There are sellers who take orders when the customer comes to them (the seller at the counter of a store), and there are sellers who must go out to find the customer.
All salespeople must be creative to achieve their goal, but especially those who must go out and find their customers. A salesperson has the ability to make people do what they would not do spontaneously.
The main functions of a salesperson
Professors Thomas C. Kinnear and Kenneth Bernhardt organize the functions of a salesperson in three great phases or stages: preparation, argumentation and transaction.
Throughout the three phases, every seller must fulfill the following functions:
1- Know your product
The first function that a seller must fulfill is to investigate the characteristics, functions, uses and possibilities of the product or service that he intends to sell.
You must also know the policies and organizational culture traits that describe the manufacturing company.
This point is important, since people expect a salesperson to be familiar with the promotional messages, offers and slogans of what they sell.
Only by knowing very well what you sell will you be able to highlight its benefits and detect how to improve possible failures.
Another issue that a seller must master is that of the conditions of sale. This will allow you to offer an option that is favorable to both parties to the negotiation.
Knowing your product also implies knowing in depth the competition that it may have in the market.
2- Advise potential buyers
A good salesperson advises clients and potential buyers on how that product or service will meet their needs.
Likewise, you must inform them about how to use it to obtain the best results, where to go in case of doubts or faults and where to look for spare parts and / or accessories.
A well cared for and advised customer will be a loyal buyer and an ambassador for the brand or product, so this task requires very particular personal skills.
3- Sell
Of course, it is necessary for a salesperson to actually sell the product or service he is in charge of.
It is imperative that you sell as many units as you are capable in the shortest time possible, but you must do it with care and quality so that they are effective sales; that is to say, that they are paid and that they satisfy the client's need.
There are times when the seller is not directly the collector. In case it is, it is important that you handle the accounts properly so that you do not make mistakes that affect any of the parties.
4- Build customer loyalty
It is about striving to establish a real connection between the customer and the company.
This link is created by trying to understand the true needs of customers and doing everything possible to help them in solving the problems that the use of the product causes.
At this point it is crucial that the salesperson dedicates himself to understanding the root of the problem so that he can provide real solutions. Likewise, you must take into account the conditions of the company in the implementation of that solution.
Ideally, the sale is repeated and that requires the seller to monitor the evolution of the customer's consumption.
The seller is advised to draw up a detailed list of his customers with personal information that allows him to know and understand them better.
In fact, in the market there are automated systems called Customers Relationship Marketing (CRM), which allow you to manage this information in a faster and more efficient way.
The usual thing is that the seller has a "territory" assigned. It is your duty to plan actions so that the clients located there remain satisfied and recommend to others.
5- Attract new customers
A seller usually has sales goals within a defined time frame. That goal typically includes the number of clients you expect to have by the end of the period. This role involves approaching new territories (physical or virtual) where you can find potential buyers.
The seller must find the market niche that his product or service is missing to change that situation. Each improvement or modification that the product undergoes allows a new group of potential buyers to be generated.
The seller must bring them closer to the benefits of the product or service so that they finish making the purchase decision.
The seller must be an active search for new sales opportunities and can use the tools that work best for him.
For example, it could be useful to get new customers to have a calendar of events related to the productive sector in which your product is located.
6- Offer after-sales service
Post-sale service, as its name implies, has to do with everything that the seller can do for the customer after the sale has been finalized.
This includes actions such as:
- Provide technical service.
- Report on improvements and / or complements.
- Provide guidance on solutions to problems with the product or service.
- Inform about the places where you should go for spare parts
- Inform about the existence of related products or services.
7- Give feedback to the company
Just as a salesperson is expected to inform the customer about all the ways in which he can make better use of the product or service, he is also expected to inform the company about everything that can contribute to improving sales.
You must communicate possible errors in the processes and propose the improvements that you consider appropriate and pertinent.
It must also provide data on the most common concerns among customers and the actions that the competition is implementing in the company. This means that the salesperson must work hand in hand with the company's marketing team. You must be an active participant in market research.
Your voice should be taken into account when planning changes to the product or its marketing terms.
8- Take care of your image
Another of the responsibilities of a seller is to take care of his own image, since he becomes the first contact with the customer. It is the face of the company.
Its image must be adapted to the corporate image and the clients it will serve.
Likewise, the company must seek continuous training that includes training in soft skills, such as knowing how to express oneself, having comfortable and professional styles of dress, among others.
9- Prepare and communicate a sales report
A salesperson must offer a report that reflects the results of his management in contrast to his objectives.
This report has a periodicity that the company defines and should reflect information related to:
- The seller's route.
- Clients served.
- Clients captured.
- Sold products.
- Collections made.
- Claims collected and / or resolved.
- Returned products.
Some characteristics of a good salesperson
Some of the qualities or characteristics that a person should possess in order to fully fulfill the functions of a seller are the following:
- Honesty.
- Customer orientation.
- Determination.
- Good attitude.
- Healthy self-esteem.
- Self-confidence.
- Enthusiasm.
- Perseverance.
- Empathy.
- Assertive communication.
- Ability to persuasion.
- Competitiveness.
- Identification with the company.
- Passion for his work.
