Unit 10 p1/p2/m2/m1

The role of Sales Staff

I will now identify and explain the role of sales staff. 

Sales people are very important in all organisations. Their performance directly affects revenue and profits.  Their main duties are selling goods/services, providing information. They use different sales techniques that have different benefits and drawbacks. There are more different things that sales people do that I’ll identify and explain.

·         Selling goods – physical products. Sales people should have good understanding about products they are selling.

·         Selling Services – knowledge about services organisation provides is very important as well. Sales people should understand why their services differ from what other companies can offer, it shows the benefits of service that makes customer to buy from you, not from your competitors.  
  
    Specific knowledge -  knowledge about products or services and the legislation affecting personal selling. Knowledge about product/service is important for sale person as it makes sale easier, it makes sales person look reliable and competent so automatically there's higher potential to make a sale. Legal knowledge is also important, as it helps to avoid and deal with legal problems.

·         Providing information – describing product features and benefits.  This requires good knowledge about product/service. Explaining customers how product/services will fit to their needs and lifestyle. This requires good understanding of customer requirements.

·         Understanding customer requirements/ matching goods or services to customer requirements

 Every customer has different requirements. Sales person should understand other people needs.  It’s easier to sell product/service when you understand what’s important for your customer. Customer will only buy product/service that they need and sales person should find out what customer need and try to sell it.

 It also helps to build relationships with customers, because they feel that you may really care about their needs and not just try to sell any product for them to get a better salary.

Price – for some customers price is very important, for others not. Sales person should understand that.  If customer is not willing to spend very big money on service/product, sales person has to offer a cheaper alternative that fits customer’s needs.

Availability – someone could need your product/service urgently or with fast delivery. They may buy more expensive product/service if they could get it at the time they need it.

Features and performance –is very often important to the customer. All customers have different needs. Some customers are looking for newest, highest quality product/services. Others are looking for trusted and reliable product/services.

Appearance – Many people are looking for nice and trendy clothes, but others are looking for comfortable and cheap clothing. For some customers appearance is important for some not, it also depends on the product/services they are looking for.

Personal circumstances/specific requirements - it could be certain size, colour, material and etc.

Additional benefits -is very attractive to the customer. It can be guarantee, free delivery, discounts, free gifts and etc.

·         Representing the organisation – sales people are often first point of contact for customers. That’s why they are responsible for representing the organisation. Sales staff should have friendly and polite attitude, provide good customer service, be able to maintain relationships with customers and promote the product or service they are selling. Having good sales staff is important for all organisations. It helps to keep old customers and attract more possible buyers.

·         Gathering feedback from customers – it is very important for all business. It helps to understand what is important for customers, what are their needs and expectations. It helps to identify organisation’s strengths and weaknesses and improve products or services.

The sales techniques used by personal sellers

I will now identify and explain the sales techniques used by sales staff.

·         Cold calling – contacting a firm or private individual in order to sell a product or service. Customers haven’t previously expressed any interest in products or services. It is usually an unrequested and unexpected call, email or visit.

·         Face to face selling - calling customers by appointment to promote and sell product/service, obtain information and feedback. In this selling technique seller meets buyer face to face, not by phone, email and etc.

·         Drop-in visits- often unexpected and uninvited visiting of small shops and households in order to sell a product or service.

·         Telemarketing – contacting potential customers by phone, usually from call centre. 

      Up-selling - sales person is convincing customer to purchase additional products or services, related with already purchased, in order to make higher sales.

      Cross-selling- trying to sale related products or services, giving many different options for customer.

     Inward calls – responding to customer enquiry

     Outward calls – call prospective customer in order to sell product or service.