Basic Marketing: A Global Managerial Approach

Perreault−McCarthy: Basic

Marketing: A

Global−Managerial

Approach, 14/e

15. Personal Selling Text © The McGraw−Hill
    Companies, 2002

424 Chapter 15

Good salespeople try to help the
customer solve problems and
meet needs—and often that
requires both careful listening to
really understand the customer
and then effective service after
the sale.

As evidence of these changing responsibilities, some companies give their

salespeople such titles as field manager, sales consultant, market specialist, account

representative, or sales engineer.

The sales force can aid in the marketing information function too. The sales rep

may be the first to hear about a new competitor or a competitor’s new product or

strategy. And, as the following example shows, sales reps who are well attuned to

customers’ needs can be a key source of ideas for new products.

Ballard Medical Products competes with international giants in the hospital sup-

ply business. A key factor in Ballard’s success is that its salespeople have a lot of

say in what products the company produces and how they are designed. Ballard

salespeople are trained as information specialists who seek and report on customer

feedback. At each hospital, they work closely with the doctor and nurse specialists

who use Ballard products. And when one of them says “we need a product that

would solve this problem,” the Ballard sales rep is right there to follow up with ques-

tions and invite suggestions. The rep quickly relays the customer’s needs back to

Ballard’s new product group.^3

Some salespeople are expected to be marketing managers in their own territo-

ries. And some become marketing managers by default because top management

hasn’t provided detailed strategy guidelines. Either way, salespeople may take the

initiative to fill the gap. The salesperson may have choices about (1) what target

customers to aim at, (2) which particular products to emphasize, (3) which mid-

dlemen to call on or to work with the hardest, (4) how to use promotion money,

and (5) how to adjust prices.

A salesperson who can put together profitable strategies and implement them well

can rise very rapidly. The opportunity is there for those prepared and willing to work.

Even a starting job may offer great opportunities. Some beginning salespeople—

especially those working for producers or wholesalers—are responsible for larger

sales volumes than many small companies. This is a serious responsibility—and the

person must be prepared for it.

Further, sales jobs are often viewed as entry-level positions and used to evaluate

candidates for promotion. Success in this job can lead to rapid promotion to higher-

level sales and marketing jobs and more money and security.^4

Sales force aids in
market information
function as well

Salespeople can be
strategy planners too