Personal Selling and the Selling Process
Personal selling is face-to-face or remote interactive selling; the selling process is the sequence from finding prospects to post-sale follow-up. The exam tests stage order, the purpose of each stage and the skills used.
The seven-stage process
- Prospecting and qualifying: identify leads and check need, authority, ability to pay and eligibility.
- Pre-approach: research the buyer, plan call objectives and prepare materials.
- Approach: secure attention and establish rapport.
- Presentation and demonstration: match benefits to needs and involve the buyer's senses.
- Objection handling: clarify and resolve concerns.
- Close: ask for commitment using trial, assumptive or alternative closes.
- Follow-up: delivery, installation, satisfaction, repeat business and referrals.
Worked example
A laptop salesperson sees a college student looking at a display model. She asks about course requirements (approach and probing), demonstrates battery life and warranty (presentation), answers "It is too costly" by comparing three-year total cost (objection handling), offers a student bundle and asks which colour (alternative close), then calls after a week to check setup (follow-up). Identifying these stages earns marks; naming them without the scenario does not.
Traps
Do not begin with presentation before pre-approach on high-value sales; do not close before resolving objections; do not treat follow-up as optional. Distinguish prospecting (finding) from qualifying (screening). Canned scripts fail when the buyer's stated need differs.