12. SELLING AND BUYING I. II. a. Can you mention any selling styles and their characteristics? b.

What characteristics should a good salesperson have? Read the following extract and plot the selling styles in the chart below the text:

Selling styles differ in many ways but one fundamental difference is between the sales-oriented and the customer-oriented approach. The first one concentrates on high-pressure techniques such as those used in selling encyclopaedias and cars. The techniques include overstating the products merits, criticizing competitive products, using a slick pre-prepared sales presentation, selling yourself and offering some concession to get the order on the spot. This form of selling assumes that the customers are not likely to buy except under pressure, that they will be influenced by a slick presentation and ingratiating manners, and that they will not be sorry after signing the order, or if they are, it doesnt matter. In the customer-oriented approach, the salesperson learns how to listen and question in order to identify customer needs and come up with good product solutions. Presentation skills are secondary to needs analysis skills. This approach assumes that customers have latent needs that constitute company opportunities, that they appreciate good suggestions and that they will be loyal to representatives who have their long-term interests at heart. The problem-solver is a more compatible image for the salesperson under the marketing concept than the hard-seller or order-taker. Blake and Mouton distinguish various selling styles by examining these two dimensions: concern for the sale and concern for the customer. Type 1 is very much the order-taker. He places the product before the customer and expects it to sell itself. If it doesnt, it doesnt matter. Type 2 is similar in that he also shows little concern for the customer but differs in that he is very concerned to get the sale; he pushes the product, piling on the pressure to ensure he gets the sale. Type 3 falls somewhere in the middle of the chart. He has a tried and tested technique blending customer concern with product emphasis; this is what is often called the soft sell. Type 4 is very customer-oriented; the other extreme to the type 2 hard-seller. He aims to be the customers friend, to understand him, develop a bond which ties him to the salesman and therefore the product. Finally, type 5 is similar to type 4 in that he also shows concern for the customer but in a more impersonal way. He aims to consult with the customer, acquaint himself with the needs and then work towards a sound purchase decision. This problem-solving mentality is more compatible with the total marketing concept. Blake and Mouton argue that no one sales style will be effective with all buyers. Buying styles are just as varied as selling styles. Buyers vary in their concern for the purchase and concern for the salesperson. Some buyers couldnt care less; some are defensive, some will only listen to salespersons from wellknown companies.
Concern for the customer 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Concern for the sale

III. 1. 2. 3. 4. IV.

Which of the above selling styles (type 1-5) do you feel would work best with the following buyers: Print buyer for a large advertising department. Wants a working relationship with the seller but has no time or inclination to get to know his supplier well. Needs a relatively simple presentation of what the seller has to offer in order to meet his needs. Regional purchasing manager of textile company. Believes relationship with the supplier is the most important thing. Will only deal with salespeople she gets on with and can build a long-term relationship with. Department store buyer of clothes. Sees a lot of salespeople. She is interested in knowing the sellers product and its price and thats all. She has no time for any extras. Training manager of a large multinational company. She is looking for a supplier to act as a consultant and provider of training for a new ambitious sales training programme. Match the words/ phrases on the left with their opposites on the right: 1. sales-oriented a. impersonal 2. hard sell b. relaxed 3. high pressure c. open 4. tried and tested d. latent 5. personal e. customer-oriented 6. defensive f. understatement 7. closed g. direct 8. overstatement h. support 9. criticism i. soft sell 10. pre-prepared j. approachable 11. ingratiating k. spontaneous 12. surface l. experimental

V.

Complete the following table. Pay attention, there may be gaps remaining: VERB NOUN ADJECTIVE ADVERB

To sell To produce To criticize To compete To learn To solve To represent To acquaint To vary To develop VI. Match the words on the two columns and then insert them in the sentences: 1. after-sales a. up 2. follow b. clause 3. sole c. period 4. penalty d. agent 5. dissatisfied e. defect 6. guarantee f. customer 7. hidden g. service

8. maintenance 9. retail

h. outlet i. agreement

1. A . is a stipulation in a contract that provides for the payment of an amount of money in the event a party fails to pay the debts in time. 2. A is also called a latent defect and, generally, it is supposed that, if the buyer had been aware of the items real condition, he would have either negotiated a different price for it or chosen not to buy it at all. 3. There should be a for this product because it is so expensive. 4. The .. is often as important as the initial contact in gaining new clients. 5. In the real estate sector, when a client appoints only one agent to act on his/ her behalf in the selling of the property, we talk about a ... 6. A . is a store that purchases goods from manufacturers or wholesalers and sells directly to consumers, generally in small quantities. 7. It is considered that the average with a complaint tells 9 to 10 people, and 13% tell more than 20 people. 8. In order to offer our customers with the highest quality of .. available, we established centres which provide consultations and respond to inquiries from customers 24 hours a day 365 days a year. 9. The . is usually 30 days, but this may vary by vendor and according to the type of items sold (e.g. it is often lower for commodity items that drop in price quickly and which, if they work the first day, they generally work for years). VII. Complete the text using the following words: out of stock, hire purchase, liable to duty, hold-up, downpayment, wholesaler, quotas, dollar-denominated, retail outlet, instalments. If a ..1 is 2, they will have to order from their .3, although there may be a .4. in delivery. You may wish to pay cash, but most sales these days are in the form of .5.., with a 6 followed by a number of .7. . Goods going abroad may be .8.., or subject to .9. restricting the quantity that can be imported into a particular country. Exported goods are frequently ..10.. . VIII. Choose the correct answer: 1. Orders are written down on an .. a. authorized dealer; b. order form; c. assessment. 2. A is a period when prices cannot be increased. a. price freeze; b. hold-up; c. price-fixing. 3. A is a reduction in price. a. mark up; b. profit margin; c. mark down. 4. We have just received a ..for a quotation. a. requirement; b. require; c. request. 5. After an initial deposit, you pay .. a. remittances; b. instalments; c. shipments. 6. A payment which is overdue is one which is . a. early; b. on time; c. late. 7. A is one that is controlled by Customs. a. warehouse; b. trade fair; c. bonded warehouse. 8. If you have goods, you dont have any left. a. out of stock; b. overcharged; c. run out of. 9. A ..is where a company displays its products. a. retail outlet; b. showroom; c. warehouse. 10. The book/ file which contains a list of all company sales arranged by date is known as the

a. sales account; b. sales card; c. sales invoice; d. sales journal. 11. Faulty goods which are sent back to the supplier by the customer are known as a. returns; b. provisions; c. recovers; d. discounts. 12. A system should make sure that debtors do not owe too much money. a. quality control; b. credit control; c. credit note; d. credit transfer. 13. A company sells goods on credit, but if customers never pay for these goods the money owing is known as .. a. bad debts; b. debits; c. bad payments; d. bankrupts. 14. The estimated expense of not being paid by debtors is known as a/ an .. a. allowance; b. devaluation; c. proviso; d. provision. 15. In many countries a tax is added to the price of goods and services, but some goods may be .and no tax is due. a. exempt; b. exceptional; c. excused; d. uncovered. 16. At the end of an accounting period, details of tax collected and tax paid are given to the authorities on an official form called a .. a. statement; b. declaration; c. return; d. confirmation. 17. We produce a wide ..of goods. a. brand; b. appliance; c. feature; d. range. 18. Our are now developing a similar product. a. customers; b. consumers; c. competitors; d. incentives. 19. Sales have been slow up to now, but we are confident that ..they will be excellent. a. at last; b. eventually; c. never; d. sometimes. 20. We have just some more up-to-date computers. a. installed; b. set up; c. established; d. settled. 21. All our products have a special two-year . a. warranty; b. range; c. breakthrough; d. consumption. 22. As they obviously want to buy the product, it is the contract will be signed in the next few days a. out-of-date; b. the state-of-the-art; c. likely; d. viable.