Basic Selling Skills Necessary for Sales Professionals

3. ROAD MAP
1. Introduction to selling skills.
2. Call sequence.
a) Opening.
b) Probing.
c) Reinforcing.
d) Gaining commitment.
3. Dealing with resistance.

4. INTRODUCTION

5. INTRODUCTION
There are three principles of salesmanship:
1. Human relation
2. Straight thinking
3. Presentation

6. HUMAN RELATION

7. STRAIGHT THINKING

8. Product
Customer
Competitors

9. Product

10. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
 Product knowledge is essential for the success of sales
calls.
 It helps the salesperson show the customers what they
will gain by prescribing and dispensing his product.

11. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
• History
• Research and Development
GENERAL
INFORMATION
• Medical Background
• Product Information
• Mode of Action
• Indication and Dosage
• Limitation and Side Effect
• Advantages and Benefits
• Price
SPECIFIC
INFORMATION
• Action, Indication and Dosage
• Limitation and Side Effects
• Disadvantages
COMPETITORS
INFORMATION

12. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
 Product knowledge is indispensable for the salesperson
to do his job effectively.
 However not all information about the product should be
demonstrated to the doctor during the sales call, so that
you have to select what to say.

13. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Knowledge gives you the three elements of successful
selling.

14. 1. CONFIDENCE.
It is hard to imagine a successful salesperson who is not
fully aware of his product.
If you know every details about your product and
competitors, you will feel confident.

15. 2. ENTHUSIASM
The salesperson hopes to make the doctor see the product
as he sees.
• Enthusiasm is contagious, let the customer catches it.

16. 3. PROFESSIONAL SELLING
The knowledge of why a Client Buy certain product is as
important for a salesperson as knowledge of what he has
to sell.

17. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
However, the salesperson should guard against talking too
much about the product features and too little about what it
will do for the sake of the patient, instead of selling product
features, he should sell the effects and results of the
product (benefits)

18. How to demonstrate a product?

19. HOW TO DEMONSTRATE A PRODUCT
1. FEATURES
They are the characteristics of the product.
This is what the producer puts into a product to produce
useful effects.
A Feature is an ingredient or description of an aspect of the
product.

20. HOW TO DEMONESTRATE A
PRODUCT
2. ACTIONS / ADVANTAGES
They are the result of the feature. This is the way the
product works, the effect of the feature is the most
important thing.
Actions are typically reduction or increase of levels of body
chemicals.
Advantages are typically relief of symptoms or speedy
relief.
Advantages also can be a relief of combination of
symptoms "pharmacological effect

21. HOW TO DEMONESTRATE A
PRODUCT
3. BENEFITS
They are how the end user is improved. These are the final
result of the action of the feature.
Benefits state how the user is improved or getting better.
Benefits could be to the patients or the doctor.

22. HOW TO DEMONESTRATE A
PRODUCT
FOR THE PATIENT
Returning to normal life style.
prescribe
FOR THE DOCTOR
Doctor benefits are typically being able to
confidently and achieve control over the illness.

23. Don’t Assume That Your Customer Will Translate
Your Product Features Into Benefits
Then
He buys it
But
Remember that it is your role

24. WHO IS FIRST

25. ORGANIZING THE PRESENTATION
FEATURE ACTION BENEFIT FAB
In this method, you start with the feature and explain its
action and then come up with the benefit
BENEFIT ACTION FEATURE BAF
In this method of organization, you start with the benefit
and then prove it with the action and relate this action to
the feature.

26. Customer

27. Buying Motives

28. CONVENIENCE
EFFICACY /
PERFORMANCE
APPEARANCE
ECONOMY
SAFETY
PRIDE / PLEASURE

29. How ToMotivate a Customer?

30. HOW TO MOTIVATEA CUSTOMER?
Normally, more than one motive will be revolved during the
product demonstration, so that the salesperson have to
organize his presentation in an order which satisfy the
Client motives according to his priorities.

31. HOW TO MOTIVATEA CUSTOMER?
The core of the salesperson job is to uncover the Client’s
need and then satisfy this need with the product benefits
SUCCESSFUL SALESPERSON
Salesmanship is the ability of the salesperson to convert a
need to a want and fulfill it with his product benefits
PROFESSIONAL SALESPERSON

32. NEED AND WANT
Need is:
Want is:

33. The Buying Decision Process

34. The Buying Decision Process
Need
recognition
Information
search
Evaluation of
alternatives
Purchase
decision
Post-purchase
evaluation

35. The Selling Process Stages

36. Stage 1
RECEPTIVITY
 Receptivity is related to the salesperson and the product.
 Good personal relationship may positively affect
customer receptivity.

37. Stage 2
 Identity customers needs to help you get the customer to
FOCUS on his products needs .
 Customers focuses on the product characteristics
according to his needs.
FOCUS

38. Stage 3
 Relate and reinforce benefits to provides the customer
with knowledge about how your products address his
needs.
 Gain commitment and follow up to help the customer to
take favorable decision.
KNOWLEDGE

39.  Customers makes an evaluation to determine which
products would satisfy their needs.
Stage 4
EVALUATION

40.  Customers take decision to accept certain products or
indications and refuse others.
Stage 5
DECISION

41. Competitors

42. COMPETITION
The salesperson has to accept the competition because
there is no other choice.

43. COMPETITION
The salesperson should accept the fact that:
“These are the days of great product standardization, few
brands, if any, are superior over the others according to all
standards”

44. COMPETITION
The basis of handling competition is to
SELL THE DIFFERENCE
The difference may be in the product efficacy, safety, price
and dosage.
Or
May be in the salesperson personality, presentation, and
knowledge.

45. IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT COMPETITION
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
COMPETITION?
Knowledge of competition provides the salesperson with a
broad background for better handling of his job & helps him
orient himself in his territory.

46. KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPETITION
INCLUDES:
1.PRODUCT COMPARISON
 The salesperson should be fully aware of the information
about his product and the competing products, so as to
discover the strong and weak points of competitors.

47. KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPETITION
INCLUDES:
2.COMPETITOR SELLING ACTIVITIES
 What are the products recommended to the doctor by
the competitive salesperson, and whether the
specifications of these products recommended meet the
doctor’s requirements or not.
 How does the representative tell his story, the visual aids
used, the give - away, models, charts, samples, reports,
and demonstrations.

49. THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION
The salesperson can collect information about competitors
through …
1. Careful and analytical reading of competitors aids such
as brochures, posters, charts and inserted leaflets…etc.
2. Asking retailers
3. Listening to Client’s complaints
4. Competitive salespeople

51. WHAT TO AVOID :
1. Do not include any reference of competitor in your sales
presentation unless it is strictly needed.
2. Never initiate the subject of competition, let the doctor
make the first reference.
3. Do not allow the situation to take you away from the
primary task, which is to explain your product.
4. Never make a statement about the competitor before
checking its accuracy.

52. WHAT TO AVOID:
5. Never criticize competitors since criticism can be
interpreted as poor salesmanship.
6. The salesperson should always remember that the
doctor may like the competing brand, and as a result he
might consider the criticism as criticizing his own
judgment.

53. Probing
Opening
Pre-call
Planning
Reinforcing
Gaining
Commitment

54. PRE-CALL PLANNING
Being well informed about the product, the customer and
the competitors, the salesperson can prepare himself for
the call.

55. PRE-CALL PLANNING
 In particular, the pre-call planning is to find the doctor’s
basic problem or need for which the salesperson’s
product is the right solution, and to find the right way to
approach the doctor.
 Then, the salesperson has to plan how to concentrate on
the problem or the need and its solution when talking to
the doctor.

57. WHAT IS OPENING?
Opening is the skill of capturing the customer’s attention
and focusing the sales call.

58. OPENING FUNCTION
1. It helps you establish the purpose of the visit.
2. Allows you to highlight an important product benefit
early in the call.
3. It helps you direct the conversation toward customer
needs.

59. TIME OF OPENING
Generally, you determine when to open, since it naturally
follows the casual conversation that often precedes the
business part of the call.

60. TIME OF OPENING
 However, sometimes a customer will directly signal you
to open, by saying
 “What brings you here?”
 “What can I do for you today?”
 Also, a doctor may tell you, with a facial expression or
body position, that it’s time to get down to business.

62. WHAT IS PROBING?
Probing is the skill of questioning.

63. TYPES OF PROBES
Type Definition Example
OPEN
Sales Rep:
“Doctor, what sort of problems do you
A question that invites an have with newly born calves?”
extended explanation Doctor:
“there are several, diarrhea is the most
dangerous one.”
Closed
Sales Rep:
A question that can be “Do you always face diarrhea in newly
answered in a single word, born calves?”
often “yes” or “no” Doctor:
yes

64. PROBING FUNCTION
The general purpose of probing is to uncover customer
needs and concerns.
1. It allows you to guide the customer to reveal his needs.
2. With effective probing skills, you take control of the
sales interview.

65. PROBING FUNCTION
Type Function Example
OPEN
Sales rep:
Allows the customer to
describe a need
“Doctor, what sort of problems do you
have with your NSAID?”
Doctor:
“High prices is the major complaint.”
Closed
Sales rep:
Allows you to direct the “Do your patients ever complain about
customer to a presumed high cost therapy?”
need Doctor:
”Yes”

66. REINFORCING
You probe to uncover needs that can be satisfied by the
features and benefits of your product, then you reinforce,
you show the customer why your product is needed.
Reinforcing is the skill that firmly establishes you as a
problem-solver and promotes your product to the customer.

67. WHAT IS REINFORCING?
Reinforcing is the skill of satisfying customer needs with
product features and benefits.
When you have successfully used the skill of probing, your
customer will either state or confirm a clear need that can
be satisfied by a feature and a benefit of your product.

68. REINFORCING - STEP 1
The first step in reinforcing is to paraphrase the customer
need.
This shows the Client that you understand his/her need
and consider it important.

69. REINFORCING - STEP 1
agreement. Some
First
You make a direct expression of
examples are:
 “Exactly.”
 “That can be a real problem.”
 “Absolutely”
 “That’s a significant issue.”
 “Without question.”
 “Good point”

70. REINFORCING - STEP 1
THEN
You restate the customer’s need.
Restating is repeating the customer’s need in different
words.
When you restate, do not repeat the doctor’s exact words,
paraphrase them.

71. REINFORCING - STEP 2
PROPOSE A FEATURE AND A BENEFIT THAT SATISFY
THE NEED
The second step in reinforcing is to propose a feature and
a benefit of your product that can satisfy this need.
In this way, you show the customer how your product can
be the solution to the need. To present the feature and
benefit, link them in one statement

72. WHAT IS GAINING COMMITMENT?
Gaining commitment is getting the customer agreement to
take a specific action with respect to your product.
The action may be anything from reviewing a clinical paper
to using your product on a trial basis.
The key is to make a specific agreement with the doctor
about action steps that will lead towards product usage.

73. WHAT IS GAINING COMMITMENT?
Gaining commitment is the skill of obtaining the customer’s
agreement to act.

74. GAINING COMMITMENT – STEP 2
You can make your requests more specific by including any
of the following kinds of information;
1. Asking for use in a specific number of product.
2. Specifying a time period for trial use of the product

76. TYPES OF CUSTOMER RESISTANCE
As a professional salesperson, you have to be able to
identify and respond to these four types of customer
resistance:
1. Misconception
2. Lack of interest
3. Real objection
4. Skepticism

77. TIPS
1. Make it coincize with what you are saying.
2. Rap it unless it is in use.
3. Make it seen by your audience not you.
4. Use it to illustrate point by point.

78. THANK YOU