Chapter 16

Territorial Sales Force Structure

A sales force organization that assigns each salesperson to an exclusive geographic territory in which that salesperson sells the company's full line

Product Sales Force Structure

A sales force organization under which salespeople specialize in selling only a portion of the company's products or lines

Customer Sales Force Structure

A sales force organization under which salespeople specialize in selling only to certain customers or industries

Sales Quota

A standard that states the amount a salesperson should sell and how sales should be divided among the company's products

Salesperson

An individual representing a company to customers by performing one or more of the following activities: Prospecting, Communicating, Selling, Servicing, Information Gathering, and Relationship Building

Inside Sales Force

Inside salespeople who conduct business from their offices via telephone, the offices via telephone, the Internet, or visits from prospective buyers

Outside Sales Force (field sales force)

Outside salespeople who travel to call on customers in the field

Personal Selling

Personal presentation by the firm's sales force for the purpose of making sales and building customer relationship

Sales Promotion

Short-term incentives to encourage the purchase or sale of a product or service

Sales Force Management

The analysis, planning, implementation, or control of sales force activities. It includes designing sales force strategy and structure and recruiting, selecting, training, supervising, compensating, and evaluating the firm's salespeople

Follow-up

The last step in the selling process in which the salesperson follows up after the sale to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business

Closing

The step in the selling process in which the salesperson asks the customer for an order

Prospecting

The step in the selling process in which the salesperson identifies qualified potential customers

Pre-approach

The step in the selling process in which the salesperson learns as much as possible about a prospective customer before making a sales call

Approach

The step in the selling process in which the salesperson meets the customer for the first time

Handling Objections

The step in the selling process in which the salesperson seeks out, clarifies, and overcomes customer objections to buying

Presentation

The step in the selling process in which the salesperson tells the "product story" to the buyer, highlighting customer benefits

Selling Process

The steps that the salesperson follows when selling, which include prospecting and qualifying, pre-approach, approach, presentation and demonstration, handling objections, closing, and follow-up.

Team Selling

Using teams of people from sales, marketing, engineering, finance, technical support, and even upper management to service large, complex accounts