CHSE Odisha Elective Salesmanship key terms

The skill of persuading a prospective buyer to purchase a product or service through personal communication, combining product knowledge, understanding of customer needs and effective persuasion techniques.

Face-to-face or direct interactive communication between a salesperson and a prospective buyer, aimed at informing, persuading and closing a sale while building an ongoing relationship.

A four-stage description of how persuasive selling works: gaining Attention, arousing Interest, creating Desire and prompting Action. It guides the sequence of a sales presentation.

The systematic search for and identification of potential customers who have a need, ability to pay and authority to buy, forming the first step of the selling process.

Assessing a prospect against criteria such as need, purchasing power, authority and readiness so that sales effort is directed only at viable buyers.

The stage in which a salesperson gathers information about a qualified prospect and plans the approach, objectives and likely objections before making contact.

The initial contact a salesperson makes with a prospect, intended to secure attention, establish credibility and create a basis for the presentation.

The stage of the sales interaction in which the salesperson seeks the buyer's commitment or order, using techniques such as trial close, assumptive close or choice close.

A question or remark used during a presentation to test how ready the buyer is to purchase, without demanding a final decision, so the salesperson can adjust the pitch.

Post-sale contact by the salesperson to confirm satisfaction, resolve problems and encourage repeat purchase and referrals, strengthening the long-term customer relationship.

The formal structure through which a firm plans, staffs, directs and controls its selling activities, defining reporting lines, divisions and responsibilities of the sales function.

The number of salespeople or subordinates that one sales manager can effectively supervise and direct, influencing the number of management layers in a sales organisation.

The combination of financial and non-financial incentives, recognition, targets and working conditions used to direct salespeople's effort toward organisational sales goals.

The process of identifying, attracting and evaluating candidates for sales positions using application forms, interviews, tests and references to match people to selling roles.

Planned instruction that develops a salesperson's product knowledge, selling techniques, market understanding and communication skills, usually beginning with induction and continuing through refresher programmes.

The observable and mental activities people engage in when searching for, evaluating, purchasing, using and disposing of products and services they expect to satisfy their needs.

An inner drive or reason that impels a person to buy a product, which may be rational, such as economy and durability, or emotional, such as prestige and fear.

A group whose norms, values or behaviour an individual uses as a standard for comparison, influencing product choices and brand preferences through social pressure.

A person within a social group whose knowledge or judgement is respected and who informally influences the purchase decisions of other members.

The process by which a buyer selects, organises and interprets sensory information about products and brands, so that the same message may be understood differently by different customers.

A buyer's tendency to notice only a small fraction of the marketing messages they encounter, screening out most stimuli and focusing on those relevant to current needs.

Buyer doubt or regret experienced after a purchase, especially for expensive or hard-to-reverse decisions, which sellers reduce through reassurance, follow-up and after-sales service.

A structured communication in which a salesperson explains a product's features, advantages and benefits to a prospect and links them to the prospect's identified needs.

A way of translating product features into advantages and then into benefits that matter to the buyer, making the sales message relevant rather than merely descriptive.

Showing a product in use or performing its functions so that the prospect can see, try and believe its value, often making abstract claims concrete and credible.

The skill of listening to a buyer's doubts or resistance, clarifying the real concern and responding with evidence and reassurance without becoming defensive.

Paid, non-personal communication about a product, brand or organisation delivered through mass media to a large audience, aiming to inform, persuade or remind.

Short-term incentives such as discounts, coupons, free samples, contests and displays used to stimulate quicker or larger purchases by consumers or trade buyers.

Push directs promotional effort through intermediaries to resell the product, while pull builds consumer demand so that buyers ask intermediaries for it; both often work together.

An estimate of the sales volume or revenue expected in a future period, based on past data, market conditions and judgement, used for planning and budgeting.

A performance target assigned to a salesperson, territory or product, expressed in units, revenue or activity measures, used to motivate and evaluate sales effort.

A defined geographic area or group of accounts assigned to a salesperson or team, created to allocate effort, control costs and clarify responsibility for customers.

The set of intermediaries, such as wholesalers, distributors and retailers, through which goods move from producer to final consumer or business buyer.

Selling directly to final consumers in shops or online stores, where the salesperson helps customers compare, choose and buy, often with limited time and no prior appointment.

Laws, institutions and practices that safeguard buyers against unfair trade practices, defective goods, misleading claims and deficient services, and provide redressal of grievances.

Selling that is honest, transparent and respectful of the buyer's interests, avoiding false claims, high-pressure tactics, bribery and exploitation of vulnerable customers.

Advertising that gives false or exaggerated information about a product's quality, price, origin or benefits, or omits material facts, thereby deceiving consumers.

A long-term approach in which the salesperson builds trust and mutual value with customers, prioritising repeat business and referrals over one-off transactions.

The use of databases and software to record customer contacts, preferences and purchase history, helping salespeople personalise service and manage relationships systematically.

Influence on buying that spreads through informal conversations among customers and contacts, including online reviews and social sharing, and which salespeople can encourage through satisfaction.