Contents
- What are personal sales?
- Objectives of personal sales
- Forms of personal sales
- Types of personal sales
- Personal selling techniques
- Steps of personal sales
- Advantages and disadvantages of personal sales
- How to increase the effectiveness of personal sales
What are personal sales?
Personal sales are the process of selling goods or services through direct interaction between the seller and the buyer. Within this process, the seller presents the product, answers questions, demonstrates its benefits, and closes the deal. Personal sales are widely used in both B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) contexts.
Objectives of personal sales
The primary goal of personal sales is to successfully sell a product to a potential buyer. The success of the deal depends on achieving several key tasks:
- Establish personal contact: It is important to create a positive impression and gain the client's trust.
- Inform about the product: The seller must provide detailed information about the product and demonstrate its features.
- Handling objections: It is necessary to dispel the buyer's doubts and answer their questions to lead to a successful deal.
Forms of personal sales
Personal sales can take various forms depending on the method of interaction between the seller and the buyer:
- One seller — one buyer: This can include in-store consultations, phone conversations, or email exchanges.
- One seller — a group of buyers: Usually involves product demonstrations at sales points or presentations.
- Sales team — group of buyer representatives: Most commonly encountered in the B2B sector when selling expensive goods and services.
Types of personal sales
There are several types of personal sales that differ in the nature of communication:
- Response selling: The buyer approaches the seller, who processes the request.
- Missionary selling: The seller initiates contact and offers the product.
- Creative selling: Sellers strive to generate new orders by identifying customer needs.
- Service selling: Merchandisers support sales by taking orders and managing inventory.
- Consultative selling: Consultant sellers help clients solve their problems and offer long-term solutions.
Personal selling techniques
There are many methods and techniques for personal selling. Here are five key approaches:
- Stimulating response: Obtaining agreement from the client at each stage.
- Managing psychological state: Evoke the right emotions in the client through proper presentation.
- Satisfying needs: Discover the client's needs and offer an appropriate solution.
- Problem-solving: Identify the client's problem and offer the perfect solution.
- Consultative support: Act as an expert helping the client make an informed choice.
Steps of personal sales
The personal sales process includes several steps:
- Searching for and evaluating potential clients.
- Preparing for contact and gathering information.
- Establishing contact and identifying needs.
- Conducting a presentation of the product or service.
- Handling objections and removing obstacles.
- Closing the sale.
- Post-sale support and follow-up.
Advantages and disadvantages of personal sales
Personal sales have both their pros and cons:
Pros:
- Flexibility in approach to each client.
- Minimization of unnecessary marketing costs.
- Instant feedback from buyers.
Cons:
- High cost of interaction with each client.
- Limited audience reach without significant expenditures.
- Difficulty in standardizing communication among different sellers.
How to increase the effectiveness of personal sales
To achieve high results in personal sales, it is necessary to apply a creative approach:
- "Sell yourself": Your personality and manner of communication play a key role.
- Thorough preparation: Study information about the client, their needs, and possibilities.
- Handling objections: Understanding the reasons for refusals will help you improve the sales process.
- Don't stop at refusals: Try different approaches and methods to achieve success.