The Marketer's Handbook: Reassessing Marketing Techniques for Modern Business



SALES AND SELLING

Application: Revenue Generation

The Concept

Selling is not an erratic, ad hoc activity, nor is it best undertaken by a loud mouth in a suit that shouts just as loud. It is not exaggeration, lies, false claims, or pressurizing people to buy things they do not want. All of these constitute poor salesmanship, which causes bad word-of-mouth, terrible reputation, law suits and, eventually, business failure. Selling is a credible business function with particular skills, processes, and concepts that need to be as rigorously applied as those in other specialities.

During the evaluation phase of a purchase, it is likely that any buyer will come across a number of different choices that meet their needs. Several will be candidates to fit their varied criteria, despite being very different mixes of features at different price points. Some will have few features at a low price, and some will be features-rich at a high price. Some will have components that the buyer has not thought of before, stimulating curiosity or desire. In fact, it is quite possible that a well packaged mix of features could entice someone to pay more than their original “unacceptable” price.

Successful sales people understand this and are able to delicately elicit these needs, suggesting an offer from their own company that best meets them. They must (through technique, experience, ...