Selection of Sales Representatives

1. Selection of Sales Representatives • Internal search • Competitor salesmen • From the staff of your distributors • From the institutes • From employment exchanges/agencies • From the staff of other companies • By advertising in newspapers

2. Selection of Sales Representatives- Cont’d.. Selection procedure involves two different activities (a) preparing job description and personnel specification (b) short listing and interview. • PREPARATION OF JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION Preparation of job description will involve the following activities: • Deciding the duties and responsibilities. • To whom the person will report • Technical requirements of the job e.g. travel for 20 days a month • Location of the job i.e., place of work. • Degree of autonomy e.g., limits of authority.

3. Selection of Sales Representatives-Cont’d.. (b) Personnel specifications change from selector to selector. They can be: • Physical requirement e.g., strong physique to withstand traveling strain. • Attainments e.g., education experience • Aptitudes and qualities e.g., communication skills, motivation levels • Deposition e.g., maturity, sense of responsibility • Interests e.g., hobbies etc. • Personal status e.g., married/unmarried.

4. Short Listing and Interviews • Short listing and interview become easy once you have a clear job description and personnel specification – all those who do not fit the description and specifications are not considered. These short listed candidates are then interviewed to find the best suitable candidates for your consideration and appointment. • The next step is training the selected candidate for job responsibilities. The training is again of two types (a) Induction training and (b) On job training. We will look into both aspects separately.

5. Short Listing and Interviews-Cont’d.. Induction Training This type of training is given to a person who is joining the company from outside. It consists of: • Company profile • Position in hierarchy and job responsibilities • Introduction to the administrative staff and accounts staff • Reporting procedures and standards of reporting • Knowledge of products, their features and benefits • Knowledge of manufacturing units • Handing over stationery and kit etc. The induction training is done at the sales office itself. Some companies arrange a visit to the manufacturing unit also to give assurance about the Quality standards. In pharmaceutical companies, induction training is very important as all the companies have different formulations and detailing procedures.

6. Short Listing and Interviews On Job Training (Field Training) • On job training is a very important aspect of the sales managers job. This is an ongoing and continuous process for both the sales manager and his subordinates. It is directed towards improving job related skills and alongwith it the personality of the sales staff as these are the people who improve or spoil the image of the company by way of responsible or irresponsible behavior in the minds of the trade. The company image in the trade circle is very important in getting good channel members and their whole-hearted support.

7. Training Skill Development The skill development training, though similar in both industrial and consumer products, differs in emphasis on different aspects. Consumer Sales Consumer sales are generally divided into steps of a sales call. They are: • Planning and preparation • Approach • Objection handling • Close

8. Planning and Preparation • This is the most important aspect of salesmanship. In fact, planning and preparation is the most important aspect of everyone’s life. This is the time when you decide your objective-where you want to go, how you want to go, what is the help you will need for achieving your objective, what are the difficulties you are likely to face, how you will overcome them, what are the contingency plans etc. • To take care of all the above aspects, a salesman is required to take the following checklist into consideration: • Prepare the day, target, in line with month’s target • Decide the route/market you want to cover as per your pre-journey planning. • Check the daily sales report for the previous visit which was executed, whether all the complaints and replacements were taken care of.

9. Planning and Preparation-Cont’d. • Check the available stock and the transit stock • If you are operating ready delivery arrangements then check the condition of vehicle, the accompanying staff, the loading of proper stocks (to take care of targeted sales), POP materials, posters etc. • Check the manufacturing dates on stock and the MRP on it. • Check price list and carry the current and previous price lists. • Check the sales bag and kit • Collect samples (important in case of new product launch). • Confirm that the route/market you are covering is open.

10. Approach • Approach is a technique by which you attract the customer towards you and create a good impression of yourself. There are two aspects of approach. • Personality • Method • Personality is in the hands of the person himself. How he grooms himself, how he dresses, how he present himself etc. The other aspects of personality like communication skills etc. also play a very vital role so they become a separate aspect of on job training and not a part of selling skill training. • Method of approach keeps changing from area to area, but one thing is common-you should have a pleasant outlook and greet the person in such a way that he appreciates it.

11. Approach • Following are the common techniques of greeting people that are accepted by all. Common to all (present generation) Hi, Hello, Good morning/evening Sikhs Sat Sir Akal North Namaste/Jai Siyaram Muslim Salam Parsi Sahebji Bengal Nomaskar South Namaskara Marathi Ram Ram Gujarathi Jai Sri Krishn Kem Choo Jains Jai Jeenendra When you get to know each other, you should start calling the customer by name only which brings you closer to the customer. Try to make him call you by your name so that he gets convinced of your close relation. This closeness gives you better access t the customer and hence better business.

12. Objection Handling • The salesman may do anything to convince the customer but still the customer will always have objections (queries) before he makes the buying decision. What should a salesman do? Should he ignore the objections? Should he avoid answering them? The answer is a big No. • A salesman should never ignore or avoid the objections. The customer raises objections only when he wants to clarify his doubts (before making the purchase decisions). So all the importance should be given to handling objections.

13. Objection Handling-Cont’d. There are many different ways of handling objections. The important ones are as follows: • Listen and do not interrupts: While the customer is making a complaint, listen carefully to understand what he wants to say. The customer may get pleased to find someone listening to him. Answer only when the customer has finished talking. • Agree and counter: Agree to what the customer wants to say and counter the argument to prove how it is wrong. • Question the objection: Question the objection by saying “Do you mean to say that ------” and restate the objection in such a way that it is answered all by itself. • Trial close: In this method the objection is turned into trail close like: “If I clarify the point will you buy-----. This way if the objection is true the customer agrees to buy and if it is false he rejects. In case the objection is false you need not answer it.

14. Objection Handling-Cont’d. • Hidden objections: Sometimes the customer may not come out with the objections clearly, in such a case the salesman should probe and ask “Do you have any doubt about ----- then be assured that it is not true” this clarifies any doubts in the minds of customer. • Forestall the objection: If you feel that the customer may raise the objections for particular aspects of the product then clarify that point to avoid the objection. • Straight denial: This is not an advisable method but sometimes you are required to deny the objection clearly.

15. Close • Close of call is securing the order and making the sale. A salesman should see every opportunity to close the sale immediately after he has checked the stock to decide the need. • Remember that the salesman is visiting the customer to get a sale and not to give him information about the product. Brand talk and objection handling are tools to get a sale. If one gets a sale without using the tools, nothing like it. Following methods are used to close the sale: • Ask for the order: you can explain the stock situation to the customer and tell him (if you are seasoned salesman) how much you are giving to him or ask him how much you should give him. • Summarize and ask: summarize the discussions you had with the customer and tell/ask him to order. • The alternate close: In this, the salesman uses sentences like “Shall I send you ten units or five?” or “Shall I deliver stocks in the morning or in the evening?” • Action agreement: In this the salesman agrees to something and says “I will do this and send you so much stocks”. • The concession close: In this the salesman offers extra concession to finalize the order.

16. Industrial Sale S = Survey of customers P = Prospecting the customer A = Approach the customer N = Need development/negotiations C = Close (order booking) O = Order processing

17. Training in Personality Development In this part of training, the sales manager explains the following things: • Dress code • Personal grooming • Body language • Communications skills (a) written (b) oral • Listening skills • Manners and etiquette A good understanding of each of the above will help one become a better salesman.