St.

Mary’s University Department of Marketing Management

CHAPTER ONE

OVERVIEW OF SALESMANSHIP

1.1 Meaning of Salesmanship

Basically, salesmanship is the ability of selling a product or service. It is the art of convincing the
customer to buy a given product or service. Authors have given a variety of definition of
salesmanship. According to National Association of Marketing Teachers of America
“Salesmanship is the ability to persuade people to buy goods or services at a profit to the seller
and benefit to the buyers.” Stated otherwise, it is the ability to induce others to accept a benefit at
a fair price, the benefit being the service rendered.

1.1.1 Definition

Professor Stephenson defines salesmanship as: a “concise effort on the part of the seller to
induce a prospective buyer to buy even if he had not thought of it favorably.”

Gauss, Weightman and Bates observe: “salesmanship consists of persuading people to buy what
you have for sale, in making them want it, in helping to make their minds.”

According to American Marketing Association, “salesmanship is an oral presentation in a

conversation with one or more prospective customers for the purpose of making sales”.

According to C.A. Paderson, “salesmanship is a process whereby a seller ascertains and activates
the needs or wants of the buyers and satisfies these needs and wants to the mutual continuous
advantage of both the buyer and seller.”

In a nutshell, salesmanship is the skill and the ability of a person in convincing the other about
the proposition of goods or services so that the latter is automatically induced to desire and buy
them at a price, which is profitable to both. Salesmanship is the skills of creating an attitude in
the mind of the buyer to buy a product or service. As a matter of fact, it is not an effort to sell; it
is the effort to make the buyer buy a product or service. Salesmanship is the skill of creating an
attitude in the mind of the buyer to buy a product or service.

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1.2 Characteristics / features of Salesmanship

If we closely observe the above definitions, we find certain essential features of salesmanship.
They can be enumerated as follows:

Salesmanship is the ability to persuade

Persons involved in the selling process usually possess the necessary skill and ability to convince
others. Salesmanship essentially involves the ability to influence or persuade people to buy a
product or service. In fact, persuasion is the soul of modern salesmanship. Gone are the days
when a sale was forced on the customers. Modern salesmanship does not rely on pressure tactics
or compulsion to clinch a sale. The customer is led to a favorable buying decision through
careful and imaginative handling. The salesman necessarily creates a favorable impression on the
prospective buyer’s mind by presenting the benefits associated with the product or service being
offered for sale.

Salesmanship benefits both the buyer and the seller

Salesmanship is founded on the rock of mutual benefit. Since the salesman is the link between
the seller and the buyer, it is always ensured that both the parties involved in the selling process
are satisfied. He ascertains that his employer (the seller) earns profit out of the sale and the
customer derives the desired benefit out of the purchase. Thus salesmanship is beneficial to both
consumers and producers.

Salesmanship stands for commercial honesty

Ideal salesmanship necessarily depends on the principles that honesty is the best policy. Unlike
the earlier concept of fraudulent transaction, modern salesmanship operated on the principle of
commercial honesty. Today’s salesmen seldom resort to duping or cheating customers in the
selling process because it can never create permanent customers. A good salesman rather guides
the customers in buying goods or services, which provides utmost satisfaction and value for the
money spent by them.

Salesmanship aims at winning the buyers’ confidence

Modern salesmanship usually does not employ dubious methods to influence buyers. On the

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contrary, it always aims at winning the confidence of the buyer by persuading and educating
them about the availability of product and services, their special features and their utility in
satisfying their respective needs.

Salesmanship aims at serving the producer, distributor and consumer. The salesman helps the
producers in disposing of their goods at a profit. The manufacturer usually produces in large
scale in anticipation of demand. In the world of stiff market competition, salesmen facilitate sales
at a profit. For distributor, the salesman makes the distribution process smooth and easy by
creating, maintaining and extending sales. Above all, the salesman guides the consumer inthe
proper and wise selection of product or service. Thus modern salesmanship looks after the
respective interests of the producer, distributor and consumer in the sales process.

Salesmanship is an educative process

Salesmanship not only sales products or services but also educate people about their need as well
as the way in which they could satisfy those needs. Salesman performs the function of educating
the customer about their needs and the satisfaction thereof through the purchase of goods and
services.

Salesmanship creates satisfied customers

Salesmanship in modern days aims at creating satisfied customers, rather than just profit-
generating sales. In any marketing transaction, a sale once made would indicate the end of the
process. However, once there is a satisfied customer, it is the beginning of a long lasting
relationship, which can create many more sales in future. Therefore modern salesmanship always
aims at creating satisfied customers who will most likely purchase his goods and services as
when necessary.

It is a creative art. It creates wants, i.e. the salesman converts the needs of the prospective
customers in to wants.

It is a science in the sense that “one human mind influences another human mind”

Salesmanship is personal service to the prospective customer. It imparts knowledge and technical
assistance to the consumers.

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Salesmanship consists of winning the buyers’ confidence for the sellers’ goods and services and
making them permanent customers.

It is the art of attracting and persuading customers to buy goods or services.

It helps to establish a cordial and abiding relationship between the organization and the
customer. This relationship ultimately brings benefits to the organization and industry, to the
salesman, to the consumer and finally to the whole economy.

It is the ability to induce people to buy goods or services at a profit to the seller and with benefit
to the buyer.

Salesmanship discourages bargaining and haggling tendency of customers.

Salesmanship is universal. Whether he may be a producer, manufacturer, leader, shopkeeper,

employee, teacher, religious guru, peddler, professional or even a student – all are salesmen as
they use salesmanship in one way or the other so as to attain success.

1.3 Is Salesmanship an Art or a Science?

The most common question, which arises with the discussion of a new subject, is whether it is an
art or a science or both or something else? Such a question demands a precise answer since a
variety of opinions exist about a salesman. One group is of the view that ‘salesmen are made’
whereas another group opines that ‘salesmen are born’. To others salesmen are both born and
made. Since there are conflicting opinions about salesmanship it is necessary to decide whether
salesmanship is an art or science.

Salesmanship as a Science

Science is a systematized knowledge. This systematized knowledge can be gained through

experiments and supervision. It establishes relationship between cause and effect. Now the
question naturally arises whether any systematized knowledge is required in salesmanship. The
answer has to be in affirmative. In the first place, a salesman should have specialized knowledge
of the commodity he is selling. Secondly, he must also study the customer to whom he is going
to sell the commodity: his likes and dislikes, his mood and his overall behavior. In short, he must
study the psychology of his prospective customer. A salesman should have complete knowledge

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of the existing market conditions. He should also know the art of presenting the commodity. In
this way we conclude that salesmanship, although is not as exact as the laws of physics and or
chemistry, but it is positively social science like sociology or economics.

Salesmanship as an Art

Art is a method of doing a particular work. Art is that part of knowledge which teaches us
methods and devices so as to achieve the desired goal. Art can be acquired through personal
knowledge, labor, devotion, sincerity and experience. From this point of view salesmanship is an
art because through this the salesman attracts his customers and persuades them to buy the
commodities sold by him. It involves the personal knowledge, labor, devotion, sincerity and
experience of the salesman. It is the art of making customers to buy. A good salesman should be
in a position to adopt himself suitably to different circumstances. It is possible only trough art. In
this way salesmanship is more of an art that a science.

Generally, from the above discussion it is now evident that salesmanship is both science and art.
As an art it requires patience, practice, and use of correct method, devices and skills. As a
science, it requires mastery over certain fundamentals that are pre-requisites for success in
selling.

1.4 Duties and Responsibilities of Salespeople

Since the nature of work done by salesman varies from one job to another and from industry to
industry, it is difficult to enumerate the duties or functions performed by all salesmen. However,
in general the following are the major duties/functions performed by a salesman.

Making calls – The first and foremost duty of a salesman is to call or meet the customer in their
respective housed or in their place of business at their convenience. Every possible effort is to be
made to make this meeting successful.

Territory determination and development – It is the duty of a salesman to cover the territory
as assigned to him as a manufacturer’s, wholesaler’s or retailer’s representative. The objective is
to contact old and new customers, seek business and satisfy them.

Provide product knowledge – Since the customer is not aware particularly to a new product, it

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is the duty of the salesman to provide necessary knowledge about the use of that product.

Promote goodwil – A salesman promotes the goodwill of the firm by explaining the policies of
the firm and also handling complaints, if any, most satisfactorily and efficiently.

Welcome the prospective customer – As soon as the customer enters the premises, it is the duty
of the salesman particularly indoor salesman to welcome him and by using very polite
expressions.

Increase sales – A salesman is appointed for selling the products. Hence he must make every
effort to increase the sales.

Assist the customer in selecting the product – When different varieties are presented before
the customer at a time, the salesman assists the customer in making the right type of selection,
which may be suited to him.

Responsibilities of a salesman

The work of a salesman is full of responsibilities. In general the following can be mentioned as
the responsibilities of a salesman.

Securing adequate sales volume in relation to territory potential.

Not to exceed his authority.

Development of company’s goodwill.

Safeguarding the trade secrets of the firm carefully and on no account revealing them to the
competitors.

Presenting his report to the relevant authority in time.

1.5 Types of sales people

The diverse nature of the buying situation means that there are many types of selling job: selling
varies according to the nature of the selling task. The following picture distinguishes between
order-takers, order-creators and order-getters.

Order-takers respond to already committed customers; order-creators do not directly receive

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orders since they talk to specifiers rather than buyers; while order getters attempt to persuade
customers to place an order directly. There are three types of order-takers: inside order-takers,
delivery salespeople and outside order-takers. Order-creators are termed missionary salespeople.
Finally, order-getters are either front-line salespeople consisting of new business, organizational
or consumer salespeople, or sales support salespeople who can be either technical support
salespeople or merchandisers.

1. Order-takers

1.1 Inside order-takers

Here the customer has full freedom to choose products without the presence of a salesperson.
The sales assistant’s task is purely transactional – receiving payment and passing over the goods.
Another form of inside order-taker is the telemarketing sales team who support field sales by
taking customers’ orders over the telephone.

Fig. Types of selling

II. Delivery salespeople

The salesperson’s task is primarily concerned with delivering the product. In the UK, milk,
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newspapers and magazines are delivered to the door. There is little attempt to persuade
thehousehold to increase the milk order or number of newspapers taken: changes in order size
are customer-driven. Winning and losing orders will be dependent on reliability of delivery and
the personality of the salesperson.

1.3 Outside order-takers

These salespeople visit customers, but their primary function is to respond to customer requests
rather than actively seek to persuade. Outside order-takers do not deliver and to a certain extent
they are being replaced by more cost efficient telemarketing teams.

2. Order-creators
Missionary salespeople

In some industries, notably the pharmaceutical industry, the sales task is not to close the sale but
to persuade the customer to specify the seller’s products. For example, medical representatives
calling on doctors cannot make a direct sale since the doctor does not buy drugs personally, but
prescribes (specifies) them for patients. Similarly, in the building industry, architects act as
specifiers rather than buyers, and so the objective of a sales call cannot be to close the sale.
Instead, in these situations the selling task is to educate and build goodwill.

3. Order-getters

The final category, called order-getters, consists of those in selling jobs where a major objective
is to persuade customers to make a direct purchase. These are the front-line salespeople and in
many ways this type of selling represents the most challenging of the different types of selling.
Order-getting demands several skills on the part of the salesperson including, for example, the
ability to identify new prospects, persuading Sales perspective and negotiating, and ultimately
building new and profitable business in the face of often fierce competition.

3.1 Technical support salespeople

The task of this type of salesperson is to provide sales support to front-line salespeople so they
are normally considered to belong in the order-getters group. Where a product is highly technical
and negotiations are complex, a salesperson may be supported by product and financial

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specialists who can provide the detailed technical information required by customers. This may
be ongoing as part of a key account team or on a temporary basis with the specialists being called
into the selling situation as and when required.

3.2 Merchandisers

These people provide sales support in retail and wholesale selling situations. Orders may be
negotiated nationally at head office, but sales to individual outlets are supported by
merchandisers who give advice on display, implement sales promotions, check stock levels and
maintain contact with store managers.

1.6 Qualities of salesperson

With such a large range of selling situations and positions in sales, it is not possible to provide a
specific prescription of the qualities required for a successful sales career. There is no definitive
test or selection procedure that can be used to distinguish between successful and less successful
salespeople and apart from ‘trying it out’ there is no way of knowing if a person is suited to a
career in sales. However, there are a number of key qualities that are generally recognized as
being important:

Empathy and an interest in people: such a skill will help in more accurately identifying
customers’ real needs and problems in terms of thinking oneself into the other person’s mind and
understanding why the customer feels as they do.

Ability to communicate: this means an ability to get a message across to a customer and, more
importantly, an ability to listen and understand. The skill of knowing when to stop talking and
when to listen is essential.

Self-discipline and resilience: most salespeople spend much of their time unsupervised and,
apart from seeing customers, they are alone. As part of their job they can expect setbacks,
rejections and failures. A salesperson thus needs to be both self-disciplined and resilient to cope
with these facets of the sales task.

The qualities that make-up the overall personality of a salesman can be grouped under the
following four categories.

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Physical – Health, Posture, Voice, Appearance

Mental – Alertness, Imagination, Self-confidence, Initiative, Memory, Observation,

Resourcefulness, Cheerfulness.

Social – Ability and Eagerness to meet people, Effective speech, Courtesy, Tact, co-operation,
Good manners, patience and tolerance.

Character related – Honesty, courage, Sincerity, Loyalty, Determination, Industriousness.

I. Physical Qualities

Among the requisite qualities, the physical qualities of a salesman are of crucial importance
since it is the most visible aspect of all the qualities. A good physical appearance is a very big
asset for the salesman as it created a favorable initial impression. A salesman having deficiency
in any physical quality is seriously handicapped while dealing with the prospective buyers. Out
of the various are very important.

a) Health

It is commonly said that ‘health is wealth’. Just like a person without a good health cannot enjoy
life, a salesman without sound health cannot be successful in his selling job. A sound health in
fact helps the salesman to perform his duties perfectly, contributes to the development of mental
qualities and provides a lot of self-confidence. Salesmen possessing bad health cannot maintain a
pleasing and impressive appearance and therefore, cannot carry their duties efficiently. Further it
should be noted that a sound mind lives in a sound body only.

b) Posture

Good and correct posture enhances the appearance and personality of an individual. It constitutes
an important aspect of the overall personality of the salesman. Posture is the position in which
one holds his body while standing, walking or sitting. A good posture of an individual spreads
the message of confidence to one and all. Salesmen with good posture are able to create
favorable impression on the prospects. Therefore, in order to be successful in a selling job, all
salesmen should be clear and pleasant to the customers.

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c) Voice

Pleasing and clear voice is another important physical quality, needed by the salesman in order to
create a favorable impression on the prospect. Therefore, the salesman should take care to have a
clear as swell as pleasant voice. Hoarse, high pitched, shrill, commanding or nasal voices
generally irritate the customers. The voice of the salesman should not be too loud or too low or
unpleasant. Normally, customers should be able to hear as well as receive clearly what the
salesman is trying to say. Each and every statement of the salesman should be clear and pleasant
to the customer.

d) Appearance

As pointed out earlier, a good physical appearance is the biggest asset for the salesman. In fact,
the first impression on the prospects is created by the physical appearance of the salesman. A
salesman should posses a good, neat and pleasing appearance, which provides him a lot of self-
confidence to deal with the prospects. In fact, these qualities are essential to be successful in
every walk of life. The appearance of the salesman is judged from his clean lines, grooming and
clothes.

II. Mental Qualities

Mental quality is another important consideration for the success of the salesman in selling jobs.
The mental or the psychological qualities of the salesman are alertness imagination,
resourcefulness, observation, self-confidence, initiative, memory and cheerfulness. These
attributes are the fundamental requirements of successful salesmanship.

a) Alertness

Alertness is nothing but presence of mind regarding what to say, how to say and on what
occasion. In selling, the salesman should be alert, attentive and active so that he is able to tackle
and handle consumers effectively and efficiently. An alert salesman has quick reflexes and keen
mind to deal with every type of situation. He is able to meet objections, remove them, know the
actual need and serve to the best satisfaction of the customers. Thus, alertness of mental agility
helps the salesman meet each and every type of selling situation.

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b) Imagination

It is an important mental trait, which assists the salesman to understand the problems and
difficulties of the prospects he is dealing with. The salesman, in fact, needs to have a creative
mind. This is necessary to have a customer’s oriented thinking. At times, customers just enter
into the shop either with a vague idea about the product or even without it. Further, some
customers ask for certain articles without knowing their brand name. Some may even drop into
the shop without any specific requirement. An imaginative salesman is able to know the exact
requirements of suchcustomers. He is in a position to visualize the goods needed by such
customers. This quality keeps the salesman aware of the buyer's requirement and assists the
buyers to choose and select such products, which are really needed by them.

c) Self-confidence

Confidence is essential for achieving success in any sphere of activity. In case of salesmanship,
the need for self-confidence is seriously felt since the salesman continuously subjected to
resistance, discouragement and opposition. The self-confidence of the salesman should be
focused on himself and the goods and services he is selling to the consumers. Knowledge of the
goods and services being offered for sale and knowledge of the customer's needs builds the self-
confidence of the salesman, to face and tackle selling effectively and efficiently. A thorough
knowledge of the market, the product and the prospect, provides an air of confidence to the
salesman to persuade and convince customers.

d) Initiative

To be successful in the job of selling, a salesman needs a lot of initiative. It is nothing but the
ability to work on one's own without any guidance from anybody. Otherwise called self-reliance,
it is a very useful quality, which helps the salesman to reach new heights of success in his selling
job. The salesman should be able to handle difficult situations independently on his own
initiative. Through imitativeness, a salesman can sell more products to old customers as well as
create new customers. An initiative oriented salesmen is able to communicate the reactions and
the suggestions of the customers to the producers.

Alternatively, he also informs the customers about the last innovations and changes in the

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product range. Thus, the mental attributes of initiative or self-reliance are indispensable for
success in selling.

e) Memory

Another important attribute of a salesman is sharp memory, i.e. capacity to recognize customers,
recall previous meetings and recollect their specific requirements and suggestions. The best way
of developing such memory is to keep record of various important points for future references. In
this way, a salesman can become accurate and alert while dealing with customers. This habit also
infuses a lot of confidence and makes the salesman well prepared for all types of selling
situations.

f) Observation

Another important quality of the salesman is keen observation. A salesman should be quick and
sharp in his observations about customers. He should keenly observe the changes in taste, style
and fashion of people, activities of the rivals and changes taking place in political, economic and
technological fields. In short, he should have knowledge of what is happening all around and for
that he should keep his eyes and ears open always. The salesman should minutely notice the
dressing pattern, facial expression, gesture, language of the prospects etc. so that he can persuade
and convince the customers easily.

g) Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness is closely linked with imagination. It is the ability to think about the alternatives
and find out new ideas. This ability helps the salesman to be more creative as well as confident.
Knowledge of goods, customers and their buying motives usually makes a salesman more
resourceful. If a customer asks a resourceful salesman about a specific product, which the
salesman does not have, he never says 'no'. Either he offers the customer an alternative product
or promises to arrange the required product in near future. This attitude of the salesman not only
makes the customer satisfied but also helps the salesman in striking the sale.

h) Cheerfulness

Cheerfulness is a state of mind and it is also infectious. Therefore, everyone wants to be cheerful.

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A cheerful smile not only makes the other person happy but also removes all kinds of tension. By
being cheerful, a salesman is able to attract more and more customers. A cheerful attitude
induces the customers to call the salesman again and again. Good health, vigor and a rich sense
of humor are the essentials to remain cheerful.

III. Social Qualities

Man is a social animal and the salesman being a part of the society is no exception. A salesman
is required to deal with different types of people in the society, persuade and influence them in
favor of products and services, move in different circles, meet many customers and get along
with them. Therefore, salesmen must possess certain social qualities. The social qualities, which
are essential for a salesman, are as follows:

a) Ability and eagerness to meet people

The salesman is required to develop a natural tendency to meet people in a cordial and friendly
manner. He should be an extrovert, who likes mixing with people and enjoys talking with them.
He is expected to be friendly by nature so that he can meet different persons easily. He should
develop the attitude of mixing with people and adapt himself to customers of differing age, sex,
lifestyle, backgrounds, level of education, beliefs and attitudes.

b) Effective speech

A salesman should talk pleasingly, convincingly and logically to impress the customers. Ability
to speak clearly and correctly creates favourable impression on the customers. The sales talk
should be clear, pleasant and persuasive. For this, a salesman should have good communication
skills, sweet voice, clear pronunciation, appropriate use of words and fluent expression.

c) Courtesy

A salesman is expected to be polite and considerate in his dealings with customers has been
rightly pointed out, 'courtesy costs nothing but pays much'. Respecting customers and a sincere
desire to serve customers are essential for success in salesmanship. It should be remembered that
use the courteous words like 'thank you', 'please', 'welcome', 'excuse me', 'just a minute' in
appropriate occasions costs to salesman nothing. Rather, it creates a favorable and lasting

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impression on the customer. The practice of greeting and thanking customers should not be
forgotten. For example, when lady customer approaches the salesman should stand up or he
should cover his mouth with a handkerchief when he sneezes and so on.

d) Tact

A salesman has to deal with a number of customers. Accordingly, he should be able to provide
different types of services. Tact is essential for doing the same. Tact is nothing but doing things
correctly at the right moment without offending others. He should speak properly and work
accurately to avoid causing dissatisfaction and inconvenience. Tact is the ability of the salesman
to tackle all kinds of situations.

e) Cooperation

Cooperation with customers, fellow salesman, superiors and general public helps the salesman in
doing better business and serve the firm in a better way. It is a collective action resulting in
mutual benefit. Customers usually depend on the salesman to a great extent for selecting the
products, which will satisfy their needs most appropriately. The salesman has to extend full
cooperation and help them by recommending the best product to suit their needs.

f) Good Manners

The most important social quality that a salesman must have is good manners. It has been rightly
pointed out that in the long run it is only the manner that count and not the price, quality and
utility of the goods or services which have been sold. A salesman must always be polite and
respectful towards the customers and his talk should be polished. A customer is the king for the
salesman. Customers are automatically attracted towards a salesman with good behavior and
politeness. A salesman at no point to time should get angry with the customers. If he does, he
loses sale. Good manners therefore, should be developed.

g) Patience and Tolerance

Another important quality that is needed for a salesman is patience and tolerance. At times,
customers start arguing regarding the utility and price of the product or service offered for sale.
Under such circumstances, the salesman should remain cool. He should try to listen patently to

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the arguments of the customers, their objections regarding the products or services. He should try
to explain his views in a polite manner and remove the objections through pleasing replies. It
should be noted that a sale is not made in a day. It may take several days and at times even
months. Therefore, the salesman has to wait patiently till the sale is finally made. Salesmen with
bad tempers lose sales propositions easily.

IV. Character Qualities

The above mentioned physical, mental and social qualities are found, more or less, in all the
human beings. However, there are certain moral qualities which are also important developing
the overall personality of a salesman. Therefore, he should develop the qualities in order to be
successful in his selling job. These qualities are:

a) Honesty

The salesman must be honest throughout. The proverb, 'honesty is the best polity' holds good in
salesmanship. A salesman has to be true, sincere and honest in his dealing statements and actions
in order to win permanent goodwill for the organization. An honest salesman is appreciated by
each and every customer. In all types of dealings, the salesman must be true and frank about the
productor service he wants to sell. He should never breed the idea of cheating the customers.
This policy contributes to the creation sufficient goodwill for himself, for goods and services
offered for sale and for organization, as a whole. In no case should he exaggerate or distort facts.
The salesman should always have in mind that a customer can be cheated by pleasant and
persuasive talks once and only once. But, a customer cheated once, is lost forever. In selling
transactions, the policy of dishonesty always suffers in the long run. Therefore, it is always
rewarding to remain honest.

b) Courage

Courage is the moral strength, which is otherwise called as guts. It is but natural that salesman
may commit mistakes and make false promises. 'To err is human', and a salesman remains no
exception to the same. This may sometimes lead to unpleasant situation salesman must have
enough courage to face such situations. Whatever be the situation the salesman must face it
boldly and courageously.

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c) Sincerity

The salesman must be sincere in all his dealings with customers. Sincerity helps interacting new
customers as well as maintaining the existing customers. A sincere salesman should be able to
present his products, his ideas, his company and himself with a lot of confidence.

d) Loyalty

Loyalty means the desire or willingness to obey, cooperate and work in the manner. Loyalty of
the salesman can be viewed from three angles, namely,Loyalty towards the organization,Loyalty
towards his customers, Loyalty towards his fellow employees.

A good salesman should remain loyal to his organization. In other words, he should always work
for the overall growth of the organization. Practices like unnecessary credit, and heavy discount
to the customers should be avoided. Every effort should be made to improve the sales volume of
the organization.

A salesperson should remain loyal to the customers. He must present a true and fair view of the
product or service he intends to sell along with its merits and demerits before the customers. He
must provide them with the right product, at right time and right place, so as to satisfy their
needs.

Providing satisfaction to the customers through the sale of goods and services should always
remain the main aim of the salesperson.

Finally, the salesman should also remain loyal to his colleagues. He should have cooperative
attitude towards his fellow workers. The success of the organization largely depends on
teamwork and team spirit. Therefore, fellow workers in the sales field must help one another to
achieve the organizational objective.

e) Determination

Determination is the will to go ahead and succeed. Unless a salesman is determined to move
ahead, he cannot be successful. At times, he may face resistance from various quarters. Each
such problem in selling efforts should make a salesman determined to achieve success. Some
customers in the beginning say ‘No’. This should not be taken for granted as the final opinion of

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the customer. By sheer determination and ceaseless efforts, the salesmen can change ‘No’ of the
customer to ‘Yes’. In difficult and frustrating situations, the salesman should not give up hope.
Rather, he should always be confident about success. Determination to succeed should always
guide the salesman.

f) Industriousness

‘No gain without pain’ is very much true in the field of salesmanship. Hard work is another name
for industriousness and there is hardly any substitute for hard work. The salesman must work
hard to achieve sales targets, satisfy the customers and ultimately satisfy himself. He must
always remain active working under tiring and challenging circumstances. A hard working
salesman is never satisfied with the prevalent sales volume alone. He works towards improving
the existing sales volume and works hard for achieving new targets in selling.

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Salesmanship & Sales Management