Creative Selling

Introduction creative selling

Why University has introduced Creative
selling subject?
Objective :To acquaint students with sales
process, selling skills and creative sales
techniques for meeting customers
expectation in Todays Global World
Importance & Relevance of Subject
-70 % of the Most 500 fortune companies have sales people as
their CEOs
--You can write your salary cheque at your own.
-Networking with people is required to lead a
good and easy life-(Sales job gives opportunity
to increase network)
-Sales job are not bored , it gives challenge to
day-to day life.(Those who not love to do
repeated task are best suited for this)
-Recession does not affect a performer sales
person.
Greatest Salespeople of All Time
Dale Carnegie:The son of a hardscrabble Missouri farmer, Carnegie began his
career selling products and correspondence courses to ranchers. He eventually
landed in New York City, where he began to offer a series of public speaking
classes that were frequented by many budding salespeople. His landmark
book How to Win Friends and I nfluence Peopleinstructs readers to become
more effective communicators who focus on fostering healthy team dynamics.
Carnegie was also ahead of his time in exhorting his followers to pursue work-
life balance.
David Ogilvy
The legendary advertising executive who created iconic campaigns for
Hathaway, Dove, and Rolls-Royce began his career in sales, moving cooking
stoves door to door. He was so successful the company he worked for asked
him to write an instruction manual that it then distributed to other
members of its sales force. Filled with timeless advice, it became a cult
classic. Among the advice: "The worst fault a salesman can commit is to be a
bore. Foster any attempt to talk about other things; the longer you stay the
better you get to know the prospect, and the more you will be trusted.
Zig Ziglar
One of the leading motivational speakers in recent years, Ziglar has helped
shape the modern vocabulary of sales as much as any other sales expert. In
particular, he encourages salespeople to commit to a lifetime of learning and
training; to be extremely shrewd when it comes to setting (and thereby
exceeding) goals and quotas; and to maintain a heightened level of motivation
by constantly visualizing success.
Joe Girard
This Detroit native made a name for himself as the greatest car salesman of
the post-war era. During a 15-year period that began in 1963, he sold more
than 13,000 Chevrolets at a local dealershipat one point selling 18 cars in a
single workday.
Charles M. Futrell
He is Professor of Marketing in the Mays College of Business at Texas A&M
University in College Station,Texas. He has a B.B.A, M.B.A., and Ph.D. in
marketing. Dr. Futrell is a former salesperson turned professor. Professor
Futrell worked in sales and marketing capacities for eight years with the
Colgate Company, The Upjohn Company, and Ayerst Laboratories.Dr.
Futrells research in personal selling, sales management, research
methodology, and marketing management has appeared in numerous national
and international journals, such as the J ournal of Marketingand the J ournal of
Marketing Research. An article in the summer 1991 issue of The J ournal of
Personal Selling & Sales Management ranked Charles as one of the top three
sales researchers in America. He was also recognized as one of the top 100 best
researchers in the marketing discipline.
Traditional definition of Selling:
is a process through which ownership and possession of goods
and services given to purchaser in exchange of money.
Modern definition of Selling:
is a process of developing relationships, discovering needs,
matching appropriate products and services with these needs
and communicating benefits through informing, reminding or
persuading
Marketing:
is a broad process which includes product, price, place,
promotion decisions etc which persuades purchase of products
and services by customers by satisfying their needs.
Difference between Selling and Marketing
Selling
Selling is the transfer of the ownership
and possession of the goods to the
purchaser.
Efforts are seller oriented and emphasize
sellers needs.
Profit is sought by ensuring higher sales
volume.
Selling is the outcome of marketing and
thus not a comprehensive term.
Commodities are produced and afterwards
efforts are made for their profitable
selling.
Selling is concerned with the internal
considerations regarding production and
distribution of goods. It is narrower in
scope.
Marketing
Marketing means all customer's wants
satisfying efforts concerning with
planning, pricing, promoting product
and services.
Efforts are buyers oriented and
emphasize the satisfaction of the needs
of buyers effectively.
Profit is sought by ensuring customers
satisfaction.
Marketing is a comprehensive term,
which, includes selling, advertising and
also the distribution of goods.
Marketing has to take into
consideration both the internal and
external factors.
Marketing in its initial stage decides,
what the consumers want. Secondly, it
decides how the commodity can be
profitably produced and finally
delivered to consumers for satisfying
their needs.
cont..
Sales is 1:1. Marketing is 1:many. Even with social media marketing, it is
1:many. That means that even though I may be replying to a single person
on Face book, it is a public reply and other people are watching. What I say
will influence that one person, but it will also influence all those silent
watchers who may choose not to be silent and jump in themselves.
Sales is relationship driven. Marketing is data driven. Marketers
analyze data and do tests, like A/B testing with ads. We analyze website
analytics and public behavior. Salespeople analyze the behavior of a limited
group of people, the sales prospects whom they can deal with on an
individual basis. Sure, Marketers also focus on groups, but our target
audiences are way too big to contact individually.
Salespeople dont develop products. Marketers do. Marketing is more
than just convincing people to buy. Marketing is also researching what a
target population desires and then turning those desires into a product that
can be sold. Salespeople work with the prospect to figure out which of the
available products is best for her, yes, but they dont develop products from
scratch.
cont
Sales is very track-able. Marketing is not. If a sales guy makes a sale, he
knows. Marketers dont get that instant gratification. If a person comes in
because she saw an ad, she might not even know it herself. She may think
she was just walking down the street and was thirsty. Ive heard it said
that you have to be in front of a person 3 times before she buys. Does she
remember the first time? Did she consciously notice it?
Sales is about sales. Marketing is about more than sales. Salespeople
sell. That is what they do and part of the reason they make commission.
You want a salesman to focus on selling. Marketers do more than sell. They
manage reputations. Coca-Colas brand was worth $68.73 billion in 2009.
Its hard to say how much a single marketing action affects a brands
image, but you can feel it when the marketings not there. Marketers get
paid salary because their value is in more than driving sales, so rewarding
them based on just sales doesnt fit.
Importance of selling skills
-Helps in career ( employer needs multi tasking people)
-Improves negotiation
-Helps in setting own business
Few questions of consumer buying behavior
Why do consumers buy? Why will they buy the products or services on offer?
Who buys? What are the characteristics of consumers who are likely to buy
from you?
What do they buy? Which products or services do they typically choose? What
brands do they prefer?
How do they buy? What are their buying habits? Do they buy because it is
convenient or do they buy because it is easily accessible? Do they pay cash, or
do they use credit cards?
Where do they buy? Do clients prefer to buy from mail order, retail stores, the
internet or from door-to-door? How far are they prepared to travel to buy?
When do they buy? How much is the behavior of clients affected by seasonal
influences? What about the holiday season? How does that affect their
shopping patterns? What about inflation or recession, or higher interest rates?
Creative Sales process
1-Pre-customer contact ( policy, procedure rules,
trgt mkt, pdt knowledge etc)
2-Prospecting ( regular, new customer )
3-Initial contact or approach
4-Presentation
5-Handling objections
6-Closing the sale
7-Suggestion selling
8-Sales follow up
Opening the sale call
Important points to remember while opening the sale call
In opening the sale-what to keep in mind , how to create comfort zone for
customers? What should be first few lines ????
-Give compliments ( about location, business , office , etc)
-Create a comfort zone before coming to main talks , always have sufficient
material for conversation of your prospect interest area.
--Thank You (You have asked for and have been given your dream clients most
precious commodity: their time. They have turned down countless salespeople in
your industry before you, and you were good enough to differentiate yourself and
gain their attention. Thank them for their time. Do it sincerely. You show your
respect for having been given their time by not wasting it.)
-Prepare some elevated sales pitch ( catch lines, which create interest)
-Share Your Agenda (Sharing your agenda is evidence that you are disciplined in your
thoughts and your actions and that you are outcome oriented. It shows that you have
experience and that you have a plan. When you share your agenda, you share with
your dream client how accomplishing your agenda will create value for them. This
improves their engagement, it gives them a vision of what can be created on the
call, and it helps in obtaining future commitments by demonstrating that doing so
will be a valuable experience for them.)
Closing the sale
Important points to remember while closing the sale
Stop selling: Once you observe buying signals and close the sale. A
common mistake that can lose a sale is to continue to sell and offer
products/services after the customer has already indicated that they are
willing to make the purchase.
Complete documentation: Ask relevant information which is necessary
for form filling.
Suggestion selling :Ask for more sale by focusing on quantity.
Tips For Creative Sales Prospecting
Call from the roadif you see a billboard or a phone number on
hoarding board, call and ask for more information about its product or
service.
Read the paper and look for promotions, press releases, new product
announcements, awards, etc.
Establish yourself as a local or online resource.
Attend and participate in local seminars, workshops, and networking
events.
Ask champion customers to take you to one of their networking events
and introduce you.
Ask reference from your existing customers and ask your customer for
details on how to make a favorable impact on the referral.
Opportunity in sales occupation
Majority of different kinds of industry employee maximum number of sales people .
Naukri.com, ICICI prudential employ more than 90 % employee s in sales area.
1-Securities ( majority are placed in sales function )
2-Insurance ( majority are placed in sales function )
3-Banking (Retail banking, operation cum sales)
4-Tourism ( majority are placed in sales function )
5-Retail ( majority are placed in sales function )
6-Real estate ( majority are placed in sales function )
7-Media ( space selling, relationship building)
8-Auto (Dealers and company outlets, B 2B Sales)
9-FMCG ( majority are placed in sales function )
10-Telecommunication ( majority are placed in sales function )
11-Pharma ( majority are placed in sales function )
And list goes on!!!!!!!!!
Types of sales person & Categories of sales job
Type 1-Order handler
Type 2-Order Taker
Type 3-Order getter
Category 1-Inside order taker( Mc Donald , KFC salesperson standing behind the
counter)
Category 2-Outside Delivery ( activities where pdt is delivered like milk, fuel, etc)
Category 3- Entry level consumer goods( salesman is order taker but works in field,
selling soap, food , etc to retailers))
Category 4-Missionary , only build goodwill like textbooks publisher , medical
representative etc)
Category 5-Sales engineers ( focus is on technical aspect, software , antivirus aec)
Category 6-Tangible pdts sales ( vaccum cleaner, refrigerators etc)
Category 7-Intangibles services ( Financial , insurance, etc)
Category 8-Political ( indirect, back door sale etc )
Category 9-OEM ( presentation to R&D, Purchasing & several depmt)
Types of Customers.
Based on unique behavioral attributes, customers
are of following types :
Loyal customer
Discount customer
Need based customer
Wandering customer
Questioning technique in sales meeting
Four types of Questions
1-Direct Question ( closed ended)
Eg-:Mr.Robin , are u intersted in saving 20% on your manufacturing
cost? ( used in moving a customer towards a specific topic)
2-Non-directive Question ( open ended)
Eg-use of any 6 W Who,what,when,how,why ,where
Who will use this product?
3-Rephrasing Question( when prospect meaning is not clear)
Eg-Are you saying that price is the most important thing you are
interested in?
4-Redirect Question( if deviation from sales point then use it or if prospect
says I am sorry, but there is no use of talking? )
Eg-Do we agree that having a supplier who can reduce your cost is
important?
Effective Sales Presentation :Points to keep in mind
while making a strong Sales presentation
1-SELL Sequence ( Show feature , Explain advantage , lead in to benefits, let
customer talk )
Feature: a-Air-conditioner with a high energy efficient rating b- Product made of
stainless steel
Advantage: a-uses less electricity b-will not rust
Benefit: Saves 10% in energy costs b-Reduces your replacement costs
2-Use of visual, vocal and verbal in
presentation
Cont..
Research confirms that listeners process information based on both verbal and
nonverbal messages. To present a strong message, you must focus on both of these
aspects of communication. The following data indicates the power of nonverbal
messages:
Visual Gestures, movement, and expression make up 55% of your message.
Vocal How you say the words makes up 38% of your message.
Verbal Your actual word choice makes up just 7% of your message.
Cont..
Visual communication
Gestures can have a huge impact on presentation success.
Vocal communication
How you present your sales plan is the second most critical strategy for ensuring that
your presentation has an impact on listeners. Key aspects of your vocal approach
include:
Boosting the volume Often a sales presenter speaks too softly. Most listeners won't
put a lot of effort into straining to hear the presenter. Speak loudly enough so that
everyone can hear your message.
Varying the pace One of the most powerful yet overlooked sales presentation tools is
silence. A pause can be very powerful.
Varying your pitch Avoid monotone delivery by adding up and down intonations to
your presentation. Begin speaking in your normal vocal range and return to it often,
but don't let it be the constant pitch of your presentation.
Cont..
Verbal communication
Choose your words carefully, and avoid the temptation to include fluff
in your sales plan presentation. Although the verbal aspect of a
presentation has the least impact, it can turn off a listener
surprisingly quickly. Here are a few tips for making your words
work for you rather than against you:
Use the active voice You can make your sales plan presentation more
credible by using the active voice rather than the passive voice. For
example:
Active: "We missed our goal by 15% ..."
Passive: "Our goal was missed by 15% ..."
Using the active voice communicates your point much more effectively.
Use lists Listeners retain your message better if you organize the content
into lists or key points.
Avoid acronyms and jargon One trap to avoid is the overuse of
acronyms and jargon. Your audience might perceive such terms as fluff or
buzzwords and as a smokescreen for your real sales message.
cont.
3- S-S-S formula helps your listeners retain important
information and prompts them to act:
State State your main points clearly and concisely.
Support Provide enough supporting information to address your
listeners' needs adequately.
Summarize Summarize each main point of your message.
Avoid the following gestures.
Try the following gestures
Types & Tackling the objections
Objections on price
Objections on quality
Objections on payment
Objections on after sale service
Objections on the timing of buying
Objections may be raised due to following reasons
When the customer is not fully convinced
When the customer want to test the knowledge
When the customer want to postpone his purchase.
How to handle objections ..
Most salespeople think of objections as a bad thing... but they're missing the
big picture. If your prospect raises an objection, that's actually a good sign.
The fact that they're talking out their concern means that they're giving you
a chance to answer it. If someone is completely uninterested in buying your
product, they won't bother to object generally they'll just sit through your
presentation in silence (with arms folded) and then send you away. Here's a
simple process to help resolve your prospect's objections.
Cont..
Listen to the Objection. Don't jump all over the prospect as soon as he
says But what about-. Give him a chance to explain exactly what's
bothering him. Don't just tune him out, either listen. You can pick up
some really valuable clues from the way a prospect phrases his objection.
Say it Back to the Prospect. When you're absolutely sure the prospect is
done talking, look thoughtful for a moment and then repeat back the gist of
what he's said. Something like I see, you're concerned about maintenance
costs is fine. This both shows that you were listening and gives him a
chance to clarify. Well, it's not so much the cost I'm worried about as the
downtime.
Explore the Reasoning. Sometimes the first objections aren't the
prospect's real concern. For example, many prospect don't want to admit
that they don't have enough money to buy your product, so they'll raise a
host of other objections instead. Before you launch into answering an
objection, ask a few exploratory questions, like Is product downtime a
particular issue? Have you had trouble with it before? Draw the prospect
out a bit.
Cont..
Answer the Objection. Once you understand the objection
completely, you can answer it. When a customer raises an objection,
they're actually expressing fear. Your task at this point is to relieve
their fears. If you have specific examples, such as a story from an
existing customer or a few statistics, by all means present them
hard facts make your response stronger.
Check Back with the Prospect. Take a moment to confirm that
you've answered the prospect's objection fully. Usually this is as
simple as saying, Does that make sense? or Have I answered
your concern?
Redirect the Conversation. Bring the prospect back into the flow
of the appointment. If you're in the middle of your presentation
when the prospect raises his objection, then once you've answered it
quickly summarize what you'd been talking about before you move
on. If you've finished your pitch, check if the prospect has any other
objections, and then start closing the sale.
Activities
Identify CEOs of Indian company who have performed sales activities
Make 10 starting points that can be discussed with everyone to start a
call .
10 biggest challenges of sales job????
Write a sales pitch for telephonic conversation?
Interact with your known persons who are working in corporate sector
and ask them what kind of sales component involved in their job?