Mr. Woodring – Sports and Entertainment Marketing
Effective Selling
1
Selling is helping customers make satisfying buying decisions by communicating how products and their features match customers’ needs and wants. (2 parts to the definition)
Goals of selling:
- Help customers decide on purchases (sometimes educating customers on products)
- Ensure customer satisfaction (Happy customers mean repeat business)
Selling is a broad concept & can take place inside or outside a firm.
Inside sales are selling efforts that take place at the salesperson’s place of business. (i.e. retailers)
Outside sales are selling efforts that take place outside the salesperson’s place of business. (i.e. door to door salespeople)
Insurance agents or real estate agents may sell their consumer services through inside or outside sales efforts.
Telemarketing is the process of selling over the telephone.
“What traits or skills does a salesperson need?”
Enthusiasm, sincerity (genuine interest), maintaining a positive attitude, remaining calm under pressure, self-confident, good listening skills, excellent communication skills, etc.
The Selling Process
The seven steps of a sale are:
- Prospecting (finding potential customers)
- The pre-approach (gathering info about the potential customer)
- The approach (why would a potential customer want to listen to you?)
- The sales presentation (presenting to the potential customer)
- Handling objections (responding to potential customer’s concerns)
- The close (the handshake & agreement)
- The departure and follow-up (how you deal with the potential customer next)
Prospecting is the process of finding potential customers who could benefit from and buy a good or service. Potential customers are prospects.
Gathering and analyzing information about the prospect and using it to construct the sales presentation is the pre-approach.
The way the salesperson enlists the prospect’s willingness to hear more about a product is the approach. The approach, is made to gain an interview and make the sales presentation.
Examples:
- Telephone call to a business at a time, day, week, or month (convenient to the business).
- Using a business card
- Direct mail
- Personal visit, greeting, dress, eye contact are important
During the sales presentation, the salesperson demonstrates or explains the product and attempts to build a desire for ownership within the prospect.
Other terms:
Product features: unique characteristics of a product that make it different from other products of its type.
Customer benefits: are the desirable effects of product features.
Example: you are a salesperson trying to sell desks to a school. The salesperson translates the desks’ features into benefits for the school Notice how the following five characteristics describe five product features and then are translated into customer benefits.
Product features / Customer benefits- There are no sharp edges on the desks….
- The desks are made of the best grade of Southern pine….
- The desk tops have a vinyl coating….
- Each desk has a large, book-storage compartment….
- All desks can be washed with soap and water….
Please note that an effective salesperson adjusts the presentation to fit each situation, amplifying or condensing certain benefits as necessary. The salesperson tries to stay aware of the prospect’s needs and present the product in the way that best meets those needs. Therefore, a good sales presentation is flexible. It can be expanded or shortened to suit the sales situation. Its core consists of translating product features into customer benefits.
Appeal to sight and hearing
Effective salespeople organize their presentations so that the prospect sees and hears the benefits at the same time. They may do this by demonstrating the product. They may also use charts, posters, videos, or models to help the prospect see as well as hear the sales message.
Good sales presentations involve prospects as much as possible. This is why automobile salespeople invite prospects to drive a car rather than simply look at it in the showroom. Free trial periods allow prospects to evaluate a product for a trail period (i.e. 30-days) – which enables the prospect to experience the feel of ownership.
Some sales presentations are concluded with “extras”. Examples include:
“Best of all, these desks are guaranteed for one full year.”
“An independent testing laboratory has given these desks an exceptionally high rating.”
An objection is an honest difference between the customer and the salesperson. Experience salespeople are prepared to answer objections.
Example of an objection: “I like your product, but I don’t think the school can afford it right now.” Salesperson could respond by stressing the benefits of immediate ownership. Then he/she could explain the various credit plans by which the product could be purchased.
The close is the completion of the sale.
- Avoid pressure
- Call again
- Suggest additional purchases (of same item or related/additional items)
The Departure and Follow-up
- Thank prospect
- Show appreciation for prospect’s time and attention
- A good salesperson is always interested in future business and sales.
After each sales call – examine reasons for success or failure. Through self-evaluation, the salesperson will improve sales skills and become more accomplished.
Notes & Questions
- Students ever sold anything before? What? How did it go? What was the process?
- Parents who sell things?
- Financial incentives (commissions) for salespeople?
- Importance of confidencepersuasion
- How do infomercials (informational commercials) sell things to us?