Sales are the activities associated with the exchange of products or services for a specified price at a specified date at or during a specified period of time. There are five general types of sales: retail sales, wholesale sales, discount sales, discontinued sales and last-minute sales. The sale of a product to a direct market purchaser is also often considered a sales.
A typical salesperson’s two business functions are sales management and marketing. They manage the day-to-day sales activities of their sales force by evaluating the prospect, identifying the highest profit potential, and communicating effectively with their sales forces to close business. They communicate the benefits of the products and services to prospects through the various media mass mail, radio, television, internet, catalogs and direct mail.
As part of their sales function, sales managers monitor and track the marketing efforts of their sales staff. They evaluate the performance of the salespeople to identify strengths and weaknesses. They rely heavily on marketing departments to support their efforts. As part of their marketing responsibilities, they perform market research, conduct surveys, provide information to other parties such as other sales staff and suppliers, and develop strategies to sell the products and services. They develop and implement a plan to market the products and services to the best possible markets.
Market development consists of the process by which salespeople obtain new customers and convince them to purchase the products and services offered by the sales organization. It is the second of the two business functions. Market development is not just about raising sales; it is also about finding and closing new business. While performing these two functions, salespeople also need to be skilled in developing potential customers and building strong customer relationships.
Net sales refer to the total income obtained from selling the products and services produced by an organization. Net sales refers to all income that does not include the direct costs of production. The gross profit that results from the production function represents the entire profit of the business. Net sales refer to the difference between gross sales and net sales.
Marketing refers to the process by which a salesperson persuades a person to purchase a product or service. Marketing is the most important function of any business organization. Professional selling is one of the two business functions that are conducted by people who have professional experience in selling products and services. Professional selling is the process by which businesses attract new customers. A professional selling consultant helps the organizations in developing and implementing marketing plans and strategies.
