Md.

Nur-E-Alam Siddique
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Business, ASAUB
Managing Marketing Communication and Sales Force
Promotion tools1. Advertising: Any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of goods, services or ideas by an
identified sponsor.
2. Personal selling: Personal presentation by the firms sales force for the purpose of making sales and building
customer relationships.
3. Sales promotion: Short term incentives to encourage the purchase o sale of a product or service.
4. Public relations: Building good relations with the companys various publics by obtaining favorable publicity,
building up a good corporate image, and handling or heading off unfavorable rumors, stories and events.
5. Direct marketing: Direct communications with carefully targeted individual consumers to obtain an immediate
response, and cultivate lasting customer relationships.
Professional salesmanship can be defined as the process of analyzing buyers need for the product or service,
recommending the product or service that best satisfies the need, and persuading the buyer the buyer that the price is fair,
the source of supply is satisfactory, and now is the right time to buy.
Salesmanship is just personal selling - negotiating, emphasizing inducing and making the prospective buyer to take a
decision in favor of going for the product being offered to him. In the words of W.G. Carter, "salesmanship is an attempt
to induce people to buy goods." Today salesmanship is to only an effort to induce the people to buy. Instead, to put in the
words of Whitehead, it is "the art of presenting and offering that the prospect appreciates the need for it and that a
mutually satisfactorily sale follows." The mutual satisfaction is greatly emphasized in a salesmanship.
Thus, Salesmanship is an art of winning over the buyer's confidence so that a permanent goodwill may be built and a
lasting satisfaction may be given to him when he goes the product offered to him.
Personal selling is a promotional tool and an element of promotional mix which occupies a pivotal role in the distribution
of goods and services to the existing and prospective buyer. A salesman is a friend and a guide of the consumer and a
supporter and an aid to the producer. A salesman helps the producer and consumer in the following ways:
Types of Salesmanship
1. Industrial Salesmanship:
Industrial salesmanship involves selling raw materials and semi finished goods, semi finished and finished parts,
installation equipment, accessory equipment and operating suppliers. Industrial products are used in the manufactured of
other products and in the operations of institution which are buyers of industrial goods.
2. Merchant salesmanship:
Merchant salesmanship involves selling consumer goods, electrical appliances, musical instruments and sporting goods or
luxurious items to wholesaler and retail merchants for resale to other merchants and the general consuming public.
Customer of merchant salesman are wholesaler or distributors who resale to retailers, instructions and industrial buyer and
retailer to the individual or ultimate consumer.
3. Consumer salesmanship:
Consumer salesmanship involves to the individual user who purchase goods and services for ultimate consumption or the
satisfaction his own needs. Consumer salesmanship is two types:
Inside consumer selling in a retail store
The in store consumer salesman employed in a drug, hardware, department or specialty store is usually sought out
by buyers who have previously recognized their need for a particular product and have decided on the place and
time to purchase.
Outside consumer selling usually carried on in the homes or offices or buyers.
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Higher types of consumer salesmanship is practiced by the outside consumer salesman by calling on prospective
customer in their home or offices, creating in their minds a need for his product or services, showing how the
goods will satisfy this need and persuading them that now is the time to buy.
Who is a Buyer? (Qualifications of a buyer)
Out of their practical experiences, successful salesman have found that a standard of measuring risk which they use in
determining the qualifications of a buyers. This standard includes five points, as follows:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

a need for the product or services;

ability to pay for it;
authority to buy;
accessibility to the salesman; and
The right type for the salesman.

1. A Need for the Product or Services:

The first qualification of a buyer is that an individual or the organizations which he/she represents have a need for the
product or services offered for sale. To attempt to sell someone something for which he/she has no real need is sure to
create dissatisfaction and to result in returned goods or defaulted payments.
2. Ability to Pay for it:
Closely related to a persons ability to pay is his willingness to pay for his purchases. A miser may have the ability to pay
his obligations but he would hardly be called a willing buyer. A salesman must be able to recognize a person who is
financially able but, by nature, too close to be qualified buyer.
3. Authority to Buy:
A person may have a definite need and the ability to pay and still lack moral or legal authority to enter into a sales
contract. When two or more people share in the purchase of an article or service, the problem of the salesman is to
discover which individual has the authority to buy. Frequently, a person has legal authority to buy but is morally obligated
to consult another member of his family or a business associate before making a purchase. Every salesman is frequently
confronted with the problem of determining who influences the final decision to buy.
4. Accessibility to the Salesman:
A person or corporation may need a product, have money to pay for it, and the authority to buy it, but at the same time, be
so unapproachable or far removed geographically that a salesman is not warranted in taking the time or making the effort
to attempt a sale. Even though a busy executive possesses all other qualifications of a goods buyer, the difficulty
experienced by a salesman in gaining access to him may make him a poor customer. Salesman should consider the
accessibility of buyers in deciding whether they are worthy of cultivation.
5. Right Type for the Salesman:
Buyers prefer to deal with salesmen who are familiar with their problems, understand their needs, and appreciate their
viewpoints. Similarities of interests, age, education, and experience create mutual understanding and confidence between
a buyer and a salesman. A salesman can determine for himself the type of buyer with whom he is likely to be most
effective, by analyzing the characteristics of his customers. He should compare his own personal history, age, education
and income with those of his customers.
6. Other Qualifications:
There are other important qualities which buyers should possess depending upon the nature of the product or service being
sold. Buyers of life insurance must be able to pass physical, occupational, and moral tests of acceptability.
A man with a chronic heart ailment cannot buy life insurance, irrespective of the fact that he needs insurance protection,
can afford to pay for it, is accessible has the authority to buy, and is the right type for the salesman. Legal restrictions
disqualify many persons residing in certain states as buyers of alcoholic beverages. Various other factors, including age,
sex, skill, and occupation eliminate many persons as buyers of certain products.
# Why Customers Buy? (Motive for buying)
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The buying behavior of a customer is controlled by motives which are mental and physical influences, operating within a
person, and which move him to recognize his need, choose a product or service to satisfy the needs, select a supplier and
approve of a price ands time to buy. While some motives are instinctive, others are acquired as a result of environment,
education, social status, sex, age, and capacity.
Because of the number, variety, ands intensity of motives which control human behavior, it is obviously impossible for a
salesman to make a psychological analysis of the motivation of buyers. Human behavior is so complex that it is
impossible to predict the motives that will cause an individual to buy a particular product at a time.
For practical purposes in identifying the motives of buyers, a salesman can assume that there are five basic motives which
cause people to buy. The motives are classified as follows:
(1) Comfort and convenience;
(2) Safety and security;
(3) Gain and economy;
(4) Satisfaction of pride; and
(5) Satisfaction of affection.
1. Comfort and Convenience:
The motive of bodily comfort and convenience, which include time and labor saving, is universal. The development of
mechanical devices to save labor and time in both home and industry- prepared foods to save energy in cooking; speedy
transportation to save time- have stimulated the buying motive of comfort and convenience. Laborsaving products and
services such as dishwashing machines, oil burners, power lawn mowers, lounge chairs etc.
2. Safety and Security:
Everyone instinctively craves safety and protection against anything which interferes with his life, health, and happiness.
The increasing emphasis on safety at home, on the highway, and in industry is making individuals conscious selfpreservation. A man buys life insurance to protect his family in the event his death or tire chains to protect himself and his
passengers against automobiles accidents. These motives are responsible for the sale of a wide variety of products ranging
from firearms to aspirin tablets.
3. Gain and Economy:
One of the most powerful motivating forces to sales is the universal desire to save money or to make profits. It stimulates
individuals to shop around in order to make their incomes go further so that they can enjoy higher standard of living. The
motive of economy and gain involves reason rather than emotion. Merchants buying for resale are mainly motivated by
gain. In periods of economic depression economy is an important motive.
4. Satisfaction of Pride:
Pride in personal appearance is equaled by pride in accomplishment or attainment of high social or business position and
is one of the most common motives for buying. Pride in being fashionable is a wrong drive in buying of all style
merchandise.
Individual seek to maintain their self-respect and prestige by wearing good cloths, driving impressive cars, or belonging to
expensive clubs. The desires to be admired by others is strong in men and particularly so in women, whose vanity is
responsible for many sales.
5.Satisfaction of Affection:
The desire for romance is a strong motivating force, responsible for many purchases. This motive is particularly
strong among young women. Affection for mothers and fathers and family members is also an impelling force for
many purchases. Special days for purchases showing affection, such as St. Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Fathers
Day indicates the importance of this motive in stimulating buying.

# Salesmanship Process
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Salesmanship process consist six steps. Each steps now briefly discussed in below:
1) Prospecting:
In prospecting stage salesman have to search for probable customer and possible customer who will buy the product. For
identify potential customer salesman collect information about customer need, desire and preference by observing
customer attitude, telephone book or by asking one people about others. A good prospect can be a customer in future but a
suspect doesnt be a customer.
2) Pre-approach:
Pre-approach means collect more information about the prospect. In this stage salesman collect detailed and relevant
about the problem customer from their friend, family or other relative. But when collect information from the high class
customer the salesman have to careful. They should take an appointment from the customer who they want to target.
3) Approach:
Approach sometime also called interview where salesman collect information by creating face to face conversation. To
make an interview the salesman need some presentation. There dress up must be decent, they should have proper gestureposture knowledge, have to know social gress which means minimum courtesy sense, use sales equipments such as
sample visiting card and have to maintain his proper manner of talking.
4) Presentation:
In the presentation stage the salesman create detail discussion about their product , its benefit, feature, price and quality
and how this product is better than others. Presentation consists of four elements:
Demonstration: In demonstration salesman inform the customer about the use or application of the product.
They show the probable features and benefits of their product to the customer and tell them how it can satisfy
their need.
Showmanship: In showmanship the salesman show the customer how they look like when they use the
product. Usually showmanship occurs in store for the customer.
Dramatization: In dramatization the salesman use dramatic element in expressing the benefits of the product
to the customer. It is difficult to create and inherent drama but it is very effective to convince the customer for
taking final buying decision. Insurance company use dramatization for selling insurance policy.
Proof: Sometimes salesmen provide additional proof of approval by the professional to proof their product best.
5) Handling Objections:
After presenting the product and when the customer purchases the product the salesman had to identify the customers
perception about product. If the customers are not satisfied by the product the salesman have to handle the objection off
the customer. They have to identify is it and excuse or real objection. Excuse cannot be satisfied, so salesman should
handle only the real objection. For doing this they have proper psychological knowledge about customer.
6) Close the sales or collection of the order:
When the objection of the customer are solved the salesman should close the sales convenes other for purchase the
product. Salesman may ask for product ordered by the customer.
# Basic methods for handling objections:
In most interviews the prospect will raise some objections which cannot be anticipated or forestalled by the salesman.
These objections constitute reasons for not buying and they are brought up to justify the prospects unwillingness to buy.
The next step is to examine some of the ways by which the salesman can handle important objections.
1. The direct denial:
Through direct denial method salesman handle untruthful excuse, directly refuse proposal by giving them relevant proof.
Many trainers of salesman think that the salesman should never contradict the buyer in any circumstance. That point out
that a contradiction stairs up antagonism and makes of the interview a debate. So it is a very serious method of handling
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objection. When handled properly the objection it may well impressed the customers with the salesman absolute sincerity
and believe in what he is selling. The direct denial should usually be confined to answering minor objection. It never be
used if the objection has any ego involvement in it.
For example: Would not that color fade in the sun? asked by the prospect. The salesman replied, no, definitely not. Tests
prove it and we guarantee it.
2. The indirect denial:
Through indirect denial method, salesman handle individual refuse the customer by changing their own perception. It
recognizes the fact that most people recent being flatly contradicted. They prefer to have the salesman bend by avoiding
their proposal indirectly. The salesman doesnt usually meet the prospects objection head on but gives brown a triple
before he replies.
For example: there is a lot of truth in what you say, but dont you think also that
Often the use of indirect denial method may be aggregated in dealing with a buyer who holds an unusually good opinion
of himself. For this type of prospect the salesman must give him more credit for having given but to a real idea. When the
prospect states his objection flatly as a declaration of believe the indirect denial is more tactful than the direct denial.
3. The boomerang or translation method:
The third method of handling objection is frequently called boomerang because the objection hurried by the prospect
comes back at him as a reason why he should buy. It is also sometime referred to as the translation method because it
translates an objection in to a reason for purchasing. To illustrate in a general way. The prospect raises an objection and
the salesman n immediately replies.
For example: Why, thats strongest reason I can think of why you need it?
The boomerang method is effective only in the hands of the skilled salesman. Particularly it is useful in meeting excuses
that are not strongly backed by facts. Care should be exercised to avoid giving the prospect the impression that his
objection is of no consequence. The manner of the salesman is important in this connection. His manner must be friendly
and sincerely.
4. The compensation method:
The fourth way of handling objections the compensation method admits the validity the objection but points out some
advantages that is supposed to compensate for it.
For example: The prospect for a pair of shoes might object that the leather did not seem to be of the best quality. The
clerk would probable admit the fact that the leather was not the highest great but tactfully point out that, it were the price
would probably be several price higher. The low price compensate for the lower quality.
This method of meeting objection is based on the board principle of compensation. One would remember that there is on
prospect product. All of them have limitations and features which some prospect can object. The compensation method is
used in handling such valid product objections. The only possible defense against a valid objection made in good faith is
to point out the compensating features which out weight the mention deficiency. The salesman must simply make the
prospect easier prospect advantage more than he dislikes its disadvantages.
5. The Question method:
The question efforts an excellent means of answering objection on. When a prospects has raised an objection. When a
prospect has raised an objection an answer is just about necessary, yet a statement of fact is likely to open the way for
further objection. The question form answering the objection not only does not invite other objection but it makes the
prospect answer his own objection.
For example: If a women says to the vacuum cleaner salesman, your machine is too heavy. The salesman asked too
heavy for what? That forces the prospect to say something and gives the salesman a chance to demonstrate that his cleaner
is really not too heavy.
The salesman should first ask questions to focus the prospects thoughts and clarify the exact nature of the objection. Then
he can proceed to use some others techniques for answering it if it still exist after the questioning.

6. The pass-up method:

The pass up method some salesman attempt to pass off many objection. For example: When housewife objects, I will have
to ask my husband. The salesman for vacuum cleaner smiles and replies, he would say ask my wife. Others salesman
affects not to have heard the objection, passing on rapidly to the next point. When the prospects have offered an obvious
excuse, the method may be justified.
Questions:
Q. Who is a buyer? Or, What are the qualification of a buyer?
Q. Why do customers buy? Or, What are the buying motives?
Q. Discuss the salesmanship process.
Q. Generally customers raise different objections in purchase decision. How these objections can be handled?
Assignment:
1. Discuss the brief history of consumer movement.
2. Mention the consumer rights as per United Nations (UN).
3. What do you know about Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB)?
4. Discuss the important provisions and sections of Consumer Rights Protection Act-2009.
5. What are your suggestions for increasing awareness about consumer rights protection.