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and the ability to shrug off rebuffs and disappointments, and many beginning salespeople do not have the necessary patience and determination to stay with it. There can also be uncertainty and insecurity in selling, for earnings are largely dependent upon the actions others take and the acceptance they give the salesperson. Competition is always a threat, and general economic conditions, such as unemployment or rising prices, can unfavorably affect the earning power of the salesperson. Some people, therefore, prefer a form of work which is more secure and stable.
In addition, some aspects of selling are lonely and monotonous. Sometimes great distances must be traveled, and the salesperson may be away from home for several days. Also, long periods of time are sometimes spent in waiting to see prospective buyers. Work in selling can be very discouraging, for in the majority of cases more sales will be lost than gained.
However, the advantages of selling certainly outweigh its disadvantages for many people, and it provides considerable opportunity for personal satisfaction to those who have the necessary ability and determination to succeed.
Types of selling careers
Selling jobs can be classified in a number of different ways. Selling may be characterized as part time or full time; or as to whether it involves negotiation or competitive bidding; whether it is routine or creative; whether physical products or services are sold. Classifications may also be made according to the method of compensation - whether straight salary, commission, or salary and commission.
In characterizing sales duties, the nature of the buyer may be emphasized, particularly whether buying to consume or to resell. The buyers may be wholesalers and retailers who purchase for resale. They may be purchasing agents who buy materials which are processed and sold in a different form; or they may be ordinary people or professional people who use the product themselves.
Along these lines, the Sales Marketing Executives International, Inc. (http://www.smei.org), has developed the following six classifications:
1.Consumer route. The job of the consumer route person is to sell and deliver goods to a list of consumer customers. The products are usually such staples as milk, bread, and laundry.
2.Business route. Salespeople on a business route sell and deliver such products or services as office, factory, and store supplies, production materials, and so on to a predetermined list of business customers.
3.Consumer specialties. The salesperson of consumer specialties engages in door-to-door selling and handles such products or services as life insurance, household products, cosmetics, appliance, siding and insulation, and other related products. She often does “missionary” work.
4.Business specialties. The salesperson of business specialties operates like the consumer specialty salesperson except she sells products or services to business establishments and is likely to do more creative selling. These salespeople handle such items as office machines, business insurance, advertising, and management training services.
5.Retail. The retail salesperson does not go the customer; the customer comes to her at a fixed place of business where she sells goods or services over the counter. Items commonly sold in this manner are clothing, household furnishings, automobiles, and appliances.
6.Industrial. The industrial salesperson generally must have a technical or engineering training. She sells such products as heavy equipment, machine installations, and product supplies.
Still another common way of classifying the salesperson’s job is according to the nature of her employer - whether a manufacturer, a wholesaler, a retailer, or e-tailor.
It can be seen that there are many different types of selling jobs. Even those selling jobs within the same category can vary greatly as to the level of work and training required. Hence, there is considerable opportunity in selling; and the area pursued will greatly depend upon to whom the product or service is sold, the salesperson’s interests, her level of education and training, and her particular abilities.
Note: The Sales Marketing Executives International’s Career Center is a comprehensive online resource, with everything from professional résumé services and expert career coaching to salary data and advice for achieving better work/life balance.
SMEI’s Certified Professional Salesperson (SCPS)
SMEI’s SCPS® certification program is designed to ensure that those completing the program have successfully demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the core competencies outlined below.
Foundation Skills
►Segmentation, Differentiation & Positioning, Self Knowledge/Professionalism,
►Product/Company Knowledge, Communication/Listening Skills
►Planning
►Goal Setting, Forecasting, Understanding Motives and Needs, Decision Influencers,
►Features/Benefits Preparation
►Executing
►Qualifying Prospects, Negotiations, Overcoming Objections, Closing, Customer Relations Management (CRM)
1.In general, salespeople receive higher salaries than other business workers, and in many cases there is also greater opportunity for advancement.
2.Salespeople have a skill which is highly transferable from one firm to another and is in constant demand.
3.Because the work is creative and rewarding, there are few disadvantages to salesmanship as a career.
4.There are many different types of sales jobs which vary greatly as to the level of work and the training required.
Answer
1.True. Salespeople often receive higher salaries because they generate direct revenue and profit, and this often leads to greater opportunity for advancement.
2.True. If a salesperson can sell one product or service well, she is generally capable of selling other products or services if she is properly trained. The need for selling is universal, so there is always a demand for skilled salespeople.
3.False. As with any job, selling has some disadvantages such as the discouragement of making many calls with no results, long-distance travel away from home, insecurity of earnings, and the need for persistence and personal discipline.
4.True. There has been a tremendous increase in the number of salespeople in our economy and in the kind of work they do. The sales job varies from over-the-counter retail sales to highly complex industrial sales. Each job requires different educational and skill requirements.
Motivation and Consumer Behavior
Motivation is characteristic of all human beings to have needs and wants, which when unsatisfied lead to tensions or drives. These drives toward relief of the tensions created by unsatisfied needs furnish the motivation - the activation forces - that determine and explain consumer behavior.
To be effective in her work, the salesperson must be able to analyze and understand consumer behavior and the motives that underlie it. What influences a particular customer to buy a particular good or service? If the salesperson understands these motivating influences, she will be in a stronger position to sell. Strictly speaking, the salesperson does not sell a product or service,