Slide No. 1 Level 1 Introductory Certificate in Selling 7015-15 City & Guilds

Slide No. 1 Level 1 Introductory Certificate in Selling 7015-15 City & Guilds


Level 1 Introductory Certificate in Selling

7015-25


Learning Outcomes for Selling

• Explain the differences between sales and marketing and how they are dependant on each other

• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of sales to the organisation

• Understand how to communicate effectively within a sales setting

• Identify how consumer behaviour affects the selling process

• Describe a range of basic selling techniques appropriate to a range of organisations


Course Structure

The course is split into 4 Sections:

Section One – The Theory of Selling

Section Two – Understanding the Consumer

Section Three – Developing Basic Selling Techniques

Section Four – Effective Selling Communications


Section 1 - The Theory of SellingBy the end of this section students should be

able to:

• Describe the difference between marketing and sales

• Demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of the selling function to the organisation

• Explain the links between sales, customer service and profitability


What is Marketing?

Marketing as defined by Brown in 1987:

‘The ability to create and keep profitable customers’


Three Fundamental Marketing Activities

1. Creating Customers

2. Keeping Customers

3. Profitability


An Overview of the Marketing Function

• Satisfying Customers

• Identifying and maximising opportunities

• Targeting the right customer

• Facilitating relationships

• Staying ahead in a dynamic environment

• Beating the competition

• Achieving stakeholder requirements


The Marketing Mix - 4Ps

Product Availability. What is it?

Price How much does it cost? What discounts are available? Can I offer discounts?

Place Where are these items / products available and when? What are the opening & closing time?

Promotion Who can help? Where are they located? What promotional material is available? What special offers are on?


Marketing

Marketing is a process that:

• Identifies

• Anticipates

• Satisfies customer requirements profitably

In other words having:

• The right product, in the right place, at the right time, at the right price


The Marketing Process

• Find out who your customers are

• Find out what your customers want

• Tell your customers how to get it

• Give your customers what they want

• Measure how successful the process has been


Marketing techniques undertaken by a marketing orientated organisation

• Carrying out Market Research

• Putting together promotions

• Ensuring a high standard of service

• Evaluating the success of what you have done


Definition of Sales

Sell (PERSUADE) • To persuade someone that (an idea or plan)

is a good one and likely to be successful

• from Cambridge International Dictionary of English

Sell (MONEY) • to give (a possession, product or service to

someone else) in return for money


Reasons for Marketing

To:• identify the target customer group

• make the right product for that target group

• ensure your promotional activities will appeal to that target group

• raise the customer's awareness of your existing products

• inform the customer of new products

• find out which promotional activities worked and which did not


Sales and Marketing ActivitiesMarket Segmentation

• Age

• Sex

• Tastes / life styles / fashions

• Activities e.g. work / hobbies

• Wealth / income

All of these factors will influence:

• What your customer is prepared to buy

• How much they are prepared to spend

• What style they would buy


Reasons for Promoting the Product

• Letting people know about a new product

• Raising awareness of an existing product

• Informing people of a special offer

• A means of obtaining more business in quieter periods

• A means of increasing customer spending

• A means of attracting a particular type of customer

• A means of generating more return business


Types of Sales Promotion

• Vouchers

• Discounts

• Free drinks

• Loyalty bonus

• Buy one get one free

• Two meals for the price of one

• Get the cheapest meal free


Choosing the Most AppropriateForm of Advertising

• Banners

• Chalkboards

• Promotional flyers

• Media advertisements

• Word of mouth

• Recommendations

• Direct marketing

• Public relations


The Benefits of Good Customer Service and Selling

• Getting repeat business

• Customers telling others and introducing new customers

• Reduce selling Costs

• Increased profitability

• Selling add-on’s

• Selling-up


Effective Selling Leads to Greater Customer Satisfaction

Good selling can achieve the following:

• Repeat business

• New customers

• Reduced costs

• Increased profitability

• Increased customer insight

• Increased average sales


The Selling Cycle

The selling cycle consists of three stages:

1. Presale

2. Sale

3. Post Sale


The Selling Cycle stage one – pre-selling

• Pre-selling involves finding new customers

• Preparation and planning – utilising selling time effectively


The Selling Cycle stage two – The Sale

The sale will involve four key stages:

1. Sales presentation – either formal or informal

2. Handling objections

3. Negotiation

4. Closing the sale


The Selling Cycle stage three –Post-Sale

• The importance of getting the order

• Delivering the order to the right place at the right time

• Making sure that the customer buys from you again

• Encourage customer retention


Section 2 - The Importance of Understanding Customers

At the end of this section students should be able to:

• Explain the stages a customer goes through in order to make a buying decision

• Demonstrate an understanding of customer requirements in a variety of selling situations

• Use a range of different question techniques to understand customer needs


Understanding AIDA(S)

Attention A Gaining attentionInterest I Stimulating interestDesire D Creating a desire to buyAction A Generating action – a purchase

decisionSatisfaction S Post-purchase feeling


The Stages of the Buying Process

Need recognition and problem solving AInformation search IEvaluation of alternatives DMake purchase decision APost-purchase stage S


Features and Benefits

Feature is a technical description of a product

Benefit is a description of how the product will benefit the customer – must match their motive for buying.


Some Buyer Motives

• Fashion

• Price

• Desire

• Comfort

• Distress

• Need

• Pleasure

• Value for money


Using Questions to Understand Buyers

• How do you feel about it?

• How does that strike you?

• Are you happy with this option?

• What would you like to do?


The Art of Good Questioning• Open and Closed Questions

– Open questions designed to solicit information

– Close questions designed to get specific answers

• Soft and Hard Questions

– Hard questions refer to specific and indisputable facts

– Soft questions aim to seek opinions rather than

hard facts


Using Questions to Understand Customers

• Questions infer information

• Use questions to get the customer to tell you more about them

• Use questions to influence perception

• Use questions to discover more about the customer


Section 3 – Developing Basic Sales TechniquesBy the end of this section students should be

able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of selling

• Realise the importance of being proactive within a selling role

• Describe products and service benefits to customers

• Handle selling objections

• Explain how to close a sale


Proactive and Re-active Selling

Proactive Selling

- taking an active interest in selling

- taking an active planning role

- taking every possible opportunity to sell

Re-active selling

- Ad-hoc as opposed to planned

- Reacting to customer requests

- Not grasping every sales opportunity


Add-on’s

• New car mats

• New seat covers

• Specialised gear knobs

• Steering wheel cover

• Special mirrors

• Tow bar

Add-on’s are those products which can be sold over and

above those originally purchased by the customer that

might be of benefit to them – including:


Descriptive selling

• When you describe a product to a customer it needs to be done in such a way as to make it sound more appealing by the use of appropriate adjectives

• For example, roast chicken could be described as tender or succulent


Up-selling

• Up-selling is selling a product of higher value or profitability than the one requested by the customer.

• For example selling a 28” Flat Screen TV and

then going digital!


Substitute Selling

Watch, listen – question… to discover the customer’s motives and needs

Explain …that the products or services are unavailable and why

Select…an alternative

Describe…the product or service, using appropriate benefits and

adjectives

Reinforce…the customer’s decision to buy the alternative product


Substitute Selling continued

For example:

• "I am really sorry but the size you wanted has proved very popular today and as a result we have temporarily run out……However I can highly recommend a new range which has just arrived into the store today.….. I think you will really like them"


Lack of Product / Service Knowledge

If you do not have a good product knowledge you will:

• Look stupid in front of your customer

• Not be able to offer your customer advice

• Not be able to answer customers questions

• Not be able to communicate effectively


Advising Customers on Products and Services

Being able to advise customers about products or services

helps us to:

• Feel more confident

• Make good recommendations

• Match customers needs to products / services

• Describe the product / service benefits


Examples of Products and Services You Should Know About!

• Your own department

• Other departments

• Leisure facilities

• Catering facilities

• Technical facilities

• Services – local facilities

• Local attractions

• Meeting facilities


The Importance of Knowing About the Marketing Mix

Always be ready to answer questions on:

• The Products and services available – What are they?

• The Price – how much it costs. What discounts are available?

• The Place – Where are the products / services available from?

• Promotion – What special offers are there and what promotional material is available?


Handling Objections

The three most common objections are:

1. Price

2. Products features and benefits not meeting customer needs

3. A lack of understanding of the product and customer needs


3 Steps Involved in Closing the Sale

1. Clarify your understanding of customer needs

2. See if there are any other areas you can help with

3. Propose an appropriate commitment


Getting Commitment

Get the customer to confirm that they are going to buy by

showing some kind of commitment.

Such as:

• Paying in full

• Leaving a deposit

• Placing an order


After Sales Service Enables You to:• Check that the customer has received their

order

• Clarify that the customer is happy with the product / service they received

• Check out the quality of the product – use questions to clarify their perception of the product

• Use it as an opportunity to take repeat bookings / further sales


Customer Service Department

Their responsibilities include:

• Direct customer contact

• Ensuring orders are processed

• Chasing orders

• Dealing with customer queries and problems

• Dealing with customer complaints

• Keeping a record of sales and other statistics


Benefits of keeping records

• Records can help forecast future business

• Keeping a record of how many responses you had to a particular promotional activity can tell you which ones worked and which did not

• Records can tell you which products are the most successful


Section 4 – Effective Selling Communications

By the end of this section students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of using effective communications in selling situations

• Explain how to recognise a customer’s response in selling situations

• Identify the most appropriate questioning and listening techniques within selling

• Explain how to handle difficult communication situations


Combined Use of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communications

7%Actual words

38%Voice, tone, pitch, pace and quality

55% body language


Using Your Voice Effectively

• Stay calm, clear and do not raise your voice

• Avoid the use of harsh or high-pitched tones

• Avoid over usage of your voice

• Keep your voice steady and level

• Do not let your voice rise and show frustration


Positive and Negative Use of Body Language

• Eye Movements – making eye-to-eye contact

• Facial expressions – conveys mixed messages

• Posture –open to misinterpretation

• Gestures – involves the use of hands, arms and shoulders

• Physical Evidence – first impressions of appearance and opinions are formed


Some Suggestions for Becoming a Better Listener• Adapting your behaviour

• Creating a good listening environment

• Concentrate on what the buyer is saying

• Let the customer talk 80% of the time

• Pay attention to non-verbal clues

• Make notes

• When all else fails ‘Shut up and listen’


Key Skills to Use When Listening

• Paraphrasing

• Reflecting on implications of what the customer has said

• Reflecting the underlying feelings

• Being non-evaluative


Positive Aspects of ListeningListening provides us with information that allows us to:

• Act quickly and appropriately

• Deal with objections effectively

• Demonstrate our interest in our customers and their business

• Establish feelings and attitudes

• Establish a rapport with the customer

• Identify new opportunities

• Provide a basis for further questioning

• Understand problems


How the Telephone is Useful

• A good basis for customer care

• Very useful for selling

• Good for making arrangements

• A useful method for gathering information

• Looking for new customers

• Solving customer selling problems


Advantages and Disadvantages of Telephone Selling

Some advantages of telephone selling:• It is more cost effective• It can be used almost anywhere in the

world• It is a convenient method of

communication

Some disadvantages of telephone selling:

• The phone does not provide a lasting record of communication and there is no visual impact

• People hang-up if they do not want to talk to you


Key Success Points for Telephone Selling

Always:

• Answer the phone promptly and courteously

• Call the customer by name

• Explain who you are and what you are calling for

• Deal with specific customer queries

• Ask if you can be of any further assistance

• Respond to messages


Hints for Telephone Selling• Always identify yourself and your company

• Try to make friends with your customer

• Make an interesting comment – i.e. value for money, cost savings etc

• Deliver your sales messages

• Overcome objections when they arise

• Close the sale

• Action agreement, express thanks and follow-up


Handling Communication Problems

Ensure you do the following:

• Observe customer behaviour – verbal and non-verbal

• Listen – repeat and confirm

• Non-verbal communications – use signs and gestures wisely to create understanding

• Use questions to find out more about what customers want and what they are trying to ask for

• Be culturally aware

When dealing with customers communication breakdown can

occur.


Test Instruction

• Use the separate answer sheet provided.

• Complete this section using black or blue ink

only.

• Mark your choice of answer by filling in the circles (a or b).

• Cancel an incorrect answer by filling in the ‘cancel’ bar beneath the circle you have marked. If you change your mind again; fill in the ‘cancel’ bar beneath the new answer and draw a neat circle around the original answer.


Test Instruction continued

• Do not enter marks in the bottom section of the paper.

• Do not make any marks in any part of the paper other than the circles (a or b) and the section with the boxes for your personal details. If you do, the marking machine will be unable to mark your paper properly, thus affecting your score.

• Use a pen with black or blue ink only.

Documents

Slide No. 1 Level 1 Introductory Certificate in Selling 7015-15 City & Guilds