SALES
MANAGEMENT
SELLING PROCESS
Balram Chaudhary
Asst Professor
JVW University, Jaipur
THE SELLING PROCESS
It is a process by which a salesperson identifies and
locates the prospects, separates the prospects from
suspects, approach them and makes a sales presentation,
handles their objects and closes a sale.
STAGES IN THE SELLING PROCESS
PRE-SALE PREPARATION
PROSPECTING
Prospecting is the process of identifying potential buyer
who have:
Need of the product
Ability to pay for it
Authority to buy it
A successful salesperson utilizes his/her time in
distinguishing suspects from prospects
A sales person faces three sets of customer at the time of
prospecting:
Lead Customers
Prospect Customers
Qualified Customers
METHODS OF PROSPECTING
Cold Canvassing
Customer Referrals
Observation
Friends and Acquaintances
Lists and Directories
Direct Mail
Telemarketing
Trade shows and Demonstrations
PRE-APPROACH
Before approaching to the customers salespersons must
prepare themselves about
Knowledge about the customer
Knowledge about the final decision maker
Queries that are expected to be asked
Know how the product can benefit the customer
Take the appointment
Prepare all the required data, documents etc
APPROACH
In this step the salesperson tries to get the customer’s
attention and generate interest in him for the sales
presentation
The goals of any sales approach can be
Getting the prospect’s attention
Removing any inhibition
Gaining the prospect’s respect and confidence
Probing for the benefit most wanted by the prospect
Arousing their interest for hearing the presentation
VARIOUS APPROACHES USED
Benefit Approach: Focusing on customer benefits
Referral Approach: Focusing on a third party’s
recommendation
Introductory Approach: Focusing on the selling
company and the salesperson, focusing on the physical
elements of the products
SALES PRESENTATION
In this step the salesperson presents his products and services before
the prospects and makes effort to create and modify their interest
into sales realization for the company
Approaches to sales presentation
Attracting customer attention (Appearance)
Creating Interest (benefit approach)
Arousing Desire and Building Conviction
Methods of Sales Presentation
Oral Presentation
Written Presentation
HANDLING CUSTOMER OBJECTIONS
Customer makes many objection during or after the
presentation
Many a times these objections are excuses for not buying
It is the duty of the salesperson to clear the doubt of the
customer
Customer may have doubt, he could not understand the
presentation, product or service is new etc
TEN EXCUSES CUSTOMER USE ON THE
SALES PEOPLE
Denial
Blaming
Minimizing
I have no choice
Reframing Reality
Alibi
Justification
Derogation
Helplessness
Yes……But
METHODS OF HANDLING CUSTOMER
OBJECTIONS
Superior Feature Method
Yes…..but method
Reverse English Method
Indirect Denial Method
Pass Out Method
Comparison Method
Direct Denial Method
Another angle method
Narrative Method
Testimonial Method
Question or Why Method
CLOSING THE SALE
It is the main objective of the salesperson and comes after handling
the objection
Many salespersons are scared to ask a question like ‘Will you buy?’
Salesperson use indirect methods for closing the deal
Methods of Closing the Deal
Salesperson may ask customer to fill the form, ask for address etc
Sales may give offer like price is likely to increase
Ask question which answers ‘Yes only’
Like ‘Will you give cheque or cash?’ or ‘Which color of the product
will you like?’ or ‘What is your address for the billing etc?’ etc
FOLLOW UP
Keep yourself in touch with customer
It will help you in cross-selling and reference selling
It helps in maintaining goodwill in the market
SUGGESTED READING
Chapter-3 ‘The Selling Process’ of Sales and
Distribution Management by ‘Tapan K Panda and Sunil
Sahadev’