Fundamental Principles of Personal Selling Essay

Fundamental Principles of Personal Selling - Essay Example Many salespeople will use previous customer sales lists. The second fundamental principle is communicating. By continually keeping customers that have a history with the company, or, through cold calling potential customers, up to date on the latest products or services that are being offered by the company, there is a higher chance of that salesperson having repeat or new clients. It is important to keep communication up as existing customers will quickly turn to the competitor if they feel that they are not being given special information or deals by their history of business dealings. The third fundamental principle is actually selling. This means that a sales pitch can be done over the phone or through a walk-in client. By providing "eye" contact and body language that shows interest in the customer only and answering questions that the customer may have, without the customer repeating the question, will enhance the probability of closing a deal. It is said that in the first 30 seconds upon walking in a store, the customer will or will not walk out that door depending on how they are greeted or if they are greeted at all. The fourth fundamental principle is in the servicing of the customer by helping the customer with any post-sale questions, service questions with respect to the product and providing support prior to delivery of the product, as well as guiding them toward relying on the warranty and service department when they have a problem. The fifth fundamental principle is information gathering during the sale of the product in an effort to gauge future sales and help in the "marketing planning process" (Tutor2U, n.d.). This will also help in earmarking the existing customer for future purchases based on the product they have bought. The sixth and final fundamental principle is allocating. This is an important factor in the personal selling profession in that if a salesperson is not on top of the current inventory or inventory that is coming in at a certain time, it may be necessary to advise the client and then "decide how the stock should be allocated". (Tutor2U, n.d.) Advantages and Disadvantages As personal selling is very much an involved and personal activity (face to face), the potential buyer or existing customer demand a certain level of personal attention and it is important for that salesperson to be privy to this entire concept or they will face certain disparagement by fellow sales staff. This can lead to loss of sales and market share for the company. Conclusion Personal selling in itself has the potential to make or break a person. The main advantages of personal selling include: "a) the sales message can be customized to meet the needs of the customer; b)