- The Wikipedia article on the subject of sales lacks an in depth portrayal of the true nature of a sales process and the professional attributes of a salesman.I propose to personally make key changes to the existing article's structure and context referencing my personal experience as a sales professional along with sources Little Red Book of Selling; 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness by Jeffrey Gitomer and How to sell anything to anybody by Joe Girard.
Article; Sales. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved November 8th, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales
Edits;
A.The contents window is to include three new sections; Background, Principles, and Strategy respectively strategically preceding the existing Sales Techniques segment. The new content window will appear as such;
1. Background
1.1 Definition of a Sale
1.2 Communication Skills
1.3 Buyer Motivation
2. Principles
2.1 Self Motivation
2.2 Preparation
2.3 Networking
2.4 Engaging Conversation
2.5 Creativity
3. Strategies
3.1 Building Trust
3.2 Pain, Pleasure, Logic
3.3 The Close
4.Sales Techniques
5. Sales agents
5.1 Inside sales vs. Outside sales
6. The relationships between sales and marketing
6.1 Marketing potentially negates the need for sales
6.2 Industrial marketing
7. Sales and marketing alignment and integration
8. See also
9. References
B.The existing text serving as an introduction is to remain unchanged and will immediately be followed by the Background,Principles, and Strategies sections respectively which appear as such;
1.Background
Definition of a Sale
A sale can be defined as a process by which one person guides another through a purchase a product or service and allowing the purchaser to feel as though he or she is in control. The sales procedure can vary based on the product or service being sold, however the consistency of customer enrollment into a service or purchase frequency is contingent on the presentation of either the product or service.
Communication Skills
A sale process is carried out through conversation between seller and buyer in which appropriate communication is of utmost importance. The salesman's success in completing a sale lies within his or her ability to present a product or service in a manner that is appealing to the the potential buyer through strategically timing and usage of verbiage and tonality. The direction of the interaction can shift based on seller's ability to think critically about the prospect's momentary mind state and respond in a manner that will lead into a comfortable and trusting atmosphere vital to closing a sale. Typically, a skilled salesman speaks confidently and establishes common ground through the use of jargon, strategic questioning, knowledge of current events, and genuine expression of personal thoughts and feelings. How these capabilities fit into the accomplishment of the ultimate goal will be explained in detail in the ensuing "Strategy" section.
Buyer Motivation
A human being's desire or want is a powerful motivation for his or her purchases. The basic need for shelter can easily be met with a cheap studio apartment, but we choose our housing situation based on the criteria we set for ourselves. We want to spend a certain amount on a specified amount of bedrooms with a particular kitchen layout and based on how close that criteria is met we make a purchasing decision. Execution of a sale relies heavily on the salesman's understanding of this concept and ability to create a strong desire within the prospective buyer for the product or service being sold.
2.Principles
The fundamental principles for the sales process lay a foundation for the accomplished sales professional.
Self Motivation
An introspective perspective allows the salesman to realize and change the factors within his or her control. Instead of placing blame for low sales volume on circumstances outside of the salesman's scope of influence , a self driven individual would look to improve presentation, communication skills, exposure to a larger potential customer base, and even choosing a product that he or she is passionate about to create an environment for his or her self conducive to increasing frequency and average price per sale. Strong work ethic and drive contribute to the ideal salesman's maintaining of a positive attitude an development of his or her expertise.
Preparation
Being prepared to meet a potential client or customer speaks unlimited volumes about the salesman and serves as a strong determining factor in making the sale. Gathering information relevant to the prospect and strategically outlining the content of the sales pitch aid the seller tremendously because he or she can anticipate questions, increase buyer confidence in the salesman's knowledge and product or service being sold, eliminate most or all buyer objections, and deliver quality and relevant information. These advantages bring the sale closer to completion.
Networking
A salesman's exposure to as many people possible help him or her attract the maximum amount of potential buyers. The more people the salesman interacts with, the higher his likelihood to sell more. Smiles and handshakes go a long way with people in general, not just in politics.
Engaging Conversation
Participation in a conversation alone is not enough to intrigue someone to consider making a purchase. Telling someone why a particular product is the best and listing features and benefits will usually result in indifference. On the other hand, a conversation that peaks interest even if it has nothing to do with the product will create a memorable experience for the potential buyer if nothing else. Prospects will be more inclined to make a purchasing decision if he or she feels that they are appreciated and understood on a personal level with the salesman. If he or she isn't currently interested or unable to procure the finances for the product, the possibility of referral to another client is augmented.
Creativity
Creativity sets the good salesmen apart from the great ones. It is used to keep conversations upbeat and lively, boost excitement within the prospect, personalize the product to the match the buyer's expectations, and above all distinguish the product from the similar one sold by the competition.
3.Strategy
The conversations involved in selling a product or service are not subject to coincidence. The wording is studied and calculated to produce the maximum amount of successful sales.
Building Trust
Anytime a person walks into a store, he or she is already expecting a sales associate to approach for the sole purpose of making a sale and as a result the person is skeptical about even considering asking store personnel for help. To break down this wall, it is advised that the potential buyer is approached with the sale being the furthest thing from the salesman's mind. Compliments, unoffensive jokes, shared interests, and thought provoking questions all lead to a thoughtful response from the shopper which temporarily deflects his or her attention from the "no, thank you" that was lingering in his or her mind upon the realization of the employee's approach. The icebreaker is immediately followed by conversation about the game last night, those lovely shoes, workout regiment, etc. and within five minutes the potential buyer will have forgotten about previous inclinations provided that the chat is engaging.
Pain, Pleasure, Logic
Derived from the ancient Greek philosophies, the process of pain, pleasure, and logic is quite effective if implemented correctly in the sales process. As the salesman proceeds to build rapport with the potential buyer, relaxation and comfort will become more apparent in his or her body language and immersion in conversation. The next step would be to establish an emotional trigger to his or her buying impulse. For instance, if a potential client walks into a jewelry store and the sales manager approaches him or her and builds a strong initial rapport. After the client loosens up and puts his guard down, the manager would begin asking a series of questions to first find a reason why the client wants to look at jewelry. Eventually the line of persistent questioning will lead to the potential client conveying the underlying deep emotions behind his desire for jewelry. In this particular case, the client tells the manager he's always liked watches and has kept a collection since he was seven. Immediately the manager recognizes an emotionally binding attachment for the watches and congratulates the prospect for his tasteful compilation of wonderful watches as the makes and models are listed followed by a statement transitioning into the next question such as,
Salesman: "I remember when I was seven man I couldn't tell a Rolex from a Burger King watch, how did you get into collecting them?"
Prospect: "My grandpa gave me his watch when I turned seven."
At this point the salesman should recognize the correlation between the prospect's grandfather and his fascination with watches and that the emotional attachment is somehow linked with his grandfather at which point he proceeds to find out how.
Salesman: " He must love the collection you have now"
Prospect: "He can't"
Salesman: "What do you mean?"
Prospect: "He gave me that watch a year before he passed away"
The salesman has discovered that the prospect's grief over his grandfather's passing is the motivation for his watch. His reaction is imperative in preserving the level of trust that was just established because of the fragility of the prospect's feelings at this instant. Immediately the salesman thanks the prospect for trusting him enough to divulge that experience despite how painful that memory is. To calm and reassure the prospect, the salesman will commit the prospect to the sale by establishing a shared responsibility to make his grandfather proud of his collection. As soon as the prospect agrees to the salesman's pledge, he experiences the ensuing pleasure in having someone he can trust to share his After the purchase is complete and the emotions are no longer affecting his thought process, the prospect will find a logical explanation for the newly purchased watch such as its his first Tag Heur and he can't wait to wear it on his next outing. This example represents a practical use of the pain, pleasure, logic strategy used in the sales process.
The Close
The close loosely defined is the actual completion of a sale defined by the exchange of currency for a product or service. However, the close can be difficult if a few key objections are not addressed and overcome by the salesman. The client must feel like there is value in the product especially as it pertains his personal satisfaction. Simple techniques commonly used to accomplish this include explaining benefits of the product or services to his or her wants attained throughout the conversation, avoiding discounts unless the prospect asks for one repeatedly indicating that he or she is ready to buy immediately, avoiding the word free simply because there can be no value in anything that is free, and drawing attention to the product or service's exclusivity and low supply. Once the buyer is truly convinced of the product or service's value and has shown on numerous occasions that he or she is ready and willing to buy, the salesman will proceed to close the sale. In the event, some objections were missed and they are encountered upon direct and confident request for payment information without allowing the opportunity for no to be an answer by asking the client to choose between two choices such as cash or charge, the isolation of objections by the salesman to factors within the salesman's control. Depending on what is being sold, the salesman maintains control of the situation by asking about two objections that he or she can overcome. For example, if the prospective buyer is prompted for the down payment on the new vehicle he would say,"You know what I need to think about this" and the salesman would respond by asking "Is it the time or the money you want to think about?", highlighting the two things he can control and eventually resolve. After that, it is a done deal. There are many variations and of the close specific to the product or service being sold, however all salesman would be inclined to concur on the fundamentals.
Girard, J. (2006). How to sell anything to anybody. New York, NY: Fireside.
Gitomer, J. (2005). Little Red Book of Selling; 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness. Austin,TX: Bard Press