Marketing - a step further
Yvonne Harvey, Contributor

Hello again everyone. I do hope that you had a good week. This week's lesson is centred on selling, merchandising and adjustment of pricing policy. I hope you will enjoy it. I will begin with selling as a marketing strategy.

Selling

When goods or a service is sold, the ownership is transferred from the seller to the buyer, who will then utilise it. Selling is often referred to as personal selling because of the face-to-face nature of most types of selling.

In large companies, the sales force is headed by a sales manager. Small companies use freelance salesmen who sell the goods of more than one manufacturer. Salesmen are paid a salary, commission or a combination of both.

Qualities of a good salesman

A good salesman should:

• possess a thorough knowledge of his products
• understand human nature and the customers' points of view
• have energy and drive combined with courtesy and patience
• be outgoing and friendly
• have the ability to plan his day and his 'attack' so that time is not wasted
• the ability to see and understand how his competitors work
• be honest and persuasive
• be suitably dressed and groomed
• provide after-sales services.

Techniques of successful selling

Prospecting and qualifying - The salesperson seeks to identify prospective customers and qualify them by assessing such factors as income earned, financial stability and earning potential.

• Pre-approach - The salesperson seeks to discover as much as possible about the prospect.
• The approach - The appearance of the salesperson and his/her opening remarks is very important. The salesperson should not be overdressed and should talk on a mutually interesting topic before discussing the prospective sale. A general discussion puts the prospective buyer at ease.
• Presentation and demonstration - The salesperson listens to the problems of the client and finds a product to match his/her client's needs. Sometimes months of negotiation are necessary before a sale can be closed.
• Handling objections - The art of good salesmanship requires that objections be turned into positive factors in order to achieve a sale. In order to handle objections well, the salesperson must know the product well and understand the customers' needs.
• Closing the sale - The most critical part in the process. If the salesperson attempts to close the sale too soon, the customer will feel pressured and may end the whole transaction. If the salesperson takes too long to close the sale, the customer will lose interest.
• Follow-up - This takes place after the sale has been closed and includes after-sales services. It helps to maintain a good customer-firm relationship. The sale or the repeat sale may be lost if this important step is ignored.

Merchandising

This is one of the approaches to effective selling. It involves the displaying of goods rather than simply keeping them inside the shop or selling premises. The goods should be properly arranged so as to get easy access to each one or to a group. They should be placed where they can be easily seen.

Each article should be boldly marked with a price label and other markings to avoid prospective buyers having to ask too many questions. Merchandising gets rid of the necessity to employ a large number of shop assistants or sellers.

Prospective buyers can feel or touch goods or even try them out in order to ascertain their durability or suitability. Merchandising also facilitates self-service.

Market and street vendors are good examples of merchandising selling.

Disadvantages of merchandising

1. It often makes it easy for shoplifting to take place.

2. It allows for tampering of the goods. Many goods that are tampered with deteriorate easily or can be destroyed easily.

3. It sometimes clutters up small business places.

Adjustment of pricing policy

This is a means of ensuring effective selling by giving discounts (cash and quantity). Buyers are encouraged to purchase more, therefore, the rate of turnover and by extension the rate of profits increase.

Homework

It is very important especially today that persons in business endeavour to maintain a good customer-firm relationship. This is one of the areas of study on the syllabus.

Your task is to list the methods of maintaining a good customer-firm relationship.

Next week's lesson will begin with a discussion on the above and then proceed with other aspects of marketing. Bye for now.

Winner of the Literary Match Writing Contest and Brooklyn Technical High School student, Rachel Rigadon, reads with host and award-winning songwriter Starr. - Kay Stephens photo

Yvonne Harvey teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com