PART III
LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 1
The Life, Times and Career of the Professional Salesperson
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BUSINESS?
A. To increase the general well-being of humankind through the sale of goods and services.
This requires making a profit.
B. Business have two major functions:
2. marketing those goods and services
C. The marketing concept says that the firm should be devoted to determining and
satisfying a customer’s wants while still making a profit.
II. ESSENTIALS OF A FIRM’S MARKETING EFFORT
A. The essentials of a firm’s marketing effort include their abilities to:
1. determine their customer’s needs
2. create and maintain an effective marketing mix
B. The marketing mix consists of four main elements:
1. Product
a. Product refers to both goods and services
a. A good is a physical object that can be purchased
b. A service is an action or activity done for others for a fee
2. Price
a. Price refers to the value or worth of a product
3. Distribution
4. Promotion
a. Promotion increases company sales by communicating product
information to potential customers.
b. The four basic parts of promotion are:
a. Personal selling
b. Advertising
c. Publicity
d. Sales promotion
III. WHAT IS SELLING?
A. Traditional definition of personal selling refers to the personal communication of
information to persuade a prospective customer to buy something—a good, a service,
an idea or something else—which satisfies that individual’s needs.
1. Key elements: examine needs, provide solutions and enable communication.
B. American Society of Training and Development: Professional selling is the “holistic
business system to effectively develop, manage, enable and execute a mutually beneficial
interpersonal exchange for goods and/or services for equitable value.”
C. Professional selling today: In early 2000’s corporate corruption contributed to the
negative image of all business professions.
1. Insurance salespeople, advertising practitioners and used car salespeople are
IV. A NEW DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONALLY SELLING refers to the personal
communication of information to unselfishly persuade a prospective customer to buy
something—a good, a service, an idea or something else—which satisfies that individual’s
needs.
A. Every salesperson must constantly balance two primary duties that we call the
Core Principles of Professional Selling: (1) unselfishly serving the buyer or buying
organization and (2) professionally representing the selling organization.
B. Think of your grandmother. Would you mistreat your grandmother in a sales
V. THE CORE PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONAL SELLING refer to the sales philosophy of
unselfishly treating others as you would like to be treated.
A. The salesperson following the Core Principles of Professional Selling places the interests
of others before self-interest.
B. There are different views of the CORE PRINCIPLES:
1. Negative form: “If you don’t like to get cheated in a purchase, don’t cheat
others.”
2. Positive form: “If you like to receive the best price, then offer the best price to
your customers.”
4. Salesperson differences can be explained by the individual’s level of self-
interest.
VI. EVERYBODY SELLS!
A. You develop communications techniques for getting your way in life.
B. Your ability to communicate effectively is a key to success in life.
C. In today’s competitive environment, where good interpersonal skills are so valued, the
lack of selling capability can put anyone at a disadvantage.
VII. SALES: A VALUED EDUCATION LEADING TO A CAREER OPPORTUNITY
A. Studies have found that:
1. Sales is the first job chosen by as many as 60 percent of all business majors.
2. Sales is the first job chosen by approximately 88 percent of all marketing
majors.
3. Sales ranks in the top three of the most common professions for undergraduates
in economics, liberal arts, and physical sciences.
4. Workers across a range of occupations suggest that 41 percent of their time is
devoted to sales-like activities.
B. A sales education provides you with: (a) an excellent opportunity to differentiate yourself
from other candidates; (b) knowledge that can hasten your learning within your sales
career; and (c) an entryway to organizations that want your skill set.
VIII. WHAT SALESPEOPLE ARE PAID TO DO
A. Salespeople need to sell something “today” to meet performance goals for:
1. Themselves.
2. Their employer.
3. Their customers.
IX. WHY CHOOSE A SALES CAREER?
A. There are six major reasons for choosing a career in sales:
1. the opportunity to provide service to others.
2. the variety of jobs available.
3. freedom of being on your own.
4. the challenge of selling.
6. the rewards from a sales career.
B. Providing service means helping others.
1. A sales career provides the opportunity for service and an emotional purpose in
life gained from helping others.
a. For many, service is the number one reason for choosing a sales career.
C. Types of sales jobs:
1. Selling for a wholesaler – Wholesalers buy products from manufacturers and
other wholesalers and sell to other organizations.
a. A wholesaler salesperson sells products to parties for:
(1) Resale.
(2) Use in producing other goods or services.
2. Types of manufacturer’s sales representatives:
a. Account representatives – call on a large number of already established
customers.
b. A detail salesperson – concentrates on performing promotional activities
and introducing new products rather than directly soliciting orders.
c. A sales engineer – sells products that call for technical know-how.
d. An industrial products salesperson (non-technical) sells tangible products
to industrial buyers.
e. A service salesperson – sells intangible products such as financial
services, advertising, or computer repair services.
f. An order-getter – gets new and repeat business using creative sales
strategy and a well-executed sales presentation.
(1) An order-getter has two selling challenges:
(a) Must often create discontent with what the prospect already has
before beginning to sell constructively.
g. An order-taker – asks what the customer wants or waits for the customer
to order.
3. Selling in retail – A retail salesperson sells goods or services to consumers for
their personal, non-business use.
a. Three common types of retail sellers:
(1) in-store salespersons.
(2) direct sellers who sell face-to–face away from a fixed location.
(3) telephone salespersons.
a. Firms engaged in wholesaling are called wholesaling middlemen. They
vary greatly in:
(1) The products they sell.
(3) Their methods of operation.
D. Freedom of Action – You’re on your own with very little direct supervision.
E. The Job Challenge is always there which means great responsibility.
F. Opportunities for advancement are great.
1. Some companies promote salespeople to managerial positions very quickly.
For most companies the path to a sales management position begins with an
entry level position.
a. A sales personnel career path.
(1) Junior or trainee level.
(a) Learn the attitudes and activities of the company’s salespeople.
(b) Become familiar with customer’s attitudes toward the company,
its products, and its salespeople.
(c) Gain first-hand knowledge of products and their application.
(d) Become seasoned in the world of business.
(2) Regular sales position.
2. There are two career paths:
a. Permanent salespeople.
b. Management.
G. Rewards – The sky’s the limit!
1. Two types of rewards:
a. Non-financial (i.e. psychological income or intrinsic rewards).
(1) Feeling of self-worth and accomplishment.
(2) Realization that the job is important.
b. Financial:
(1) The opportunity to earn large salaries.
(2) Rewarded on basis of performance.
(4) Overall, salaries for field sales personnel have been moving rapidly
upward.
H. You can move quickly into management.
1. District sales manager.
a. First managerial level.
2. Compensation of sales managers.
a. A beginning sales job is the stepping stone to higher positions and higher
salaries.
b. Both corporate and field sales managers receive higher salaries than
others at the same organizational level.
X. IS A SALES CAREER RIGHT FOR YOU?
A. Seven questions to ask yourself:
1. What are my past accomplishments?
2. What are my future goals?
3. Do I want to have the responsibility of a sales job?
4. Do I mind travel? How much travel is acceptable?
5. How much freedom do I want in the job?
B. Once you have answered these questions, you should:
1. Determine the industries, types of products and services, and specific
companies in which you have an interest.
2. Talk to people presently or formerly involved in sales.
C. A Sales Manager’s view of the recruit.
1. What are the applicants judged on?
a. Appearance
b. Self-expression
c. Maturity
XI. SUCCESS IN SELLING-WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
A. Think of success
1. S – Service to others – Salespeople love to help others fulfill their needs through
selling their products.
2. U – Use the Core Principles of Professional Selling.
3. C – Communication ability.
a. Good salespeople are good communicators. Great salespeople are great
b. Top salespeople speak the other person’s language.
4. C – Characteristics for the Job – It helps if you possess the personal
characteristics needed for a sales career.
5. E – Excels at strategic thinking.
a. High performing salespeople tend to be strategic problem solvers for
b. Match up products benefits with customer’s needs.
6. S – Sales knowledge at the M.D. level.
a. Top salespeople have mastered the basic competencies of product
knowledge and selling skills.
7. S – Stamina for the challenge.
a. Today’s salesperson needs to be physically, mentally and spiritually
prepared to meet the daily challenges of a sales career.
b. The increased feeling of well-being gained from exercise transmits itself
to the body and mind.
XII. C — CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE JOB EXAMINED. A salesperson can choose to be
like the traditional salesperson we all do not care for, or he or she can be like the salesperson
who is truly people oriented.
A. Caring, Joy and Harmony. Through caring comes the joy of helping others.
B. Patience, Kindness and Morally Ethical.
1. Let the customer decide when to buy instead of pressuring for a quick decision.
2. By showing that customers come first, salespeople are more likely to gain the
C. Faithful, Fair, and Self-Controlled.
1. The salesperson will spend the time necessary to help, not just to make the sale
and never be heard from again.
2. Self-control should be exhibited in closing a sale – Is consideration only given to
3. Self-control involves discipline.
a. Often the biggest challenge to success is not out there in the sales
territory, it’s within us.
b. Discipline yourself to set priorities in your life – What comes first, your
job or your family?
XIII. RELATIONSHIP SELLING.
A. The salesperson of today is a pro.
1. Relationship selling – the process of professionally providing information for
2. Four main elements (ABC’s) in the customer relationship process used by
salespeople to build relationships are:
a. Analyze customer needs.
b. Present product Benefits.
c. Gain Commitment for the purchase.
d. Provide excellent Service in order to maintain and grow the relationship.
B. Sales jobs are different from other jobs in several ways.
1. Since salespeople represent their company, opinions of a company and its
products are often based on the salespeople.
2. The outside salesperson typically operates with little direct supervision and
needs a high degree of motivation.
3. Salespeople probably need more tact, diplomacy, and social poise.
5. Selling requires mental toughness and physical stamina.
XIV. WHAT DOES A PROFESSIONAL SALESPERSON DO?
A. A Territory Manager plans, organizes, and executes activities that increase the sales and
profits in his territory (i.e. a group of customers assigned to him in a geographical
area).
B. A territorial manager performs nine functions:
1. Creates new customers.
a. Locate people and/or organizations that have the potential to buy their
products
2. Sells more to current customers.
3. Builds long-term relationships with customers – Earning the opportunity to sell
a present customer more product means the salesperson must have a
professional relationship with people and organizations.
4. Provides solutions to customers’ problems – Shows how these problems can be
solved through the purchase of his company’s products and services.
5. Provides service to customers such as:
a. Handling complaints.
b. Returning damaged merchandise.
d. Suggesting business opportunities.
e. Recommending promotional techniques.
f. Working at the customer’s business.
g. In-store demonstrations.
h. Accompany distributor’s salespeople on sales calls.
6. Helps customers resell products to their customers.
a. Contacts both wholesale customers (distributors) and their retail
customers.
b. Develops promotional programs for retail customers such as:
(1) Advertising materials.
(3) Setting up product displays.
7. Helps customers use products after purchase – Help the customer obtain full
benefit from the product.
8. Builds goodwill with customers – Develops a personal, friendly, business
relationship with anyone who may influence a buying decision.
9. Provides company with market information such as:
a. Competitor’s activities.
b. Customers’ reactions to new products.
c. Complaints about products and policies.
d. Market opportunities.
e. His own job activities.
XI. REFLECT BACK
A. Review these nine functions to see what they mean and if you could do any or all of
them. Carefully think about the second and third functions. To be successful, a
salesperson must close sales and build relationships with the same person and/or
organization in order to see more business. When combined and properly implemented,
these nine job activities produce increased sales for the organization and more rewards
for the salesperson.
XII. BUILD A PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION
A. Sales professionalism. A professional sales position is not just an 8-to-5 job. It is a
professional and responsible position promising both unlimited opportunity and
numerous duties.
B. Eight important points to professionalism.
1. Be truthful and follow through on what you tell the customer. Do not dispose
of your conscience when you start work each day.
2. Maintain an intimate knowledge of your firm, its products, and your industry.
Participate in your company’s sales training and take continuing education
courses.
3. Speak well of others, including your company and competitors.
4. Keep customer information confidential; maintain a professional relationship
with each account.
5. Never take advantage of a customer by using unfair, high-pressure techniques.
6. Be active in community affairs and help better your community. For example,
7. Think of yourself as a professional and always act like one. Have a
professional attitude about yourself and your customers.
8. Provide service “above and beyond the call of duty.” Remember that it is easier
to maintain a relationship than to begin one. What was worth attaining is worth
preserving. Remember, when you do not pay attention to customers, they find
someone who will. The professional salesperson never forgets a customer after
the sale.
C. Understanding Your Buyer’s Expectations of Professionalism
1. Seven deadly sins of business selling
a. Lack of product knowledge
b. Time wasting
c. Poor planning.
d. Pushiness.
e. Lack of dependability.
f. Unprofessional conduct.
g. Unlimited optimism.
XIII. THE FUTURE FOR SALESPEOPLE.
A. Learning selling skills.
1. Both an art and a science.
a. Requires practice.
b. Requires training.
2. Conceptual skills – ability to see selling process as a whole and relationships
among its parts.
4. Technical skills – understanding and being proficient at specific tasks.
B. Preparing for the 21st Century – Changes are occurring which will require salespeople to
be knowledgeable in new areas such as:
1. International dealings.
2. Sales force’s reflecting customer diversity.
3. Customer partnering to keep current customers.
5. Increasing use of technology (e-selling).
XIV. TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION BUILD RESATIONSHIPS
A. The information and knowledge needed for the salesperson to properly sell and service
perhaps several hundred customers has expanded well beyond what any individual could
possibly know.
B. The good news is that technology has exploded the boundaries of today’s knowledge
frontiers. Technology is making it possible to improve a person’s sales and service
performance.
XV. SELLING IS FOR LARGE AND SMALL ORGANIZATIONS
A. Many textbooks examples are from big business because readers typically recognize
America’s large organizations, which are important to our prosperity.
B. Small business also contributes significantly to our economy and because most large
firms started small, and then prospered by using many of the concepts discussed in this
textbook, we use small business as examples throughout this textbook.
XVI. THE PLAN OF YOUR TEXTBOOK.
A. This book will provide the student with the fundamentals of what Selling is all about.
B. Major topics include:
1. The role of the sales force in the firm’s marketing efforts.
2. The social, ethical, and legal issues in selling.
3. Why people and organizations buy what they do.
5. The importance of knowing your own, and your competitor’s products.
7. Self, time, and sales territory management.
XVII. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH THE SALES PROCESS
A. The sales process refers to a logical, sequential series of actions that can greatly increase
the chances of making a sale.
B. Ten steps in the selling process:
1. Prospecting
2. Preapproach
3. Approach
4. Presentation
5. Trial Close
7. Meet Objections
8. Trial Close
9. Close
10. Follow-up
C. A basic sales presentation is shown in the chapter ending Exhibit and written materials.
1. This section is too detailed to describe here. The PPT does a great job of taking
students through the sales presentation.