CHAPTER 2 Personal Selling Opportunities in the Age of Information

Learning Objectives Explain how personal selling skills have become one of the master skills needed for success in the Information Age Explain how personal selling skills contribute to the work performed by knowledge workers Discuss the rewarding aspects of a career in selling today Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-2

Learning Objectives Discuss the different employment settings in selling today. Identify the four major sources of sales training Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-3

Personal Selling in the Age of Information One can add value to information by: Collecting it Organizing it Clarifying it Presenting it in a convincing manner Selling skills are transferable skills Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-4

Knowledge Workers Benefit from Personal Selling Skills Managerial personnel Professionals (accountants, consultants, lawyers, etc.) Entrepreneurs Customer service representatives Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-5

Your Future in Personal Selling The 500 largest sales forces in America employ 17.5 million salespeople These companies will seek to recruit 500,000 college graduates The number of sales positions is increasing in industrialized countries Hundreds of selling career options to match individual interests, talents, and ambitions Most occupations involve some form of selling Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-6

Sales Titles Vary Account Executive Account Representative Sales Account Manager Relationship Manager District Representative Sales Consultant Client Development Manager Sales Associate Marketing Representative Territory Manager Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-7

How Salespeople Spend an Average 46-Hour Work Week FIGURE 2.1 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-8

Rewards of Selling Careers Above-average income Above-average “psychic” income Opportunity for advancement Opportunities for women and minorities Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-9

Opportunities for Women in Sales Growing opportunities for women More women are turning to sales as a career Expanded career opportunities Excellent economic rewards and in many cases flexible work schedules Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-10

Employment Settings in Selling Today Inside salespeople Perform sales activities at the employer’s location May also be called Customer Service Representatives Outside salespeople Meet prospects and customers in their place of business or residence Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-11

Selling Through Channels Services Channel Services sales include business-to-business and business-to-consumer sales Approximately 80 percent of the U.S. labor force is employed in some capacity in the service sector Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-12

Selling a Service Hotel, motel, and convention center services Telecommunications services Financial services Media sales Real estate Insurance Business services Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-13

Selling a Service See the Website Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-14

Selling Through Channels Business-to-Business Channels Outside salespeople interact with potential customers on a face-to-face basis Inside salespeople communicate with customers, identify new prospects, and carry out other sales activities Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-15

Manufacturer Selling Field salesperson Gains new customers Increases sales for existing customers Detail salesperson Assists clients with marketing, collects data Not compensated on amount sold Sales engineer Knows technical details Must identify, analyze, and solve customer problems Inside salesperson Takes orders Supports field staff Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-16

Business Goods Selling See the Website Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-17

Selling Through Channels Consumer goods channels Includes sales careers in both retail selling and direct selling Well-trained salespeople can add value to the traditional shopping experience Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-18

Consumer Goods Selling See the Website Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-19

Four Sources of Sales Training Corporate-sponsored training Training provided by commercial vendors Certification programs College and university courses Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-20

Learning How to Sell “The principles of selling can be learned and applied by people whose personal characteristics are quite different.” Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-21

Corporate-sponsored Training Many firms have established programs Millions are spent in training each year Salespeople among the most intensively trained employees Training for consultative selling may be a few months to a year Some Web-based training used Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-22

Sales Training Offered by Commercial Vendors Sales Performance International Integrity Systems, Inc. Huthwaite, Inc. Miller Heiman, Inc. Achieve Global Wilson Learning Worldwide Dale Carnegie Institute, Inc. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-23

Commercial Vendor: Huthwaite’s SPIN Selling See the Website Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-24

Commercial Vendor: Wilson Learning Worldwide See the Website Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-25

Certificate Programs: The Certified Medical Representative See the Website Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-26

University Sales Programs Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-27

Key Concept Discussion Questions Explain how: Personal selling skills have become master skills in the Information Age Personal selling skills contribute to work performed by knowledge workers Discuss the rewarding aspects of a career in selling today Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-28

Key Concept Discussion Questions Discuss the different employment settings in selling today Identify the four major sources of sales training Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-29

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2-30