Salesmanship – Methods of Sales Promotion

In the words of G.Black “Salesmanship consists of wining the buyer’s confidence for the sellers goods, thereby wining a regular and permanent customer”.  With the revolution in the means of transport, the importance of sales functions has further increased. Goods are produced not only for selling in the home market, but also in other different countries of the world. There for manufacturers faces stiff competition. The Success of Business now depends as to how well the goods are sold in the market. Salesmanship thus is a life blood of a business and is an attempt to induce people to buy goods. There is a difference between selling and a salesmanship. Selling in the business refers to the process of transfer of goods or the services to a buyer in exchange of money. On the other hand, salesmanship is the ability to persuade people to buy goods and services. It is an art of persuasion.

Methods of Sales Promotion

There are various methods which are used by the producer to increase his sales. These methods of sales promotion are as under:-

• Advertising
• Free samples.
• Price reduction.
• Competition
• Free gifts.

1. Advertising

The main object of advertising is to increase sales through different media, create demand for new products, provide information to the consumers about the change in the nature of the product and project a favorable image of the company to the consumers etc. In short advertising is an effective tool for promoting sales of a goods or service in the market.

2. Free samples

If a good is cheap and has a wide market, it can be introduced by disturbing it free to the people on a particular shops and purchase points in the market. This technique of sales promotion may help you to get better results in the market for a longer period of time, and infect it is a great way to introduce new products in the market. Tea was introduced in the subcontinent by giving free packets to the people.

3. Price reduction

Price reduction is another effective technique of sales promotion, the Bata Shoe Company, Service Shoe Company and other retailers announce price reduction on different goods in a particular month of the year.

4. Competition

The producers sometime organize competitions among themselves to increase sales. A price reduction or discount on the purchase of 10 packets of goods, etc is a way to not only increase sales, but also give tough time to their competitors.

5. Free gifts

In order to promote sales, the manufacturers sometimes give free gifts to the consumers. E.g. a teaspoon is placed in the packet of the surf and is given free to the final consumers. This is also one of the useful methods of sales promotion.

Importance of Salesmanship

The importance of salesmanship to the manufacturers, consumers and the community is discussed given below with the help of following points:-

1. Creation of demand

Salesmanship creates demand for the goods. This leads to increase in production and increase in profits to the manufacturers.

2. Improvements in the products

The salesmen are in direct touch with the consumers suggestions, impressions and complaints about the product are easily brought to the notice to the producers. This brings improvements in the products.

3. Increase in the rate of turnover of goods

Due to salesmanship, the rate of turnover of goods is increased. This leads to increased business activity and reduced unsold stock of goods.

4. Help in selection of goods

Consumers get useful information from the salesman about the quality of the goods. This enables them to select the right type of goods.

5. Increase employment opportunities

Effective salesmanship increase business activity in the country. This leads to increased employment opportunities, and thus increased in sales.

6. Lucrative career

Salesmanship is a lucrative career for intelligent Young-man and women.

Principals of Success in Salesmanship

Salesmanship is highly skilled profession. A sales individual is a person, who is to learn the art of inducing prospectus to buy goods, which benefits both the seller and the buyer. A salesman before entering this profession must be a carefully scholar in the principals of success in salesmanship.

The main principals of success in salesmanship are as follow:-

• Knowledge of Self.
• Knowledge of the product.
• Knowledge of company.
• Knowledge of customers
• Knowledge of technique of selling.

1. Should be Confident and Knowledgeable

A promotional salesman should have a fair assessment of himself. He should be conscious of his good points in persuading the customer to purchase the goods.

2. Knowledge of the product

A successful salesman should have full knowledge of the nature of the product. He should be well equipped to answer the questions about the quality, prices, usefulness, comparison with other similar products etc. raised by the customers.

3. Knowledge of company

A salesman is required to have full information about the product and the company, which he represents. A customer is impressed if the company has a long standing in trade and is operated to achieve twin objectives of profit and service.

4. Knowledge of customers

An effective salesman handles customer very carefully. As customers have different tastes, habits like and dislikes, a rational salesman therefore, deals with them according to the requirements of the situation. A salesman should read the liking and disliking of the product by the customer from his facial expression also.

5. Knowledge of technique of selling

There are numerous techniques of promoting the sales of a product. As a salesman, you should have a thorough knowledge about the various techniques of selling.