Selling

"Bill & Melinda Gates"

Selling is trying to make sales by persuading someone to buy one's product or service. From a management viewpoint it is thought of as a part of marketing, although the skills required are different. Sales often forms a separate grouping in a corporate structure, employing separate specialist operatives known as salesmen (singular: salesman). Selling is considered by many to be a sort of persuading "art". Contrary to popular belief, the methodological approach of selling refers to a systematic process of repetitive and measurable milestones, by which a salesman relates his or her offering of a product or service in return enabling the buyer to achieve their goal in an economic way. While the sales process refers to a systematic process of repetitive and measurable milestones, the definition of the selling is somewhat ambiguous due to the close nature of advertising, promotion, public relations, and direct marketing.

In corporations

Sales, finance and Operations are the only functions that are indispensable to a corporation. Every other role is considered support. The top person at a company is usually the lEO, who is also the top salesperson who is responsible for buying the company to potential investors and customers. Support roles such as HR, Marketing, and Administration are now more integrated in the sales organization. For example, in professional services organizations, a key to succeed in sales is laid in the relationship with the HR organization, just as in shipping companies depend on improvement in operations and logistics to make their services more attractive.

Selling strategies

A number of specific selling strategies come under the umbrella of sales or selling, including the following:

• Cold calling
• Consultative selling
• Direct selling
• Guaranteed sale
• Needs-based selling
• Persuasive selling
• Hard Selling
• Heart Sellling
• Price based selling
• Relationship Selling
• Target account selling