Marketing An Introduction Chapter 13

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.

Event marketing

Creating a brand-marketing event or serving as a sole or participating sponsor of events created by others.

Selling process

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

Territorial sales force structure

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

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 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 relationships.

Presentation

The step in the selling process in which the salesperson tells the "value story" to the buyer, showing how the company's offer solves the customer's problems.

Consumer promotions

Sales promotion tools used to boost short-term customer buying and involvement or to enhance long-term customer relationships.

Business promotions

Sales promotion tools used to generate business leads, stimulate purchases, reward customers, and motivate salespeople.

Trade promotions

Sales promotion tools used to persuade resellers to carry a brand, give it shelf space, promote it in advertising, and push it to consumers.

Sales promotion

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

Sales force management

The analysis, planning, implementation, and 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.

Preapproach

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.

Prospecting

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

Handling objections

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

Team selling

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