Personal selling

Personal selling process refers to a process that occurs when a sales representative meets with a potential client for the purpose of transacting a sale. Many sales representatives rely on a sequential sales process that typically includes nine steps. Some sales representatives develop scripts for all or part of the sales process. The sales process can be used in face-to-face encounters and in telemarketing.

Sales activity can occur in the field by representatives who call on clients, in a retail or wholesale environment where sales personnel attend to customers by processing orders or in a telemarketing environment where the sales person makes telephone calls to prospects. Different types of sales roles can be identified:

A counter sales assistant in a delicatessen offers a taste tests and provides expert advice

Breton onion salesman with bicycle

Street hawker in Indonesia

See also Lead generation; Lead management; Sales presentation; Sales promotion

The first text to outline the steps in the selling process was published in 1918 by Norval Watkins. The basic steps, which have changed only a little since Watkins first proposed them, are: prospecting, qualifying leads, preapproach, approach, need assessment, presentation, meeting objections, closing the sale and following up.

Prospecting Identifying prospects or prospecting occurs when the sales person seeks to identify leads or prospects (i.e., people who are likely to be in the market for the offer). To identify prospects, sales representatives might use a variety of sources such as business directories (for corporate clients), commercial databases or mailing lists or simply look at internal records such as lists of lapsed customers. The aim of prospecting is to increase the likelihood that sales staff spend time with potential clients who have an interest in the product or service.

Qualifying leads After identifying potential customers, the sales team must determine whether prospects represent genuine potential customers. This part of the process is known as qualifying leads, or leads who are likely to buy. Qualified leads are those who have a need for the product, a capacity to pay and a willingness to pay for the product, and are willing to be contacted by the salesperson.

Pre-approach refers to the process of preparing for the presentation. This consists of customer research, goal planning, scheduling an appointment and any other tasks necessary to prepare for the sales presentation.

Approach refers to the stage when the salesperson initially meets with the customer. Since first contact leaves an impression on the buyer, professional conduct, including attire, a handshake, and eye contact, is advised.

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