“Every person sells something” is the favorite saying of Americans. In this case, it is not necessary to engage in commercial activities. Salespeople may be recruiters of applicants to higher education institutions, employees of hospitals or museums who collect donations for the needs of these institutions, committees inviting people to church, sales agents of pharmaceutical companies, visiting doctors from different hospitals to advertise new products, consultants from cosmetic companies offering environmentally friendly cosmetics, etc. As soon as these people are called: contactors, marketing or sales agents, consultants, sales engineers, but more often in of this - traveling salesmen.
The salesman is ...
Very many people today are dismissive of sales agents, considering them deceivers and crooks offering low-quality or unclaimed goods. Commerce is a very ancient specialty; several millennia ago, the profession of traveling salesman already existed. It should be noted that even then it did not cause positive emotions in society, and such people did not enjoy great respect. In ancient Rome, the word "seller" was consonant with the word "fraudster," and Mercury, the god of cunning, was considered the patron of the representatives of this cunning and dodgy profession.
A salesman is a traveling trader, a traveling sales intermediary who acts as an intermediary between a company and a client, a seller of goods and a buyer. Usually, he only offers the product, talks about the merits, is interested in its purchase. The sales agent mainly sells in words, showing only catalogs or product samples. In most cases, the salary of a salesman depends on the amount or quantity of goods sold. Some companies set a fixed rate that the employee will receive in any case, and also use a reward system - bonuses, allowances.
Typical traveling salesman appearance
Many people do not understand what the salesman does and why he is needed at all. In the commercial environment, many stereotypes have formed that are completely inconsistent with reality. At the word "traveling salesman" immediately appears an association with the hero of the play "The Musician", Harold Hill - a cheerful, humorous, clapping companion on the shoulder and always smoking a cigar. Another unsuccessful appearance of a typical sales agent is shown in the play Death of a Salesman, where Willy Lowman appears to the viewer very unhappy.
Buyers consider the representatives of this profession to be sociable, cheerful, with a well- suspended language, arrogant and annoying. In fact, the salesman is a person who knows how to present goods well. But at the same time, it is completely optional for him to be arrogant and bothersome, aggressively offering products. Many consultants are very shy, do not know how to speak beautifully, but nevertheless bribe with sincerity, a desire to help, a successful presentation, etc.
The main qualities of a good seller
Every successful company dreams of having good marketing agents in its staff, who are able to build a customer base and productively advertise products. To recruit candidates, contact is made with students of economic universities, announcements, and employment offices. The following is a laborious selection of applicants, because immediately identifying the necessary qualities can be quite problematic.
If a person behaves confidently, is open, energetic, aggressive in communication, then this is not an indicator of his professionalism. The character of the salesman depends on what the salesman does. Therefore, courteous, modest people can also do great sales. Basically, when choosing a candidate, they look at his ability to penetrate the feelings of the client, to understand what he needs. Also, the consultant must have the determination to bring the matter to the end.
Two types of salesman
The salesman is not only a good seller, but also an excellent psychologist. In some cases, he takes an aggressive approach and hits the buyer with intense pressure. This works when selling a car. The consultant exaggerates the merits of the products, shows all the benefits of making a purchase. In some cases, for example, when selling cosmetics, the sales agent acts as an assistant. He unravels the hidden needs of the consumer, gives practical suggestions. This approach is very appreciated by many buyers who do not like excessive assertiveness.
Sales Agent Approach to Potential Buyers
Quickly identifying potential customers and working with them is what this profession suggests. The salesman must independently create a client base for the company for which he works. In order to find customers, mainly, they use well-tried methods:
- Master various sources of information, collecting a client base from bankers, dealers, suppliers, non-competitive salespeople.
- Regular customers are asked for the names of acquaintances who may become potential buyers.
- Join the organization in which potential customers are members .
- They study the press and other data sources.
- Visited by various organizations, announcing their products.