What do you think Is Salesmanship a Profession ?

Salesmanship is certainly a profession- challenging, thrilling, enchanting and paying-in all those nations where salesmanship has been cultivated, pruned and shaped under the sophisticated conditions.

However, it does not mean that all sales people are professional in case of advanced nations. Those who are exposed to the requisites of this profession by learning and training and practices can be called as professionals. In underdeveloped countries professionalizing salesmanship is a true consuming affair and it treads gradually with the divergent branches of business setting up standards and norms and identifying those who are likely to be exposed to these requisities of selling profession.

The principles of salesmanship can be taught and learn just as surely as those of agriculture, engineering, medicine, law or accounting. As these and other occupations, the student is not a skilled practice until, he has enjoyed a wholesome amount of practical experience. However, he will become a skilled doctor or a salesman much more quickly if he is first absorbs the principles.

At present, colleges and university departments, in India, are grooming the youngsters into learning of higher and meticulous aspects of marketing and sales management. The fundamentals of successful selling namely, his personality, his products, his prospects and his competition coupled with the techniques and strategies, project him of his professional shade and hue. It takes time to assert it as a full-fledged profession as it warrants a master-minding of theory and marshalling of the art of persuasion. Professional salesmanship is one where the salesman creates professional relations between the buyers and his masters, by acting as an analyst, diagnostician and advisor on the problems of his clientele.

Profession of salesmanship is more demanding. Selling is not an easy profession. That is, every one is not suited or cut out for selling. That is selling is not for those who amble into it thinking that it is an easy way to make quick money. Selling requires hard work, without fixed -ours, adjusting to the things when the customer is available. It calls for continuous learning because his environment is fast changing in divergent manner. It is because, customer profiles and attitudes, likes and dislikes.

Professional salesmanship involves discovering buyers need for product or a service, recommending the product or a services that satisfies the need, persuades the buyer that the price is fair, the source of supply is reliable and that he should buy now than later even after the deals, the professional salesmanship continues to show a interest in the buyer to see that :he buyer gets fullest satisfaction from the product or a service.

A professional salesman, like a good physician or a lawyer, puts service to the customer above immediate reward of an order and a commission. He examines the needs of buyers just as a veteran doctor determining the physical problems of his patients; he prescribes the proper type of product or service to best solve the problem of the buyers, he advises the buyers regarding the use of product or service of that they get expected benefit for the price they pay.

The hall-marks of professional salesmanship ire those of creative salesmanship such as establishment of lasting relations between salesmen and the customers, buyers are favourably influenced or impressed by salesman’s job. Sales resistence is reduced; Salesmen are able to make more effective sales presentations and the company services more sales and profits and the reputation.

The professional salesman today is a thinker in addition to being a door. He does not rush out like a bull in China Shop. He starts with a plan; he finds whom he is to meet, where and when, and estimates what he hopes to attain. This kind of planned approach makes him professional-a real salesman who sells.