Approaches to personal selling

Approaches to
Personal Selling
Dr. Gopal Thapa
Tribhuvan University
thapazee@gmail.com

12/11/2017 Gopal Thapa/Selling/Presentation 2
The Four Major Selling Approaches
1. Stimulus-Response Approach
2. Mental States Approach
3. Need Satisfaction Approach
4. Problem Solution Approach

Stimulus-Response Approach
 Psychological experiment shows that subjects
will respond in a predictable manner when
exposed to a specific stimulus.
 When subjects are rewarded for correct
responses, the responses may become
automatic.
 Salespeople using the stimulus-response
approach concentrate on saying the right
thing (the stimulus) at the right time to
develop a favorable response from the
prospect.

 A standard memorized presentation is used
to ensure the right points are made at the
right time.
 Knowing how prospects normally respond to
certain stimuli helps salespeople build a
sequence of favorable responses.
 The major disadvantages of this approach
that people often do not respond in the
expected way.

 When this happens, the salesperson is
thrown off track and may not be able to
complete the presentation.
 This approach is most appropriate in simple,
straight forward selling situations such as
selling a vacuum cleaner in a home.
 This approach is also useful when selling
time is limited, as in selling medicine to a
doctor.

Mental States Approach
 This approach is based on a slogan coined
by E. Sr. Elmo Lewis in 1898
➢ Attract Attention
➢ Maintain Interest
➢ Create Desire
➢ Get Action

 The AIDA formula suggests that a prospect
goes through a logical sequence of mental
states in any buying situation.
 The salesperson’s first task is to present
sales appeals that will capture the prospect’s
attention.
 Then the salesperson must plan and deliver
the sales story in order to advance the buyer
one mental state to another until the sales
has been completed.

 Although the mental states theory of selling is
widely accepted, it has shortcomings.
 During a sales presentation, it is impossible
to know when attention stops and interest
starts or when interest stops and desire
starts.
 In fact, most experienced salespeople agree
that they do not think about the various
mental states when making their
presentation.

 Another disadvantage of the mental states theory is
that it puts the emphasis in the wrong place.
 Salespeople who follow this four-step plan may
overemphasize their side of the story to get the
attention and interest, in stead of adapting
themselves to the buyer’s desires, needs and wants.
 This theory has the advantage of encouraging
salespeople to plan their sales presentations.
 Because of its simplicity, it has been widely accepted.

Need Satisfaction Approach
 People buy products to satisfy their needs
and solve problems.
 The need satisfaction approach uses the
prospect’s need as the logical starting point
for the sales presentation.
 A salesperson using this approach first
determines the customer’s need.
 After securing the prospect’s agreement the
need exists, the salesperson offers a solution
to satisfy the need.

 The major advantage of this approach is that
it forces the salesperson to practice the
marketing concept.
 The emphasis is on satisfying the customer’s
needs, not on the product or service being
offered.
 The salesperson must analyze the sales
process from the buyer’s viewpoint.
 The presentation is planned.

 The selling points organized to answer such
questions as:
1. What are the prospect’s real needs and
wants?
2. How will my product benefit the buyer?
3. How can I best guide the prospect’s thinking
so a decision to buy by product will be
made, thus solving the buyer’s problems
and satisfying the buyer’s wants?

 The need satisfaction approach is designed
for more experienced and sophisticated
salespeople.
 Salespeople using this approach must
understand the psychology of communication
and persuasion.
 They must also spend time and effort to
determine the prospect’s needs to
demonstrate how their product satisfies those
needs.

 Because of the experience and time required
by this approach, it is typically used when the
product and the customer are rather
sophisticated.
 This approach is often used in selling
insurance, stock and bonds, farm machinery
and industrial products.

Problem Solution Approach
 This approach combines the need
satisfaction approach with the scientific
method for solving problems.
 Like the need satisfaction approach, the
problem solution approach begins with the
salesperson identifying the prospect’s need.
 The salesperson then helps the customer list
possible alternative solutions and evaluate
the advantages and disadvantages of each
alternatives.

Problem Solution Approach
 Finally, the salesperson works with the
customer to select the best alternative.
 In using this approach, the salesperson builds
a relationship with the customer that
resembles a consultant-client relationship.
 This approach places greater demands on
the salesperson’s time and skills than the
three other approaches.
 It is typically used in industrial sales of
technical products and services.

Conclusion
 Each approach has different advantages and
disadvantages.
 However, each of the selling approaches
recognizes that buyers must be considered in
developing a sales presentation.
 The stimulus-response approach assumes
salespeople must stimulate specific needs in
their customers while need satisfaction and
problem solution approaches emphasize
probing customers to uncover their needs.

Conclusion
 Most sales presentation involve a blend of
these approaches.
 At some points in the presentation, a
stimulus-response approach might be
appropriate, while a problem solution
approach might be more effective at other
points.

Conclusion
 For example:
 The use of an attention getting approach at
the beginning of the presentation is the
consistent with mental states approach .
 On the other hand, probing for information
during the presentation is an important aspect
of the need satisfaction approach.

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Approaches to personal selling

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