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Dr. Sanjeev Prashar

 ántroduction
‡ This chapter builds upon following things:
± steps of sales process
± ánterpersonal communication process
± Sales negotiation process
± ánitial steps of the global selling process
‡ ánterpersonal communication and sales
negotiation processes interwoven into the
global selling process
 The Sales Process
Eight basic steps of the Sales Process:
1. Prospecting
2. The pre-approach
3. The approach
4. Need identification
5. Presentation
6. Handling objections
7. Gaining commitment
8. Follow up
 Prospecting
‡ Qualified Sales leads- potential customers who have a need
for the salesperson¶s product, the financial means to
purchase the product, and the authority to make the buying
decision.
‡ Referrals- obtained by the salesperson asking current
customers if they know someone else who might need the
product.
 Pre-approach and Planning

‡ The pre-approach is the collection of information about the

potential customer and the customer¶s company prior to
the initial visit.
 ßpproaching the Client

‡ The approach is the development of rapport with the

customer
‡ Four basic social style categories
1. The i

2. The 

3. The 
 

4. The 

ádentifying Client Needs Through
Probing Questions
‡ Success at the need-identification stage of the sales process
requires asking probing questions of the prospective
customer to determine needs.
± : 

i
±  i
 Presenting the Product

‡ The presentation should be adapted to address the specific

customer needs.
‡ Features versus Benefits
‡ Types of Presentations
± Flexible (need-satisfaction) Presentation
± Memorized (canned) Presentation
 Handling Objections

‡ When faced with objections, the salesperson should

approach the objection as a sign of interest on the part of
the prospect, and provide information that will ensure the
prospect¶s confidence in making the purchase.
 Gaining Commitment

‡ Commitment is gained when the prospect

agrees to take the action sought by the
salesperson.
‡ The salesperson must ask for the order.
 Following Up and Keeping
Promises
‡ Follow-up requires that the salesperson
complete any agreed upon actions.
‡ Salespeople should stay in touch after a sale
to ensure that the customers are still happy
with their purchase decisions.
án Short
THE Sß ES PROCESS
›
  
›
 
 The Sales Process
‡ ›

personal-
selling function of
identifying potential
customers
‡  
determining
that a prospect has the
needs, income, and purchase
›
  
 authority necessary for

  
being a potential customer
 The Sales Process

‡ ß

salesperson¶s initial contact
with a prospective customer
‡ ›  › 
 use of information
collected during the prospecting and
ß
 qualifying stages of the sales process
and during previous contacts with the
prospect to tailor the approach and
presentation to match the customer¶s
needs
 The Sales Process

›
   
‡ ›  


describing a product¶s
major features and
relating them to a
customer¶s problems or
needs
 The Sales Process
 


 

‡ ß demonstration allows the

customer to experience a
good or service
‡ Even ads as well done as the
one on the following slide
can not substitute for an
effective demonstration ride
in a new automobile
The Sales Process
4 

  

‡ :


expressions of sales resistance
by the prospect
‡ Example: ß customer¶s ³á don't like the
color´ is probably their way of asking what
other colors are available
‡ Objections are reasonable and professional
salespeople are prepared to handle them
appropriately
 The Sales Process
Ö 

‡ Ö

 stages of personal selling
where the salesperson asks the
customer to make a purchase
decision
‡ Nearly 80% of salespeople fail to
close when the buyer is ready
The Sales Process
ã
ã

‡ ã


post-sales activities that
often determine whether an individual
who has made a recent purchase will
become a repeat customer
‡ Follow-up helps build mutually
beneficial long-term relationships
 Other functions of Sales Process
‡ Finding customers
‡ Preparing
‡ È



‡   
‡  
 
‡ |   

‡  


 Relationship Building
‡ Making a favorable impression and gaining
trust of potential customer
± Time required varies by culture
‡ Number of ways to meet client:
± Guaranteed introduction
± Referral introduction
± Personal introduction
± Benefit introduction
 Relationship Building
‡ Should know appropriate greeting and
phrases in customer¶s language
± Business cards in English and customer¶s
language
± Business cards have taken the place of personal
introductions in Japan
 What is a Buying Center?
‡ One or more people in the B2B customer
firm that play different, but important, roles
in the buying process. They include:
± ánitiators
± Users
± ánfluencers
± Buyer
± Gatekeeper
± Salesperson must identify and interact correctly
with each group of clients playing specific roles
 Product Offering
‡ Salesperson must select an appropriate method to
offer the product to the client
‡ This step normally includes one or more of the
following styles:
± Stimulus response
± Mental States
± Need satisfaction
± Problem solving
± Consultative selling
 Stimulus Response
‡ Salesperson provides appropriate stimulus
through words and actions that will derive
desired response
± Utilized with canned sales presentations
± Seen with low involvement products
± Purchaser involvement limited
± Often not flexible
± Used for one-time interactions
 Mental States
‡ Salesperson attempts to move customer
through the purchase stages (attention,
interest, desire, action)
± Presentation must be well-planned
± imited purchaser involvement
± Hard to know what stage customer is in
± Difficult when used across cultures
± Not well received by professional purchasers
 Selling ßpproaches
‡ Need satisfaction ± meets and asks questions in an
effort to identify and satisfy a customer need
± Focuses on customer¶s need(s)
‡ Problem solving ± extension of Need Satisfaction
that includes study or team of experts
‡ Consultative selling ± salesperson functions as a
consultant and may even recommend a
competitor¶s product that best satisfies customer
need(s)
 Buyer-Seller Meeting
‡ Meet with customer at appointed time
± Punctuality more important in some cultures
± Make favorable impression
‡ Sharing information through small talk
‡ Presenting gifts
‡ Begin meeting by restating last communication as
understood
± ánsure customer¶s goals understood
± No slick presentations
± Explain how the solution solves goals and needs
 Offer Clarification
‡ Once presentation finished, expect
questions
± Clarify offer or ask for price concessions
± Remember that negotiations take place during
the entire process
± May request test data or testimonials from
satisfied customer
± View this step as normal negotiations
 Securing the Purchase
‡ Simply asking the customer to purchase
± Difficult to manipulate buyer into purchase
± This is especially true in B2B interactions
‡ Best approach is the direct one
± Since our product addresses your need(s), shall
we agree to the purchase?
± Some countries, like China, seller may await
the buyer to raise issue of purchase
 Maintaining the Relationship
‡ Final, but very important step in sales
process
± Satisfied customers purchase again and again
± Customer wants supplier they can trust and who
will be there when problems arise
± Customer satisfaction very important in Japan
± B2B firms track customer satisfaction levels
± Salesperson must have authority to keep
customer satisfied
 Ethical Considerations
‡ Personal selling generates buyer complaints
± Salespersons believed to have low ethical
standards
± Some firms operate from a selling orientation
± Most complaints attributable to management
‡ Setting unrealistic sales goals/quotas
‡ Rewarding for sale even when questionable
behavior is involved
 Role of Salesperson
‡ That of a boundary spanner
± Must bring buyer and seller together
± ánitial positions often far apart
‡ Seller wants: highest price, standard
product, longest delivery, and no service
‡ Buyer wants: lowest price, custom product,
shortest delivery, and service contract
‡ Salesperson must mediate
 Role Conflict
‡ Salesperson experiences role conflict when
two or more parties want her to comply
with their expectations
± Each party can reward or punish salesperson
‡ Sales manager can give or withhold raise
‡ Customer can order or withhold purchase
‡ Family can give or withhold love, approval
‡ Salesperson must attempt to satisfy
concerns of all parties ± not an easy task!
 Summary
‡ The sales process is completed
± ßpproach must be modified based upon culture
of buyer
± No ³tricks´ to selling; just hard work!
‡ Salesperson may be viewed as being less
than ethical because of role played
‡ Role conflict can occur in B2B sales
‡ Ethical behavior always the best approach