IMC - selling vocab



  1. Allowance – partial return of a sale price for merchandise the customer has kept, for example if there is defect

  2. Boomerang method- a selling method that converts a customer’s objection into a selling point

  3. Buying motives – a reason a customer buys a product

  4. Buying signals- the things customers do or say to indicate a readiness to buy.

  5. Call report – a written report that documents a sales representative visit with a customer, including the purpose and outcome of the visit

  6. Cash-on-delivery (COD) – a transaction that occurs when a customer pays for merchandise at the time of delivery

  7. Closing the sale – obtaining positive agreement from a customer to buy

  8. Cold call – a sales visit without an appointment

  9. Cold canvassing- the process of locating as many potential customers as possible without checking out leads beforehand

  10. Customer benefits-the advantages or personal satisfaction a customer will get from a good or service.

  11. Customer relationship management- CRM; identifying and understanding customers to form a strong, long-lasting relationship.

  12. Direct close- a closing method in which a salesperson asks for the sale.

  13. Emotional motive- a feeling experienced by a customer through association with a product

  14. Endless chain method-the process of asking previous customers for names of potential customers

  15. Excuses-reasons for not buying or not seeing the salesperson

  16. Extended product features – intangible attribute related to the sales of a product that customers find important

  17. Extensive decision making- the process used when there has been little or no experience with an item

  18. Feature-benefit selling-sales that match the characteristics of a product to a customer’s needs and wants

  19. Free-on-board (FOB)- a delivery arrangement that means the price for goods includes delivery at the seller’s expense to a specified point and no farther.

  20. Greeting approach – a way to approach a customer that focuses on welcoming the customer to the store.

  21. Invoice – to commit (money or capital) in order to gain a financial return

  22. Layaway – removing merchandise from stock and keeping it in a separate area until the customer pays 

  23. Layman’s terms-words the average customer can understand

  24. Limited decision making-the process used when a person buys goods and services that he or she has purchased before but not regularly

  25. Merchandise approach - a way to approach a customer that focuses on making a comment or asking questions about a product in which the customer shows interest.

  26. Merchandising – coordinating sales and promotional plans with buying and pricing

  27. Nonverbal communication- expressing oneself without the use of words

  28. Objection analysis sheet- a document that lists common objections and possible responses to them

  29. Objections-concerns, hesitations, doubts, or other honest reasons a customer has for not making a purchase

  30. On-approval sale – an agreement that allows a customer merchandise home for further consideration

  31. Open ended questions- questions that require respondents to construct their own answers.

  32. Opening cash fund – a limited amount of money in the cash register at the beginning of business

  33. Organizational selling – sales exchanges that occur between two or more companies or business groups; otherwise known as business to business selling or B2B

  34. Patronage motive – a reason for remaining a loyal customer of a company

  35. Personal selling – any form of direct contact between a sales person and a customer

  36. Physical features – tangible attribute that helps explain how a product is constructed

  37. Point-of-sale system (POS) – a combination of a cash register with a computer, making it possible to capture information about the transaction at the time of sale and apply it to different functions.

  38. Product features-basic, physical, or extended attributes of a product or purchase

  39. Prospect- a potential customer; also known as a lead 

  40. Prospecting – looking for new customers

  41. Purchase order (PO) – a legal contract between a buyer and seller that lists thee quantity, price, and description of the products ordered, along with terms of payment and delivery.

  42. Rational motive-a conscious, logical reason for a purchase

  43. Referrals- the names of other people who might buy a product, given to salespeople by satisfied customers

  44. Routine decision making- the process used when a person needs little information about a product to make a decision because he or she buys it regularly

  45. Sales check – a written record of a sales transaction that includes information as the date, items purchased, price, sales tax, and total amount due

  46. Sales quotas- dollar or unit sales goals set for the sales staff to achieve in a specified period of time.

  47. Sales tax – a percentage fee levied by the government on the sale of goods and services

  48. Selling points – the function of a product feature and its benefit to a customer

  49. Service approach- a way to approach a customer that focuses on asking the customer if he or she needs assistance

  50. Service close-a way to close a sale in which a salesperson  explains services that overcome obstacles or problems

  51. Standing-room-only close-a method of closing a sale that is in short supply or when the price will be going up in the near future.

  52. Substitution method- a selling method that involves recommending a different product that would still satisfy the customer’s needs

  53. Suggestion selling- a method of selling in which the salesperson recommends additional goods or services to the customer 

  54. Superior-point method- a selling technique that permits the salesperson to acknowledge objections as valid yet still offset them with other features and benefits.

  55. Telemarketing-the process of selling over the phone

  56. Terms for delivery – the final delivery arrangement made between a buyer and a seller.

  57. Third-party method- a selling method that involves using a previous customer or other neutral person who can give a testimonial about the product.

  58. Till – the cash drawer of a register

  59. Trial close- an initial effort to close a sale.

  60. Universal Product Code (UPC) – a combination barcode and number used to identify a product and manufacturer that must be on every item sold by the manufacturer. 

  61. Which close- a method of closing a sale that encourages a customer to make a decision between two items