Question

Discuss five alternative approaches to personal selling

Answer 1

The personal selling is the process of communicating with a buyer or customer face-to-face for selling the product or service. It is a process by which the person who is selling the product or service comes directly in contact with the prospect buyer or customer. it can be applicable or effective for certain type of businesses. It is a part of companies product mix. It is more applicable for small businesses.In a personal selling the sales person persuade the customer to buy the product and the response from the customer is known immediately.

Personal selling tool has various alternative approaches. The five alternative personal selling approaches are given below

1) STIMULUS RESPONSE SELLING -This is a simplest form of personal selling by which the sellers uses a structured questions to sell the product or service to the buyer or customer. The structured questions will be in such a way that the answers to the question by the customer will be mainly "YES" . The words and statements used by the sales person help in creating a stimulus by the buyer because it hits the correct points to attract the buyer in buying the product or service.This type of approach does not have much contribution of the buyer. The statements are structured in such a manner that the conversations are happening in favor of the seller. The finest example of Stimulus response selling is telemarketing.

2) MENTAL STATE SELLING - This is an approach of personal selling which uses structured question which creates stimulus to the buyers which lead the buyers to different mental states.These mental states are AIDA (Attention,Interest,Desire,Action).In this approach the seller of the product or service should be intelligent to know the different mental states of the customer. First the seller should create attention for the buyer towards the product or service the seller is offering. Then the stage comes when the buyer shows interest. The seller should convince the buyer and his interest the next stage the buyer should have the desire to buy the product.Seller should convince the buyer in a such a way that he should have a desire in buying the product or service. In the last stage customer becomes positive about the product and it involves taking the action of selling the product to the customer.

3) NEED SATISFACTION SELLING- This is an method of selling in which the customers needs are identified first. The sales person listen the needs and requirements of the customer or the buyer.The next stage involves identifying the needs and communicating the needs and requirements to the customer regarding their product or service by trying to fulfill the needs laid out by the customer. If the customer is satisfied by the product which has clearly fulfilled the needs of the customer then the customer will be ready to buy the product or service and sales will take place.

4) PROBLEM SOLVING SELLING

This approach the problem is already identified. The seller has to provide with the alternative to solve the problem.The various steps involved in problem solving selling are as follows

• Defining Problem
• Generating alternative solutions for the problem
• Evaluating alternative solutions
• Continue Selling Until purchase decision

5) CONSULTATIVE SELLING- This approach involves the process of helping customers to reach their strategic goals and objectives by using the product,service and expertise of the selling Organization. It involves two way interactions and both the seller and the buyer work in collaboration.This kind of approach, the sale may take place after a long period of time. The finest example of this approach is financial planning given by financial consultant,financial planners who plan the financial needs of the customer and also sell the various financial products and services.

These approaches can be used for personal selling in different situations based on the type of customers,buyers and for various products and services.