Selling Today 2 Personal Selling Opportunities in the

Selling Today 2 Personal Selling Opportunities in the Age of Information 2 -1

Personal Selling in the Age of Information One can add value to information by: • Collecting it • Organizing it • Clarifying it • Presenting it in a convincing manner Selling skills are transferable skills 2 -2

Knowledge Workers Benefit from Personal Selling Skills • Customer service representatives (CSR) • Professionals • Entrepreneurs • Managerial personnel 2 -3

Your Future in Personal Selling “Students tend to view sales as dynamic and active but believe a selling career requires them to engage in deceitful or dishonest practices. ” • These are OLD stereotypes • Ethical sales practices are the key to success 2 -4

Sales Is Pervasive • 500 largest sales forces in America employ 17. 5 million salespeople • These companies will seek to recruit 500, 000 college graduates • The number of sales positions is increasing in industrialized countries • Hundreds of selling career options to match individual interests, talents, and ambitions • Most occupations involve some form of selling 2 -5

Large U. S. Sales Forces TABLE 2. 1 2 -6

Sales Titles Vary • Account executive • Sales consultant • Account representative • Client development manager • Sales account manager • Sales associate • Relationship manager • Marketing representative • District representative • Territory manager 2 -7

How Salespeople Spend an Average 46 -Hour Work Week FIGURE 2. 1 2 -8

Rewards of Selling Careers • Above-average income • Above-average “psychic” income • Opportunity for advancement • Opportunities for women and minorities 2 -9

Executive and Sales Force Compensation TABLE 2. 2 2 -10

Women and Minorities • Growing opportunities for both women and minorities • More women are turning to sales as a career • Companies recognize a need for a more diverse sales force 2 -11

Employment Settings in Selling Today • Selling a service • Selling for a retailer • Selling for a wholesaler • Selling for a manufacturer 2 -12

Selling a Service • Financial services • Radio, television, and Internet advertising • Newspaper advertising • Hotel, motel, and convention center services • Real estate • Insurance • Banking • Business services 2 -13

Selling a Service See the Website 2 -14

Special Case: Radio Advertising Sales • More than 10, 000 radio stations in the United States • Work with local, regional, and national accounts • Local and national training, certification • In medium markets, compensation can reach $100, 000+ See the Website 2 -15

Retail Selling Product categories like these usually require a high degree of personal selling • Automobiles • Recreational vehicles • Musical instruments • Television and radio receivers • Photographic equipment • Furniture/decorating supplies • Fashion apparel • Major appliances • Tires and related accessories • Computers 2 -16

Wholesale Selling Inside salesperson • Relies heavily on phone orders • More office-based • Internet often used for support • Inside sales growing in popularity as a costsaving move Outside salesperson • On-the-road • Duties vary • Often must be familiar with many products • Must know details of customer’s operation • Serves as consultant to the customer 2 -17

Manufacturer Selling Field salesperson Sales engineer • Gains new customers • Knows technical details • Increases sales for existing customers • Must identify, analyze, solve customer problems Detail salesperson • Assists clients with marketing, collects data Inside salesperson • Takes orders • Supports field staff • Not compensated on amount sold 2 -18

Telemarketing Sales Channel Telemarketing: a channel in which the sales process is conducted by telephone • Serves two purposes: sales and service • Inside sales, backup for outside sales • Sometimes used to maintain contact with smaller customers • Also used to find and qualify prospects 2 -19

Learning How to Sell “The principles of selling can be learned and applied by people whose personal characteristics are quite different. ” 2 -20

Four Sources of Sales Training • Corporate-sponsored training • Training provided by commercial vendors • Certification programs • College and university courses 2 -21

Corporate-sponsored Training • Many firms have established programs • Millions are spent in training each year • Salespeople among the most intensively trained employees • Training for consultative selling may be a few months to a year • Some Web-based training used 2 -22

Commercial Vendor: Huthwaite’s SPIN Selling See the Website 2 -23

Commercial Vendor: Acclivus Corporation See the Website 2 -24

Certificate Programs: The Certified Medical Representative See the Website 2 -25

University Courses: A Sales Training Facility Courtesy: Nicholls State University 2 -26