The personal selling process is a 7 step approach: prospecting, pre-approach, approach, presentation, meeting objections, closing the sale, and follow-up. Each step of the process has sales-related issues, skills, and training needs, as well as marketing solutions to improve each discrete step.

The main difference between these two is that transaction focused is a one and done type sale where no relationship is necessary by either the buyer or the seller. While a trust-based type of selling makes a relationship because in the future both the buyer and seller will need each other for some purpose.

The term traditional sales refers to the selling of products or services to customers through a variety of different channels. The most common roles within traditional sales are sales managers or sales executives who operate either face to face or by phone.

According to David Jobber, there are three types of personal selling: order-takers, order-creators, and order-getters.

Personal selling is where businesses use people (the “sales force”) to sell the product after meeting face-to-face with the customer. Great examples include cars, office equipment (e.g. photocopiers) and many products that are sold by businesses to other industrial customers.

The personal selling process consists of six stages: (1) prospecting, (2) preapproach, (3) approach, (4) presentation, (5) close, and (6) follow-up (Table 2).

The Probe step is probably the single most important step in the selling process and the one that’s done the poorest by many salespeople.

The purpose of personal selling is to bring the right products into contact with the right customers, and to make certain that ownership transfers take place. Personal selling creates product awareness, stimulates interest, develops brand preferences, negotiates price etc.

The final step in the personal selling process is referred to as the ‘follow up. ‘ The follow up involves the salesperson contacting the customer after the sale to ensure that the customer is satisfied. If the customer has any existing issues with the product, the salesperson will address them.

The 5-Step Selling Model

• STEP 1: MEETING AND GREETING CUSTOMERS. Approach. Acknowledge. Building rapport.
• STEP 2: UNDERSTANDING NEEDS. Qualifications/qualify. Listen. Consult.
• STEP 3: DEMONSTRATING PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES. Explanation. Show.
• STEP 4: SUMMARISING AND RECOMMENDING. Summarise. Satisfy needs.
• STEP 5: CLOSING THE SALE. Place order. Invite purchase.

Investigate, using open-ended questions, what the customer’s problem, need or want is. Be genuine and listen: that’s why you have two ears and one mouth – listen twice as much as you speak. Important: customers always buy solutions to problems – they don’t buy product for the sake of it.

The first step of the selling process, prospecting and qualifying, involves searching for potential customers and deciding whether they have the ability and desire to make a purchase. The people and organizations that meet these criteria are qualified prospects.

Here I’m going to break down the 5 basic principles of selling:

• Selling is all about relationships.
• The sale is not about your product, but their problem.
• Price and value go hand in hand.
• There is no sale unless you can close it.
• Those who listen, win.

Practicing the golden rule in selling simply means that you sell to other people the way you would like to be sold to. The successful sales professional uses the golden rule to sell with the same honesty, integrity, understanding, empathy and thoughtfulness that they would like someone else to use in selling to them.

11 Simple & Effective Guiding Principles of Selling

• The definition of selling is helping people do what they do better.
• You have to sell yourself.
• The sales process is an extended conversation.
• The longer a sale takes out of its normal sales cycle, the less likely it is to happen.
• The key to effective selling is ratios, not numbers.
• Know when to move on.

The 5 Irrefutable Principles of Selling

• Consumers only buy products and services that benefit them.
• Value comes with a price tag.
• Credibility is dependent upon two factors, trust and expertise.
• The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
• This is a give and give relationship.

There is nothing more important in sales than prospecting. Unless you can gain a meeting with your prospective client, there is little chance you create an opportunity. Without opportunities, you cannot succeed. Discovery is the most important part of selling well.

Here are five creative marketing ideas for you to try.

1. Run a sale with a daily deal site.
2. Sell your products to a monthly gift-box site.
3. Gift Your Products to Celebrities.
4. Pitch your products to a trade magazine.
5. Do a product review and giveaway with bloggers.

Ways to promote your product or service

1. PRINT AND GRAPHIC ARTS MEDIA. Depending on the type of message you want to communicate to your customers, print media offers different options, including: brochures, business cards, newspaper ads and magazines.
2. ELECTRONIC MEDIA.
3. ADDITIONAL PROMOTIONAL IDEAS.