Personal selling is a business strategy characterized by direct communication between clients and the sales team. The process is usually conducted by salespersons either face-to-face or through online platforms to provide relevant information to customers regarding a product (Firmansyah et al., 2019). A breakdown of all the steps involved in this strategy and how it enhances customer engagement and relationship building forms the basis of discussion for this paper.
Prospecting is usually the first step and involves the sales team identifying potential clients. Online research is largely used at this phase to identify potential clients. Secondly, the pre-approach phase is initiated with a view of meeting the potential client when fully prepared. The salesperson practices proper presentation skills depending on the type of client or his business. This is followed by the approach stage, whereby the salesperson makes first contact with the client. The former may ask a question to clarify whether his product will solve the client’s problems. Fourthly, the presentation allows the sales team to demonstrate their products to clients while ensuring all customer needs to be raised in the previous stages are addressed (Putra et al., 2021). Dealing with objections enables the sales team to clarify misconceptions held by the client and usually ranks fifth in the process.
The deal is then closed with payments before the salesperson conducts a follow-up to ensure the client is fully satisfied with the purchase. In-person interaction between customers and the sales team provides the former with reliable information about the products being offered. The process enables them to share their experiences and speculations. Additionally, personal selling enables clients to receive maximum attention from the sales team, making transactions more client-centered.
References
Firmansyah, F., Margono, S., Rohman, F., & Khusniyah, N. (2019). The concept and steps of personal selling. In 2018 International Conference on Islamic Economics and Business (ICONIES 2018) (pp. 225-232). Atlantis Press.
Putra, I. A., Astuti, H. Z., & Fadhli, K. (2021). The effect of personal selling and consumer behavior on purchasing decisions Yakult in Mojokerto. INCOME: Innovation of Economics and Management, 1(2), 50-55.