Page 378 - Introduction to Business

352 PART 3 Marketing

In making sales presentations, the salesperson wants to obtain the prospect’s
attention, interest, desire, and conviction in order to make a sale. Handling objec-
tions and using successful closing techniques are also important. The major way
that attention and interest can be obtained is by showing the prospect how the
product can satisfy her or his most important needs. For example, a salesperson
might say, “How would you like your company to save $200,000 a year producing
your cotton towels? Our new machinery can obtain these savings for you.”
Desire and conviction lead the prospect closer to making a favorable buying
decision. Providing facts and figures is often a good way to secure desire and con-
viction. Using testimonials of satisfied customers helps. Demonstrating the product
and getting prospects to use the product or to consider how they would use it are
other successful approaches. Visual aids can also help obtain desire and conviction.
The professional salesperson is rarely disturbed by customer objections
because from experience he or she knows what to expect and can handle the objec-
tions. Objections tend to be minimized if the salesperson has done a good job of
offering products that satisfy a prospect’s needs and desires. An effective way to
handle objections is to agree with the objection—if it is valid—and then try to turn
it into an advantage. An insurance salesperson, for example, might say, “I agree that
the cost of our life insurance is 10 percent higher than the industry average, but we
are providing much better coverage and 25 percent higher retirement benefits.”
closing Efforts by a salesperson Successful closing means that the prospect has decided to purchase. A number
designed to get a prospect to purchase of techniques are helpful in successful closing (see Exhibit 10.6).
a product or service
The salesperson’s job does not end with closing a sale. There are a number of
postpresentation activities that must be performed. Customers need to be followed
up and served. Customers should be contacted periodically so that the sales force
can determine if they are satisfied with the product. If they are not satisfied, cor-
rective measures should be taken so that customers will not be lost. Customer
complaints and returned goods should be cheerfully and promptly handled. Any
credit problems should be taken care of quickly. The salesperson should ensure
that installation, repair, and servicing obligations are fulfilled.
Most salespeople consider the task of keeping records an unnecessary evil. In
many companies, it takes up a large percentage of their total time, often account-
ing for as much as one-fourth of the working day. The sales force must keep some
records. Management has to know on whom the sales force called; what was

EXHIBIT 10.6
Tips for Successful Closing

• Don’t be afraid to ask for the order. Try to close during the presentation as
well as at the end.
• Look for closing signals from the prospect, such as questions about price,
installation, repairs, and so on. These indicate a favorable disposition
toward buying.
• Secure the prospect’s agreement on product features and benefits.
• Review major product benefits prior to asking for the order.
• Reduce the number of alternative choices for the prospect.
• Use guarantees and warranties to aid closing.
• Analyze past presentations in order to determine which closing techniques
work best in various selling situations.

Source: Richard T. Hise, Effective Salesmanship, The Dryden Press, Hinsdale, Illinois, 1980, pp. 261–264.

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