Sales Manual Outline
Title Page
A. Name of product being sold
Student vacation package
B. Name of the company you are selling for
Education First
C. Name of the company you are selling to
AIB BMA Organization
D. Course name and number
Professional Selling BA210L
E. Your name and date
Aida Dzafic 2/8/2015
I. Developing a personal selling philosophy
A. Describe the sales setting (the type of organization you are
selling for — industrial distributor, wholesaler, manufacturer, or
service provider).
Education First is a service provider. They work to find tour
guides, hotels, flights, and activities for student trips at the best
rate possible.
B. Describe role of personal selling in this setting.
The role of personal selling in this setting is to help establish
and develop a positive relationship with this customer in order
to discover the prospects needs and eventually match the
appropriate vacation package with those needs.
C. Describe typical salesperson’s training to become a
consultant/problem-solving type of salesperson.
A typical salesperson’s training would include training in the
four step process which includes need discovery, selection of a
solution, a need-satisfaction presentation, and servicing the sale.
In addition, they would be trained in two-way communication,
negotiation, and problem solving. Service is key at every phase
of the personal selling process, so training would likely include
spending an adequate amount of time learning about and
applying proper customer service skills. Lastly, some study of
the basic principles of psychology, communications, and
sociology may be included.
II. Developing a relationship strategy
A. Describe the typical relationship between salesperson and
customer in this field.
A typical relationship between the salesperson and customer
would be one in which both the salesperson and the buyer feel
comfortable with each other and communicate openly and
effectively. In addition, the customer would feel as if the
salesperson was not too distant and not just focused on selling,
but also not too close because it is the sales person’s job to keep
things friendly without getting too personal. If things get too
personal before the sale is closed, it could potentially
compromise the sale and even the relationship with the
customer. Lastly, the buyer should feel as though the
salesperson is a resource for information as well as help if the
customer needs it either now or in the future.
B. Describe appropriate salesperson’s attitude.
An appropriate salespersons attitude should be positive but also
realistic. A salesperson should believe in honesty and integrity,
and have a strong sense of right from wrong. Character is also
important, and a salesperson should not be willing to
compromise their integrity in order to get ahead in the field. In
addition, a salesperson should be level headed and respectful. It
is also important that their attitude is not self-centered, because
salespeople need to be client centered a majority of the time.
Lastly, they should be able to manage their emotions and hide
inappropriate emotions such as anger when dealing with
customers, and they should be confident and have a positive
self-image because an insecure or arrogant attitude can
potentially compromise the sale and/or the relationship with the
client.
C. Describe appropriate salesperson’s appearance.
A salesperson should be well put together, clean, and have an
overall organized look to themselves. Their attire should be
appropriate for the setting they are selling in, and in general
certain guidelines should be followed such as shirts should
always be tucked in, and women should make sure that their
skirts are long enough and that their outfits aren’t too revealing,
tight or inappropriate. Salespeople should pay careful attention
to make sure that they have good quality attire and that there are
no loose hems, rips, or stains on clothing no matter what. Shoes
should be carefully chosen for example men should not be
wearing tennis shoes with a suit, and women should not be
wearing six inch platform strappy heels while at work. Also,
women should make sure their makeup and jewelry is not too
over the top, and both genders should be careful not to wear too
much perfume or cologne. Lastly, good personal hygiene goes a
long way and hair/facial hair should be kept neat and clean.
D. Describe methods used to strengthen long-term relationship for
repeats and referrals.
The best method for strengthening a long-term relationship with
the customer is to build trust and rapport from the beginning
because first impressions are important in the business world
and if the customer feels that they can trust you it both
strengthens your relationship with them and increases the
chance that they will be a repeat customer and refer you to
others. In addition, it is crucial to establish an open line of
communication and to have a positive attitude so that the
customer feels like you are an available resource to them and
that they do not feel like they are bothering you if they call or
email with questions or concerns.
III. Developing a product strategy
A. Description of company
Education First was founded 50 years ago by Swedish high
school student Bertil Hult who spent years struggling with
dyslexia and finally ended up learning English in a few short
months simply by moving to London and immersing himself in
the culture there. Education First strives to make student travel a
possibility for everyone because they believe many things can
be learned outside of the classroom. Education First is
composed of a hard working team from tour consultants to tour
directors and even product innovators which make an
unforgettable experience for both the students and the teachers
possible.
B. Description of product
This travel package includes everything the BMA organization
needs to have a fun, wholesome, safe, and unforgettable
experience in Greece. The package includes a roundtrip flight,
hotel, tour guide, and planned activities. This vacation package
comes with a lowest price guarantee.
*(1) Product Feature-Benefit Worksheet-refer to attachment at
end of document.
*(2) Company Feature Benefit Worksheet-refer to attachment at
end of document.
C. Description of technical expertise needed by salesperson.
Technical expertise needed by the salesperson includes
knowledge of international business and customs, technical
expertise with Microsoft Excel and Access, fluency in English
and preferably a foreign language, computer skills, and
technical writing abilities.
D. Is this a new and emerging or mature and well-established
product?
This is a well-established product.
E. Will you use a price or value-added product strategy?
I will use a combination of both the price and value added
strategy because I believe that combined, they will be the best
option for the specific package that I am selling.
IV. Developing a customer strategy
A. Describe typical buying motives of prospect.
Typical buying motives fall into one of two categories:
emotional or rational. I have identified through research of our
prospect and through networking contacts that my buyer will
lean more towards the rational side which means she will be
focused on things such as on time delivery, prompt customer
service, and saving of time. Product buying motives lead the
prospect to purchase one product in preference to another based
on things such as brand or quality preference. Lastly, patronage
buying motive is one that causes the prospect to buy products
from one particular business.
B. Describe the typical prospect as a company representative.
The typical prospect as a company representative will be
focused on keeping company ideals and values in tact
throughout all business transactions. He/she will want to do
what is best for the company which he/she represents above all
and we should work to meet those needs so that in the end it is a
win-win situation for both of our companies. Those who buy
from Education First are typically most concerned about making
sure their students have a great vacation and a positive learning
experience, and that the vacation package is an overall good
