P
ersonal selling is a mainstay of nonprofit as well as for-profit organizations. College
recruiters are the university’s sales force arm; the U.S. Agricultural Extension
Service uses specialists to sell farmers on new farming methods. On the business side,
no one debates the importance of the sales force in the marketing mix. However, com-
panies are sensitive to the high and rising costs (salaries, commissions, bonuses, travel
expenses, and benefits) of maintaining a sales force. Because the average cost of a per-
sonal sales call ranges from $250 to $500, and closing a sale typically requires four
calls, the total cost to complete a sale can range from $1,000 to $2,000.^1
Not surprisingly, savvy companies are learning how to substitute other selling
methods—including mail, phone, fax, and e-mail—to reduce field sales expenses. They
also are working to increase sales force productivity through better selection, training,
supervising, motivation, and compensation. Sales force automation (SFA)is playing an ever-
larger role in personal selling, as more firms equip reps with laptop computers, software,
and Web access to better manage customer and prospect contacts, display product spec-
ifications and availability, run presentations or demonstrations, and book orders.^2
DESIGNING THE SALES FORCE
Personal selling is a key element in promotion, one of the four Ps in the marketing
mix. But not all sales representatives do exactly the same kind of selling. In business
settings, McMurry has distinguished these six types of sales representatives, ranging
from the least to the most creative types of selling:^3
- Deliverer: A salesperson whose major task is the delivery of a product (milk, bread, or
fuel). - Order taker: A salesperson who acts predominantly as an inside order taker (the sales-
person standing behind the counter) or outside order taker (the soap salesperson
calling on the supermarket manager). - Missionary: A salesperson whose major task is to build goodwill or to educate the
actual or potential user, rather than to sell (the medical “detailer” representing an
ethical pharmaceutical firm).
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Managing the
Sales Force
We will address the following questions:
■What decisions do companies face in designing a sales force?
■How do companies recruit, select, train, supervise, motivate, and evaluate a sales force?
■How can salespeople improve their skills in selling, negotiating, and relationship-building?