Personal Selling and Sales Promotion: Helping Customers Choose

Methods of selling

• Personal selling: a salesperson talks with the customer face to face, shows and explains. Best for costly, technical or new products (phones, cars, jewellery, furniture).
• Self-service: goods on open shelves; the customer chooses alone (supermarkets).
• Counter service: goods behind a counter; staff hand them over (pharmacy, kirana).
• Telephone and video selling: talking or showing products remotely.
• Online selling: website or app with photos, reviews and delivery.
• Door-to-door / direct selling: salesperson visits homes or offices.

Personal selling is two-way: the salesperson gets instant feedback and can change the message for each customer. It costs more per customer than ads.

The personal selling process

1. Prepare: know products, prices, offers, stock and rivals.
2. Approach: greet within a short time, smile, make eye contact, give space.
3. Find the need: ask open questions ('Who is it for?', 'What will you use it for?', 'What budget are you thinking of?') and listen more than you talk.
4. Present: show two or three suitable items; let the customer touch and try. Turn each feature into a benefit: '5000 mAh battery' (feature) → 'lasts all day without charging' (benefit).
5. Handle questions and objections.
6. Close the sale.
7. Follow up: billing, packing, thanking, explaining warranty and use, after-sales help.

Sales promotion

Sales promotion means short-term incentives that push customers to buy now or buy more.

• Discount / price-off: '20% off this week'.
• Bundle / BOGO: buy one get one free; combo packs.
• Free samples and trials: taste, test drive, trial size.
• Coupons and cashback.
• Loyalty programmes: points or a membership card.
• Contests, lucky draws and free gifts.
• Point-of-sale displays and demonstrations.

Promotion must be honest: clear terms, no hidden conditions, and goods must be in stock.

Answering customer questions and objections

An objection is a reason the customer gives for not buying yet: price, quality, need, trust or timing. It means the customer is interested but unsure.

LAER method

1. Listen fully without interrupting.
2. Acknowledge: 'I understand, price matters.'
3. Explore: ask what exactly worries them.
4. Respond with facts, benefits, a demo, a cheaper option, or warranty details.

Never argue, criticise rival brands or give false information. If you do not know, say 'Let me check' and find out.

Closing a sale

Buying signals: the customer asks about delivery, colours, payment or EMI, holds the product again, or asks a friend's opinion.

Ways to close

• Direct close: 'Shall I bill this for you?'
• Choice close: 'Would you like the blue or the black one?'
• Summary close: repeat the main benefits, then ask.
• Offer close: mention a real offer that ends soon (never a fake deadline).

After closing: suggest a useful add-on (a case for a phone), bill correctly, pack well, thank the customer and invite them back. A happy customer tells friends.

Try it: the 3D and at home

Use the slider in the last 3D step to climb all seven steps. At home, role-play: sell a pen or a water bottle to a family member. Ask two need questions, give two feature → benefit lines, answer one objection and close with a choice question.

Key formulas and definitions

• Methods of selling: personal, self-service, counter, phone/video, online, door-to-door.
• Selling steps: prepare → approach → find need → present → objections → close → follow-up.
• Feature (what it has) → Benefit (what it does for the customer).
• Sales promotion: discount, BOGO, sample, coupon, loyalty points, contest, display.
• Objections: Listen, Acknowledge, Explore, Respond (LAER).
• Closes: direct, choice, summary, offer.

Worked examples

Common mistakes

• Talking about the product before finding the customer's need.
• Listing features without saying the benefit to the customer.
• Arguing with an objection or giving a made-up answer.
• Never asking for the order. Many sales are lost because the salesperson does not close.