a fact that a sale is more likely to ensue if fewer objections can be advanced initially, even if such objections can be satisfactorily overcome. 5. There are advantages to customers in that it is easier for them to ask questions in a more realistic way in order to ascertain the product’s utility more clearly and quickly. 6. Purchasing inhibitions are more quickly overcome and buyers declare their purchasing interest sooner than in face-to-face selling/buying situations. This makes the demonstration a very efficient sales tool. 7. Once a customer has participated in a demonstration there is less likelihood of ‘customer remorse’ (i.e. the doubt that value for money is not good value after all). By taking part in the demonstration and tacitly accepting its results, the purchaser has bought the product and not been sold it. Guarantees Guarantees of product reliability, after-sales service and delivery supported by penalty clauses can build confidence towards the salesperson’s claims and lessen the costs to the buyer should something go wrong. Their establishment is a matter for company policy rather than the salesperson’s discretion but, where offered, the salesperson should not underestimate their importance in the sales presentation. Trial orders The final strategy for risk reduction is for salespeople to encourage trial orders, even though they may be uneconomic in company terms and in terms of salespeoples’ time in the short term, when faced with a straight re-buy (see Chapter 3). Buyers who habitually purchase supplies from one supplier may recognise that change involves unwarranted risk. It may be that the only way for a new supplier to break through this impasse is to secure a small order which, in effect, permits the demonstration of the company’s capability to provide consistently high-quality products promptly. The confidence, thus built, may lead to a higher percentage of the customer’s business in the longer term.