Showing posts with label Personal Selling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Selling. Show all posts

Personal Selling Processes: Internal Selling Process and Travelling Personal Selling

In marketing, selling goods is very sensitive task. Success or failure of business depends on this task. So, an efficient seller should adopt certain process of selling goods. Indoor seller should complete the process such as drawing attention of the customers, politely welcoming them, asking or inquiring, showing goods, solving customers' doubts, helping them in selecting
goods, giving chances for selection, selling additional goods and seeing off with respect. Travelling or outdoor sellers should complete the process such as seeking customers, making pre-approaches, approach, displaying products, facing antagonism or complaint, objections and sell the products.

  • Internal Selling Process
    • Drawing attention
    • Welcome
    • Inquiry
    • Display of goods
    • Meeting objections
    • Selection of goods
    • Additional sale
    • Commendation of seeing off with praise
  • Traveling Personal Selling
    • Prospecting
    • Pre-approach
    • Approach
    • Presentation
    • Meeting objections
    • Closing the sale
    • Follow-up


1. Internal selling process


Internal selling should complete some process for selling goods. They can be mentioned as follows:

a) Drawing attention

The personal seller should, at first, attract potential buyers. Some important things should be done by the seller to attract the potential buyers' attention towards the shop. Such things are to arrange goods in order, in a decorative manner, keep shining board at right place, keep the shop clean, light colorful electric lights, keeping counter at convenient place etc. Only then the potential customers are attracted to the shop. In this way, there remains possibility of sale. These are the first stage tasks of internal seller.

b) Welcome

After the completion of the task of attracting attention, the customers enter the shop. The seller should welcome customers. They should be greeted respectfully. Then they should be offered sofa, chair or seat to sit. Tea, coffee, hot drinks should be offered according to season. In this way, they can be attracted.

c) Inquiry

At the third phase they should be inquired. The customers entered in the shop should be supposed as the emperor. So, they should be inquired with simple and easy manner to understand their wants. But the talks should not go beyond the context. If they are regular customers, they should be asked remembering their social dignity and respect.

d) Display of goods

After the priority has been understood, the seller should display / show the goods available in the shop. While displaying the goods, the seller should not reflect any irritation or bothers, but should be smiling, smart and helpful. The seller should explain the features, quality, utility using method, benefits etc. of the goods to the customers. Such information should be full, true and convincing. Only then the display becomes fruitful.

e) Meeting / facing objections

After hearing complete description of the goods, the seller may express objection. If they express doubt and raise problems towards any goods, the seller should solve such doubts and problems with cool mind and logics. Documents relating to the company, descriptions, guaranty-quality etc. should be proved to satisfy them. In this way, the customers can be convinced immediately.

f) Selection of goods

After the satisfactory answers have been given against the doubts, the customers can take buying decision. In this way, they select necessary goods with suitable price. The seller should help them in selecting good. They should not be given unnecessary pressure to buy any goods. They should be left free in choosing goods and given sufficient time to select and take rational buying decision.

g) Additional sale

When the customers become ready to pay the bill after selecting goods, the selling function completes. At that time, the seller should make efforts to sell additional goods. For example: the customers who buy television needs voltage controller, those who buy pen needs ink and copy, those who buy shoes need socks, those who buy suit may need tie. They also should be given information about such additional goods so that they are interested to buy such goods. Most of such efforts become successful to motivate them to buy additional goods.

h) Commendation and seeing off with praise

After taking price of the products sold, the customers should be seen off with respect. While seeing them off, the seller should praise or commend them for the selection, purchasing power, personality, behavior and identification of equality of goods. Such behavior of seller establishes close relation between sellers and customers. Such dealings of sellers also help in business success, and inspire customers to buy the goods repeatedly.

2. Travelling personal selling


Goods can be sold by roaming / traveling around different areas. Some processes should be completed to sell goods by a seller. The processes are as follows:

a) Prospecting

At first, the seller should seek prospective customers. The seller should find out the customers of the target market and investigate them who are to buy the goods. Prospective customers can be found out from past records, suppliers, reputed sellers, organizations etc. Besides, telephone, post office, newspapers, letters etc. also become helpful in finding out customers.

b) Pre-approach

After the completion of seeking out prospective customers, arrangement for pre-meeting them should be made. More information about the prospective buyers should be collected. Specially, the task of meeting prospective buyers, knowing about their need, interest and wants should be completed at this stage.

c) Approach

The seller meets the customers in order to sell goods or services according to their need. In this process, the seller establishes close relationship with them. In such meeting, the sellers should be efficient, flexible, polite and confidential.

d) Presentation

At this stage, the seller should show the goods, describe the quality, utility, benefits features, handling methods, etc. of the goods to the customers. While explaining, the sellers should be confidential and dependable.

e) Meeting objection

The prospective customers may raise different questions on the goods after presentation of the goods. Such questions and doubts should be clearly and orderly replied so that they are convinced also mention about the company, its sales records, sales quantity etc. After they are answered clearly presenting data, objections can be carefully met.

f) Closing the sale

After the seller gives satisfactory answers to the questions of the buyers, they are satisfied. Then buying order is received. Arrangement for sale according to the order should be made. At this stage, conditions of sale, after sale services, warranty, guaranty conditions etc. are determined. Then the buyer should be praised for selecting quality goods.

g) Follow-up

After the goods have been sold, follow up should be done about the goods. The seller should observe whether the goods have been correctly used or not. Along with this, the goods should be repaired, exchanged, or provide free service, if needed, according to the pre-set condition. This helps to keep continuity of selling the goods and the relationship between seller and buyer remains always good, renewed and warm.
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Personal Selling: Types, Importance and Objectives of Personal Selling

Personal Selling

Personal selling is very important part of promotion mix. It is the eldest media of sales promotion. Although being old, this is the most popular media for sales promotion. So, all the organizations mostly use this media for sales promotion. Personal selling is, however, costlier than other factors of promotion mix. 
The task of convincing and persuading customers to buy products through personal contacting or face to face talks is called personal selling. In other words, the task of having direct contact and talks with the customers and encouraging them, assuring, giving confidence, etc. to buy product is personal selling.

The customers themselves may also come to the sales centers. Just the opposite, the seller may go to the customers' houses or offices. Demand should be created at the meeting / talks with the customers. The seller should also be able to convince the customers. As there takes place a dialogue between seller and customers, wrong concept of them towards the company / firm, if any, should be cleared off their mind. Besides, face to face talks between possible buyers, telephone talks, fax, e-mail, Internet etc. also become effective media in personal selling.

To be much clearer about personal selling, definitions of different writers and experts have been given as follows:
Prof. William J. Stanton has defined personal selling as, "Personal selling is the personal communication of information to persuade a prospective customers to buy a service or idea."

 

American Marketing Association has defined it as, "Personal selling is an oral presentation in a conservative with one or more prospective customers for the purpose of making sales."

 

Prof. Philip Kotler has defined personal selling as, "Personal selling is face to face interaction with one or more prospective purchasers for the purpose of making presentation, answering questions, and procuring orders."

 

The above mentioned definitions also make it clear that personal selling is the process of face to face talks and of persuading the customers to buy products, and as a result, receiving / procuring purchase order from prospective buyers. Personal selling is compulsory for the heavy machines and technical equipment including special products. In personal selling, the seller makes customers know about quality, utility, price, features etc. of the product. Similarly, the personal seller quenches the curiosity of the customers by giving logical and convincing answers to their questions. So, the need of personal selling is felt every time. In short, personal selling should be understood as the subject endowed with the following qualities and features.

1. Persuasion


In personal selling, the prospective customers are reassured. Personal seller stimulates the prospective customers to buy products.

2. Personal communication


Personal interactions may take place between customers and seller. Talks may also be held through telephone, fax, e-mail, Internet etc. Such exchange of information is called personal selling.

3. Selling process


Effective and goal seller should adopt certain process of selling goods. Indoor seller should complete the process such as drawing attention of the customers, politely welcoming, inquiring, presenting goods, solving customers' doubts, help them in selecting goods, giving chances for selection, selling additional goods and seeing off with respect. Outdoor sellers should complete the process such as prospecting, making pre-approach, and approach, display of product meeting objectives, close the sale and follow up about the goods or services.

Objectives of Personal Selling


Personal selling provides information to prospective customers about goods or services. In order to attract them towards ones' own goods or services, personal seller presents confidential as well as strong logics. Besides this, the personal seller gives convincing answers to the questions put forth by the customers and explains the quality, features, price, utility and importance of the goods to the prospective customers. Any curiosity, if expressed by the customers, is satisfactorily answered. The significance and objectives of personal selling are as follows:

1. Awareness of need


Personal sellers reach target markets for selling goods. They give detail information and explain clearly the feature, quality, price, utility, importance of the goods to the prospective customers and conduct different activities for persuading them to buy. Such activities, information and programs make customers feel need of the goods or services. As a result, they may take decision to buy the products / goods.

2. Solution of the problem


Seller reaches targeted markets, gives information to the prospective customers about the goods or services intended to sell. If necessary, product is also presented among them. After the presentation, the customers may raise problems about the goods. At that time the seller clearly, sincerely and convincingly gives answers with evidence about the way of solving the possible problems. For such activities, the sellers should present true and dependable records of the company. So, one of the main objectives of personal selling is to solve any problems if arise while using the products.

3. Persuading the customers


The targeted customers should be fully assured by the personal sale. The personal sellers should provide clear information about quality, features, price, utility, using methods etc. of the product to the customers. The possible customers should be converted to real customers from such information. So, personal selling aims to reassure all the customers about the product.

4. Two-way communication

The seller keeps direct contact with the customers of target market. In this way, the sellers and buyers may meet and have talks. In this way, while providing information, the sellers can also get some information about goods or services as a feedback. Two-way communication becomes possible between sellers and buyers through meeting, sales talks, sales display, public contact etc. This helps the company to form new market strategy. So, personal selling makes the two-way communication objective, which becomes beneficial to both sides.

Types of personal selling


Personal selling is very effective sale function. Such sale can also be done with different methods. It does not only make two-way communication about goods or services but also educates the customers. There are different types of sale function as mentioned below:

1. Indoor personal selling


The seller who sells goods or services living at certain place is called indoor seller. Such seller tries to sell his goods or services to different customers by establishing contact with them. Different types of customers enter the shop to buy various goods or different qualities. So, they should be impressed by attractive activities and they should make them buy the goods or services immediately. So, this function is very difficult and challenging. Special attention should be paid towards selling goods to the customers by identifying their needs and interest.

2. Outdoor personal selling

Identifying customers and by walking in different geographical regions and selling goods to them is called outdoor personal selling. Customers should be sought reaching several market segments. Such sellers should be clever, smiling, and smart and be able to establish relation with people. Besides, the seller should be able to make feel necessity of the goods, propagate new products and create demand of the goods. The customers should be able to get information about the quality, features, price, utility benefits etc. and procure purchase order and make arrangement for sale of goods. As such seller can have direct communication and contact with customers, any problem arisen should be promptly solved.

3. Sales representative


Big business forms or companies appoint their sales representatives to sell their products. Big firms / companies select clever sellers, who are experienced, educated and able to establish public relation efficient in business dealings, as their representatives. Such capable sales representatives can sell goods or services to different markets giving full satisfaction to the customers. Mostly manufacturers' sales representatives, wholesalers' sales representatives, retailers' sales representatives can be involve in selling. Such representatives are appointed to sell new goods, industrial goods and consumers' goods.
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Promotion Mix and Factors Affecting Determination of Promotion Mix

Promotion Mix

Promotion is an important tool of marketing. Promotion is used to provide complete information to consumers about goods/products or services. Mostly, consumers are requested to buy goods by marking them clear about quality, service and operation method. In other word, the way or the media of presenting proposal to
customers for buying goods or services is called promotion. This needs various elements. The task of operating such elements as a whole is called promotion mix. Various types of elements are needed. Promotion mix is to provide information about price, quality, feature etc. of the products to the target customers. For this, personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, publication, propagation should be made.

Promotion is related to the communication process. This function plays an important role to fulfill the objectives of company or organization. Personal selling is an important part of promotion. It encourages potential customers to buy goods or services. Seller may directly go to buyers or buyers may go to sellers. Sellers give information about goods, price, quality features etc. to the customers. Personal sale is actually a conversation between seller and buyer. So, the seller should be skillful in his / her activity.

Advertisement is also equally important in promotion. It provides ample information or message to the customers about goods. Message about goods can be disseminated to maximum customers at minimum cost. Different media can be used for advertisement. Audio video, radio, television, film slide etc. can be used for advertisement. Newspaper, magazines, books, pamphlets, etc. also can be used. Hoarding boards, poster, mobiles etc. can be used for advertisement.

Giving information about goods and organization without any cost is called propagation. This creates demands and plays important roles in heightening dignity of the organization. Nowadays, promotional media have become very popular in Nepal. Propagation can be made through publication, photography, press conference, speech writings etc. Propagation is a kind of promotional strategy by which information and messages can be disseminated without any cost. Request to social and political persons also can be used for sales promotion.

Short term motivation to the potential customers for buying goods or services is called sales promotion. It encourages them to buy goods immediately. It becomes more effective if personal sale and advertisement help. Trade fair, exhibition, decoration, free sample, gifts, coupon, discount, credit facility etc. are provided. Attractive packaging also advertises by itself and encourages customers to take buying decision.

Main Elements of Promotion Mix


Factors Affecting Determination of Promotion Mix


Promotion mix consists of five elements / factors. Promotion mixing is very complicated strategic task. Proper promotion mix should be prepared to conduct marketing successfully. Promotion mix is directly affected by promotion objective, promotion budget, nature of market, product life cycle, marketing promotion strategy. They are mentioned as follows:

1. Promotion objective


One of the main factors affecting determination of promotion mix is promotion objective. If the customers are to be given clear information and make them aware about the goods intended to sell, special emphasis should be given on advertisement and propagation. Similarly, if the promotion objective is to make potential customers believe and give assurance to them, personal selling and advertisement become important. If the objective of promotion is to get order / demand, personal selling and sales promotion should be very active. If the promotion objective is to remind the customers, advertisement becomes more important. If the promotion objective is for brand loyalty, advertisement and propagation become important.

2. Promotion budget


Sufficient budget should be arranged for promotional functions. In the lack of budget, promotional works cannot be conducted. So, promotion budget also affects promotion mix determination. A lot of budget is needed for personal / individual selling and advertisement. If sufficient budget has been allocated for advertisement, highly responsive personal sale can be conducted, long term advertisement policy and high amount of budget is also not needed for publicity. It needs only good opportunity for propagation. This makes it clear that promotional activities can be determined on the basis of promotional budget. In this way, the fixed / prescribed budget affects promotion mix.

3. Nature of market


Nature of market also affects promotion mix. If the size of targeted market is very small one, way / method becomes effective, and if its size is big, other way / method becomes effective. If the targeted market is consumers' market, advertisement and sale promotional activities should be conducted. If it is industrial market, personal sales and promotional sale should be conducted. Similarly, if the targeted market is very small and is limited in a certain geographical area, personal selling and advertisement should be emphasized. If the market is big, national and international advertisement and business promotion should be emphasized.

4. Nature of product


Nature of product also affects the determination of promotion mix. Products may be consumer target or industrial. Their information cannot be effectively communicated through same activities. Generally, advertisement becomes important for consumer goods whereas personal selling becomes important for industrial goods. Similarly, advertisement and sale promotional activities become important for the low priced goods, whereas personal selling and local advertisement become important for high priced goods. In the same way, personal selling and propagation should be given emphasis for special goods.

5. Product life cycle


Different stages of product life cycle also affect promotion mix. Every product goes through different four stages after it has been produced. At the introduction stage of goods / products, advertisement and propagation should be given emphasis. After the product enters growth stage, only advertisement becomes sufficient. Similarly, careful attention should be paid to the product at its mature stage. If the product has entered the last stage of its life cycle, personal selling, sales promotion and propagation are needed. Whatever tools can save products, the same should be used for promotion.

6. Promotion strategy


There may be several strategies of promotional activities. They also affect promotion mix. They are mentioned in short as follows:

i. Push strategy

The producers can push their products using their force. In this strategy, products are pushed to the final consumers through distribution channel. Personal selling and trade promotion become important.

Pushing Strategy

ii. Pull strategy

In this strategy, the customers demand goods from retailers. Retailers demand from wholesalers and wholesalers demand from producers. For such strategy, advertisement becomes very important.

Pulling Strategy


iii. Interpersonal strategy

Interpersonal strategy is also one of the strategies. In this strategy, personal selling becomes more important. So, this tool of promotion should be adopted.

iv. Mass communication strategy

If the promotion strategy is in favor of mass communication, sales promotion should be given special importance. Similarly, advertising and publicity are also equally important.

Factors Affecting Promotion Mix Determination

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