Sell products and services face-to-face
Overview
This standard is about selling products and services face-to-face. This is an integral part of most sales and takes place in various sales environments, such as selling at customers’ premises, in-store, at fairs and exhibitions. Face-to-face selling requires good emotional intelligence, listening and questioning skills. You need to uncover the customer needs and be able to explain how your product or service will address the need and deliver value to them. There is likely to be several face-to-face meetings and with different people, in order to win some business. Each meeting should build upon earlier ones in order to progress the opportunity. You should discover whether customers’ interests suggest that there may be an opportunity for up selling, cross selling and selling add-ons. This standard is for sales professionals who sell products and services face-to-face.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
1. identify the target markets for sales and prepare for sales activities
2. identify customers to contact and the range of products and services
3. prepare and follow call plans, email campaigns and other means of communication with customers
4. help the customer become comfortable with making an investment into your products of services, understanding the value of doing so
5. prepare sales materials and accompanying messages during contacts with customers
6. adhere to your organisation’s dress code while selling to customers
7. agree procedures for collecting contact details of potential customers
8. adhere to health, safety and security requirements appropriate to the face-to-face sales environment
9. contact customers through relevant means of communication
10. identify customers’ requirements through questioning and confirm these by summarising their needs and interests
11. emphasise unique selling points and points of differentiation during contacts with customers
12. provide customers with materials to support the promotion of products and services
13. structure sales discussions to include an overview of the value of products and services
14. give customers clear information and make proposals that meet their requirements
15. overcome customer objections and meet customer needs
16. look for potential up-selling, cross-selling, and add-on opportunities prior to closing the sale
17. evaluate potential trade-offs that will be mutually beneficial to the customers and your organisation
18. close the sale by gaining the commitment of the customer and complete the formalities of the sale following organisational procedures
19. record, analyse and act on any area in of the products and services that does not meet the customers’ requirements or returned no interest
20. leverage opportunities to develop relationships with customers by identifying and pursuing further contacts and leads
21. collect and use customer testimonials and case studies to support the sales messages
22. evaluate the effectiveness of the sales approaches, communication methods and environments
23. reflect on lessons learned and make appropriate amendments to the sales approaches, communication methods, and environments
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
1. the current legal, regulatory and ethical constraints relating to face-to-face sales activities
2. your organisation’s procedures and practices relating to sales face-to-face
3. your organisation’s sales strategies, plans and targets
4. the current health, safety and security requirements and procedures for variety of face-to-face sales environments
5. your organisation’s objectives and plans for face-to-face sales contacts with customers
6. the range of products and services and latest developments in the organisation’s markets
7. how to structure and progress sales contacts
8. the relevant sales materials and accompanying messages for interaction with customers
9. the value of products and services and how to sell them
10. how to develop a sales call plan and other methods of communication with customers
11. the differences between proactive and reactive selling
12. the techniques for cross-selling, up-selling and the sale of add-ons
13. the methods for assessing maximum and minimum sales returns
14. how to prioritise development of leads according to potential value and probability of sales closure
15. the unique selling points and points of differentiation and how to emphasise them
16. how to reach a solution to any sales issues or problems
17. how to overcome customers’ objections and how to respond to customers’ queries
18. the range of customers’ buying behaviours and how to manage them
19. the techniques for closing sales at the different stages of a sale
20. the methods and processes for collecting and recording sales leads information
21. how to evaluate and measure the performance of sales techniques, approaches and environments of face-to-face sales