Chap 16:
Personal Selling
& Sales
Promotion
Linh Tran, Hanoi University
Nov 23rd, 2020
Learning Objectives
1. Personal Selling
2. Managing the Sales Force
3. The Personal Selling Process
4. Sales Promotion
1. Personal Selling
Personal selling is the interpersonal part of the
promotion mix and can include:
• Face-to-face communication
• Telephone communication
• Video or web conferencing
• Professional selling: It takes more than fast
talk and a warm smile to sell expensive
airplanes. Boeing’s real challenge is to win
business by building partnerships—day in, day
out, year in, year out—with its customers.
1. Personal Selling
Managing the Sales Force
Sales force management is the analysis, planning,
implementation, and control of sales force activities.
Figure 16.1 Major Steps in Sales Force Management
1. Personal Selling
The Personal Selling Process
Figure 16.2 Steps in the Selling Process
3. The Personal Selling Process
Steps in the Personal Selling Process
Prospecting identifies qualified potential customers through
referrals from:
• Customers
• Suppliers
• Dealers
• Internet
3. The Personal Selling Process
Steps in the Personal Selling Process
• Preapproach is the process of learning as much as possible about a
prospect, including needs, who is involved in the buying, and the
characteristics and styles of the buyers.
• Objectives
• Qualify the prospect
• Gather information
• Make an immediate sale
• Approaches
• Personal visit
• Phone call
• Letter/email
3. The Personal Selling Process
Steps in the Personal Selling Process
Approach is the process where the salesperson meets and greets the
buyer and gets the relationship off to a good start and involves the
salesperson’s:
• Appearance
• Opening lines
• Follow-up remarks
3. The Personal Selling Process
Steps in the Personal Selling Process
• Presentation is when the salesperson tells the
product story to the buyer, presenting customer
benefits, and showing how the product solves the
customer’s problems.
• Great salespeople know how to sell, but more
important, they know how to listen and build
strong customer relationships.
3. The Personal Selling Process
Steps in the Personal Selling Process
Handling objections is the process where salespeople resolve problems
that are logical, psychological, or unspoken.
Closing is the process where salespeople should recognize signals from the
buyer—including physical actions, comments, and questions—to ask for a
order and finalize the sale.
Follow-up is the last step in which the salesperson follows up after the sale
to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business.
3. The Personal Selling Process
Personal Selling and Managing Customer Relationships
Personal selling is transaction-oriented to close a specific sale with a
specific customer.
The long-term goal of personal selling is to develop a mutually profitable
relationship.
Value selling: Sales management’s challenge is to transform salespeople
from customer advocates for price cuts into company advocates for value.
4. Sales Promotion
• Sales promotion refers to the
short-term incentives to encourage
purchases or sales of a product or
service now.
• Consumer samples can be a
powerful tool. 7-Eleven’s Free
Slurpee Day celebration pulls new
customers into the stores but also
rewards loyal customers and
encourages them to “maybe try
something they haven’t.”
4. Sales Promotion
Major Sales Promotion Tools
Samples offer a trial amount of a product.
Coupons are certificates that give buyers a saving when they purchase
specified products.
Rebates are similar to coupons except that the price reduction occurs after
the purchase.
Price packs offer consumers savings off the regular price of a product.
4. Sales Promotion
Major Sales Promotion Tools
Premiums are goods offered either for free or at a low price.
Advertising specialties are useful articles imprinted with the advertiser’s
name, logo, or message that are given as gifts to consumers.
Point-of-purchase promotions include displays and demonstrations that
take place at the point of sale.
4. Sales Promotion
Major Sales Promotion Tools
Contests, sweepstakes, and games give consumers the chance to win
something—such as cash, trips, or goods—by luck or through extra effort.
• Contests require an entry by a consumer.
• Sweepstakes require consumers to submit their names for a drawing.
• Games present consumers with something that may or may not help them
win a prize.
Event marketing or event sponsorship is creating a brand-marketing
event or serving as a sole or participating sponsor of events created by
others.
4. Sales Promotion
Major Sales Promotion Tools for Business Customers
Conventions and trade shows are effective to reach many customers not
reached with the regular sales force.
Sales contests are effective in motivating salespeople or dealers to
increase performance over a given period.