Hello
Here are my opinions, based on some time at both methods.
Personal selling is a personal (face-to-face, telephone, or Internet
chat) presentation for the purpose of making sales and building
relationships. Personal selling is the essence of developing
relationships because it is directed toward achieving mutually
satisfying results between buyer and seller, which sustain and enhance
future interactions - ie keeping the customer and provider happy. The
purpose is to do such an excellent job of developing, pricing,
promoting, and distributing to customers that the product practically
sells itself.
There are several areas we need to explore to investigate the pros of
personal selling over technology. Sales techniques are traditionally
broken down into core areas, and it is enlightening to look at how
technology "works" in these areas.
- Customer Orientation means that the salesperson places as much
emphasis on the customer's interests as on the salesperson’s
interests. Presentations balance the pros and cons. The salesperson
doesn’t push a product that the buyer doesn't need. ECommerce and
other technological techniques tend to go for the scatter gun approach
and mostly ignore the indivdual customer needs.
- Competence includes the salesperson’s ability, knowledge, and
resources to meet customer expectations. The salesperson displays
technical command of products and applications. In technological
selling this also applies in that a web site can display technology
facts/stats etc, but the technology is less likely to be able to
respond to a sudden, intuitive, question from the customer.
- Dependability is the predictability of the salesperson’s actions.
His or her words and actions are consistent with a professional image.
Again, technology can be dependable and professional, but the general
public still has a fear of it, and a view that vague, unconfirmed
"computer problems" might have an adverse effect on their sales
experience.
- Candor is the honesty of the spoken word. The proof used to support
claims is credible. Subsequent events prove the salesperson’s
statements to be true. When people are making a sales decision, they
like to see other people's faces, to test the "trust" factor. They
can't do this with technology - people still don't believe what
technology tells them.
- Likability is rooted in each party's perception of "having something
in common" with the other. This is an emotional factor, yet a powerful
force in buyer and seller relationships. Again, many of the public
just don't "like" technology.
Personal selling is unique because it involves personal contact. It is
the two-way marketing communications tool. Many customers don't know
what they want, and part of the salesperson's responsibility is to
help them find out – to help them find out how the product can solve
their problems or satisfy their wants.
The strength of personal selling is that it is flexible and provides
immediate feedback. The prospect can relate concerns and the
salesperson can address those concerns. The salesperson can ask
questions to determine level of interest and react quickly to the
prospect's wants. Presentations can be personalized based upon what
the customer wants.
Technology just doesn't (yet) have the power for this degree of
personalisation.
However, technology still has it's place. Personal sales calls are
expensive. It is most appropriately used in situations where the
target market is concentrated, or where products are high-value,
large, or technically complex.
The Internet and related technology have affected the personal selling
process.
Salespeople use computers to give them instant access to company data,
statistics, on-line ordering databases etc, and can even allow them
the facility to make "discounted" sales or make sales decisions on
bulk orders based on actual inventory levels in the company. And
product information on Web sites is available to customers and
prospects
Such power can defer a huge advantage on a companies salesforce, and
in the future I think we'll see technology and personal selling
working in harmony. After all, the end result is to give the customer
what they want, however it is done.
And technology will help bring this about, but only if it includes
personal selling.
All of this is my personal opinion, based on trying to sell products
to people both face to face and over a Web based data-base and MLM
tehniques. But if you want a general run-down, there are many
different views expressed on the sites reached through the Google
search below
Willie
Search Strategy
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22personal+selling%22+technology |
Clarification of Answer by
willie-ga
on
15 Oct 2002 01:58 PDT
Blake
With respect, I think that is another question entirely. You asked why
personal selling is still important, not how technology is replacing
traditional methods. The second question has a whole different focus.
Just this once, I'll let you off :)
Here's an almost verbatim report from a late nineties survey of the
impact of technology on sales.
Four out of five salespeople (81.4%), responding to a survey of nearly
1,000 sales reps by the Dartnell Corporation, said that technology has
simplified their work and enabled them to accomplish more in less
time. The survey also identified some of the complications technology
has brought. Here are the survey's findings
How Technology Has Simplified Selling and is used to advantage
Reps supporting new technology say that it is freeing them from
non-selling activities, so they have more time to spend with prospects
and customers. Written comments from respondents indicate that
salespeople:
- Feel better organized. Computers concentrate all pertinent
information in one central location. Answers to customer inquiries are
more readily available. Not as much has to be committed to memory.
- Have less paperwork to do. Computers speed up repetitive tasks
formerly done manually. They take the drudgery out of writing call
reports, placing orders, billing customers, entering and transferring
data, and compiling facts and figures.
- Communicate better. Computers help reps write better-sounding, more
customized sales letters and send out more effective mailings.
Sophisticated promotional materials and ads can be designed on the
computer. E-mail, fax, beepers, and cellular phones put reps in
constant contact with customers.
- Feel more confident. Because computers make everything from price
quotes to billing statements more accurate, sales reps feel more
confident in their work. Says one respondent: "Improved documentation
and communication mean that less falls through the cracks."
- Make better decisions. Better, more complete information leads to
decisions that are more informed, timely, and creative. Says one
respondent: "New technology equals new information, which, in turn,
equals fresh ideas."
- Find new customers more effectively. Technology makes it easier to
track sales and identify what market segments they come from, and also
to track hot prospects. Computers narrow down prospect lists and help
reps target certain prospects, thus minimizing time wasted on
low-potential prospecting. Because less time is spent writing orders
and making price quotes, reps can spend more time prospecting and
planning sales strategies.
- Are more successful on sales calls. Via laptop computers, reps can
"take their offices with them" and have instant access to information
and computer programs that help them make the sale. Examples: product
catalogs with easy-to-find information on product offerings, options,
and accessories; polished, easy-to-modify sales presentations shown
via desktop projectors; and up-to-the-minute inventory information.
How Technology Has Complicated Selling and gets in the way.
- The technology itself can be a problem. Salespeople who say
technology has complicated selling are frustrated by malfunctioning
equipment, bug-ridden software, problematic integration of equipment,
or the use of equipment or software that isn't matched well with the
business at hand.
- Learning new systems. Another problem is the frustration felt at the
beginning end of the learning curve. Says one reader: "There's too
much to learn! The effort takes away from my selling time. "Complains
another: "I spend way too much time organizing information on the
computer." Other readers complain of increased paperwork and more
tedious record keeping.
Another group of technology critics is disgruntled with the overall
impact technology has had on the sales process. Some sample remarks:
"Technology has made everything move faster and become more demanding.
Selling is definitely not simpler as a result."
"Now, every step in the sales process takes too long. There's too much
data entry and too much redundancy."
"Thereare now too many extra steps to finish the sale at the office."
"We have more information at our disposal, but we need more time to
respond to customer inquiries. Because of the speeded-up pace caused
by technology, customers expect immediate answers. But, often, there's
no time to research something properly."
Summary
Most respondents agree that, whether you love the new technology or
hate it, you have to live with it. In some industries, they point out,
you have to keep pace with changing technology if you simply want to
survive - while, in other fields, being up on the latest technology
gives you a competitive edge (at least when the competition isn't).
Technology makes it easier to track sales and identify what market
segments they come from, and also to track hot prospects. Computers
narrow down prospect lists and help reps target certain prospects,
thus minimizing time wasted on low-potential prospecting. Because less
time is spent writing orders and making price quotes, reps can spend
more time prospecting and planning sales strategies.
The findings in this study are included in Dartnell's 29th Sales Force
Compensation Survey 1996-1997, available for USD 245 (plus postage and
handling) from the Customer Service department at The Dartnell
Corporation, 4660 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60640-4595
(Publication date: September 1996).
Hope that helps
Willie
Google search terms
"new technology" sales strategies
"new technology" sales advantage
"new technology" sales problems
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