Personal Selling: Ch. 13-14 & Carnegie

value of follow up & service

refers to the ongoing customer service by maintaining contact with a customer (or prospect) and allows the salesperson to understand the customer’s perception of the product and the customer’s level of satisfaction

• acct penetration

• relationship mkt: transactional, relationship, partnership

• cognitive dissonance: when a personal belief does not align with the product they purchase

• relationship building

level of business “friendships”

1. acquaintances → people whose names you know, who you see occasionally, and those you know little about even if you’ve known them for a long time

2. friends → people who we spend more time with and with who we share common interests and/or hobbies

3. intimate friends → “best friends” are the people we know on a deeper level

relationship marketing

the creation of customer loyalty and retention; based on the idea that important customers need continuous attention and would like to sell to them now and in the future

levels include:

• transaction selling: the salesperson sells to customer and does not contact them again

• relationship selling: after the purchase the seller finds out if the customer is satisfied and has future needs

• partnering and consultative selling: the seller works continually to improve the customer’s operations, sales, and profits

cognitive satisfaction

refers to feelings toward the purchase; if positive, the chances of selling to the customer in the future increase

cognitive dissonance

when a personal belief does not align with the product they purchase; “buyer’s remorse”; the outcome of the purchase does not match expectations

use of technology to provide after sale service

CRM systems help salespeople throughout the sales process for prospecting or for gaining customer knowledge; CRM technology helps salespeople monitor inbound and outbound communications with customers

account penetration

the ability to work and contact people throughout the account, discussing your products; a successful one allows you to properly service that account by uncovering its needs and problems

account analysis

identifying accounts and their varying levels of sales potential— the undifferentiated selling approach and the account segmentation approach

value/purpose of sales territories

comprises a group of customers or a geographic area assigned to a salesperson

• groups of customers or geographic area

• existing and potential customers

• routing and scheduling

account objectives and quotas

objectives might include increasing product distribution to prospects in the territory or increasing the product assortment current customers purchase

• examples:

  • volume (most used): how much are you gonna sell in the next period?

  • profit

  • activity

  • expense

• provides guidance to salesperson to know whats expected of them (close as much as possible and sell as much as possible)

account evaluation

the establishment of performance standards for the individual territory in the form of qualitative and quantitative quotas or goals

routing and scheduling

scheduling refers to establishing a fixed time (day and hour) for visiting a customer’s business

routing is the travel pattern used in working a territory

carnegie principle 1 - managing people

three suggestions:

• no complaining, positive appreciation, and inspiring others

1. don’t criticize, condemn, or complain

   • the danger of criticism is that it can create resentment that simmers for years and surfaces at the worst time

     • criticisms will usually only result in you hurting someone’s ego and may cause them to dislike you

2. give honest and sincere appreciation

   • getting someone to do something requires making want to do it; people do things to feel appreciated and important so if you can fulfill this, people will love you

     • genuine appreciation comes from a genuine place of gratitude; ask yourself “what can i appreciate about this person?”

3. arouse in the other person an eager want

   • “the only way on earth to influence other people is to talk about what they want and show them hot to get it” - dale carnegie

     • every act begins with a desire → don’t talk about what you want instead always talk in terms of what your listener wants (IMPORTANT IN SELLING)

carnegie principle 2 - being likeable

six strategies and skills

• genuinely interested in other people

• smile

• remember that person’s name

• be a good listener

• talk in terms of other person’s interests

• make the other person feel important

why is being liked a useful attribute in selling situations? if people like you they are more likely to buy from you

carnegie principle 3 - persuasion

twelve approaches to effective persuasion

1. avoid arguments

2. show respect, never “you’re wrong”

3. if you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically

4. begin in a friendly way

5. get the other person to say “yes, yes” immediately

6. let the other talk

7. let the other feel the idea is theirs

8. try honestly to see things from their perspective

9. be sympathetic with the other’s ideas

10. appeal to nobler motives

11. dramatize your ideas

12. throw down a challenge

carnegie principle 4 - managing change

• begin with praise and appreciation

• attention to mistakes indirectly

• talk about your own mistakes first

• ask questions rather than being directive

• let the other save face

• praise every improvement

• fine reputation to live up to

• use encouragement

• make others happy by doing what you want

why is personal selling so effective?

two way communication and allows for immediate feedback

why do you close early and often?

the customer might say yes earlier than you expect; trial closing!! assess their interests and adapt the presentation to the prospect interests

types of approaches

statement → effective if properly planned, especially when the prospect’s needs are known before entering the office; (make a statement i.e. you introduce yourself and company)

question → they allow the salesperson to better determine the prospect’s needs and force the prospect to participate in the sale presentation (are you interested in saving money on bills?)

product → salesperson places the product on the counter or hands it to the customer

how are the principles related to persuasion and presentation mix?

the principles emphasize understanding and valuing your audience, building rapport, and aligning your message with their interests—key elements for persuasive and engaging presentations