Sales are basically activities pertaining to the quantifiable number of products sold in a given planned period of time or sale. The delivery of a particular service for a certain price is also deemed to be a sale. It may be in the form of services rendered to the customers or purchased from the suppliers. In general, sales are made on an ongoing basis.
Sales are classified into two types: selling to the buyer and selling to the seller. The sales to the buyer refers to the selling of products by the buyer himself/ herself. Sales to the seller involve the selling of products by a third party at a profit or discount to the seller. For example, the goods bought from the wholesaler would be sold to the buyer at a discount.
Sales are normally measured through the sales goal. Sales goals establish the benchmark against which the sales process should measure against. Without clearly defined goals and targets, the sales process will be ineffective. The most common sales goal is the achievement of profit. Measuring against this standard enables the company to set the prices for their products.
A successful sales process establishes a good customer base. This is the basis of both product knowledge and sales techniques. Sales professionals should develop good product knowledge by carrying out thorough research of the target market niche. Sales professionals should be familiar with the existing marketing trends. They should possess the technical skills to forecast consumer buying preferences and to influence them through marketing communications and advertising.
The other aspect of sales process involves generation of leads and follow-up. The process of generating leads is primarily customer satisfaction oriented. The success of sales process primarily lies in satisfying customers to the highest degree possible. The following key factors should be followed:
Sales activities include producing quality products; delivering them to the customers on time; providing excellent service to the customers; and building a rapport with the target customers. It is through these activities that companies satisfy their customers and build a profitable business. Sales and marketing professionals have a responsibility to promote the sale of a company’s products and services. Successful selling and marketing will pave way for development of a thriving business.
It is the role of a sales person to identify prospects, present a viable sales strategy, motivate prospects, sell the products, and close deals. Sales and marketing professionals can be grouped into departments according to type of sales: direct sales, lead selling, and prospect selling. Each department has its own specialty. Their primary responsibility is to motivate and to sell products and services to current and potential customers.
Sales and marketing professionals should concentrate on selling the right product and services to the right potential customer group. Prospective salespeople are the best salespeople when it comes to selling. They must be good at identifying their potential customer and qualifying them as a potential customer before approaching them. They also should have a keen market in which they can sell products. Sales people must follow up on leads generated and must develop effective sales strategies to deal with unresponsive clients.
