Instructor
Manual
Want to earn $1,500
extra per year?
, Table of Contents
Chapter 1......................................................................................................................
Chapter 2......................................................................................................................
Chapter 3......................................................................................................................
Chapter 4......................................................................................................................
Chapter 5......................................................................................................................
Chapter 6......................................................................................................................
Chapter 7......................................................................................................................
Chapter 8......................................................................................................................
Chapter 9......................................................................................................................
Chapter 10...................................................................................................................
Chapter 11.................................................................................................................
Chapter 12.................................................................................................................
Chapter 13.................................................................................................................
Chapter 14.................................................................................................................
Chapter 15.................................................................................................................
Chapter 16.................................................................................................................
Chapter 17.................................................................................................................
, CHAPTER 1
RELATIONSHIP SELLING OPPORTUNITIES
IN THE INFORMATION ECONOMY
Chapter 1 provides a contemporary definition of personal selling and describes personal
selling career opportunities in the information-age. Sales training programs offered by
academic institutions, sales training companies, and employer-provided sales training are
also explored.
EXTENDED PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Today’s workforce is made up of millions of knowledge workers who succeed only when
they add value to information. Salespeople, and many other knowledge workers, add value
to information when they collect it, organize it, clarify it, and present it in a convincing
manner.
As part of the Reality Selling Video Series, this chapter features Alex Homer from the Tom
James Company, selling luxury clothing.
I. Personal Selling Today—A Definition and a Philosophy
A. Definition: Personal selling occurs when a company representative interacts
directly with a customer to present information about a product or service.
1. Personal selling is a process of:
a. Building customer relationships.
b. Discovering customer needs.
c. Matching the appropriate products with these needs.
d. Communicating benefits through informing, reminding, or persuading.
2. A product is broadly defined as information, services, ideas, and issues.
3. Increasingly, personal selling is viewed as a process that adds value.
4. In an ideal situation, the salesperson:
a. Builds a mutually rewarding relationship.
b. Diagnoses the customer’s needs.
c. Custom fits the product to meet those needs.
5. Having knowledge of customer needs will:
a. Lead to higher customer satisfaction.
b. Willingness to purchase a product.
B. Developing a personal selling philosophy includes three prescriptions:
1. Adopt the marketing concept.
2. Value personal selling.
3. Become a problem solver/partner.
, Chapter 1: Relationship Selling Opportunities in the Information Economy
II. Emergence of Relationship Selling in the Information Age
A. Shifts from industrial economy to an information economy began approximately
60 years ago (see Fig. 1.2).
B. Major advances in information technology and electronic commerce.
C. Strategic resource is information.
1. Information is often too plentiful.
2. Salespeople help filter information.
D. Business is defined by customer relationships.
1. The real new economy is the customer economy.
2. Customers have taken more control of their destinies.
3. Relationships build a conduit of trust for information exchange.
E. Sales success depends on adding value.
1. Value-added selling is defined as a series of creative improvements in the
sales process that enhance the customer experience.
2. Salespeople can create value by:
a. Developing a quality relationship.
b. Carefully identifying the customer needs.
c. Configuring and presenting the best possible product solution.
3. The value added by salespeople today is increasingly derived from intangibles,
such as:
a. Quality of advice offered.
b. Level of trust that underlies relationship between salesperson and
customer.
III. Considerations for a Future in Personal Selling
A. Wide range of employment opportunities.
1. The 500 largest sales forces in North America employ more than 24 million
salespeople.
2. There is no single “selling” occupation.
3. Opportunities exist that match your interests, talents, and ambitions.
4. Old stereotypes about sales are gradually going by the wayside.
5. Studying careers of highly successful relationship salespeople discover that
ethical sales practices represent the key to long-term success.
B. Activities performed by salespeople.
1. Outside salespeople spend 26 percent of their time in face-to-face sales and 74
percent in sales prep, travel, waiting, and administrative tasks. (See Fig. 1.3).
2. Salespeople have tremendous freedom to manage their time and activities.
C. Titles used in selling today.
1. Just as selling occupations differ, so do the titles by which salespeople are
known.
2. Two factors have contributed to the creation of new titles.
a. Shift from “selling” to “consulting” and “partnering.”
Manual
Want to earn $1,500
extra per year?
, Table of Contents
Chapter 1......................................................................................................................
Chapter 2......................................................................................................................
Chapter 3......................................................................................................................
Chapter 4......................................................................................................................
Chapter 5......................................................................................................................
Chapter 6......................................................................................................................
Chapter 7......................................................................................................................
Chapter 8......................................................................................................................
Chapter 9......................................................................................................................
Chapter 10...................................................................................................................
Chapter 11.................................................................................................................
Chapter 12.................................................................................................................
Chapter 13.................................................................................................................
Chapter 14.................................................................................................................
Chapter 15.................................................................................................................
Chapter 16.................................................................................................................
Chapter 17.................................................................................................................
, CHAPTER 1
RELATIONSHIP SELLING OPPORTUNITIES
IN THE INFORMATION ECONOMY
Chapter 1 provides a contemporary definition of personal selling and describes personal
selling career opportunities in the information-age. Sales training programs offered by
academic institutions, sales training companies, and employer-provided sales training are
also explored.
EXTENDED PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Today’s workforce is made up of millions of knowledge workers who succeed only when
they add value to information. Salespeople, and many other knowledge workers, add value
to information when they collect it, organize it, clarify it, and present it in a convincing
manner.
As part of the Reality Selling Video Series, this chapter features Alex Homer from the Tom
James Company, selling luxury clothing.
I. Personal Selling Today—A Definition and a Philosophy
A. Definition: Personal selling occurs when a company representative interacts
directly with a customer to present information about a product or service.
1. Personal selling is a process of:
a. Building customer relationships.
b. Discovering customer needs.
c. Matching the appropriate products with these needs.
d. Communicating benefits through informing, reminding, or persuading.
2. A product is broadly defined as information, services, ideas, and issues.
3. Increasingly, personal selling is viewed as a process that adds value.
4. In an ideal situation, the salesperson:
a. Builds a mutually rewarding relationship.
b. Diagnoses the customer’s needs.
c. Custom fits the product to meet those needs.
5. Having knowledge of customer needs will:
a. Lead to higher customer satisfaction.
b. Willingness to purchase a product.
B. Developing a personal selling philosophy includes three prescriptions:
1. Adopt the marketing concept.
2. Value personal selling.
3. Become a problem solver/partner.
, Chapter 1: Relationship Selling Opportunities in the Information Economy
II. Emergence of Relationship Selling in the Information Age
A. Shifts from industrial economy to an information economy began approximately
60 years ago (see Fig. 1.2).
B. Major advances in information technology and electronic commerce.
C. Strategic resource is information.
1. Information is often too plentiful.
2. Salespeople help filter information.
D. Business is defined by customer relationships.
1. The real new economy is the customer economy.
2. Customers have taken more control of their destinies.
3. Relationships build a conduit of trust for information exchange.
E. Sales success depends on adding value.
1. Value-added selling is defined as a series of creative improvements in the
sales process that enhance the customer experience.
2. Salespeople can create value by:
a. Developing a quality relationship.
b. Carefully identifying the customer needs.
c. Configuring and presenting the best possible product solution.
3. The value added by salespeople today is increasingly derived from intangibles,
such as:
a. Quality of advice offered.
b. Level of trust that underlies relationship between salesperson and
customer.
III. Considerations for a Future in Personal Selling
A. Wide range of employment opportunities.
1. The 500 largest sales forces in North America employ more than 24 million
salespeople.
2. There is no single “selling” occupation.
3. Opportunities exist that match your interests, talents, and ambitions.
4. Old stereotypes about sales are gradually going by the wayside.
5. Studying careers of highly successful relationship salespeople discover that
ethical sales practices represent the key to long-term success.
B. Activities performed by salespeople.
1. Outside salespeople spend 26 percent of their time in face-to-face sales and 74
percent in sales prep, travel, waiting, and administrative tasks. (See Fig. 1.3).
2. Salespeople have tremendous freedom to manage their time and activities.
C. Titles used in selling today.
1. Just as selling occupations differ, so do the titles by which salespeople are
known.
2. Two factors have contributed to the creation of new titles.
a. Shift from “selling” to “consulting” and “partnering.”
