Peter Holmes
Principles of Marketing
October 9, 2002
The Rules of Selling
Rules of selling constitute first and foremost defining, secondly guidelines, and finally obligations and responsibilities. This paper will begin with simple explanations and details surrounding the business of selling. Further in, it will begin to get more complex and descriptively explain guidelines. Obligations and responsibilities of companies will be discussed in the latter part of the paper.
The definition of selling by Alan J. Zell, who is a self-proclaimed Ambassador of Selling, is stated as, “asking someone to buy what is being offered, in return for time, effort and/or money.” Referring to the definition, what is being offered: ideas, information, policies, procedures, policies, attitudes, skills, knowledge, changes, products, and services. I categorize selling into four different parts. The first is buying, accepting and adopting what is being offered. The second is marketing, determining to whom and how what is being offered is presented. The third is presenting, giving customers information in oral, written, and/or physical format. The fourth is selling, helping people buy what is being offered by giving them justifications on their decision to buy or getting confirmation from someone else about the decision. The largest problem with producing sales is convincing the customer that their fears aren’t a factor in buying a good or service. These fears are, their own lack of knowledge, the presenter’s lack of knowledge, and being criticized for buying. When selling the presenter has to cause the customer to be comfortable in buying, be proud to be associated with what is being offered, and enable the customer to talk with confidence and intelligence, and without the fear of embarrassment or criticism about what is being offered. These are the basic rules that define selling.
