Unit 10 D2 - preparation, skills and processes used in different situations

Unit 10 D2

 

I will now evaluate the preparation, skills and processes used in different situations. I will write a report where I’ll critically evaluate how I demonstrated confident use of personal selling skills during my role-plays.  I’ll explain what went well or badly and why, what could be done next time and what I did as sale staff to demonstrate confidence when making personal sales.

My first role play was “appointment booking by phone”. My business was beauty salon. I received incoming call from a customer who wanted to book an appointment for manicure and pedicure.

First of all I introduced myself and asked if I can help with anything. It is important to be helpful with customers. Then customer told me that she wanted to book an appointment at 8 am, but our salon opens at 9 am.  I suggested booking her at 9 am, the earliest time possible and she was fine with that. Then I asked her telephone number and name, and asked if she know our address, again, I was being helpful. She didn’t know the address so I gave it to her and at the end of conversation I asked one more time if there’s anything else I could help with, I was trying to be polite and helpful. 

My second role play was “persuading to make loyalty card when customer comes in for a treatment”.

Customer came into my salon, I asked her how is she, then asked her to take a seat and offered some tea or coffee. Even if most customers don’t want tea or coffee I was just being nice and helpful. Then I asked her how could I help her with today and she told me that she came in for a massage but she couldn’t decide which one to do – reflexology or aromatherapy. I explained her features and benefits of both massages and then asked which one she thought would be better for her that day. It was important for me to have a good knowledge about my products so I was able to inform the customer and help to decide. The customer told that she wanted reflexology massage that day but she would also love to try another one. I told her then that TODAY we have special offer for loyalty card holders – buy one massage and get second one for half price. I convinced her to make a loyalty card and probably become our regular customer. At the same time it was cross-selling process – I offered her related product with the one she chose before. It was important for me to understand what customer wants – she wanted both massages, but the reason she didn’t buy them both today probably was that she didn’t have enough money or time, so I suggested her half priced massage on her chosen date and time, but if she want to get she has to buy it TODAY with loyalty card. She was convinced and bought the loyalty card.

The third role play was “customer coming in to repair a nail”.

Customer came into my beauty salon without any appointment. She told that it was an emergency, she made nail extensions in our beauty salon just few days ago and one nail already broke and she had business meeting in one hour. I asked her how did it happen, she explained that she was washing dishes, but she was very careful so I understood that she was trying to blame me for that. So I told her that our nail extensions are made by highest quality materials and our staffs are very well trained professionals. Just to neutralize the situation I told her that accidents always happen and no one could do anything about that. I didn’t want to lose my regular customer and I also didn’t want her to spread bad rumors about our salon so I suggested her free repair this time and 50% off new nail extensions. I kept the client, I made sure that she would still come to our beauty salon next time and I also calmed her down and made her happier – she didn’t need to pay anything for this broken nail, she felt like we actually took the responsibility for what happened. I would say that it was good customer service and the ideal way to deal with this situation. It’s very important to gain the trust back, so for next time it’s necessary to make very good and highest quality nail extensions, so customer would be fully satisfied. 

The most important things about all three situations were good customer service, polite manners and understanding customer needs. Customers should always be treated with respect, they experience with you should be as good as possible so they’ll want to come back again.

Unit 10 p4 - preparing to make personal sales

Unit 10 p4

Preparing to make personal sales

I will now explain how to prepare for personal sales.

Preparing for sales is necessary to make a successful sale. Having good product or service knowledge is very important to success. Good service/product knowledge makes sales person look reliable and competent so it increases the possibility of sale. A sales person should know: when products in store were released, the specifications and features of products/services, advantages and benefits of services/products and the pricing structure. 

Health and safety and preparing the sales area are very important things as well. The environment of sales should be safe and tidy so customers and staff both feel comfortable. Before customers enter the store the following should be done: checking display models for faults, ensuring isles are clear, ensuring toilets are clean and stocked with soap etc., ensuring fire exits are not blocked, ensure if any spillages are signposted and cordoned off.

Sales person should consider what impression they are making. If sales person is not looking presentable and tidy, customer will probably look for another person to consult with.  A sales person should: comply with company policy and wear formal and clean clothes, not wear black shoes and white socks, shower before work, iron shirts or blouses, wear deodorant, make sure you have fresh breath and cover up tattoos.

Unit 11 P6

Unit 11 P6

I will now outline how improvements to the customer service in the Westminster Consultant organisation could be made. 

Westminster Consultants is a quantity surveying practice specialising solely in project monitoring for property lending banks.

Get customer’s feedback

It’s very important for all organisations to got customer’s feedback. It helps to understand what company’s doing right and what wrong, and knowing weaknesses can help to make improvements. 

There are different ways to get customer’s feedback – it can be compliments or complaints, online surveys or shop surveys. Complaint letters are letters written by customers to express negative opinion about business. You should analyse those letters and try to improve things that people are complaining the most about. Survey is very good way to get feedback as well. You could make survey online, so people won’t have to face person face to face and answers will probably be more honest.

Improvements to the customer service to employees

Having satisfied and productive staff is a key to success for all businesses. If staff is not motivated to do good job they probably won’t be productive and it’ll have direct affect to sales and profits.

In Westminster Consultants organisation’s staff should be motivated, and it can be done by: financial rewards, trainings and promotions, positive feedback from managers.

Social media

Having a social media account can be very useful for customer service improvement for organisation advertising as well. Many people who have internet connection and computer use social media sites as twitter and facebook. Having page in these sites is for free, and it’s very popular these days. People can read about your company, comment on your posts and be your followers. Customers will be happy that they can express their opinion about your company in comfortable way for them.

Website improvement

Website should be attractive for visitors. If it’s not, they are not likely to stay there for more than few minutes. If website is good looking, font is easy to read and information is interesting, customers will be happy visiting your webpage and it’ll also improve your company’s image. 

I think that Westminster Consultants webpage need those improvements: bigger font – will be easier to read; more images – will look more interesting and will help to understand what your business is about; more colours or different colour scheme.

Unit 10 P3

Unit 10 P3

I will now explain the knowledge and skills needed to make personal sales including the relevant consumer legislation.

Sales person should have these skills and knowledge: good sales habits, good sales techniques, knowledge about the stages of personal selling, product knowledge, have to be keeping up to date, have to have the ability to close a sale, be inwardly motivated to sell, have knowledge about types of contracts, knowledge about  Sale of Goods Act 1994 /Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994 / Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002, Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, Consumer Protection Act 1987, Trade Description Act 1968, Consumer Protection [Distance Selling] Regulations Act (2005), Consumer Credit Act 1974. 

Good sales habits 

Firstly, you should greet, contact or respond to every customer positively and promptly. Do not say ‘Can I help you’ because the customer can easily say ‘no’, you should better say ‘Good morning/afternoon’ and smile. You should understand the customer’s body language to see what products they are interested in, then check if the customer is a serious buyer by spending time with them and ask open questions to find out what they want.

It is also very important to listen to the customer and be honest. You should keep explanations clear and simple, sell the benefits of the product or service and believe in what you are selling.

Good sales person should a fallback plan, know how to up-sell or cross-sell and use customer feedback to suggest improvements to sales techniques and customer service. Know when to back-off or change sales strategy and shouldn’t make promises that cannot be kept. Sales person should also know how to close the engagement in a friendly manner, whether a sale is made or not, so the customer will be more likely to return. You should also record customer details and follow up promptly to any after-sales requests e.g. delivery of goods.

Good sales techniques

Sales person should not to use cheap tricks or dishonesty to make a sale, as it’s unattractive to customers. You should also be continually focused on the needs and expectations of the customer and be able to move through the sales process effectively.

The Stages of Personal Selling

Firstly, sales person should be planning and preparing to sell, then - meeting and greeting the customer and developing a relationship with the customer. After that sales person should be identifying the customer’s needs and presenting, demonstrating and providing information, responding to objections. Sales person should be able to close the sale and follow up the sale.

Product knowledge

It is important for sales person to have good product knowledge, as expertise makes selling easier and more successful. The sales person should be interested in what they are selling and should know the full range of the products and services e.g. the features, performance and price. It is helpful to attach a relevant personal experience to the product knowledge.

Keeping up to date

Sales person should be aware of the most recent products and services being offered by the organisation, be aware of the product and services of competitors and the latest market trends.

The ability to close a sale

Closing a sale is the point when a sales person gets the customer to commit to the sale. Without this point the negotiations can go on forever. The ability to close a sale differentiates the professional from the amateur.

 

Being inwardly motivated to sell

Good sales person should be highly driven, self-motivated, keen to achieve, passionate about their work. Motivation can be driven by commission, sales targets, or career development.  Motivating and rewarding staff can make them feel appreciated and well rewarded for their efforts, enthusiastic about their job and eager to sell.

Sales contracts

Making a contract is then customers buy a product or service from a seller and sales contracts can be in writing or a verbal agreement. Sales contract in writing can be: through an order form, a sales contract, a receipt or a credit agreement.  Verbal contract is when a customer picks an item, offers to pay for it and the seller accepts their offer.  Contract can end in these ways:  by performance – when the product or service is accepted, the product or service is paid for and the ownership of the goods is transferred to the customer; by agreement - when the customer returns the product and receives a refund; by breach of contract- when the terms of the contract have not been met.

Sale of Goods Act 1994 /Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994 / Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002

These laws state that a new or second hand product must be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose.

Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982

This act is covers customers against services that are provided.  It states that services should be for a reasonable charge, be completed within a reasonable time, be completed with reasonable care and skill and be completed using satisfactory materials.

Consumer Protection Act 1987

This Act relates to the price and safety of products.  It states that it is an offence to mislead a customer about the price of a product, exaggerate price discounts and supply unsafe goods.

Consumer Protection [Distance Selling] Regulations Act 2005

These laws are passed in 2000 and amended in 2005. They are protecting the consumer against products or services sold by, mail order, television, telephone, and fax/email. The Act stresses that customers must be provided with accurate product/service information, written confirmation after a purchase, a cooling-off period after the receipt of goods and a refund if goods are not received on time.

Consumer Credit Act 1974

This Act protects customers against credit loan agreements.  Businesses that offer loan agreements must be licensed to do so.  It also lenders to reveal to true cost of the loan, protects customers against extortionate interest rates, allows the customers to receive compensation from the lender if the goods are faulty and the damage is more than £100. It also provides a cooling-off period, prevents requests for early payment and enables customers to find out about their credit rating details held by the lender.

Trade Description Act 1968

This Act states that it is an offence to sell goods that have been wrongly described by the manufacturer. It is also offence to wrongly describe goods and make false claims for services, accommodation and facilities.

Sales person should have good specific skills and knowledge. Having these are very important for making sales. Knowing laws and regulations of selling is also very important – it helps to prevent misunderstandings between sales person and customer. It’s very useful to know them for all sales people and for organisations that are selling goods or services.

Unit 11 M1

Unit 11 M1

 

I will now explain how different customers’ needs and expectations can differ, using food, clothes and mobile phones or computers shops as examples. 

There could be many different customers and their needs and expectations can also differ. Needs and expectations can differ depending upon the situation customers are in, their personal views.  It is important for all organisations to understand their customers’ needs and expectations, so it would be easier to understand what to offer for customers and what to do to increase sales.

Food shop

Probably most of the customers of food store would expect to find good quality food and their main need is food. Some customers are not concerned about prices and they want the best quality possible, but there are not much of those customers. Other people are looking for cheapest as possible products and they don’t mind if quality is bad. 

Most of the people in food stores expect to find simple food for every day food – milk, bread, cheese, meat and etc.  Some people may be looking for variety and quality products to choose from and others would just buy anything that’s not over their budget.

Clothes shop

People going to clothes shop have main need – to buy clothes. Similar is in a food shops, some people may be looking for good quality products for high prices and quality would be more important for them than quantity. Other people would look for cheap products and they would rather buy 10 t-shirts for £5 than 1 t-shirt that costs £50. 

There are different people with different tastes. There would be people who are looking for fashionable and trendy clothes; other people would be looking for casual and comfortable clothes for everyday wearing. Some people may expect to find accessories, shoes or underwear in clothes store, so they could quickly grab something in one go.

 Clothes stores should also be aware about different builds of people. These days there are many people who would be looking for plus size clothes, but probably most of the people would fit into average size clothes.

Mobile phones or computers shop

People going to computer or phone shop have one need – to buy phone or computer. Different types of people expect to find different things in those shops. Business men or women would be looking for computer or phone with internet, email function, maybe Microsoft office as well. If they are buying phone on contract they would probably expect to get some calls, internet or texts for free. If they are buying computer on contract they would probably also expect to get something for free – it could be free antivirus or laptop case. There would be people that are looking for high quality, newest phone or computer with good graphics and features. Others would buy simple computer or phone with main functions for lowest price as possible.

Teenage people would probably look for newest, good looking and most popular phone or computer. They would probably look for phone with email, text, internet and many different functions. Some of them would look for high quality product; others would choose the cheapest option possible. Teenager may also expect to get some texts for free if they're buying phone on contract, as these days texting is very popular amon young people.

Different customers have different needs and expectations. Some people are looking for quality, variety to choose from, others are looking for quantity and low price, as well as some people are looking for newest and trendy products and others are looking for simple and casual products.