Personal Selling. Lesson Objectives Meaning of Personal Selling

Transcription

1 Persnal Selling Lessn 22 Persnal Selling When yu want t buy smething yu usually g t a cncerned shp and purchase it frm there. But, smetimes yu find peple bring certain gds r prducts and make them available t yu at yur place. Fr example, yu find persns selling vegetables r rice by carrying the same in a cart and mving frm dr t dr t sell. Yu must have nticed persns selling sarees, carpets, electrnic items, etc. in a similar fashin. While traveling in buses r lcal trains yu must als have seen peple selling pens, tys, bks, cmbs, etc. inside the bus r train. In cities als persns mve frm dr t dr t sell different prducts like water purifiers, air purifiers, detergents, msquit repellents, etc. Dn t yu think these are different methds f selling gds unlike keeping them in a shp and sell? In this lessn let us learn mre abut these types f selling Objectives After studying this lessn, yu will be able t: State the meaning f persnal selling; explain the essential elements f persnal selling; describe the imprtance f persnal selling; and identify the qualities f a successful salesman Meaning f Persnal Selling Think abut the persns wh cme t yu t sell gds and cmmdities. What d they d? 99

2 Business Studies They shw certain variety f gds t yu, try t explain the features f the prducts, if required demnstrate the functining f the items, infrm yu abut the price cncessin available, persuade yu t buy the prduct and als in sme cases prmises yu t bring certain items f yur chice in future. S nt nly d they infrm and explain t yu abut the prduct but als persuade yu t buy thse items and want yu t buy frm them in future als. On the ther hand, yu als gather mre infrmatin abut the prduct, see and handle it persnally t judge it better. The persn wh sells gds t yu in this way is called a salesman and the technique f selling is knwn as persnal selling r salesmanship. Thus, persnal selling refers t the presentatin f gds befre the ptential buyers and persuading them t purchase it. It invlves face-t-face interactin and physical verificatin f the gds t be purchased. The bjective is nt nly just t sell the prduct t a persn but als t make him/her a permanent custmer. Yu can als find persnal selling in sme shps where salesmen are emplyed by the shpkeeper t use this technique. Fr example, yu can find such salesmen in jewellery stres, cnsumer gds stres, saree huses, etc. In case f sme services, we als find persnal selling used in shps. Fr example, we find peple ging t the same barbershp t cut their hair and get a massage frm a specific barber. This shws that in case f persnal selling the seller usually cme t knw abut the taster and preferences f the custmer and thus attracts him t buy the gds r services. Persnal selling refers t the presentatin f gds and services befre the custmers and cnvincing r persuading them t buy the prducts r services. After having an idea abut persnal selling, let us knw abut sme f the essential elements f persnal selling Essential elements f Persnal Selling 100 Persnal selling cnsists f the fllwing elements: i. Face-t-Face interactin: Persnal selling invlves a salesmen having face-t-face interactin with the prspective buyers.

3 Persnal Selling i Persuasin: Persnal selling requires persuasin n the part f the seller t the prspective custmers t buy the prduct. S a salesman must have the ability t cnvince the custmers s that an interest may be created in the mind f the custmers t use that prduct. Flexibility: The apprach f persnal selling is always flexible. Smetimes salesman may explain the features and benefits f the prduct, smetimes give demnstratin f the use f prduct and als faces number f queries frm the custmers. Lking int the situatin and interest f the custmers, the apprach f the salesman is decided instantly. Prmtin f sales: The ultimate bjective f persnal selling is t prmte sales by cnvincing mre and mre custmers t use the prduct. v. Supply f Infrmatin: Persnal selling prvides varius infrmatin t the custmers regarding availability f the prduct, special features, uses and utility f the prducts. S it is an educative prcess. vi. Mutual Benefit: It is a tw-way prcess. Bth seller and buyer derive benefit frm it. While custmers feel satisfied with the gds, the seller enjys the prfits. Intext Questins 22.1 Fill in the blanks with apprpriate wrds. i i Persnal selling invlves persuading t buy the gds The ultimate bjective f persnal selling is. The mst imprtant element f persnal selling is interactin. Supply f infrmatin t custmers makes persnal selling an prcess Imprtance f Persnal Selling Persnal Selling is extremely imprtant as it helps in increasing sales. But there are ther features as well which make it imprtant. Let us discuss the imprtance f persnal selling frm the pint f view f manufactures as well as cnsumers. Frm manufacturer s pint f view i. It creates demand fr prducts bth new as well as existing nes. i It creates new custmers and, thus help in expanding the market fr the prduct. It leads t prduct imprvement. While selling persnally the seller gets acquainted with the chice and demands f custmers and makes suggestins accrdingly t the manufacturer. Frm custmer s pint f view i. Persnal selling prvides an pprtunity t the cnsumers t knw abut new prducts intrduced in the market. Thus, it infrms and educates the cnsumers abut new prducts. It is because f persnal selling that custmers cme t knw abut the use f new prducts 101

4 Business Studies i in the market. The sellers demnstrate the prduct befre the prspective buyers and explain the use and utility f the prducts. Persnal selling als guides custmers in selecting gds best suited t their requirements and tastes as it invlves face-t-face cmmunicatin. Persnal selling gives an pprtunity t the custmers t put frward their cmplaints and difficulties in using the prduct and get the slutin immediately. Intext Questins 22.2 Which f the fllwing statements are true and which are false? i. Persnal selling helps manufacturers t imprve their prducts based n suggestins made by sellers. i Custmers d nt have immediate slutin f their prblems regarding a prduct frm the salesman. Persnal selling leads t creatin f new custmers nly fr the existing prducts. Better use f prduct is nt the result f persnal selling. v. Custmers can nt make cmplaint t the salesman abut a prduct Qualities f salespersn engaged in Persnal Selling It is very difficult t enlist the qualities f peple engaged in persnal selling. The quality will vary frm time t time and frm situatin t situatin. It als depends upn the custmers demand and nature f the prduct. Again a salesman may be effective in ne situatin but may fail in anther situatin. S in real life certain qualities may be suitable fr a particular line f prduct and may be irrelevant in any ther case. Hwever, there are certain cmmn qualities, which every salesman shuld pssess in rder t becme successful in their life. These qualities are listed belw. i. Physical Quality i Mental Quality Integrity f character Knwledge f the prduct and the cmpany v. Gd behaviur vi. Ability t persuade 102 Nw let us discuss the abve qualities in detail. i. Physical quality: A salesman shuld have a gd appearance and an impressive persnality. He shuld als have a sund health.

5 Persnal Selling Mental quality: A gd salesman shuld psses certain mental qualities like imaginatin, initiative, self-cnfidence, sharp memry, alertness etc. He shuld be able t understand the needs and preferences f custmers. i Integrity f character: A gd salesman shuld psses the qualities f hnesty and integrity. He is t gain the cnfidence f the custmers. He shuld be able t understand their needs and guide them hw t satisfy thse needs. His emplyer t shuld have faith in him. A salesman shuld be lyal bth t the emplyer and t the custmers. Knwledge f the prduct and the cmpany: A salesman shuld have full knwledge f the prduct and the cmpany he is representing. He shuld be able t explain each and every aspect f the prduct i.e. its qualities, hw t use it, what precautins t be taken, etc. He shuld be able t explain the business and service recrd f the cmpany. He shuld als have knwledge f prducts f rival cmpanies. S that he can put acrss the superirity f his wn prducts. v. Gd behaviur : A salesman shuld be c-perative and curteus. Gd behaviur enables ne t win the cnfidence f the custmers. He shuld nt feel irritated if the buyer puts up many questins even if the questins are irrelevant. It is als nt necessary that the persn he is trying t cnvince buys the prduct. The salesman has t remain and curteus in every case. vi. Ability t persuade: A gd salesman shuld be gd in cnversatin s that he can engage the persn he is attending in cnversatin. He shuld be able t cnvince him and create the desire in his mind t psses the cmmdity. Intext Questins 22.3 State whether the fllwing statement are true and which are false: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Knwledge f prduct is nt necessary t make ne a gd salesman. A gd salesman shuld have imaginatin, initiative and alertness. It is nt necessary fr a gd salesman that he must be accepted by the sciety. A gd salesman shuld be lyal t the cnsumer but nt t the emplyer. (v) Impressive vice, gd appearance and sund health has n place in qualities f a gd salesman What Yu Have Learnt Persnal selling refers t the presentatin f gds and services and cnvincing and persuading ptential custmers t buy the prduct r service. Essential elements f persnal selling : 103

6 Business Studies Face-t-face interactin; Persuasin; Flexibility; Prmtin f sales; Supply f infrmatin; and Mutual benefits Persnal selling in imprtant bth frm the custmers and manufacturers pint f view. Qualities that can make a sales persn mre effective are many. These include physical and mental qualities, integrity f character, knwledge f the prduct and the cmpany, gd behaviur and ability t persuade the custmers Terminal Exercise 1. What is meant by persnal selling? 2. State the essential elements f persnal selling. 3. Describe the imprtance f persnal selling frm the pint f custmers. 4. Explain the imprtance f persnal selling frm the pint f view f manufacturers. 5. State the physical and mental qualities f sales persns engaged in persnal selling. 6. State the scial qualities f sales persns engaged in persnal selling. 7. What are the ccupatinal qualities f salespersns engaged in persnal selling? 8. Define persnal selling. Explain the imprtance f persnal selling frm the pint f view f custmers and manufacturers. 9. What is meant by persnal selling? Explain the essential elements f persnal selling. 10. D yu think that t be a successful salespersn nly persnal and mental qualities are sufficient? Give reasns in supprt f yur answer. 11. Describe the different qualities f sales persns engaged in persnal selling. 12. A salesman need nt pssess any quality if the prduct is gd. D yu agree with the statement? Give reasn Key t Intext Questins 22.1 (i) custmers; (ii) t prmte sell f prducts, (iii) face-t-face; (iv) educative (i) True; (ii) False; (iii) False; (iv) False; (v) False 22.3 (i) False; (ii) True; (iii) False; (iv) False; (v) False Activity Fr Yu 104 While buying any gds and services, carefully ntice the behaviur f the salespersns and nte dwn the varius qualities he/she pssss.