Understanding the Selling Process: Objectives, Meaning, and Stages
The selling process involves converting human desire into demand for a product or service through psychological stages. This process requires pre-sale preparations, prospecting, pre-approach, and approach, among other steps. Understanding consumer needs and competition is key to successful selling.
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Presentation Transcript
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES Meaning of Selling Process Stages of Selling Process Steps in the Selling Process (AIDCAS Theory)
MEANING Selling process is the sequence of steps involved in the conversion of human desire into demand for a product or a service. It is purely a psychological process because the mind of a customer is run through certain mental stages before he makes his mind to buy a product or a service. This selling process speaks of what salesman is to do to satisfy the customer by giving right thing at right place, time, price, quality and quantity.
THE STAGES IN THE SELLING PROCESS 1. Pre-sale preparations -Understanding the consumer is the starting point of successful selling. It is because salesperson is born and trained to serve the customers better. That is, he is expected to identify the fundamental and collateral problems of consumers, solve these problems to their fullest satisfaction. To be able to compete with the others in the similar and closely related line, he is expected to have up to date knowledge about competition - its nature and extent. In other words, he must know much more about competitions-their plans, products-in all their dimensions such as price, quality, variety, discounts, after sale services and so on. In a nut shell, he should know the competitive selling strategies of competition. To scene up presale prepration speaks of thorough knowledge of products, customers, competitors, company and himself.
2. Prospecting -A 'prospect' is a person natural or artificial individual or an institutions who is in need of goods and services and has the purchasing power the ability to pay and willingness to pay. Put in other words, a prospect is a potential buyer or a likely customer who brings prospects to the salesman and selling house. This prospecting is not only deals with locating the possible prospects ; it needs further processing. That is, the whole lot can not be taken as customers. They are to be reduced in number based on their nature of needs, ability to buy, willingness to buy and above all authority to buy. It is worth emphasizing here that there is no need for prospecting in case of retail salesmen as customers themselves come to him.
3. Pre-approach-Preapproach means a salesman manages to know through some basic information regarding his prospects habits, likes and dislikes, tastes 'financial status' social standing relations with others that is his temperament. Pre-approach helps the salesman to know the exact nature of the prospect his buying motives and, hence, he can keep ready selling points or plan of talk. 4. Approach- 'Approach' stands for actual meeting of the prospect by the salesman. It is a face to face coming together and direct exchange of talks or interaction. Approach consists of two major chunks namely getting an appointment to meet and having first personal face to face contact. Getting an appointment or interview is not that easy for a traveling salesman because, it is not just possible to meet the persons in question at any time. The prospect is not at the disposal of the salesman. He has to have prior plan to have plan of the possibility of meeting him in terms of his convenience time availability other appointments as prospects are supposed to be busy. An abrupt attempt foils and spoils the whole thing.
5.Presentation and Demonstration -As soon as the salesman finds his potential customers or prospects he has a calculation of matching his products specifications with those of prospects specifications. Thus he wants to bring to the notice of the prospect which is done by presenting the flow of sales talk in most palatable way and soothing manner to the potential customer. He uses the psychological process of A-I-D- C-A. Here, securing the attention is the first step attention; is attracted through proper approach. Gaining interest is the seemed step ; because alternatives devices to create and intensify interest in the product. This is supported or buttressed by showing of samples or products. He can use visual aids to demonstrate the salesman. A good demonstration is one which meets at least four objectives namely : It is complete - covering every point that has impact on prospect. It is clear - gives no room for any misunderstanding. It kills competitors products and It wins the confidence and heart of prospect.
6. Overcoming the Objections The salesman should not take it for granted after presentation , his way is clear and that he has got commitment for purchase from the respective prospect. It is a rare case. In majority of cases the prospect avoids to commit by raining one objection or the other may be genuine or mere excuses. An objection is the expression of disapproval of an action taken by the salesman. That is, objections are the feelings of dissent an adverse reason for refusal or argument is the process of selling. A salesman faces at any stage of selling objection or selling objections of one kind or the other. Objections are the weapons to justify not buying. If objections are not cleared to the heart's content of a prospect sale will not take place. These objections may be relating to price, need, product, service, company, time, salesman, and others. A wise salesman coolly listens and welcomes all sorts of objections because it helps him in understanding the mind of prospect. He should remember that a prospect who raises objections is easier to satisfy than a prospect who does not have any interest is the goods. He should welcome every objection interpret each objection perfectly and should attempt to remove them tactfully without offending the customer.
7. The Close The 'close' is the act of actually getting the prospects assent to his proposal. Close is the result of various efforts made by the salesman and hence, is the climax of the whole sales process. A salesman who is not capable of closing is an utter failure. It is because, all his efforts put in have gone waste. It is very significant for a successful salesperson to be cool, keen and alter to seek and catch the right moment at which close should take place. This moment of time is critical and, hence, it is called an 'psychological' or 'reactions' moment for it is that point of time where two minds meet and translation strikes. When he concludes or closes successfully, the salesman is not to forget the prospect ; instead he is expended express his gratitude for the encouragement and patronage exit ended by the prospect. He should also show his interest is the areas of general interest of a salesman. In case, the close does not take place that is the salesman does not get assent to his proposal, still he should be something as if nothing is lost ; he should never lose heart and get frustrated. In steady he should take this failure as the pillar for the future success. Whether or not, the salesman gets the order, he should depart with a happy note with good shake hand saying to meet next time. All his actions both facial and other physical should be natural and not artificial.
8. The Follow up Follow up or after sale service is in imperative. In any selling effort providing after-sale-service to customers is a part of his game of selling. Extension of follow-up or extending after sale services is a very strong measure of building goodwill and getting along term partnership between salesman's form and the prospect. If he forgets the customer after a sale or deal, it is a blunder because, every sale is the starting point of lasting relationship. Customer shows more interest in the firm, firms products and sales people if he is happy with post sale relations. It is the satisfied customer who creates new army of customers for the firm free of cost. He recommends the sales house, products and salesman to his friends and relatives resulting is longer lasting loyal and customer class of customer. A satisfied customer is your best advertisement.
