The Role of a Salesperson
Sales Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of a salesperson is to conclude a sale successfully. This task will involve the identification of customer needs, presentation and demonstration, negotiation, handling objections, and closing the sale.
Secondary Functions
Prospecting
Prospecting is searching for and calling upon customers who, hitherto, have not purchased from the company.
Sources of Prospects:
- Existing customers: asking satisfied customers about new ones
- Trade directories, yellow pages
- Enquiries: word of mouth
- The press and the internet
- Cold canvassing: calling on every prospect
Database and Knowledge Management
A systematic approach to customer-record keeping is to be recommended to all repeat-call sales. Salespeople should also be encouraged to send back to head office information which is relevant to the marketing of company products.
Self-Management
This aspect of the sales job is of particular importance since a salesperson is often working alone with the minimum of personal supervision.
Handling Complaints
Providing Service
The salesperson can provide:
- Consultancy service
- Trade selling – merchandisers
- Customer service – make correct choice
- After-sales service – sales engineers to help in orientation or breakdown
- Implementing sales and marketing strategies
The sales force is also charged with the responsibility of implementing sales and marketing strategies designed by management.
Preparation
- Sales negotiation – timing of delivery, price, product extras, payment and credit terms
- Pure selling – no authority
Preparation for Pure Selling and Sales Negotiation:
A number of factors can be examined to improve the chances of sales success in both sales negotiations and pure selling.
- Product knowledge and benefits
- Knowledge of competitors’ products and their benefits
- Sales presentation planning
- Setting sales objectives
- Understanding buyer behavior
Preparation for Sales Negotiations:
Apart from the points mentioned above, a sales negotiator will benefit by paying attention to the following additional factors during preparation.
Assessment of the Balance of Power:
- The number of options available to each party
- The quantity and quality of information held by each party
- Need recognition and satisfaction
- The pressures on the party
Determination of Negotiating Objectives:
- Must have objectives: minimum price
- Would like objectives: high price
Concession Analysis:
The kinds of issues that may be examined during concession analysis include the following:
- Price and its breakup
- Timing of delivery
- The product – its specification, optional extras
- Payment – terms
- Trade-in terms
- Proposal analysis
Key Characteristics of Salespeople Desired by Buyers:
- Expertise in their company’s products and the market
- Good communication skills
- Ability to solve problems
- Ability to understand and satisfy the buyer’s needs
- Thoroughness
- Ability to help in ensuring the reliable and fast delivery of orders
The Personal Selling Process:
The opening → Need and problem identification → Presentation and demonstration → Dealing with objections (Negotiation) → Closing the sale → Follow-up.
Closing the Sale
- Ask for the order
- The concession close
- The objection close
- Action agreement
- The alternative close
- Summarise and ask for the order
Dealing with Objections
- Listen and don’t interrupt
- The straight denial
- Forestall the objection
- Hidden objections
- Trial close
- Question the objection
- Agree and counter
Tasks Performed and Skills Required by Key Account Management
| Task | Skills |
|---|---|
| 1. Develop long-term relationships | Relationship building |
| 2. Engage in direct contact with key customers | Coordination |
| 3. Maintain key account records and background information | Negotiation |
| 4. Identify selling opportunities and sales potential of existing key accounts | Human relations |
| 5. Monitor competitive developments affecting key accounts | Focus on specific objectives |
| 6. Report results to upper management | Diagnosing customer problems |
| 7. Monitor and/or control key account contracts | Presentation skills |
| 8. Make high-level presentations to key accounts | Generating visibility, reputation |
| 9. Coordinate and expedite service to key accounts | Communication |
| 10. Coordinate communications among company units servicing key accounts | Working in a team |
Key Account (Diamond) Based Relationship
- Marketing
- Engineering
- Operations
- Logistics
- Category Management
- Information Technology
- Finance
- Board
- R&D
Roles and Competencies Required of a Global Account Manager
| Roles | Competencies |
|---|---|
| 1. Global account strategist | Communication skills |
| 2. Coordinator of the account’s centralised and dispersed requirements | Global team leadership and management skills |
| 3. Global account team manager/leader | Business and financial acumen |
| 4. Information broker | Relationship management skills |
| 5. Relationship facilitator/builder | Strategic vision and planning capabilities |
| 6. Negotiator | Problem-solving capabilities |
| 7. Voice of the customer | Cultural empathy |
| 8. Corporate ‘culture carrier’. Industry and market knowledge. Product services knowledge | Selling skills (internal and external) |
Key Account Planning System
Account audit → SWOT analysis (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) → Account plan (objectives-strategies-control).
KAM Key Success Factors
- Suitability of the key account manager
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of the key account customer’s business
- Commitment to the partnership
- Delivering value
- Trust
- Proper implementation and understanding of the KAM concept