Page 521 - Foundations of Marketing

488 Part 6 | Promotion Decisions

Order Getters

To obtain orders, salespeople inform prospects and persuade
them to buy the product. The responsibility of order getters
is to increase sales by selling to new customers and increas-
ing sales to present customers. This task is sometimes
called creative selling. It requires that salespeople recognize
potential buyers’ needs and give them necessary informa-
tion. Order getting is frequently divided into two categories:
current-customer sales and new-business sales.

Current-Customer Sales

Sales personnel who concentrate on current customers call
on people and organizations that have purchased products
from the firm before. These salespeople seek more sales from
existing customers by following up on previous sales. Current
customers can also be sources of leads for new prospects.

New-Business Sales

Business organizations depend to some degree on sales to new
© iStockphoto.com/sandoclr customers. New-business sales personnel locate prospects
and convert them into buyers. Salespeople help generate new
business in many organizations, but even more so in organiza-
tions that sell real estate, insurance, appliances, automobiles,
and business-to-business supplies and services. These organi-
zations depend in large part on new-customer sales.
Order Getters
When we think of sales representatives, order getters or order tak-
ers probably come to mind. Order getters sell to new customers or Order Takers
increase selling to existing customers. Order takers primarily seek
repeat sales. There are also support personnel who facilitate selling Taking orders is a repetitive task salespeople perform to
but are not involved in solely making sales. perpetuate long-lasting, satisfying customer relationships.
Order takers primarily seek repeat sales, generating the bulk
of many firms’ total sales. One of their major objectives is to be certain that customers have
sufficient product quantities where and when needed. Most order takers handle orders for
standardized products that are purchased routinely and do not require extensive sales efforts.
The role of order takers is changing, however, as the position moves more toward one that
identifies and solves problems to better meet the needs of customers. There are two groups of
order takers: inside order takers and field order takers.

Inside Order Takers

In many businesses, inside order takers, who work in sales offices, receive orders by mail,
telephone, and the Internet. Certain producers, wholesalers, and retailers have sales personnel
who sell from within the firm rather than in the field. Some inside order takers communicate
with customers face-to-face; retail salespeople, for example, are classified as inside order
takers. As more orders are placed electronically, the role of the inside order taker continues
to change.
order getters Salespeople
who sell to new customers Field Order Takers
and increase sales to current
customers Salespeople who travel to customers are outside, or field, order takers. Often, customers and
order takers Salespeople field order takers develop interdependent relationships. The buyer relies on the salesperson
who primarily seek repeat sales to take orders periodically (and sometimes to deliver them), and the salesperson counts on

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