Personal Selling
Personal Selling & The Marketing Concept
Personal Selling - A Definition and a Philosophy
Personal Selling is a process of developing relationships; discovering needs; matching the appropriate products with these needs; and communicating benefits through informing, reminding, or persuading.
The development of a personal selling philosophy for the information age involves three prescriptions:
1) Adopt marketing concept.
2) Value personal selling.
3) Assume the role of a problem solver or partner in helping customers make buying decisions.
Personal Selling as an Extension of the Marketing Concept
When a business firm moves from a product orientation to consumer orientation, we say that it has adopted the marketing concept. This concept springs from the belief that the firm should dedicate all of its policies, planning, and operation to the satisfaction of the customer.
Promotion can be further subdivided into advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and personal selling. Personal selling is the major promotional method used in business.
Evolution of Consultative Selling
Consultative selling emphasizes need identification, which is achieved through effective communication between the salesperson and the customer. The salesperson establishes two-way communication by asking appropriate questions and listening carefully to the customer's responses. The salesperson assumes the role of consultant and offers well-considered recommendations.
Transactional selling is a sales process that most effectively matches the needs of the value conscious buyer who is primarily interested in price and convenience. This approach to selling is usually used by marketers who do not see the need to spend very much time on customer need assessment, problem solving, relationship building, or sales follow-up.
4 Major Features of Consultative Selling are:
1) The customer is seen as a person to be served, not a prospect to be sold.
2) The consultative salesperson does
Personal Selling - A Definition and a Philosophy
Personal Selling is a process of developing relationships; discovering needs; matching the appropriate products with these needs; and communicating benefits through informing, reminding, or persuading.
The development of a personal selling philosophy for the information age involves three prescriptions:
1) Adopt marketing concept.
2) Value personal selling.
3) Assume the role of a problem solver or partner in helping customers make buying decisions.
Personal Selling as an Extension of the Marketing Concept
When a business firm moves from a product orientation to consumer orientation, we say that it has adopted the marketing concept. This concept springs from the belief that the firm should dedicate all of its policies, planning, and operation to the satisfaction of the customer.
Promotion can be further subdivided into advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and personal selling. Personal selling is the major promotional method used in business.
Evolution of Consultative Selling
Consultative selling emphasizes need identification, which is achieved through effective communication between the salesperson and the customer. The salesperson establishes two-way communication by asking appropriate questions and listening carefully to the customer's responses. The salesperson assumes the role of consultant and offers well-considered recommendations.
Transactional selling is a sales process that most effectively matches the needs of the value conscious buyer who is primarily interested in price and convenience. This approach to selling is usually used by marketers who do not see the need to spend very much time on customer need assessment, problem solving, relationship building, or sales follow-up.
4 Major Features of Consultative Selling are:
1) The customer is seen as a person to be served, not a prospect to be sold.
2) The consultative salesperson does