How to Implement the Personal Selling Process
Personal selling is the act of presenting products or services directly to customers and using the unique features and functionality of the products or services to convince them to make a purchase. The personal selling process is executed in a sequence of events that aim at tailoring businesses' different product or service offerings to meet the specific needs of the target customers but also to build enduring contacts and relationships with the customers after sales. The personal selling process provides an appropriate avenue for addressing specific customer information needs on the functionality of complex products. The process also provides prospective customers with the opportunity to negotiate for lower prices and enables the business to eliminate some costs associated with marketing.
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Instructions
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Prepare a general list of your prospects. Prospects are potential customers or leads to potential customers. You can generate the list of your prospects or leads through inquiries, observation, business and social contacts, existing customer records, business directories such as the Yellow Pages, and online forums and communities.
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Select and shortlist the prospects that have the demonstrated need, willingness and capacity to purchase the products or services you provide. Gather details such as previous customer experiences with competitor products, credit ratings of customers and the ultimate decision-makers with the influence to authorize purchases and use them to qualify prospects into your selected shortlist.
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Compile your sales pitch to present to your prospects during contact. A sales pitch is a summary of the company and the vivid description of its unique set of products or services. Use the customized information of each prospect to create your sales pitch and generate the right appeal. Factor each prospect's profile such as spending habits, economic capacity and buying motivations that you gathered at the shortlisting stage.
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Make the initial face-to-face, phone or email contacts with the prospects in your shortlist. Summon politeness and dignity as you introduce yourself, your company and your products to the prospects. Begin the presentation of your sales pitch by highlighting the unique product attributes and functionality. Ensure that you generate interest and arouse desire by consistently mentioning the distinctive attributes of the products throughout your presentations to influence customers to take action.
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Handle any objections raised by the customers during the presentation. The prices, qualities, reliability and compatibility of your products or services are some of the concerns your prospects might raise. Clarify these objections using offers such as lengthy product warranties, money-back guarantees, and testimonials and ratings of previous customers. Remain tactful but patient and cordial throughout the process of dispelling customer doubts because this is a critical stage of the selling process.
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Close the sale the moment the customer makes the decision to purchase your product or service. Allow the customer adequate time to bargain and make appropriate concessions on the price in relation to the minimum and maximum profit margins you are targeting to earn from your product or service. Maintain the enthusiasm and interest you demonstrated during the initial stages of the selling process to ensure that the customer appreciates your standards of services to the end and encourage future repeat purchases or referrals from the customer.
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Maintain the account by conducting regular after-sales followups to guarantee customers' satisfaction and confidence with the products or services they purchased. Post-sale deliveries, installations, maintenance and servicing are some of the after-sales activities you can conduct regularly to establish and build enduring relationships with your customers
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Tips & Warnings
Always have a deep understanding of your sales pitch and your product or service features to be able to demonstrate coherence and authoritative knowledge when making your presentations to your prospects.
Do not display frustration and emotions when your prospects decline to purchase your products after you fail to convince them, because this will discourage the customers from approaching you in the future in the event that they change their mind and decide to acquire the products.
