Demonstrate Personal Selling Skills

Section 1: Understanding Personal Selling

Personal selling is a form of direct communication between a sales person and a customer.
It involves a personal interaction, where the sales person tries to persuade the customer to buy a product or service.
Personal selling is highly important in a sales role, as it helps to build relationships, improve customer satisfaction and ultimately drive sales.

Section 2: Demonstrating Product Knowledge

In personal selling, sales representatives should have in-depth knowledge of the product or service they are selling.
This knowledge includes understanding the product’s features, benefits, uses, and the problems it solves for customers.
Confidence in your product knowledge allows you to confidently answer customer queries and provide convincing proofs to persuade the customer.

Section 3: Building Relationships

Building a good relationship with a customer is a key part of personal selling.
This requires strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to empathise with customer needs, establish trust and engage in meaningful conversation.
Over time, these relationships can increase customer loyalty and drive repeat business.

Section 4: Using Persuasive Techniques

Persuasive techniques are vital in personal selling to influence customers to make a purchase.
These techniques may include stating the importance of the product, linking the product to the customer’s needs, or addressing any objections the customer might have.
The use of such techniques requires the sales person to have a strong ability to persuade and convince others.

Section 5: Closing the Sale

As the ultimate goal of personal selling is to sell a product or service, sales staff need to be able to close the sale effectively.
This involves recognising when the customer is ready to purchase and being able to conclude the transaction smoothly.
A successful closure not only results in a sale, but also leaves the customer feeling satisfied, increasing the likelihood of repeat business.

Section 6: Enhancing Communication Skills

As personal selling is a form of direct communication, good communication skills are fundamental to effective selling.
This includes being able to clearly explain complex information, listen attentively to customer needs and objections, and respond appropriately.
Strong communication is key to developing a good relationship with customers and convincing them to make a purchase.

Section 7: Handling Objections

As part of the personal selling process, sales staff may have to deal with customer objections or concerns.
Effective handling of objections involves acknowledging the customer’s concern, providing a suitable response or solution, and re-establishing the benefits of the product.
Honing this skill is essential in personal selling, as it improves the likelihood of converting objections into sales.