The evolution of selling: a study of historic and contemporary sales methods and attitudes Selling as an offer of exchange of goods for other items or money exists and accompanies the world’s economy since the very beginning of a human existence. As long as there has been something to sell there have been salespeople taking care of those who might be willing to buy. This occupation requires selling skills as well as specific abilities and characteristics to uncover the needs of potential buyers and cater to those needs (D.Jobber, G.Lancaster, 2009, p.5). This is why selling is rather a complex process using a wide range of techniques and methods (D.Jobber, G.Lancaster, 2009, p.5), which has changed over the …show more content…
The main reasons of the evolution of selling are the expansion in other fields of studies such as psychology and process methodology. Thanks to those forces the selling industry has changed (T. Hughes, 2012), and the organisations adapted new philosophy of a marketing concept that was based on customer satisfaction, which was of primary importance (Manning, Reece, Ahearne, 2011. Chapter2). Very significant difference is that the companies began to recognise the needs and wants of potential buyers of a target market and were willing to meet a challenge in order to get customers’ satisfaction. The position of salespeople in the organisation was recognised as an important link to collect information relating to the consumers’ needs. There general change of the organisation approach has been noticed as the product orientation was replaced with customer orientation (Manning, Reece, Ahearne, 2011. Chapter2). Since then, personal selling was evolving so that few years later, in 1960s and 1970s salespeople adopted more consultative approach and became more like problem-solvers. Sellers’s main aim was not only to sell the product but provide the buyer with information and recommendations. Thanks to the two-way communication, manipulation tactics used before were replaced with negotiations. However, buyers became more value-conscious and aware of their own needs so they were interested mainly in price and
A salesperson’s career depends largely on the respect that others have for him. Without respect, Willie cannot sell himself to his family, friends, or clients. Willie understands this, and takes pride in the positive reputation he thinks he has with buyers across the country. In this way, Biff is a client of Willie’s, who purchases the wisdom that his father has to offer.
Sales concept – Where product or service is produced and personal selling and other high – pressure selling techniques are used to convince customers to buy. For example A firm that manufacture doors sells their products to residential householders.
“Selling and marketing are antithetical rather than synonymous or even complementary. There will always be, one can assume, a need for some selling. But the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself.” (Drucker 1973, pp.64-65)
Introduction: In this assignment I will be giving information the following point talk about each sales staff must do or be like when working for these different scenarios. Also I have included the sales technique out of four of them: Cold-calling, Face to face, Telemarketing and drop in visits. Also I have included their own personal interpersonal skills of what it takes to be a sales staff to be working for those scenarios, I have also included examples and relevant pictures.
According to Harvard Business school professor Theodore C. Levitt "Selling concerns itself with the tricks and techniques of getting people to exchange their cash for your product. It is not
Buyers never want to feel pushed, manipulated, or rushed. Sales professionalism is another factor into having a buyer and seller trust based relationship. This method is a way to approach customers in a trusting and non-manipulating tactic to satisfy the long-term needs of both the customer and the selling firm. Salespeople play a critical role on the sales floor. Almost all consumers in the society who are early adopters of an innovation often rely on salespeople as a primary source of information. Given the increasing importance of building a trust bond and developing a long-term relationship is an imperative that salespeople are truthful with the customers. It is important for salespeople to
This occupation isn’t like others because the success of the sales aren’t just based on how the salesman works, but also the customers attitude. Sometimes a customer may not be interested or lose interest quickly. This makes a salesman’s job harder because they must pay close attention to their customers and form correct reactions. A successful salesman must know how to persuade their customers, yet aren’t too pushy. The salesman must make the customer feel comfortable and feel a need to buy what they are selling. The greatest thing to remember is that a salesman must be understanding with customers. If the customers say the price is too high or that they don’t want the product, the salesman must stay kind to the customer. If not they might never buy a product from them or hinder any their future
Victor Andrew Lopez Week 1 – Case Study MKTG 425 – DeVry University Professor Eckert Statement of the Problem Value-added selling is a way in which the salespersons use to ensure that they add value to their customers hence increasing the experience of the customers. The study brings the ways in which the salespersons use to ensure that their customers have enough experience on their products. The need for the understanding of the ways in which Marcus Smith can create value for his customers and hence get more of them with the experience on the market issues. The value selling is more than a sales course since it takes the initiative of the salespersons to ensure that there is value added selling. It is also not true that people always want to get as much as they give, in the study there is a the detailed discussion of the ways in which value can create although sometimes it may not work for all customers (Albrecht et al., 2005).
Some might say I am a bit harsh in my views to what a salesperson should and shouldn’t say. Many salespeople have said that if they acted with such high moral obligations, they wouldn’t be able to do their jobs properly. I, on the other hand, believe the seller should strive as much as possible to sell as close to the "desired exchange" standpoint rather than the lower end of the "acceptable exchange" view. Many agents have suggested that if the customer is ready and willing to spend the money and will do so in any case, they should not be stopped. Therefore, the sales agents strive towards
The report describes the skills and ability possessed by a sales manager in a rebuttable company in delivering an astonishing service which helps the company to achieve a desirable goal. It is my dream to be one of the best sales mangers across the globe to work with a notable company, however to attain this desire, I interviewed one of the top sales managers in other to ascertain the ideal negotiation skills, intercultural communication competence and cultural sensitivity that are needed at that work place in other to attain success. The sales manager has been working as a sales person for the past twelve years and has won three yearly-organised best worker awards at his firm.
Incredibly, despite this fallout, many salespeople continue to train in that decades-old style of sales. While the names of some of the tactics and techniques have changed, the philosophy at the heart of the training is essentially the same: do whatever it takes to outmaneuver the customer into saying yes, and close the sale. But from my own thirty years of sales experience, that approach no longer cuts it. More competitive products, diverse shopping outlets, and sophisticated customer preferences have radically changed the game. The challenge of selling has become so different from the way it used to be that today’s salespeople need a different way to sell.
As Ron calls his new potential customers in downtown Los Angeles, he faces a new challenge when trying to sell the new products. Being a new salesman, some customers may feel a need to question if they need the product. Customers may not be convinced there is a need for the product which Ron is selling. Ron’s customers may not be familiar with the product he is selling (Johnston & Marshall, 2010).
The next stage in the personal selling process is approaching the prospect. This means actually having an initial first meeting with the prospect for the first time, face-to-face. (Personal Selling, pg.136) Like most things in life, “Practice Makes Perfect”, and in this particular case, this statement holds true in that the more a sales representative practices and rehearses their sales presentation, the better. Practicing and rehearsing one’s presentation assist sales representatives in
Personal selling is a form of selling that many companies rely on heavily to promote and move their products. The personal selling process involves seven steps that a salesperson must go through with most sales. Understanding these seven steps can help improve your individual sales or the sales of your company. Personal selling is especially important in large, sometimes even multi-million, business deals because if a corporation is going to invest that kind of money, they will not do so without a sense of personal assurance.
The business of sales has come a long way in the past few decades. Successful companies understand that to stay competitive in today’s market, they must develop an effective and repeatable sales process that works for their business and their customers.