Personal Selling: Helping Customers Solve Problems
Many people are under the impression that in marketing, there are no right and wrong answers. Each decision is based on the marketer’s personal opinion. In reality, that is not true. There are consequences to each decision and as a result, there are right and wrong decisions. In each of the cases, there are right and wrong answers. When answering a question, unless the question states, “in your opinion,” the answer relates to specific information that can be found. Paper must be at least 2 pages, font size of 12, times new roman, and double-spaced. If you find that your case is less than that, you are definitely missing something. Complete and submit the following case assignment: Assignment: Answer questions 1-4. 1. Using questions in the sales presentation Approach can achieve certain objectives. Identify those objectives and their importance to the overall sales process. What type(s) of question(s) does Michael ask, identify and describe two of them. 2. Does Michael use the SELL sequence and FAB in his presentation? If you believe so, identify 2 instances. Describe the scenario. 3. In your opinion, which sales presentation method did Michael use? Explain your answer and describe specific examples to support your answer. 4. Explain the Customer Benefit Plan and describe if Michael used it in his presentation. If he did use it, describe the specific points he makes.
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Personal Selling: Helping Customers Solve Problems
Response to question 1
The use of questions in the sales presentation approach can achieve certain objectives including the following: first, it allows the salesperson to have a proper understanding of client’s situation, their objectives and their goals, and how the salesperson’s offering would address these issues. These will then become the talking point of the sales person and focus of his/her sales presentation; hence it is important in the overall sales process. Secondly, when the salesperson asks questions during the sales presentation, he does so to try to assist the customer/prospect find solutions to the problems they are facing. Thirdly, asking questions helps to make the sales presentation appear conversational. It serves to change the tone as well as dynamics of the sales presentation and gives it more impact.
Fourthly, it enables the sales person to properly understand the client and helps to clear any doubt or misunderstanding that the sales person might be having regarding the client and/or the situation. This is particularly important since it allows both the customer/prospect and the salesperson to be on the same page regarding the situation. The types of questions that Michael asks are basically the why, what and how questions. For instance, he asks: (i) what are your thoughts in terms of image? What do you want our firm to say about your company? (i) Why are those particular images important to convey at Netcon? These questions are important since they help Michael to understand the needs of the client/prospect.
Response to question 2
The sales person has not used SELL Sequence or FAB in the sales presentation. The SELL Sequence basically entails: S – Show Feature: the product’s physical characteristics; E – Explaining the advantage of the product: the product’s performance characteristics; L – Lead into benefit: the result of the advantage; L – Letting the client talk: ask opinion queries (Cant & Heerden, 2009). FAB selling is when the sales person describes his/her product’s feature advantage benefits. The Feature is simply a feature of the product which might be just the same as those of other rival companies. To move toward the customer seeing the value in the seller’s product, the sales person would next articulate the advantage of the products’ features, and this will move the customer closer to seeing the value. Thirdly, the sales person describes the benefit of the advantage the customer would experience that directly relates to t...