One key decision on personal-selling strategy is that on the kind of sales personnel.

Making this decision

requires consideration of qualitative personal-selling objectives—what contributions toward the
company’s longterm overall objectives should be expected from those performing selling jobs? What
should be the duties and responsibilities of these individuals? How should their job performance be
measured? Management must face up to these questions when it decides the kind of sales personnel it
requires.

Each company has individualized requirements as to the kind of sales personnel best fitted to serve its
needs. The reason goes beyond the fact that the qualitative personal-selling objectives of each company
have some degree of distinctiveness. Each company deals with a unique set of marketing factors, such as
the strengths and weaknesses of its products (what it sells), the motivations and buying practices of its
customers and prospects (whom it sells to), its pricing strategy, and the competitive setting—the relative
strengths and weaknesses of competitors. Furthermore, different sell-ing jobs require different levels of
selling and nonselling abilities, training, and technical and other knowledge. The bottler’s driver-
salesperson doing route selling has a considerably different job from that of the salesperson who sells
complex industrial installations such as lathes and presses.

In determining the kind of sales personnel, then, we must understand what is expected of them: the job
objectives, the duties and responsibilities, and the performance measures. Knowing the salesperson’s
job means knowing the particular job for the particular salesperson—it is common for different
salespersons in the same company to have quite different jobs. Knowing the particular job helps
management to avoid “putting square pegs into round holes.” It helps in fitting the job to the person and
the person to the job.

1. Product Market Analysis

No person is capable of selling all kinds of products to all kinds of customers. At one extreme, a
salesperson sells a single product to many kinds of customers. At the other extreme, a salesperson sells
a wide line of products to a single kind of customer. Most salespeople, however, have job assignments
requiring them to sell some products to some kinds of customers. One way of categorizing selling jobs,
then, is into three classifications: (1) product specialists, (2) market specialists, and (3) combinations of
product and market specialization.

A critical step in sales job analysis is to define the nature of product-market interactions. It is advisable
to construct a product-market grid (see Figure 5.1). Companies using product-market grids, of course,
construct them showing much finer details of product-market interactions than that illustrated; this
demands thorough analysis and classification of markets and products. The “boxes” indicate the
different customers who might be sold the different products. As management decides which customers
should be sold which products, some boxes are blacked in, others left empty. This helps to answer the
question: Should our sales personnel be product specialists, iparket specialists, or a combination?
Product specialization is indicated when the product is highly technical, requiring salespeople to advise
on uses and applications. Market specialization is called for when the product is nontechnical but
different kinds of customers have unique buying problems, require special sales approaches, or need
special service. In many cases, analysis reveals that sales personnel need not only considerable
knowledge of more than a single company product line and their applications but skills in dealing with
more than one kind of customer.

Determining the type and amount of specialization requires consideration of both the interdependence
dimension and the expertise dimension.

The four possible combination of these two dimensions (see Figure 5.2) results in four different kinds of
selling roles.

If the dominant interdependence is between customers (rather than between products), sales personnel
should be specialists. They should be product specialists when the needed dominant expertise is in
product technologies. They should be customer specialists when the needed dominant expertise is in
customers’ applications. Customer specialists need the support of market managers who provide the
needed prospect expertise through their specialization in applications in particular industries.

If the dominant interdependence is between products (rather than between customers), the selling
organization needs staffing by full-line salespersons. If product technologies require the most expertise,
salespersons sell the full line to all kinds of prospects and are supported by product managers who
provide the needed product expertise. If customers’ applications require the most expertise,
salespersons sell the full line to particular kinds of prospects.
In addition to product-market interactions, other marketing elements affect the caliber of salesperson
required. If most customers are large, for instance, salespeople need different talents as compared to if
most customers are small. The geographical location of a territory has a bearing on the best type of
salesperson, particularly where local prejudice favors “natives” as opposed to “outsiders.” If these or
similar elements are important, appropriate grids assist in the analysis.

2. Analysis of Salesperson’s Role In Securing Orders

The role(s) that a company expects its sales personnel to play in securing orders influences the kind of
sales staff required. All salespeople in some situations seek orders aggressively, but in others they need
only take orders coming their way, the relative emphasis on order taking and order getting varying in
different selling environments. The driver-salesperson for a soft drink bottling company is primarily an
order taker, because the product has been strongly presold to consumers and retailers reorder
automatically. The encyclopedia salesperson calling on householders most often functions as an order
getter, since getting the order is the main goal.

Depending on whether promotional strategy places major reliance on personal selling or advertising,
salespeople may be either active or passive forces in securing orders. If the promotional strategy of a
manufacturer is to rely heavily upon advertising to attract business and build demand, marketing
channels include several layers of intermediaries, and the role of the manufacturer’s salesperson is that
of order taker primarily and order getter only incidentally. The opposite situation obtains when
advertising is used mainly to back up personal selling—marketing channels contain a minimum number
of layers of intermediaries, and the salesperson’s role is chiefly order getting.

There are cases both in consumer-goods and industrial-goods marketing in which the salesperson plays
only a minor and indirect role in securing orders, the salesperson’s major role being concerned with
other matters. In consumer-goods marketing, the missionary salesperson’s major role is to assist
intermediaries in making sales to their customers. Orders from customers, then, result indirectly, rather
than directly, from the missionary salesperson’s efforts. In industrial-goods marketing, the “sales engi-
neer” plays two major roles: (1) advisor to intermediaries and customers on technical product features
and applications and (2) design consultant to intermediaries and industrial users on installations or
processes incorporating the manufacturer’s products. Sales engineers, then, also secure orders
indirectly, rather than directly, and as the result of playing their major roles as advisors and design
consultants.

3. Choice of Basic Selling Style

Differences in marketing factors cause each company to have individualized requirements as to the kind
of salesperson it employs. These differences cause each company to expect its own sales staff to play
somewhat unique roles (in some respects) even relative to companies employing “similar” kinds of sales
personnel. Nevertheless, sales job roles can be grouped into four basic styles that cut, to a large degree,
across industry and company boundaries: trade selling, missionary selling, technical selling, and new-
business selling.[1]

Trade selling. The trade salesperson develops and maintains long-term relations with a stable group of
customers. For the most part, this is low-key selling, with little or no pressure, and the job is dull and
routine. This selling style, which predominates in marketing food and apparel and in whole-saling,
applies primarily to products that have well-established markets. Advertising and other forms of
promotion are more vital to overall marketing strategy than personal selling. One important
responsibility of the trade salesperson is to help customers build up their volume through providing
promotional assistance. For example, the salesperson for a line of breakfast cereals devotes much time
to promotional work with retailers and whole- salers—taking inventory, refilling shelves, suggesting
reorders, setting up displays, and the like.

Missionary selling. The missionary salesperson’s main job objective is to increase the company’s sales
volume by assisting customers with their selling efforts. The missionary salesperson is concerned only
incidentally with securing orders, since orders result from the missionary’s primary public relations and
promotional efforts with customers of the customers (indirect customers). The missionary salesperson’s
job is to persuade indirect customers to buy from the company’s direct customers. For example, the
salesperson for a pharmaceutical manufacturer calls on the physician to acquaint the latter with a new
product and to urge the him or her to prescribe the product to patients (indirect customers). Also, the
missionary seeks to persuade pharmacists to buy from drug wholesalers, who are the direct customers.
In some situations, missionary salespeople call on individuals and institutions who do not buy the
product themselves but who influence its purchase. Missionary selling, like trade selling, is low key and
does not require high-level technical training or ability.
Technical selling. The technical salesperson deals primarily with the company’s established accounts,
and the main job objective is to increase their volume of purchase by providing technical advice and
assistance. The technical salesperson performs advisory functions similar to those of the missionary
salesperson but, in addition, sells direct to industrial users and other buyers. The technical salesperson
devotes considerable time to acquainting industrial users with technical product characteristics and
applications and to helping them design installations or processes that incorporate the company’s
products. In this selling style, the ability to identify, analyze, and solve customers’ problems is important.

Technical salespeople often specialize, either by products or markets. In selling large made-to-order
installations, such as steam turbines and electric generators, different technical salespersons work with
different items in the product line. Other technical salespeople specialize in servicing either industrial
accounts or government procurement agencies.

New-business selling. The new-business salesperson’s main job is to find and obtain new customers, that
is, to convert prospects into customers. The salesperson specializing in new-business selling should be
unusually creative and ingenious and possess a high degree of resourcefulness. Few companies,
however, have sales personnel who do nothing but new-business selling; most firms expect their regular
sales staff, who primarily do trade selling, to do new-business selling also. However, since it is rare for
the same individual to possess both sets of required talents and because there is a tendency for
salespeople to neglect new-business selling in favor of servicing established accounts, some experts
advocate the specialization of sales personnel into two separate groups, one to concentrate on retaining
existing accounts and the other to focus on converting prospects into customers.3

❤️Step 1: Prospecting and Qualifying

The selling process is a seven-step process (see Figure 15.2) used for selling a product. The process can
be multifaceted, lengthy, and complex, depending on the product and the prospect. While all
salespeople are different, generally most sales professionals go through the same selling process.

The steps in the selling process are shown as squares in an ascending horizontal row, with each step
placed slightly higher than the preceding one. The steps are: 1. Prospect and Qualify; 2. Pre approach; 3.
Approach; 4. Presentation; 5. Handle Objections; 6. Closing; 7. Follow-Up.

Figure 15.2 Steps in the Selling Process (attribution: Copyright Rice University, OpenStax, under CC BY
4.0 license)
The first step in the sales process is to find, or prospect for, strong potential customers. In prospecting,
sales professionals will work to create and develop a database of potential customers, called sales leads
through lead generation. Getting the names and contact information for the database is the act of
prospecting. Each business or company has its own methods of prospecting and qualifying. For some
companies, the process is rigorous and lengthy; for others, it can be nothing more than a quick phone
conversation.

There are many methods of lead generation. Utilizing digital strategies is one example. Many companies
may prospect leads through a digital advertising campaign that triggers potential customers to sign up
for information about a product. Other forms of prospecting can include meeting potential customers at
trade shows, use of a referral program, or purchasing a list of customers from a third-party company
that meets the criteria for the target market.

Once the sales professional has a database of leads, the next step is qualification of those leads. Not all
names in a database may be the right candidates for a company’s products. There are many reasons
why a candidate may not be a good fit for a company’s products. For example, some leads may have
recently purchased a competitor’s product, and others may not be in a financial position to afford the
product. The sales professional wants to reduce the list to include only the leads who are a good fit and
are more likely to be receptive to purchasing the company’s products. Qualification may also include
making sure the contact has the authority to make the purchasing decision.

You might be asking yourself how a salesperson or company tracks these leads and keeps all the various
communication touch points organized. They typically have two software tools to help them: sales force
automation (SFA) and customer relationship management (CRM) software. SFAs are used to acquire a
customer, and CRMs are used to retain and manage customers after the sale.1

According to Salesforce, a company known for one of the most popular CRMs on the market, CRM
software “is a technology for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with customers
and potential customers. The goal is simple: Improve business relationships to grow your business.”2

❤️Step 2: Pre-approach

The pre-approach stage can best be described as a thorough analysis or research of the potential
candidate. It is in the pre-approach stage that the sales professional will conduct a very detailed study of
the prospect, which will often include information about specific product needs, what current brands
they might be using, brand awareness, who the decision makers are, and general knowledge of personal
interests and financial standing. The research findings are meant to help the sales professional to find
out needs and wants as well as the best way to approach the prospect for the sales presentation.

Some of the research that sales professionals seek to review as part of their investigation may include
interviews with other clients, financial reports, credit histories, and any sources of public information.
Most companies with a sales force and sales process will use robust customer relationship management
(CRM) databases to collect, filter, and track prospects through the stages of the sales process.
Information that is uncovered during the pre-approach will be added to prospect records in the CRM
system.

Step 3: Approach

Information gathered in the pre-approach helps the sales professional during the approach phase.
Utilizing the insights they have gathered about the prospect, the sales professional seeks to contact the
prospect to build rapport and gather more information on the needs and wants of the prospect. During
this phase, it is very important for the sales professional to create a positive impression, ask the right
questions, and begin building a relationship with the prospect.

A soft approach is generally the best strategy, as the goal is to build the relationship and not necessarily
push product. Hard-sell tactics are often rebuffed during this early contact with the prospect. Ideally the
role of the salesperson in this early stage is to ask questions and listen. It is through listening intently to
the prospect that the salesperson can detect the fit for the product and ultimately the best way to sell
the product. Information gathered during the approach will often be used in the presentation stage.

Step 4: Presentation

Once the prospect has made it through the approach stage, the sales professional is ready to present
the product to the prospect. During the presentation stage, the goal is to showcase the features about
the product that will be of most benefit to the prospect based on the needs uncovered during the pre-
approach and approach stages. Often the presentation may include education on the aspects of the
product that the prospect will find most beneficial to solve their problems. This is the time for the sales
professional to highlight the benefits of the product and answer questions the prospect might have. For
example, college admissions departments work with students to showcase the best of the university in
an attempt to persuade them to enroll. Part of the presentation process includes tours of the campus,
meetings with current students, attending classes, and experiencing campus life.
The best sales professionals are good listeners. Good listening strategies work to build rapport and
create winning strategies. When you listen carefully to your prospects, they will tell you exactly how to
sell to them. Using information provided by the prospect, a good sales professional will be able to turn it
into a winning sale. Several methods of sale presentation include a stimulus-response format, formula
selling, a need/satisfaction format, adaptive selling, and consultative selling.

Stimulus-Response Format

When a salesperson has done the research and they understand many of the issues that might be
presented by the customer, they are able to provide a stimulus, and the customer provides a response.
The skilled salesperson is able to counter every response with a new stimulus. The goal is to sell based
on the response from the customer. To be effective, the salesperson must follow a script, which has
been developed based on the pre-identified needs and wants of the customer.

Formula Selling Format

Advertising has typically been dependent on the customer going through a specific set of actions before
responding. One of the most common consumer response models is the AIDA model, which
encompasses attention, interest, desire, and action. Marketers often look to the AIDA model when
putting together advertising campaigns. The AIDA model is also used for formula selling. The goal is for
the salesperson to take the customer through the various stages of response until they get to the
purchase of the product. The skilled sales professional will make sure they are providing stimuli and
responses for each of the stages of AIDA.

Need/Satisfaction Format

The need/satisfaction format of selling is an approach where the sales professional opens the sales
presentation by probing the potential customer with questions in an effort to uncover their needs. The
sales presentation is then tailored to the customer by showing how the product/service will satisfy the
customer needs.

For example, the owner of a busy café may be met with a question about scheduling from a salesperson
who sells scheduling software. The salesperson may start with a question such as “This café is so busy; is
it difficult to schedule your staff?” Once the café owner talks about the challenges of scheduling, the
salesperson now has information they need to custom tailor the sales presentation about scheduling
software to the specific needs identified by the café owner.
Adaptive Selling

Adaptive selling is one of the most customer-centric sales methods available to the sales professional.
Using the adaptive selling approach requires the sales professional to adapt their selling strategy and
even the product to meet the needs and solve the problems of the customer. To fully utilize this
approach requires that the sales professional rapidly customize their approach to meet the needs of
different customers. Many sales professionals are taking advantage of the big data that is now readily
available to better target customers. Armed with data about what is going on in the market, the
salesperson can now adapt their presentation with real time information.

Consultative Selling

Perhaps this method was best exemplified in the movie Miracle on 34th Street. In the movie, the Macy’s
Santa Claus suggests a location, other than Macy’s, where a mother can get a toy for her son.
Consultative selling makes the sales professional a consultant who develops a relationship with the
customer and takes on an advisory role to help the customer solve their problems. Generally, the
problem will get solved through purchase of the product, but it can also be solved in various other ways.
The sales professional becomes the anchor to helping the potential customer solve their problems.

Step 5: Handling Objections

Preparation during the qualification, pre-approach, and approach stages of the sale process, provide the
sales professional with the information they will need to handle objections. In many situations,
seasoned sales professionals are able to successfully present the product and answer questions without
having objections. Good research on the customer and an understanding of how the product will help
them and solve their problems allow the sales professional to avoid objections. However, when the
customer does present an objection, the skilled sales professional will need to be agile at handling them.

Typically, strategies for handling objections include listening, restating the question, and responding
with additional questions. Price is generally always voiced as an objection. Knowing the common
objections and having a strategy to handle them prior to the presentation will help advance to the close
stage.

Step 6: Closing

Asking for the order is perhaps the hardest step in the sales process for many sales professionals. Up to
the point of the close, the sales professional has spent a tremendous amount of time and energy with
the prospect. Much of the work of the sales professional has been around building a relationship with
the prospect. Asking for the order is a source of tremendous fear for many sales professionals because
this is the point where all of their work could unravel. What if the customer says no? Then what?

Many sales professionals fear the possibility of rejection. They also consider that they may get the
timing wrong. However, if the sales professional has prepared, they know that asking for the order is the
point where they make the prospect a customer. One way to eliminate the guesswork of timing is to do
a trial close by talking about things such as financial terms or delivery of the product. The customer’s
response to the trial close questions will alert the sales professional to the prospect’s readiness to
purchase.

Step 7: Follow-Up

After the order is placed, the real work begins. Upon closing a sale and signing the prospect as a
customer, the sales professional is now tasked with onboarding the customer and ensuring that
everything progresses smoothly with the sale of the product. Because it is much more lucrative for a
company to keep current customers happy than to go out and prospect for new customers, the follow-
up is a major step in creating lifetime customer value (LCV). Most salespeople would rather maintain
their current clients than search for new clients. The follow-up after the sale is a critical step in getting
repeat business, customer referrals, and upsells during the next order cycle

Source: Richard R. Still, Edward W. Cundliff, Normal A. P Govoni, Sandeep Puri (2017), Sales and
Distribution Management: Decisions, Strategies, and Cases, Pearson; Sixth edition.