Q.

WRITE DETAILED NOTES ON PERSONAL SELLING

Personal selling is a means of implementing marketing
programs.
It is concerned with 'persuasive communication'.
A salesperson in personal selling tries to persuade the prospect
so that customer can take a decision to buy a product.
It is a direct presentation of a product to a prospective customer
by a salesman.
It takes place face to face or over the telephone.
Personal selling is a tool for building up buyer’s preference,
conviction and action.
DEFINITION:
1. "Personal selling is the personal communication of
information to persuade somebody to buy something."
2. "Personal selling is the personal communication between a
salesperson and a potential customer or group of customers.
NATURE/OBJECTIVES/FUNCTIONS OF PERSIONAL SELLING
It is a Two-Way Communication: It is the best tool for two-way
communication. Salesman can provide necessary information to
customer about company’s product, and also can collect
information from customer. The ultimate aim is to persuade the
customer to buy the product.
It involves presentation and Persuasion: The salesman presents
his product to the prospective buyer and tries to persuade the
prospective buyer with the help of various skills and techniques.
It is a Flexible tool: Personal selling is more flexible than other
promotional tools. Salespersons can see their customer’s
reaction to a particular sales approach and make adjustment
according to the situation.
It’s a creative tool: personal selling is creative in nature. The
salesperson tries to create needs, he makes the customer aware
of those needs and try to persuade him to buy the product.
Development of long-term Relationship: Personal selling results
in the development of personal relationship between the sales
person and the buyer.
Quick solution of Queries: The prospective buyer can make
inquiries regarding the product. Salesman answers these queries
quickly and removes any doubts in the mind of the buyer.
Customer Confidence: By systematic sales talk and presentation,
a capable salesman can remove all doubts, objections and
misunderstandings, and can win customer’s confidence. It
increases customers’ faith in company and its products.
Improves company’s goodwill/ Image: Note that salesmanship
can remove bad image or misunderstanding by highlighting
company’s achievements and offers. The detailed explanation
about company and its products removes all doubts and
misunderstandings in the mind of buyer. It helps in restoring
company image and reputation in market.
IMPORTANCE/ADVANTAGES OF PERSONAL SELLING
1. IMPORTANCE TO BUSINESSMEN/COMPANY:
(a) Effective Promotional Tool: Personal selling is an effective
promotional tool in the hands of businessman for increasing
sales. Salesman provides information about the various features
and advantages of his product as well as about market
developments.
(b) Flexible Tool: Personal selling is the most flexible tool of
promotion. Sales presentation is adjusted according to the
requirements of the customer.
(c) Minimizes Wastage of Efforts: Personal selling involves
minimum wastage of efforts as compared to other tools of
promotion.
(d) Customer Attention: The level of customer attention and
interest can easily be assessed under personal selling.
(e) Lasting Relationship: Personal selling aims at developing good
and long lasting relationship between salesperson and the
customer.
(f) Personal Relationship: Competitive strength of a business
organization increases with the development of personal
rapport between its salespersons and prospective customers. (g)
Role in Introduction Stage: By describing the merits of a product
and persuading the customer to purchase it, salesperson helps
in introducing a new product in the market.
2. IMPORTANCE TO CUSTOMERS:
(a) Helps in Identifying Needs: It helps in identifying the needs &
wants of the customers, so that they can be satisfied by getting
best products.
(b) Latest Market Information: Under personal selling, customers
are provided with information regarding availability or shortage
of product, introduction of new product etc.
(c) Detailed Demonstration: Personal selling is the only
technique through which detail demonstration of product takes
place, which generates sales.
(d) Expert Advice: Expert advice and guidance can be provided to
the customers while purchasing various goods and services.
3. IMPORTANCE TO SOCIETY:
(a) Removes ignorance: Salesmanship removes ignorance and
educates people regarding different types of products and their
utilities.
(b) Assist the society: Salesman is one of the help to increase
aggregate sales. They help to maintain equilibrium between
demand and supply
(c) Employment Opportunities: It provides opportunity to
unemployed people to work as salespersons for earning income.
4. IMPORTANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT: As production and sale
in country increases, the Government is able to get more
revenue by way of various taxes, duties and levies like sales tax,
income tax, excise duty, freight and transportation charges. It
contributes to GDP growth of the country.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SALESMAN A salesperson should

have following qualities
1. PHYSICAL QUALITIES:
(a) Sound Health: Just like a normal human being, a salesperson
must also be of sound health. A salesperson would be mentally
and physically fit only if he has a good health. For a sound health,
a salesperson must eat well, sleep well and exercise regularly.
(b) Good Appearance: Good Appearance always attracts people.
A salesperson must not be too fat or thin. He must carry his body
well.
(c) Cheerful Disposition: A scholar has rightly said that smile is
like plague. If the salesperson is cheerful and happy he can make
his customer cheerful and happy, which directly helps to have a
good conversation and chances of sales increases.
(d) Agile: A good salesperson should always be agile. A lazy and
boredom salesman can never attract customers.
(e) Postures: the gestures and postures of a salesman are also
crucial in influencing customers. Unnecessary hand-eye
movements, shoulder movements etc. creates wrong
impression in the mind of prospective buyers.
(f) Cleanliness: No person likes to sit around and listen to a dirty
fellow. A good salesman must have a good hair style, must be
well shaved, must have clear nails etc.
(g) Clothing: A well-dressed salesman often attracts customers
very easily. He should wear a formal suit with tie. Dressing sense
of a salesperson often increases his confidence and likability by
the customers.
2. SPEAKING QUALITIES
(a) Clear Pronunciation: A salesperson should have clear
pronunciation. Otherwise prospects may misinterpret things. A
person without good pronunciation can never became a good
salesman.
(b) Proper Vocabulary: while giving presentations, proper choice
of word is very important. A salesman must have a good
vocabulary to create lasting impression with words. A salesman
must use those words which are easy to understand and easy to
pronounce. Technical jargons must be avoided.
(c) Effective delivery: many times, ‘how we speak’ is more
important than ‘what we speak’. if the delivery style is not good,
a salesperson may not be able to persuade the customer with
good pronunciation and vocabulary.
3. MENTAL QUALITIES:
(a) Resourcefulness: A resourceful person is one, who
understands and behaves according to the changing
circumstances. A good salesperson changes his behavior
according to different customers and situations.
(b) Intelligence: A salesperson must be intelligent. A good
salesperson could handle objections carefully and easily with his
intelligence.
(c) Sharp Memory: To be successful, a salesperson must have
sharp memory. He must be able to remember previous meetings
with customers, likes and dislikes of the customers along with
various offers being provided by the company.
(d) Maturity: A salesperson must be mature enough to
understand his duties and obligations. He must have sense of
what he is talking about and how it will affect the sales of the
company.
(e) Self-confidence: Self-confidence is a thing which could help a
person to tackle any kind of situation. A good salesman should
confident be confident on his presentations skills and objection
handling techniques.
(f) Ability to Observe and Judge: The success of a salesperson
depends highly on his ability to observe the conditions around
him and his ability to take prompt decisions.
4. SOCIAL QUALITIES:
(a) Sociable: a good salesperson must be sociable. He must treat
everyone equally and meet with them frequently. He must have
contacts with everyone whether rich, poor, middle class people
etc.
(b) Courtesy: it is said that courtesy has no cost but has high
impact. Salesperson must deal everyone with courtesy.
(c) Co-operative: A salesman himself needs cooperation from
various people. So, he must be cooperative with other members
of the sales force, sales managers, customers etc.
(d) Convincing Conversationalist: salesman must be a good
conversationalist. He must have the ability to speak complicated
things in a clear and concise manner. He must be able to
influence other with his communication skills.
(e) Patience: A salesman has to meet with various kinds of
people. some people deliberately tries to annoy the salesperson.
Many times sales presentations do not result in effective sales.
In such a situation a salesman must remain patient and do not
lose his calm.
5. MORAL OR ETHICAL QUALITIES
(a) Honesty: it is said that “honesty is the best policy”. A
salesperson should not lie to his customers and deliver according
to his promises. A dishonest salesperson can never become
successful in the long run.
(b) Loyalty: To be successful, a salesperson must be loyal
towards his company, sales manager, fellow salespersons and
customers.
6. PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES:
(a) Educated and trained: well-educated and trained salesman
could increase sales turnover of the company by his ability to
engage with customers. Training helps a salesman to tackle
different situations with proper care.
(b) Knowledge about the institution: A salesman must know each
and every minute details about the company for which he is
working. Past and present performances, types of product being
offered, the credit policies of the company Etc. must be known
to the salesperson.
(c) Knowledge of product: salesman must know all the features
and ingredients of the product he is offering. He must also know
about the different varieties of the same products.
(d) Communication Skills: it is said that personal selling involves
a two-way communication between salesman and customer. It
is the communication skill of salesman which helps in persuading
the customer to buy the product. Good communication skill
enables a salesperson to communicate well with seniors, peers
and customers.