Chapter 1

The Life, Times, and Career of

the Professional Salesperson
 Learning Objectives

1.1: Define and explain the term selling.

1.2: Explain why everyone sells, even you.
1.3: Explain the relationship between the traditional definition of
selling and the Core Principles of Professional Selling.
1.4: Discuss the reasons people might choose a sales career.
1.5: Enumerate some of the various types of sales jobs.
1.6: Describe the job activities of salespeople.
1.7: Define the characteristics that salespeople believe are
needed for success in building relationships with customers.
1.8: List and explain the 10 steps in the sales process.
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 Universal truth about selling

People Hate to be Sold But Love To Buy

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 A must..

Product
Productor
orservice
service

Customers
Customers
Salesperson
Salesperson
must
mustknow
know
everything
everything
about...
about... Competition
Competition

Industry
Industry

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 Nothing Happens Until Someone Sells
Something
Salespeople play key roles in an
organization
Salespeople’s efforts have impact
across the firm
• Ensuring the success of new products.
• Keeping existing products on the
retailer’s shelf.
• Constructing manufacturing facilities.
• Opening businesses and keeping them
open.
• Generating sales orders that result in
the loading of trucks, trains, ships,
airplanes, and pipelines that carry
goods to customers all over the world.
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 Marketing & Professional Selling

What is Marketing? The Marketing Mix and

Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, Its Components
and processes for creating,
communicating, delivering, and exchanging
offerings that have value for customers, Professional Selling Is
clients, partners, and society at large. Commonly Considered
What’s the Relationship Between An Element of Promotion
Marketing & Selling? (Communication)
Selling is one of the many marketing
components along with:
Product
Place
Price
Promotion
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 Marketing and Sales Have The Same Goals

The essentials of a firm’s marketing effort include its

ability to:
• Determine the needs of its customers
• Create and maintain an effective marketing mix that
satisfies customer needs.
As you will soon learn, professional selling focuses on:
• Understanding the needs of your customers
• Developing a solution (elements of the marketing mix)
that satisfy your customer.

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 What is Selling?
Selling is one of many
What is critical to selling?
marketing components
• Examine the customer’s
• Professional selling
needs
includes:
• Provide information and
• Personal communication of
information solutions to meet the
customer’s needs
• Persuasion
• Helping others
• Provide after-the-sale
service to
• Goods
• Services
• Ensure long-term
satisfaction.
• Ideas

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 A New Definition of Professional Selling

Professional Selling
• Refers to the personal
communication of
information
• To unselfishly assist
someone
• To buy something – a good,
service, idea, or something
else – that satisfies that
individual’s needs.

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 The Core Principles of Professional Selling 1

Salespeople must balance

two primary duties (Core
Principles of Professional
Selling)
1. Unselfishly serve the
buyer or buying
organization
2. Professionally represent
the selling organization
(i.e. their employer)
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 The Core Principles of Professional Selling 2
Salespeople must balance How Do Salespeople Demonstrate the Core
two primary duties (Core Principles?
Principles of Professional To customers:
Selling) • Understand the needs of their customers
• Develop ideas and solutions to help their
1) Unselfishly customers:
serve the buyer or buying • Grow their business
organization and • Overcome their challenges
2) Professionally represent • Serve as a resource for their customers,
the selling organization (i.e. which allows the customer to focus on
their most valuable processes
their employer)
To the selling organization:
• Represent the company professionally
• Represent the company’s brand image
• Understand how the firm’s processes,
products, and services can potentially
assist customers (knowledge)
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 Overcoming Common Perceptions of Sales
Some people view traditional
salespeople as:
• Self-interested, focused on their
own well-being
• Selfish
• Only focused on making money
• Not trustworthy
However, salespeople following
the Core Principles of
Professional Selling focus upon:
• Interests of others before self-
interest
• Considers and understands the
customer needs
• Customer solutions and customer
service
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 Salesperson Differences 1

Traditional Salesperson
• Perceived as guided by self-
interests
Professional Salesperson
• Takes care of customers
Core Principles of
Professional Selling
Salesperson
• Others’ interests most
important
• Focus on solving problems,
providing solutions
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 Salesperson Differences 2
Traditional Salesforce Continuum of Modern Salesforce
Professionalism
Do what they think they Do what they are legally Do the right thing
can get away with required to do
Guided by self interest Take care of customers Find others’ interests most
important
Attribute results to Attribute results to Attribute results to others
personal efforts personal efforts, employer,
customers and economy
Seek recognition for Enjoy recognition, may Feel that an individual’s
efforts; sharing not share it if it suits their performance is due to
important purpose others, thus not motivated
by pride and ego

Salespeople may be guided by different actions and motives

The Moderns Salesforce follows the Core Principles of Professional Selling
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 Everybody Sells!
Sales is a skill that you will Communication:
use throughout their • Sales aids you in developing your
career…and your life. communication skills (i.e. verbal and
nonverbal communication and listening)
Many of the skills used in
Personal Interactions
selling are applicable to a
• You are involved in selling when you negotiate
variety of careers.
with someone or ask someone for something
Problem Solving
• Selling teaches you to listen, understand
needs, and craft solutions
Persuasion:
• You use persuasion skills to persuade
someone to act, to move forward, to make a
decision

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 Sales: A Large & Growing Profession
Studies suggest:
Sales is first job chosen by as many
as 60% of all business majors
Sales is first job chosen by
approximately 88% of all marketing
majors
Sales ranks in top three of the most
common professions for
undergraduates in economics,
liberal arts, and physical sciences
Workers across a range of
occupations suggest that 41% of
their time is devoted to sales like
activities
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 What Salespeople are Paid to Do

Salespeople are paid to sell – The marketing concept:

that is their job
• A business philosophy that states:
• Salespeople are revenue creators The customers’ wants
and profit generators satisfaction is the economic and
Why are Salespeople social justification for a firm’s
important? existence.
• They play an important role in the • Consequently, all company
marketing concept (and the activities should be devoted to
business) determining customers’ wants
• Salespeople help the firm and then satisfying them, while
understand customer needs still making a profit.
• Salespeople help the firm create
solutions for its customers (in a
profitable manner)

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 How Do You Sell Someone and
Remain Friends?
Salespeople need to close sales and at the same
time maintain a great relationship with their
customers.
What does this require?
This is what you will learn in this course.

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 Service: Helping Others 1

When asked what one

would look for in a career
after graduating from
college, a student said:
“I’d like to do something
that helps other people.”
Service refers to making a
contribution to the
welfare of others.

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 Service: Helping Others 2

When asked what she will look for in a career after

graduating from college, a student of your author’s,
Jackie Pastrano, said “I’d like to do something that helps
other people.”
Service refers to making a contribution to the welfare
of others.
Would you like to help others?
• Solve problems
• Grow their business
• Provide insight and knowledge
• Create solutions and new ideas
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 What Does a Professional Salesperson Do? 1

Creates new customers

Sells more to present customers
Builds long-term relationships with customers
Provides solutions to customers’ problems
Provides service to customers
Helps customers resell products to their customers
Helps customers use products after purchase
Builds goodwill with customers
Provides company with market information
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 Types of Sales Jobs 1

Selling for a Wholesaler

• For resale
• For use in producing other
goods
• For use within an
organization
Selling for a Manufacturer
• Working for the firm who
manufacturers the product
• Usually one of the most
prestigious jobs to hold
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 Types of Sales Jobs 2

Retail Selling
• A retail salesperson sells
goods or services to
consumers for their
personal, non-business
use.
Direct Selling
• Face to face sales to
consumers, typically in
their homes, who use the
products for their non-
business personal use.
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 The Complexity and Difficulty of Seven Sales Job
Categories Increases
Order-Takers: Salesperson does exactly what customer tells
them to do; may not use a sales presentation
Order-Getters: Use creative sales strategies to better
understand customer needs; creates value by helping
provide solutions

Inside retail Outside Entry-level Missionary Sales Creative Creative

sales delivery consumer Engineers Sales of Sales of
goods tangibles intangibles
More Order More Order
Takers  Getters 

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 A Sales Personnel Career Path

Sales positions offer Sales Career Path

autonomy, challenging 1) Sales Trainee
2) Salesperson
growth opportunities, 3) Key account salesperson
opportunities for 4) District sales manager
advancement, financial 5) Divisional sales manager
6) National sales manager
and non-financial 7) Vice president of marketing
rewards. 8) President

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 Success in Selling–What Does it Take?

Nine Personal Characteristics

For Success
1. Caring for customers
2. Joy in work
3. Harmony in relationships
4. Patience in closing sale
5. Kind to people
6. Morally ethical
7. Faithful in sale
8. Fairness in sale
9. Self-control in emotions
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 Success in Selling–What Does it Take?
An Easy Acronym To Remember 1
Elements
S Service to Others

U Use the Core Principles of Selling

C Communication Ability

C Characteristics for the Job

E Excels at Strategic Thinking

S Sales Knowledge

S Stamina for the Challenge

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 How Would You Answer These Questions?

Do these success characteristics Characteristics

describe you?
Service to Others
Do you have all, or part, of
them? Use the Core Principles of
Selling
Can you develop the missing
ones? Communication Ability
Characteristics for the Job
Excels at Strategic Thinking
Sales Knowledge
Stamina for the Challenge
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 What Does a Professional Salesperson Do? 2

Creates new customers

Sells more to present customers
Builds long-term relationships with customers
Provides solutions to customers’ problems
Provides service to customers
Helps customers resell products to their customers
Helps customers use products after purchase
Builds goodwill with customers
Provides company with market information
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 Building A Professional Reputation

Be truthful and follow through on what you tell the customer

Maintain an intimate knowledge of your firm, its products, and
your industry
Speak well of others, including your company and competitors
Keep customer information confidential
Never take advantage of a customer by using unfair, high-
pressure techniques
Be active in community affairs and help better your community
Think of yourself as a professional and always act like one
Provide service “above and beyond the call of duty”
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 Buyer’s Expectations of Salespeople.
What Disappoints Them?
Lack of product knowledge
Time wasting
Poor planning
Pushiness. This includes prying to find out a competitor’s
prices, an overwhelming attitude, and backdoor selling.
Lack of dependability
Unprofessional conduct
Unlimited optimism

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 A Checklist of Do’s With Customers
Know the current products/services Identify the individual who makes or
and their applications in your area. influences decisions, and
Look for the new techniques/services concentrate on that person.
your customers want.
Maintain an up-to-date personal call Entertain selectively; your time and
list. your expense account are
investments.
Listen attentively to the customers. Make written notes as reminders.
Seek out specific problems and the Plan work by the week, not by the
improvements your customers want. clock. Plan use of available time. Plan
sales presentations. Have a purpose.
Keep calls short unless invited to stay. Ask for business on every sales call.
Leave a calling card if the customer is Follow through with appropriate
not in. action

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 A Checklist of Do Nots With Customers
Never bluff; if you don’t know, find out. Do not offend others with profanity.
Never compromise your, or anyone else’s, Do not allow idle conversation to
morals or principles. dominate your sales call. Concentrate on
your purpose.
Don’t be presumptuous—never with Don’t try to match the customer drink for
friends. drink when entertaining. Drink only if you
want to and in moderation.
Never criticize a competitor—especially to Don’t be so focused that you use high-
a customer. pressure tactics.
Do not take criticisms or turndowns Never talk your company down—
personally—they’re seldom meant that especially to customers. Be proud of it
way. and yourself.
Do not worry or agonize over what you
cannot control or influence. Be concerned
about what you can affect.

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 The Future of Salespeople:
Skills Required
Learning conceptual
skills
• Example: planning

Learning human skills

• Example: working with
customers

Learning technical skills

• Example: selling skills

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 Selling is Both an Art and a Science

Selling takes practice, just like learning a sport or a

musical instrument
• You have to understand the form, the rules, the language

Consider riding a bike

• Occasionally you fell (i.e. made a mistake/experienced a
challenge)
• But you persevered

Selling is also a science because a growing body of

knowledge and objective facts describe selling
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 Preparing for the 21st Century

International and global selling

• Cultural fluency
• Language fluency

Diversity of salespeople and customers

Customer partnerships
Ethical and professional behavior
E-selling
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 Course Plan

The social, ethical, and legal issues in selling

Why people and organizations buy what they do
Verbal and nonverbal communications
The importance of knowing your products and
your competition’s products
An in-depth discussion of the selling process
Self, time, and sales territory management
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 Building Relationships Through Sales Process

The sales process is a Stage in Sales Process

Prospect/Customer
sequential series of Preapproach/Planning
actions: Approach
Presentation
Trial close
Determine Objections
Meet Objections
Trial Close
Close
Follow-Up & Service

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 Success in Selling–What Does it Take?
An Easy Acronym To Remember 2
Stage in Sales Process Steps in Each Stage

1) Prospect/Customer 1) Determine organization you will

call on with MAD (Money, Ability,
Desire)
2) Preapproach/Planning 2) Planning what you want to
achieve and how to accomplish it
3) Approach 3) Rapport building
Uncover needs
Attention, interest, transition in to
presentation

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 The Fourth Step in the Selling Process

Stage in Sales Process Steps in Each Stage

4) Presentation 4) Physical performance characteristics and
resulting benefits
How to resell (for reseller)
How to use (for consumers and individual user)
What’s in it for your customers?

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 The Four Steps After the Presentation

Stage in Sales Process Steps in Each Stage

5. Trial close 5) Check attitude toward what was said in
presentation

6. Determine objections 6) Opposition or resistance to information

or salesperson

7. Meet objections 7) Respond using techniques for meeting

objection

8. Trial close 8) Check attitude toward resolution if

overcame objection

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 The Final Two Steps in the Sales Presentation

Stage in Sales Process Steps in Each Stage

9) Close 9) Ask for the business!

10) Follow-Up & Service 10) Maintaining contact with prospective

customer
Ensure high level of service
Call on next prospect/customer with MAD

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 Appendix:
The Core Principles of Professional Selling as
Told By a Salesperson
Unselfishly treating others as you would like to
be treated without expecting something in
return
Sales is your “Calling” to Serve/Sales & Service
Are Inseparable
• Do not think of your occupation as work
• Only through service (helping others) can you find
fulfillment in your job and life

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 The Core Principles of Professional Selling

To Serve, You Need Knowledge

• Being knowledgeable on products and selling skills allows
you to provide a high level of customer service

Customers Notice Integrity

• Your customer’s should be able to trust that you are looking
out for their best interest

Personal Gain is Not Your Goal

• Do not be concerned about sales goals – just your customer’s

Others Come First

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 The Great Harvest Law of Sales

How you treat others will often determine how

you will be treated
The Golden Rule Paradox
• You actually receive more than you give by following
the Golden Rule

One kernel of corn produces hundreds of kernels.

You the salesperson, like the farmer,
must wait to see the fruits of your labor
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 The Common Denominator of
Sales Success
Denominator: A common
trait
The common
denominator of a
successful salesperson is
unselfishly and
sacrificially “caring” for
prospects, customers,
and others.

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 Can You Answer? 1

1. What is the definition of professional selling?

2. Why does professional selling play such an
important role for business?
3. What are the key differences between sales
positions that require the salesperson to be an
order-taker versus an order-getter? What
specific types of sales positions are more order-
takers? What specific types of sales positions are
more order-getters?
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 Can You Answer? 2

4. What are seven of the key characteristics of

successful salespeople (hint: use the success
acronym)?
5. What are eight typical salesperson
responsibilities?
6. What are the three major categories of selling
skills?
7. What are the 10 steps of the sales process?
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