Assam ASSEB HS Sales Management & Advertising key terms

Face-to-face or direct interaction between a salesperson and a prospective buyer, aimed at persuading the buyer to purchase and building a continuing relationship rather than a single transaction.

Planning, directing and controlling the personal selling effort of a firm, including setting goals, designing the sales force, and evaluating results against targets.

The skill of influencing a buyer's decision through communication, product knowledge and relationship building, treated as a learnable ability rather than an inborn trait.

A selling approach that prioritises long-term customer retention and repeat business over closing an immediate sale, relying on trust, service and ongoing contact.

The ordered stages a salesperson moves through with a buyer, typically prospecting, pre-approach, approach, presentation, handling objections, closing and follow-up.

Searching for and identifying potential buyers who have a need, the ability to pay and the authority to buy, so that selling effort is directed at realistic candidates.

A prospect confirmed to meet agreed criteria such as need, budget, decision-making authority and readiness, and therefore worth a salesperson's time.

Preparation before contacting a prospect, gathering information about the buyer's needs, the buying situation and the best way to open the conversation.

A structured communication in which the salesperson explains how a product's features and benefits satisfy the buyer's identified needs, often supported by demonstrations or visual aids.

Translating a product's factual characteristics into the practical advantages and personal value a buyer will gain, so the buyer sees relevance rather than specifications alone.

Responding to a buyer's doubts, hesitations or stated reasons for not buying, by clarifying, providing evidence and reframing the offer without becoming argumentative.

The stage at which the salesperson seeks a commitment or decision from the buyer, using techniques such as trial closes, summarising benefits or offering a choice.

Support given after purchase such as delivery, installation, warranty, training and complaint handling, which protects customer satisfaction and encourages repeat buying and referrals.

The structure through which selling activities are divided, coordinated and supervised, defining reporting lines, territories and responsibilities within the sales function.

The managerial work of building and running a sales team: setting objectives, structuring roles, recruiting, training, motivating, supervising and evaluating salespeople.

A defined geographic or customer-based area assigned to a salesperson or team, used to allocate workload fairly and to fix accountability for results.

The number of subordinates a sales manager directly supervises; a wide span reduces managerial layers but limits individual coaching and monitoring.

A method of sizing a sales force by grouping customers into classes, estimating call frequency per class, and dividing total required calls by calls one salesperson can make.

Attracting a pool of applicants for sales vacancies through internal and external sources, so that selection can choose from an adequate number of suitable candidates.

Screening and evaluating applicants through application forms, interviews, tests and reference checks to identify those most likely to succeed in the sales role.

A written statement of the duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships and working conditions of a sales position, forming the basis for recruitment, selection and training.

Planned instruction that develops a salesperson's product knowledge, selling skills, market understanding and company procedures, delivered at induction and refreshed throughout the career.

The incentives and conditions that energise salespeople to pursue targets, including commission, bonuses, recognition, contests and opportunities for advancement.

The mix of salary, commission, bonus and benefits paid to salespeople, designed to attract and retain staff while directing effort towards desired selling outcomes.

An estimate of future sales volume or value over a stated period, based on past data, market conditions and sales force input, used for planning and target setting.

A performance target assigned to a salesperson, territory or product for a period, expressed in units, value or activity measures and used for motivation and control.

A financial plan estimating expected sales revenue and the costs of achieving it for a period, providing the standard against which actual selling performance is compared.

Monitoring actual selling results against plans, quotas and budgets, analysing variances and taking corrective action to keep the sales effort on target.

Paid, non-personal communication about a product, service or idea, delivered through mass media by an identified sponsor to influence a large audience.

The channels used to carry advertising messages to audiences, such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, outdoor sites and digital platforms.

Deciding which media and specific vehicles to use, when and how often, so that the advertising message reaches the target audience efficiently within the available budget.

The number or percentage of different people in a target audience exposed to an advertising message at least once during a stated period.

The average number of times a person in the target audience is exposed to an advertising message within a stated period, used alongside reach to judge scheduling pressure.

The written and spoken words of an advertisement, including headline, body text, slogan and call to action, crafted to attract attention and persuade the audience.

The most prominent line of words in an advertisement, written to stop the reader, convey the main appeal and draw attention into the rest of the message.

The arrangement of headline, illustration, body copy, logo and white space in an advertisement, guiding the reader's eye and giving the message a coherent visual order.

A four-stage description of how advertising works on a buyer: gaining Attention, arousing Interest, creating Desire and prompting Action.

The amount a firm allocates to advertising over a period, set by methods such as percentage of sales, competitive parity, affordability or objective-and-task.

A budgeting approach that defines advertising objectives, specifies the tasks needed to achieve them, and estimates the cost of those tasks to arrive at the budget.

The degree to which an advertisement achieves its intended communication or sales goals, assessed through measures such as recall, recognition, attitude change and sales response.

Principles of honesty, decency and fairness that govern advertising content and practice, guarding against misleading claims, offensive portrayals and exploitation of vulnerable audiences.