Introduction:
In this unit of assignment I am going to talk about "Personal Selling in Business", covered topics: The Role of Sale Staff and Selling Skills and Processes.
In this unit of assignment I am going to talk about "Personal Selling in Business", covered topics: The Role of Sale Staff and Selling Skills and Processes.
P1: In this task of assignment I am going to describe the role of sales staff of The Cavendish Hotel (4 star hotel).
First of all, sale staff works in different kind of business; it could be in a shop in high street, hotel, etc. A sale staff should be polite and friendly to all customers because if not, the business will be in trouble and may not even survive in its first year.
The main role of a sale staff is to promote or sell the goods/products of the company including; making the product look very interesting to encourage people to buy and it is also important to have knowledge about the product that the company sells or to provide service too such as to do customer satisfaction including; help the customers. It is also part of sale staff's role to help customers to match the products/services depending on their
requirements which means a good sales staff will link the product surround to the customer's lifestyle and needs.
As a sale staff it is also important to build up relationship with customers to get ideas of what they want and need that's the reason why sale staff should establish customers needs/requirements such as:
-Price: it could be crucial for most of the customer but they do not really mind for others.
-Availability: it is a hard time for some who needs the product/service urgently.
-Appearance: it could be vary depending on the customer and the product.
-Specific Needs: a customer could need a blazer with a bigger size to fit for her/his daughter.
-Benefits: a customer can have a guarantee to exchange the product or a free delivery when they purchased a lot.
For example:
"As a staff of The Cavendish Hotel my main role in this company is to serve customers with respect and to make it happen I always do the right things to show that I care about them and I am happy to help them at all times.
It is also part of my role to promote our new promotions for example: afternoon teas; the prize could be cheaper or same price but including a glass of champagne, dinner; encourage the guest to buy/order other side dishes, cold and hot drinks or try to up sell other things that they might interest.
As a conclusion, it is important for me to have knowledge about the place where I work because most of the guests ask questions such as the prices for breakfasts, what are the promotions we have for the month of June, how many rooms do we have and more. If I am able to answer all of these basic questions of guests, they will have a good impression about the hotel and staffs; there's also a chance that they will come back again and share their experienced with their families, friends and relatives."
P2: In this task of assignment I am going to identify and explain the techniques that sale staff used when making personal sales and I am also going to identify whom and when they might be used.
-Cold Calling: is the call that recipient doesn't expect but this is the way to contact a firm or to communicate to people privately and individually just to get a new business.
It can be use in different business situations, especially when they have new product released and new offer. For example: Three mobile network.
Three mobile network call all three customers to inform them that for this month they are having this promotion for example: SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 for only £25/m and upfront cost is only £19. They will always try to persuade you to close a deal with them.
-Face-to-Face Selling: is the way to call customers by appointment just to promote the new products, provide information about the products and get feedback from customers.
It can happen to all in store. Why? because people go to the store to buy their needs and this is also an opportunity for salespeople to show their customer service and also the chance for them to make customers' happy and satisfied. If customers are happy and satisfied there is a possibility that they will come back again which is good for your business.
-Drop-in-Visit: is made by casual sellers who may call on small shops and house holders to sell their wares/product.
Drop-in-visit happens when casual sellers come to you or visit your business to promote their products and inform you about their new promotions. It happens more often in small businesses such as kiosks
-Inward Calls: is the way to respond to all customers inquiries.
-Telemarketing: is use to contact potential customers by phone (often calls from call centre).
Telemarketing is almost like the same as cold-calling. It can be use in different business situations, especially when they have new product released and new offer. For example: Three mobile network.
Three mobile network call all three customers to inform them that for this month they are having this promotion for example: SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 for only £25/m and upfront cost is only £19. They will always try to persuade you to close a deal with them.
P3: In this task of assignment I am going to explain the knowledge and skills that sale staff used when making personal sales and about The Legislation Affecting Personal Selling.
-Good Sales Habits: As a sales staff it is important to have a good sales habits to help you to promote your products. I have researched and I found out a lot of ways of Good Sales Habits.
-Good Sales Techniques: Never trick customers because it is very important to always be honest to make a sale because you can build a relation with customers and there's a possibility that they're coming back and buy your products, it is also important for the company if a sale staff is continually focused on the needs and expectations of the customer.
-Product Knowledge: It would be an advantage for you and for the company that you know the products that you sell because most of the customers ask about the products and it would look so impressive if you answer their queries without reading the paper. This kind of technique will build up a good image/reputation of your company.
-Inwardly Motivated to Sell: When you are happy on what you doing/working. This motivates you to achieve the company goals such as increasing sales, deliver high standard of customer service, etc.
-Ability to Close a Sale: It is really a big help and it benefits you and the company if you have/build up your self-confidence because it gives you the ability to promote the products and make customers want to buy the goods/products that you offer to them.
-Rewarding and Motivating Staffs: Organisations should motivate staffs and gives rewards too because this help them to motivated themselves to do their job properly.
It can be use in different business situations, especially when they have new product released and new offer. For example: Three mobile network.
Three mobile network call all three customers to inform them that for this month they are having this promotion for example: SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 for only £25/m and upfront cost is only £19. They will always try to persuade you to close a deal with them.
-Face-to-Face Selling: is the way to call customers by appointment just to promote the new products, provide information about the products and get feedback from customers.
It can happen to all in store. Why? because people go to the store to buy their needs and this is also an opportunity for salespeople to show their customer service and also the chance for them to make customers' happy and satisfied. If customers are happy and satisfied there is a possibility that they will come back again which is good for your business.
-Drop-in-Visit: is made by casual sellers who may call on small shops and house holders to sell their wares/product.
Drop-in-visit happens when casual sellers come to you or visit your business to promote their products and inform you about their new promotions. It happens more often in small businesses such as kiosks
-Inward Calls: is the way to respond to all customers inquiries.
-Telemarketing: is use to contact potential customers by phone (often calls from call centre).
Telemarketing is almost like the same as cold-calling. It can be use in different business situations, especially when they have new product released and new offer. For example: Three mobile network.
Three mobile network call all three customers to inform them that for this month they are having this promotion for example: SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 for only £25/m and upfront cost is only £19. They will always try to persuade you to close a deal with them.
P3: In this task of assignment I am going to explain the knowledge and skills that sale staff used when making personal sales and about The Legislation Affecting Personal Selling.
-Good Sales Habits: As a sales staff it is important to have a good sales habits to help you to promote your products. I have researched and I found out a lot of ways of Good Sales Habits.
-Good Sales Techniques: Never trick customers because it is very important to always be honest to make a sale because you can build a relation with customers and there's a possibility that they're coming back and buy your products, it is also important for the company if a sale staff is continually focused on the needs and expectations of the customer.
-Product Knowledge: It would be an advantage for you and for the company that you know the products that you sell because most of the customers ask about the products and it would look so impressive if you answer their queries without reading the paper. This kind of technique will build up a good image/reputation of your company.
-Inwardly Motivated to Sell: When you are happy on what you doing/working. This motivates you to achieve the company goals such as increasing sales, deliver high standard of customer service, etc.
-Ability to Close a Sale: It is really a big help and it benefits you and the company if you have/build up your self-confidence because it gives you the ability to promote the products and make customers want to buy the goods/products that you offer to them.
-Rewarding and Motivating Staffs: Organisations should motivate staffs and gives rewards too because this help them to motivated themselves to do their job properly.
The Legislation Affecting Personal Selling.
The Legislation affects personal selling when customers purchase a products or asking for service they have to make a contract with the seller/company or an organisation.
The customers can contact the seller/company by:
-Writing them an e-mail or a letter.
- A sales contract from mobile company such as Three, O2,etc.
- Using an order form from the company catalog.
- Credit agreement. (When customer agrees to pay monthly for the goods, the seller/company need to have an agreement contract.)
-Phoning them and have a verbal agreement.
- Having a verbal agreement it can happened when a sales staff call the customer to offer any new products that they have and if the customer agrees to buy it, the seller accepts the payment through phone.
There's a lot of different ways to close a deal/contract, these are:
b) Agreement:It usually happens when customer/s return the product and claim a refund.
c) Breach of contract: It happens when the terms and conditions of the deal (contract) have not been close. (For example: The products that the seller sells are faulty and customers do not pay for what they buy.)
Different types law that customers should know to protect themselves from the sellers.
-Consumer Protection (Distance Selling Regulations Act 2005): This law is important because it protects the costumer against products or services sold by catalogs (mail order), telephone, fax or e-mail. This law has been passed in year 2000 and it has been amended in year 2005. Therefore, some B2B transactions are not included from the Distance Selling Regulations Act 2005.
-Consumer Protection (Distance Selling Regulations Act 2005): This law gives ideas and provide information to everyone as customer/s that they should get the proper product/service information. They should also get a confirmation e-mail or SMS after they purchase and the most important thing is customer will have a full refund when their order are not delivered.
-Sale of Goods Act 1994 /Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994 / Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations 2002: These laws are all stating that the new or secondhand products should be proper and clearly describe, make sure that the product has got high satisfactory quality and it is fit on purpose.
-Consumer Protection Act 1987: This law covers about the product/service prices and their safety uses. It also states that it is an offence to: Trick customer/s about the prices of products or services this include exaggerate discounts, sell/provide bad quality and unsafe products (General Product Safety Regulation 2005).
-Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982: This law relates customers against selling products especially about providing services because according to the law services should be completed within a reasonable in time, care & skills and also should be completed using proper and durable materials Therefore, customer/s should only pay for reasonable charge.
-Consumer Credit Act 1974: This law protects all the customers from credit loan agreements. Organisations that offer loan agreements should have licensed to do. (For example: protects customers against interest rates.)
-Trade Description Act 1968: This law covers the offence by selling goods or providing services which have been wrongly describe by the producer/manufacturer and also by making fake claims for services.
P4: In this task of assignment I am going to talk about how to prepare to make personal sales it is also part of the role play that I have made. Therefore, I have made a list to show what do's you have to apply to make customers' happy and what don'ts you need to stop to improve your selling skills.
-Job satisfaction
-Product knowledge
-Determined, hardworking, friendly and patience
-Up-to-date sales training for everyone
-The ability to meet customers needs and expectations.
-The ability to fit the product to the customer based on their age.
-The ability to solve customers problems/complaints.
-The ability to close a deal with customers.
-Lastly, as a salesperson it's important your cleanliness and your appearance.
There are also few things to remember as a salesperson these are:
-Do not be aggressive to customers, stay calm and be more patience with them.
-Never talk about your life, customers have no interest to know about your life.
-Never go to work and approach customers smelling of alcohol or cigarettes because they may find disrespectful.
-Do not argue with customers, stay calm and simply ask questions or their needs.
-Never criticise other brands, just tell them what's the difference of your products and theirs.
P5: In this task of assignment I am going to use selling skills and processes to make sales. I am going to make a role play video to cover these following topics.
• Approach a customer
• Identify their needs
• Promote your products
• Respond to objections
• Conclude the transaction
Therefore, I am going to use AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) to be able a close a deal with customers.
AIDA is the way which salesperson should be focus with customers to reach successful sale and be able to close a deal.
Attention: As a sales staff it is important to allow enough time for yourself to talk to the customer to show interest that you are willing to help them.However always remember that spending too much time with the customer may feel annoyed and it may lead the customer to leave the shop right away.
Interest: It's important to meet the customer's needs because it shows your interest and willingness to help them looking for what customer's want and need, to make it happen, you need to make conversation with the customer asking for what is she/he looking for. For example if you are working in clothing you have to ask the customer such as:
-What size are you looking for?
-What color are you looking for?
This questions will help the salesperson to ensure that the customer will get the right product that they are looking for. If they are happy of what they bought and they are happy with your service there's a possibility that they may come again.
Desire: The desire for the customer to love the product as the sales staff engaged with the features of the product to meet customer's needs and expectations.
Action: As a salesperson it is important to make sure that the customer purchase the right product that they want this way you can avoid returning product because one simple mistake can ruin the sale.
M1: In this of assignment I am going to explain the role of sales staff and also to find out how and why sales people are important to an organisation and then, I am going explain the sales techniques who used by personal sellers.
As a sale staff, you should be always polite and friendly to all the customers, even they give you a hard time you should be patient with them to encourage them to buy your products because if not the business will struggle and may not even survive.
Why sales people are important?
The people who work in sales play the most important role in all the business organisations because they are the public face of business who deal with the customers wants and needs. Their attitude and performance will automatically affects the business' revenue and profits, which means, they are directly helping and contributing to meet all goals of the business. These are:
-First point of contact: The first point of contact with customers is a big challenge for sales people because they need to deliver great customer service to impress customers because customers' first impression is very important for the business because there will be a possibility that they will come back again and spread their experience with their family, friends and relatives which means there will be a chance that they will visit your store and buy some of your products.
-Provide Information: This is one of the common ways to get customers interest because in this way you have the chance to talk to them and there's a possibility to meet their needs/expectations.
-Developing Customer Care: It's important for all sales staff to identify their clients to be able to help them and it shows that they care about them and always willing to build up relationship with their customers.
-Gathering Feed backs: Gathering feed backs from customers are such a good thing for the business because it helps the business to know what things they need to improve and work out to deliver an excellent customer service.
There are also different sales techniques that sale staff used to get customer's attention and try to encourage them. These are:
-Cold Calling: is the call that recipient doesn't expect but this is the way to contact a firm or to communicate to people privately and individually just to get a new business.
-Face-to-Face Selling: is the way to call customers by appointment just to promote the new products, provide information about the products and get feedback from customers.
-Drop-in-Visit: is made by casual sellers who may call on small shops and house holders to sell their wares/product.
-Inward Calls: is the way to respond to all customers inquiries.
-Telemarketing: is use to contact potential customers by phone (often calls from call centre).
"As a conclusion, every company/organisation has got different way to make money especially how to promote their products/goods and also being a sale staff has got the most important role in the retail because they are the one who face and encourage the customer to buy the products".
M2: In this chapter of assignment I am going to compare the selling skills and processes used in different situations. I am going to choose 2 different situations one is face-to-face (selling your products in store for example: Cars/Motorbike) and the second one is phone call (promoting your product via phone call for example: Talk talk broadband). I am also going to identify their similarities and differences.
One of the similarities between the two selling situations I have identified is to build up relationship between the salesperson and customers to get the opportunity to get their trust and to be able always keep them in touch including to get feed backs from customers to find out in which area does the business need to improve to be able meet customers need and expectations.
Face-to-face selling technique is easier to use to encourage customers. This technique can be actually used when customers go to shop, where a salesperson can encourage and to help customers to make sure that they buy what exactly they want or if they are interested in any. I choose KFC as an example of Face-to-face selling technique. KFC uses this selling technique because they are the first who usually communicate with customers. KFC's customer service is very simple when you analyse it. It is like this:
1) Greet customers
2) Ask for their order/meal
3) Ask customers if they want anything else
4) Take the payment
5)Prepare customers' meal and give it to them
6) Say "Thank you, enjoy your meal"
Telemarketing technique is the other way to promote new products or offers through calling specific target. They always call their potential customers at the right time and place when/where they are not busy and have time to talk to them and have time to listen. I am going to use Carphone Warehouse (Mobile and Network seller: 02, Orange, etc). This company use this kind of technique to be able to promote/advertise their new offer to catch customers' attention. Now a days they randomly called you just to inform you about the new things they have. Telemarketing processes is long because they will need to wait until people pick up their phones before they start talking about the product and offers. These are few steps to be a good telemarketer:
This is face-to-face and telemarketing selling techniques have similarities when it comes to selling because both of them have got the same goal which is to make money by selling the product to public. They have same sales skills to be able sell products and make more money for the company. Another similarity I have identified is the way how they handle customers' complaints.This is another similarities of face-to-face and phone call selling because if they get customers' complaints both of them will try their best to resolve the problem as soon as possible to make customers' happy and not lose their trust.
One of their differences between the two selling situations I have identified is face-to-face selling is easier for the salesperson to encourage and persuade the customer to buy the products because salesperson can show the product personally which means it is easier for you to sell your products. In this way there's a possibility that the customer will buy the product that you offer to the customer. However, phone call selling doesn't work all the time because most of the customers don't give a chance the salesperson who's on the phone to explain the reason why they are calling because most of the customers are not bothered to listen and they can easily say to the salesperson that on the phone that they are not interested and they are busy so, they just hang up the phone.
D1: In this chapter of assignment Zainab (customer) and me (salesperson) made a video of different type of selling situations as an evidence to be able to demonstrate the confident use of personal selling skills when making sales.M2: In this chapter of assignment I am going to compare the selling skills and processes used in different situations. I am going to choose 2 different situations one is face-to-face (selling your products in store for example: Cars/Motorbike) and the second one is phone call (promoting your product via phone call for example: Talk talk broadband). I am also going to identify their similarities and differences.
One of the similarities between the two selling situations I have identified is to build up relationship between the salesperson and customers to get the opportunity to get their trust and to be able always keep them in touch including to get feed backs from customers to find out in which area does the business need to improve to be able meet customers need and expectations.
Face-to-face selling technique is easier to use to encourage customers. This technique can be actually used when customers go to shop, where a salesperson can encourage and to help customers to make sure that they buy what exactly they want or if they are interested in any. I choose KFC as an example of Face-to-face selling technique. KFC uses this selling technique because they are the first who usually communicate with customers. KFC's customer service is very simple when you analyse it. It is like this:
1) Greet customers
2) Ask for their order/meal
3) Ask customers if they want anything else
4) Take the payment
5)Prepare customers' meal and give it to them
6) Say "Thank you, enjoy your meal"
Telemarketing technique is the other way to promote new products or offers through calling specific target. They always call their potential customers at the right time and place when/where they are not busy and have time to talk to them and have time to listen. I am going to use Carphone Warehouse (Mobile and Network seller: 02, Orange, etc). This company use this kind of technique to be able to promote/advertise their new offer to catch customers' attention. Now a days they randomly called you just to inform you about the new things they have. Telemarketing processes is long because they will need to wait until people pick up their phones before they start talking about the product and offers. These are few steps to be a good telemarketer:
This is face-to-face and telemarketing selling techniques have similarities when it comes to selling because both of them have got the same goal which is to make money by selling the product to public. They have same sales skills to be able sell products and make more money for the company. Another similarity I have identified is the way how they handle customers' complaints.This is another similarities of face-to-face and phone call selling because if they get customers' complaints both of them will try their best to resolve the problem as soon as possible to make customers' happy and not lose their trust.
One of their differences between the two selling situations I have identified is face-to-face selling is easier for the salesperson to encourage and persuade the customer to buy the products because salesperson can show the product personally which means it is easier for you to sell your products. In this way there's a possibility that the customer will buy the product that you offer to the customer. However, phone call selling doesn't work all the time because most of the customers don't give a chance the salesperson who's on the phone to explain the reason why they are calling because most of the customers are not bothered to listen and they can easily say to the salesperson that on the phone that they are not interested and they are busy so, they just hang up the phone.
D2: In this task of assignment I made video as an evidence where I was acting as a salesperson and my partner Zainab was acting as a customer. I am also going to evaluate the preparation, skills and processes used in different situations.
In my role play, I made three scenarios which are phone calling (to take an order from customer), face-to-face (to make a refund for the customer) and sending an e-mail (to solve the problem with the customer's complaint). I think I showed my confidence in our role play even though, my partner (Zainab) and I didn't have enough time to practice. Therefore, we practiced before we started the role play to make sure that we were both aware of what we need to do in the role play.
In the first part of the scenario which is phone calling, where Zainab called me to make an order that she saw online. I greeted her, I asked her how could I help? and when she gave me the details, I was patient to check the product for her to be able to meet her expectations and needs and also to make her feel satisfied, after a 2 minutes, I found the jeans the she was looking for, I also tried to up sell with her by asking her is she would like to add anything else because if she will order more than £40.00 she will get a free delivery but she said "NO" to me, so, I just took her details to be able to complete her purchased. In the second part of scenario which is face-to-face, when she walked in store, I approached her on how could I help her? She said wants to return the product that she bought online so, I asked if she wants a new one instead or to exchange it to another but she told me that she wants a refund so, I did the refund for her and after that, I asked her if there was anything else I could help? and she said nothing else and she was happy and satisfied because she got what she wanted. Last scenario which is replying to customer's complaint, I used formal language to show that I was serious and sincere to apologies for what happened and I assured them that it ill never going to happen again. I also offer them discounts whenever they buy something from in store and a free delivery for a month when they order anything from online.
This is the example of replying to a customer's complaint an-email:
-Offer the customer for more selection. In this way, it helps you to increase sales of the business.
-Give or send them feed back card after they purchase in store or online.
