Personal selling process: the personal selling process is a logical sequence of steps that a sales person takes in dealing with a prospective customer. The approach of selling method is different from the sales man to sales man. Personal selling aims at oral presentation to talk by or conversion between a sales man and a prospect. The salesman endeavours to convert the prospect into a buyer. The steps are as follows.
1. pre sale preparation: the first step in personal selling is the preparation of sales person. The sales persons must be properly selected trained and motivated for the job.they must be fully familiar with the producer the product the market and the selling techniques. They must be fully aware of the motivation and behaviour of the people who are the prospective consumers. They should also be well informed about the nature of competition and the nature of competitor's products.
2. prospecting or locating the prospective buyers: it refers to locating the potential buyers for the product and satisfactory buyers for the product and satisfactorily screens them to make sure that their sales efforts will not go waste. He should examine the need of the buyers and their ability of capacity to buy the product.
3. approaching: before calling on the prospects the sales person should try to get information about their number habits spending capacity motives etc.he should know what product or brand they are using. After collecting such information he should approach the customer in a polite and dignified way introduce himself and his product to the prospective customers. He should not be over clever or deceptive at this stage.
4. sales presentation: having found out the prospect's needs the sales person needs to make a sales presentation in a meaning ful and convincing manner.a good sales presentation is one that not only gives all the benefits that the prospects gets but also but also proves to the latter that he or she will be better off after the product is bought and used. The sales presentation must also satisfy the intangible need of the prospect the esteem need. An effective sales presentation demands the sales person use skills like presentation explanation and receptivity rising.
5. managing objections: the prospect's objections are requests for more information on certain aspects of sale. These should be perceived as opportunities for creative thinking to nail competition. Hence this stage demands that the sales person under stand the true nature of the prospect's objection's and answer them straightaway. This stage demands probing and problem solving skills as well as brevity on the part of the sales person.
6. closing the sales:it aims at taking an order for the products from the prospective buyer. The sales man also asks questions as to the products choice of color period of delivery quantity terms etc. at the climax stage the prospects place orders with the salesman.
7. Follow up the sales: after closing the sales follow up is a must. It refers to the activities under taken to ensure the customer that he has taken the right decision of buying the product. These activities include installation of the products checking and testing its smooth performance maintenance and after sale service. It helps building long term relationship with the customer.