What do you mean by the term Salesmanship ?

Salesmanship is the art of winning the hearts of consumers to sell well the firm’s products and services. It is the wit act of persuasion. It is the science of understanding the human instincts and paving the way to their fulfillment. It is the art of stressing the appropriate values of the firm’s products and services to fit the individual and varying needs of different buyers called on. It is the ability of a person to persuade the people to buy the goods and services for mutual gain namely, satisfaction to the buyer and profit to the seller. It is the proven and science of serving the class of customers.

Definition of Salesmanship

Prof. Stephenson:

“Salesmanship refers to the conscious efforts on the part of seller to induce a prospective buyer to purchase something that he had not really decided to buy, even if he had thought of it favorably; it consists of persuading the people to buy what you have for sale in making them want it, in helping to made up their minds.”

Mr. Garfield Blake:

“Salesmanship consists of winning the buyer’s confidence for the seller’s house goods, thereby winning regular and permanent customers.”

Mr. Russel and Beach:

“The ability to handle the people.”

Mr. William Carter:

“An attempt to induce the people to buy the goods.”

Mr. Gauss, Mr. Wightman and Mr. Bates:

“Salesmanship consists of persuading people to buy what you have for sale in ma them to want it, in helping to make up their minds.”

American Marketing Association (AMA):

“Salesmanship is an oral presentation in conservation with one or more prospective customers for the purpose of making sales.”

National Association of Marketing Teachers of America (NAMTA):

“It is the ability of persuade people to buy goods and services at a profit the seller and benefit to the buyers.”

Above expressions help us to boil down them to the essence of salesmanship. The salesmanship is the ability of sales person to handle the people to handle the products. It i: science and art of understanding the human desires to pinpoint the ways to their fulfillment. It is highly personalized service rendered by an individual of a set of selling skills, acumen and creativity to the society in the realm of distribution of goods and services. It is the oral presentation in a conversation with one or more prospective purchasers for the purpose of making sales. That is, personal selling is an interpersonal communication process during which a seller uncovers and satisfies the needs of a buyer to the mutual, long-term benefit of both the parties.

In a narrow sense, salesmanship is to art of selling the products and services by convincing the prospects. In a broader sense, it is more than making a sales and getting an order. The real objective is to build relationship—a partnership— by providing long-term benefits to both the seller and the customer. Thus, selling involves helping customers in identifying problems, offering information about potential solutions, and providing after-sale services to ensure long-term satisfaction. Influence and persuasion are the essential parts of selling.