KNOWING THE PROSPECT For a salesman to get a favourable action from his sales presentation, he must build a good

relationship with his prospect. Good salesman prospect relationship stems from the fact that the salesman knows how to handle his prospect intelligently which necessitates knowing them properly and accurately. Hence, knowledge of the prospect is another key factor thats worth the salesmans considerations. Importance of knowing the Prospect The background information of the prospect is vital to the salesmans success. If the salesman knows the age, profession, hobbies and other personal idiosyncrasies oh his prospect, he would know how to deal and mingle with him. As the amenities and preliminaries lead to progress, a salesman can artistically shift the discussion to introducing his sales proposals. Since he has thorough background information of his product, hell discuss and demonstrate which features will be of particular interest to his prospect. Its from this line of thinking that knowledge of the prospect gets to be a necessary tool. Knowledge of the prospect also contributes to him being able to determine the type of person his prospect is. Prospects may be the intelligent type, the slow-thinking type, the bargainhunter type or even the loyal to the product type. The salesman

must then know how to adjust to every kind of personality he meets and deals with. Why do prospects buy? Different prospects may have different reasons for buying. Its the responsibility of the salesman to know what reason may push a particular prospect to place an order for the product he carries. Basically, people buy out of their needs. The salesman must be skilful enough to diagnose those needs and then prescribe his product to satisfy such needs. With knowledge of the particular needs of a prospect, he can concentrate on this in his presentation to keep the prospects interest on things which are important to him. Notwithstanding the needs felt by prospects for your product, they may still react rationally or emotionally towards your sales propositions. Though they may have realized that your product is useful, they still reveal varying types of reactions when interviewed by the salesman. Those who react rationally are the very prospects who recognize the value and the benefits they could obtain from your product. They show you hints leading to a purchase decision. However, they may request deferment of their order as they need more time to evaluate your proposal. Here, the salesman may use a strategy of explaining the disadvantages of not acting now.

Those who react emotionally are those who easily say yes, if and only when, the salesman can pinpoint the selfenhancement factors of the product. Those who also had negative experiences with the product may likewise react emotionally. However, with all the expertise, the salesman can survive this by asking the prospect how he used the product. From here, you can better educate the prospect in the proper and wise use of it. Having learned the kind of reactions your prospect has towards your discussion, you should be alert to determine immediately the approach and strategy youll be using to win every type of prospect. Assessing further why prospects buy, our discussion is brought to a set of factor stimulating buying decision on the part of the prospect. These are the following: 1. Self-image 2. Past experiences 3. Hearsay experiences 4. Images he has regarding the product and its company 5. Impulses and basic urges 6. Status needs 7. Need for self-respect 8. Need for social acceptance

People buy goods and services to enhance their self-image His self refers to how the prospect sees him and how he wants others to see him. In the hope to gain the respect of others, he tries to enhance himself through socialization, education, professional advancement and even through the purchase of goods and services to uplift his socio-economic status. Most often than not, the last item mentioned is the most common strategy employed by people due to its simplicity and immediacy of effects. Cosmetics are bought to enhance beauty. Old car models are replaced by new ones for they add prestige. Thus, if a salesman can concentrate his sales presentation on the self-image of the prospect as a reason for buying then he is in the right direction. People buy goods and services because of their past experiences with it His past experiences may tell a prospect to buy or not to buy a particular product. If a rewarding experience was obtained by the prospect then he will surely reorder. On the other hand, a penalizing experience before had taught him to refrain from using a similar product. In either of the two situations, especially that which concerns a negative experience, the salesman has the chance to close the sale. He simply has to clear out the doubts in the minds of his prospects so that the negative reaction could

become a favourable action which the salesman may receive. Therefore, it is up to the salesman to use these experiences to his advantage and know how to approach the situation at hand. People buy goods and services because of what they hear from others The hearsay experience is another influencing factor to the buying decision of the prospect. That follow-the-crowd mentality among Filipino consumers is still prevalent even at the present age. People are pushed to purchase certain goods and services as a result of what others have to say about the product. In addition, if a products use shall be recommended to anyone whom he knows, product trials can be assured. People rely on the satisfying experiences of those around him because they, too, would like to achieve that same satisfaction. People buy goods and services depending on the images he has of the company and the product If your product and company have been reputable all these years, it is more likely that your prospect will sign the purchase contract. Prospects trust the good names in the industry therefore; the images of the prospect for your product and company must be considered front liners when it comes to buying motives and decisions.

People buy goods and services due to their own urges and impulses Basically, the prospect has his own urges and impulses which must be immediately satisfied. Thus ordering the product by the prospect becomes a natural occurrence. However, if the urge or impulse is not yet felt, the prospect wouldnt realize the importance and usefulness of the product offered. What the salesman needs to do is to create a problem in the mind of the prospect that is pertinent to the product and service you are promoting then offering your product as a solution to the problem in the mind of the prospect. Demonstrating the benefits can also help the prospect realize its usefulness. Hnce, the urge or impulse is felt. People buy goods and services because they want to elevate their statuses Consumers are usually status seekers too. If they can get the product under the given scheme, theyll readily buy the product as long as it can boost their image in society. As the consumer elevates his status, he develops selfrespect and also gains the respect of others. An acceptable social status and esteemed self-respect when combined results in social acceptance. People worry so much about what people will think and say of them that they try, almost unwittingly, to

protect, preserve and upgrade their social acceptance which then causes a lot of problems to the prospect. This is a sales opportunity for the salesman. The fact that the features of the product really cater to these needs and desires of the consumers is a clear indication of the marketability of the product