Though salesmanship of any kind needs the art of perfect presentation and some kind of possession, one can clearly distinguish between the art of ‘counter’ and ‘traveling’ salesmanship at least on six grounds.
1. The Place of Working:
Counter salesmanship is practiced in a single place in doors, say in an establishment a retail outlet, shop, showroom in a fixed locality. Counter salesmanship does its work of persuasion and convincing through enchanting presentation and gets the order, It is a routine place of work which is easier, cosier that guarantees a kind of stability. On the other hand, travelling salesmanship is practiced on the move under changing geographical bacons, climate, moving from customer to customer, or establishment to establishment. That m. — case of counter salesmanship, the customer is at his door step while in case of traveling salesmanship. Salesman is at the doors of customers.
2. The Nature of Work:
The work of a counter salesman is relatively routine type; that is to welcome the customer or group of customers, greeting them, presenting the products their interest and delivering the goods once he clinches the order. He is more an order booking clerk at the counter. Contrary to this, traveling salesman’s work is one of pioneering; creaming new ice, creating desire, demand and order. It is not a mere order booking task. It can be said that comparatively any Tom, Dick and Harry can be a Counter Salesman but not a Traveling salesman necessarily.
3. The Efforts and Rewards:
It is but natural that the efforts and rewards are well balanced under normal circumstances. In case of counter salesman, the remuneration is comparatively much lower as there are no greater sacrifices on his part. Again, even if such salesman leaves the organisation, his position is replaced by others easily. The mode of ansrationis generally a fixed salary or commission or combination of the same.
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On the other hand, the demands of traveling salesmanship are really high warranting a good deal of sacrifice of his personal pleasures and family attachment working under. Odd conditions, places, climates and health hazards. These sacrifices justify his higher rewards both monetary and non-monetary. Again, it is really difficult get such dare-devils who are committed and prepared die for the organization. He has not only chances of better remuneration but promotion of higher posts.
4. Supervision of Salesmen:
Every pay master has the unpleasant task of supervising a controlling the performance of his sales army. Controlling salesmen on the counter is much sifter as he is working under the very nose of higher ups or the boss. Even it is large departmental store the activities of each salesman on each counter can be easily monitored through closed Circuit TV monitoring system. However, exercising control over traveling salesman is an uphill as he is away from the owner or employer. So far, an employer has not developed any such remote control device to monitor and regulate the activities of these travelling salesman. I en if it is a possibility due to technological supremacy, it speaks of rigid, supervision and even tie honest and devoted traveling salesman tries to run away as he has other organizations welcoming these brave hearts.
5. The Degree of Adaptability:
A traveling salesman is more adaptive to the changing circumstances than counter salesman by very nature. That is, a traveling salesman can work easily as a counter salesman than counter salesman readily willing to work as a travelling salesman.
It implies that, it is easy to move from difficult one. The travelling salesmanship being more creative can survive scores of surmounting odds and difficulties in his line than the counter salesmanship that is known for just order booking. It is here, that these two tasks differ widely. It is not case of treating any one with a tinge of partiality, but these are the facts.
6. Building Relationship:
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Successful salesmanship is one that builds lasting relationship with customers. It is developing long-run partnership between the firm and the customers. Creating a customer is not easy. Further, creating long lasting partnership between satisfied customer and the firm is still more challenging. In this regard, the traveling salesman creates customers, maintains them for longer and is always on the move of increasing the number of satisfied customers. That is, by creating a few loyal customers, he creates and maintains more and more customers by his modesty and integrity by showing keen interest and concern for them.
However, the counter salesman does the work of satisfying the customers who come to his customer. In case he very successful, he may contribute to maintain them and generate extra by word of mouth through satisfied customers.
However, there are least chances of these kinds in case of counter salesmanship as he catches fish in the pond and not in a sea.