What is active sales and their stages. Active trading Active selling where to start

Entrepreneurs sometimes don't fully understand what active selling is and how it works. People who are successful in this direction are highly valued. And their transactions, as a rule, turn out to be the most productive and profitable. We can say they are the elite of sales.

Active sales marketing begins with salespeople and ends with multi-billion dollar deals negotiated at the top management level in wholesale trade and large international corporations.

Technology

In active sales, special techniques are used to grab attention and establish friendly contact. Active sales can be both personal, with face-to-face contact, and implemented through.

The essence of active sales is that sellers create traffic for themselves. The choice of place and method by which sales are conducted is left to their discretion, which means that there is quite a lot of room for maneuver. The future buyer could not even suspect the existence of the goods offered to him before. Thus, the formation of a need for a product arises precisely during the initial contact with.

The formation of a need for a product arises precisely during the initial contact with the seller.

Being engaged in active sales, the seller is obliged not only and not so much to sell the goods. His tasks also include determining the territory in which he will search for customers. The correct choice of the territory determines the size of the buyer's area of work for the seller.

Active sales were most widespread in the segment, or, as it is also commonly called, b2b (sales of one company to another). Moreover, such types of sales are the most effective and least expensive in terms of marketing.

Since the client does not have a clear interest in the product (he does not seek to find it on his own), active sales should be used only in a saturated market, where the level of competition is very high. Also, active sales will be a good way to promote a new product or service that needs to be brought to the market.

Active sales will be a good way to promote a new product or service.

Application area

In a broad sense, we can say that active selling can be applied anywhere. But it is worth focusing on profitability. For example, for consumer goods (FMCG) it is more productive to rent outlet in areas with high traffic.

Therefore, it is much more efficient to use active sales to complete transactions with a high level of profitability. In general, active sales can be divided into areas of application as follows:

Trade mission. Visiting retail outlets and selling goods in small and medium wholesale lots is the main task of a sales representative. They can also conclude contracts for long-term cooperation and expand the trading range. The competition in this area is very high, so much depends on the individual skill of a particular seller. An example of a sales representative can be found anywhere: wholesale food, building materials, cosmetics and household chemicals.
Telemarketing. These are regular telephone sales. Convenience lies in the most remote way of selling. Payment is also made remotely, which eliminates the need for a physical visit to the client. Telemarketing is still very common, although it could be expected that with the development of Internet technologies, its demand will decrease. For successful telemarketing, tools that are widely used in marketing are perfect.
Difficult sales of expensive equipment. All kinds of equipment and expensive machines. Such transactions are always carried out in several stages - the initial call, the departure and presentation of the product, the signing of the contract, shipment and payment.
Remote sales to other regions and abroad. Here, too, primary contacts are almost always made through telephone conversations or via the Internet.

Also, active sales have proven themselves well as a tool to achieve the goal in the segment (b2c, sales individuals or direct (personal) sales). But for this segment, this is just one of many sales tools. In b2c, this technique is often used at the very beginning, at the stage of project promotion. Although it must be admitted that there are companies that use only active sales to sell goods and services to individuals.

The specifics of sales in b2c

Let's say a few words about the types of active sales in the b2c segment:

Phone sales can be used to sell any product or service.
. The development of Internet technologies could not but affect the specifics of sales. Everything is sold through the Internet today: from tourist trips to diapers and banking products.
Walking around apartments is a classic of active sales. Sales agents sell consumer goods using this technique.
Promotions. Also a very popular type of active sales, designed to promote new products in popular places - shopping malls, airports, on city streets.
Sellers in public transport are another classic method of active sales. Today they can have different forms and types, but it was with them that active sales once began in modern Russia.

The specifics of the manager's work

Active sales differ in the technique of conducting and focus. The specificity of such activities imposes special requirements on the training of a specialist. It is more difficult and takes much more time than preparing a manager for other types of sales.

An active sales manager is always forced to deal with an unprepared client. Here you can also find unwillingness to start a dialogue, rudeness, harshness, up to threats of physical violence. The buyer outside the store, being on a territory alien to the seller, behaves completely atypically. And the seller must be prepared for such a development of events. He must always be fully equipped to meet any non-standard situation.

The seller must always be fully prepared to meet any non-standard situation.

Most attention should be paid to such blocks of work as establishing initial contact, identifying client needs and working with objections.

Very often, salespeople who performed well on the sales floor were completely unprepared for work "in the field." Below we will give the main principles, rules and features, adhering to which, you can prepare salespeople for the harsh realities of everyday life of an active salesperson:

Working out in the office of each of the stages of active sales. On the street, customers will not forgive the seller for unprofessionalism and lack of knowledge about the product. The seller should prepare an exhaustive, but at the same time brief description and competitive advantages of the proposed product for any comment of the client. It is strictly forbidden to let an unprepared seller out on the street.
When recruiting people to conduct active sales, warn in advance of upcoming difficulties. Don't waste your time on those who later refuse such work.
Field training. An integral part of active sales training. Do not under any circumstances neglect it.
Teach sellers to always close a deal. This is the most important step in any active sale. Pay close attention to closing the deal.

Eventually

A competent active sales specialist will always have a high cost in the labor market. There is a real battle going on for them. Their level wages can reach several hundred thousand rubles a month.

To buy such a specialist is very expensive. It is much more efficient and cheaper to grow your own salesperson, but do not rush your specialist. Preparing for active sales is a complex and time-consuming process. Although it certainly pays for itself!

The success of any business depends on the ability to communicate with customers and potential buyers. There is a tool for this - active sales. What is it - a set of techniques or a systemic mechanism? How to master the art of active sales and what determines the success of mastering their techniques?

The essence of active sales

Active sales are most often referred to as a complex process associated with the market sale of a product or service: finding a client, determining his needs, creating an attractive offer, negotiating, making a deal and subsequent communication with the client. Their main difference from passive sales is that the latter do not imply access to the buyer - he comes himself.

It is important that the employee of the company involved in the above-described cycle of interaction with the client understands the specifics of his position, knows what active sales are, that this is not just cash and settlement work, but a sequence of deliberate actions aimed at business growth. The ability not to impose is important, namely to sell goods and services - the buyer must feel first of all a partner. Here the manager will need a whole set of personal qualities - the ability to negotiate, find compromises, find common interests with the client and maintain a friendly mode of communication.

The subtle art of active sales

Experts believe that the most important qualities of a manager involved in the sale of goods and services are the development of working methods, the willingness to identify which active sales technique is most effective, and also to build a systematic model for their use. So, for example, by successfully using a methodology that made it possible to start telephone conversation with a client (in which the interlocutor agrees to take a few minutes to communicate with the manager), you need to be able to interest the buyer, turn him from a potential into a real one.

It is very important, as experts say, to avoid one cunning trick of the interlocutor. Sometimes the client pretends that communication with the manager is very interesting for him - this mainly happens when such behavior is prescribed by the corporate "code" of the employing company, which implies the priority of courtesy. The ability to identify such a buyer is a whole art, and one might say - a separate technique of active sales, a separate type of professional manager's toolkit.

How to sell a service?

A business supplies either goods or services to the market. The specifics of interaction with customers and potential buyers when working with both items of sale are different. Many experts believe that it is much more difficult to sell a service, since, as a rule, it is impossible to touch, taste, test and simply admire it as a product. Active sales of services is a type of activity that requires specific vocational training. The manager, firstly, must have a real idea of the capabilities of his employer and not promise the client what the business cannot provide. Secondly, when selling a service, a specialist must take care of the subsequent word of mouth mechanism - that is, to achieve not a one-time result of work, but to feel further prospects for increasing demand. Thirdly, the manager must be able to somehow compensate for the shortcomings noted when handling services (the fact that they cannot be “felt”).

The best alternative is persuasion, literate and skillful. Another component of success is the ability to tell the truth, the willingness to disclose details about the product or service being sold on the part of an active sales specialist. What brand is it, who makes it, why such a price - the buyer should know about all this.

Frames sell everything

In the process of business growth, there comes a moment when a new division is needed in its structure - an active sales department. It is important for management to choose a competent path to the formation of this part of the company and, most importantly, staffing with qualified personnel. Much depends on the current tasks set for the business and the conditions for their solution.

For example, during the analysis of the situation, the management decided that it was necessary to actively attract new customers. Accordingly, it is necessary to select people with extensive experience in working with “cold calls” in the staff. Another option is that the market has a very low level of brand perception. Hence the task is to focus on repeat sales, so that each of the clients has a permanent association with the goods and services of the company. The main problem in the formation of the staff of sales managers is to determine the number of specialists, the scope of functions and the level of responsibility. Experts recommend that businessmen, on the one hand, start with small amounts of work with small forces, and on the other hand, keep a stack of resumes ready so that if sales go up, call new people.

Profession - manager

Actually, the main thing actor in communication with the buyer - this is the manager. Experts identify several qualities of a person necessary to meet this position. Firstly, the manager must have motivation, which depends on the attitude to work, temperament, and the ability to set oneself up positively. Secondly, it is a wide range of personal qualities - maturity, self-confidence, emotional stability, flexibility, the ability to find compromises and solutions in non-standard cases, the ability to negotiate. Thirdly, the manager must be able to interest the client in a commercial offer, to know how to bypass the client's attempts to avoid dialogue. Countering objections is the most important in this vein professional quality, since most customers are initially not inclined to start communication with a stranger. The manager must be able to negotiate the most important thing - the price of the product or service being sold.

When the word "no" is part of the job

A manager engaged in active sales is a person who, perhaps more often than people in most other professions, hears objections, denials and other attempts by the interlocutor to avoid a constructive dialogue. The ability to adequately perceive the word "no" is the most important quality of a sales specialist. Experts recommend that novice managers, firstly, treat denials as part of the work, as a norm, and secondly, learn to take such phenomena not too literally. The client often says "no" not because he has unequivocal objections to the purchase of goods and services, sometimes it is a psychological phenomenon that reflects the specific emotions of a person. There are cases when a person who has refused a manager one or more times subsequently becomes a regular client of the company. It is important, experts say, to avoid an automatic mood for a positive answer - this will help the sales specialist to avoid psychological discomfort in cases where the client says “no”.

The best manager is a quiet "scout"

Exclusively important quality of an active sales manager is the ability to ask questions to a client, to “scout out” the profile of his needs, to identify psychological and personal characteristics. Experts note that a limited percentage of specialists have this ability, and therefore this skill can become a good competitive advantage for a novice “salesperson”. The art of asking the right questions is closely intertwined with the ability to avoid voicing unnecessary phrases.

Therefore, if a manager is naturally talkative, this will certainly help him in his ability to become a “scout”, but it may interfere with building a meaningful, constructive dialogue with the buyer. When communicating with a client, a sales specialist should speak only to the point, revealing what the interlocutor really needs, and, most importantly, be able to listen to the client. It is important to make it clear to the buyer that time-consuming questions are asked for a reason. The buyer should not feel constrained, but on the contrary, he should see what benefits lie in such a phenomenon as active sales. That this is not just an attempt to sell something, but a method of building mutually beneficial relationships.

Learning is light

Mastering the basics of active sales is not only practice, but also theory, a diligent study of various author's methods and materials. Among the sources popular among Russian managers are books (including in audio format), the author of which is Nikolai Rysev.

"Active sales" - this is the name of his works. They are published in several editions, written in a very simple and understandable style. They contain a deep analysis of several dozen strategies for successful sales, there are illustrative examples from practice. This book is a real find for professionals in the field of trade of various specializations. Salespeople, commercial representatives, managers, executives, and even directors of various departments can read it and learn a lot of useful things.

Self-development is the key to success

A manager who has managed to implement a systematic approach to his profession gains access not just to a set of disparate methods - he has in his hands a whole technology of active sales that can be scaled into many areas. Achieving such a status implies, first of all, self-development. It lies in the ability and, most importantly, the desire to learn, to master something new in sales.

If an active sales manager knows how to prioritize these phenomena, then this will allow him not only to improve himself, but also to correctly assess changes in the environment, work with new external factors (for example, if demand for a particular type of product or service has fallen or the target a group of clients for some reason lost its ability to pay). Another important property"salesperson" - to know your product, its objective strengths and weaknesses. The client must receive reliable information about the purchased products or services - this is an important condition for a long-term relationship between him and the business.

Do you want to know what active sales are? First, these are calls to find new customers, then the sale of goods, and then further work with the client in order to sell to him new product or related services.

Active sales is the search for new distribution channels and their constant development.

The essence of active sales is in the constant initiative on the part of the seller, in the ability to communicate and maintain relationships with the client, transferring him to the mode of regular purchases.

In a word, when the seller goes to the client, this is an active sale, and when the client comes to you, it is passive.

Human Resources large companies, who are constantly recruiting employees in sales departments, have seen from their own experience that such work requires a special psychotype of managers, since there is a risk of great emotional stress, leading to rapid fatigue and reduced productivity.

Practicing psychologists note that active managers with strong energy easily sell goods, and therefore recommend employees a positive outlook on life, sports and fitness, including power loads.

The sale of cheap goods and services with a price of up to 4,000 rubles through such sales is considered unprofitable, except when such goods are sold in significant quantities, for example, bottled water for the office. The contract for its supply during the year is a significant amount.

Active professional sales are also used by enterprises that do not have distributors. They also create a large sales force, hire managers and train objections, write scripts and invite business coaches to improve the professionalism of their “salespeople” for maximum profit.

A classic example of such a business is the sale of cars in the Rolf showroom.

As soon as a car is purchased, they start calling you from the salon and offering additional services. For example, tinting, a different wheel diameter, branded T-shirts for chairs, velvet rugs, a mesh in the trunk and a bunch of other bells and whistles. As a result, you will bend over and buy something, because you can discuss your new car day and night with anyone, and even more so with salon professionals.

If you decide to take a ride in Sochi, you will receive about twenty SMS messages that on your way in Voronezh, and in Rostov, and in Krasnodar, they are waiting for you in Rolf salons to top up or change oil, check the wheel balance for free. You will be able to feel the active care of the Rolf managers and you will buy a new car and related products from them!

Speaking of active sales, an important detail should be noted - their strategy involves a comprehensive study of a potential client, especially the circle of persons authorized to make decisions.

A convincing presentation of the product depends on the manager, so it is desirable that he himself use what he sells. He will feel all the features of the product, it will be easier for him to convey to the buyer not so much the price as the value and benefits of the product. He will talk about the products offered in his own words, emotionally, avoiding worn out clichés.

A manager is successful when he sells with faith in the product. And his biggest mistake is superficial knowledge of the product being sold.

Active professional sales are considered the most effective and here is what experts recommend relying on to achieve success:

for professionally trained personnel;
on well-organized management of the department;
on an effective sales technology developed taking into account all the advantages of the products sold.

A company that is going to actively promote products should have its own corporate regulations for working with clients and a brief to clarify their interests and needs.

And transaction agreements developed by the legal department for the fastest signing by the client should basically contain positions commercial offer with which the client was familiarized earlier and to which he did not object.

Active sales are full-fledged meaningful sales, including:

all sales components - sales logistics,
search for clients (new niches, segments, groups of clients);
a set of measures to promote products and (or) services through the marketing channel.

A set of promotional measures involves:

work on the analysis of the reasons for hindering the growth of sales, inhibition of the movement of information, money, goods in the marketing channel,
stimulation of intermediaries of the distribution channel - trade marketing,
work in conjunction (manufacturer, intermediary, retailer) to stimulate customers with the help of marketing campaigns - sales marketing.

Purpose of active sales- activities to promote goods and (or) services, more precisely, to "push" goods and (or) services through the marketing channel. The result of active sales are: increased demand, increased sales.

Active sales quite labor-intensive, takes a long time and requires a fairly high qualification from the sales staff. Active sales are the basis of work wherever the buyer, counterparty does not have a clearly defined idea about the product (service), or has difficulty in selling it through its own distribution system (distributors). In this case, the identified need, dissatisfaction with the existing situation and the desire to change it, is the basis for active sales. An active seller, based on the results of problem analysis, prepares and implements solutions to stimulate sales, compensate for losses in the distribution channel, and eliminate the causes of inhibition of goods in the distribution channel.

Sales and active sales- different concepts. By sales, I understand the logistics of sales: the planned movement of goods and money; logical distribution, storage of goods; control over the movement of goods and distribution, along with the control of the movement of money, in payment for the goods supplied and (or) the services provided. The purpose of sales is to fulfill the planned indicators of turnover, inventory turnover, receivables, etc. key sales indicators. If a sales agent (sales representative, sales manager, salesman) performs sales activities in the proper amount, with proper quality, and this is limited, we can talk about the quality of his sales activities and passive sales.

Today there is a common stereotype that active sales -the process of active "steaming" goods, or manipulation. In this case, negligent sellers, without analyzing the situation, "load" the client, shower him with the maximum amount of information about the product or service, and at the next stage, all this turns into an unjustified increase in receivables, overstocking of warehouses, and so on. Consultants call this the aggressive selling technique, and there are even trainings on how to do it. In this case, the aggressive seller is not at all focused on the personal characteristics, the specifics of the buyer. Ahead is one goal - the possible benefit from a momentary deal. The collective image is a certain traveling salesman who knocks on all doors and, without asking people what they actually need, tries to "shove" their products. He talks a lot and beautifully, but only about his product, and absolutely does not pay attention to who he is in contact with. Until now, many sales managers work this way.

One of marketing tools active sales is trade promotion(trade promotion) - a set of incentive marketing tools used to increase and/or accelerate sales of goods, services. What is the difference between, say, advertising and trade promotion? While advertising is aimed at creating a desire among buyers to buy, trade promotion (trade promotion) is aimed at providing the very possibility of such a purchase. Purpose of sales promotion(the goal of active selling in relation to the seller) is to turn an inert and indifferent seller, if not into your adept, then into a decently informed merchant.

Active sales are technically the most complex and, at the same time, the most effective type of sales. They can be applied in almost any situation and in any market. There are companies that generally prefer only this method of promotion. But it is important to know the specifics and stages of active sales.

The training of active sales specialists is complex, time-consuming, and far from certain that it will succeed. The fact is that in active sales a lot depends on the charisma and psychological stamina of the seller. To facilitate the process of training such specialists, it is customary to break the entire sales process into main stages. There are six of them. Below we will discuss each of them in detail.

Stage 1. Getting ready to sell

The preparatory stage involves, first of all, the preparation of the seller himself. The transaction must be completed, the contract must be signed, the goods shipped or the service provided, and the money from the client must be received. In order for everything to work out, you need to radiate professionalism, be confident in yourself and that the proposed product will really help your client.

In order for everything to work out, you need to radiate professionalism, be confident in yourself and that the proposed product will really help your client.

It is required to carefully study the goods and services that will be sold through active sales, it is necessary to have comprehensive knowledge, to be ready to answer any tricky question client and bring reinforced concrete counterarguments. After all, you will need to work with objections, and with criticism, and with discontent. You may even have to face undisguised aggression.

In terms of psychological readiness, you must be confident in your knowledge and in the product offered to customers. Do not forget also about the physical component of training. You shouldn't look sleepy or rumpled. Cheerfulness, a clear look, a benevolent, endearing smile - that's what a successful salesperson needs.

Stage 2. First contact with the client

General concepts of courtesy and courtesy will help you, together with the right psychological and physical attitude, to cope with the first contact with the client and win him over, set him in the right mood.

To do this, you need to implement 3 main steps:

Greetings. Politely and kindly wish you a good day.
Performance. Please provide your name and the name of the company you represent.
Acquaintance. Find out from a future client how you can approach him.

If the client went halfway and identified himself, in fact, he subconsciously agreed to a detailed presentation of your product, and it is very likely that such contact will end in a deal. You can safely move on.

Stage 3. Identification of needs

I must say that at this stage you have to not only identify, but also independently form the customer's need. After all, he may not even know about the product that you offer. For this, the awakening of consumer motives is most often used. Absolutely every buyer has such motives. There are five in total:

Quality.
Safety.
Convenient use.
Improving your own life.
Financial savings.

It is necessary not only to identify, but also independently form the needs of the client.

The need for novelty is also sometimes distinguished. This motive is additional, since it is not present in all consumer groups (more often among young people). A striking example of the implementation of such a motive are novelties in the world of radio electronics. Buyers literally sweep away the latest models of smartphones from the shelves of salons.

Asking questions in such a way that potential client could tell you the maximum information about himself and his problems, you will be able to form an opinion about which motive would be easiest to awaken from him. Remember that there are no wrong answers. If you are not satisfied with the answer to the question, then this question was formulated incorrectly. Listen to the client and you will hear him.

Based on the problems and needs of the client, you should start the presentation in such a way as to arouse the maximum possible number of motives. This will allow you to close the dialogue on the deal faster.

Stage 4. Product presentation

This is a relatively simple step, the essence of which is the correct presentation of information about the product. You must form it on the go, based on the data from the previous stage of the conversation.

The presentation should take place according to the classical scheme: property - benefit or property - solution to the problem. By telling the client about certain properties of the product, you simultaneously demonstrate how many of his problems will be solved.

Do not forget to focus on quality, ease of use, economic feasibility and uniqueness of your offer. After you have given the client detailed information, you will have to move on to the most difficult part of the sale - dealing with objections.

Stage 5. Dealing with objections

The wrong word at this stage can jeopardize the whole deal. Be extremely careful. Follow a strategy that includes the following sequential steps:

Active listening. Listen to the client, understand the essence of his objection, use the effect of presence.
Accession. To overcome the negative reaction of the client, you must first agree with him, join his point of view. Immediately after that, without stopping, continue the conversation with a counterargument. If you are told about the lack of interest, say that the offer is unique.
Clarification. Don't be afraid to ask clarifying questions if you don't understand the reasons for the client's objections.
Arguments. Give arguments in order to dispel the customer's doubts and uncertainty about the properties and quality of the product, as well as the company's image.

To overcome the negative reaction of the client, you must first agree with him, join his point of view.

Stage 6. Closing for sale

To sell, you need to offer to buy. This is an immutable law of sales, without which there will be no deal. Here, too, there are subtleties.

After all, you will not be satisfied with a negative answer? To get an affirmative answer, ask the question in such a way that it can only be answered with “yes” or “no”. This will dramatically increase the chances that the conversation will close on a deal. Also, the application of the rules of three "yes" often works. You must ask 3 questions in sequence, so that the client accurately answers in the affirmative to the first two. Ask the third question whether he is ready to make a purchase right now. You can also use additional incentives in the form of information about the limited supply.

And finally

We have tried to give you an idea of the main stages of active sales. As can be seen from all that has been said, this process requires a high speed of thinking and a prompt response to changes in the situation in the conversation. Your manager should be 200% ready.

In active sales, every step must be measured. The client's mood may change, this must also be taken into account. Be sure to do some training. In game situations, work out all the typical situations that your managers may encounter.

Long preparation and hard work will bring you high levels of sales and good revenue, but be prepared for the fact that this path is not easy. The stages of active sales in trade are a necessary basis of knowledge that every sales manager must master.