Professional Selling

Read these sections and answer the review questions at the end of each section. This chapter discusses the role selling plays in marketing strategies.

The Role Professional Salespeople Play

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  1. Recognize the role professional selling plays in society and in firms' marketing strategies.
  2. Identify the different types of sales positions.


You've created a great product, you've priced it right, and you've set a wonderful marketing communication strategy in motion. Now you can just sit back and watch the sales roll in, right? Probably not. Unless your company is able to sell the product entirely over the Internet, you probably have a lot more work to do. For example, if you want consumers to be able to buy the product in a retail store, someone will first have to convince the retailer to carry the product.

"Nothing happens until someone sells something," is an old saying in business. But in reality, a lot must happen before a sale can be made. Companies count on their sales and marketing teams not only to sell products but to the lay the groundwork to make it happen. However, salespeople are expensive. Often they are the most expensive element in a company's marketing strategy. As a result, they have to generate business in order to justify a firm's investment in them.