This document discusses key concepts in salesmanship including product knowledge, customer knowledge, competitors, and the sales call process. It covers the importance of understanding the product, customer needs and buying motives, as well as competitors' products and strategies. The sales call process involves pre-call planning, opening to identify customer needs, probing questions, and reinforcing the product benefits to satisfy those needs. The goal is to guide the customer through the buying decision process and motivate them to purchase by addressing their top priorities.

2. TYPES OF SCIENCE

6. ROAD MAP
1. Introduction to selling skills.
2. Call sequence.
a) Opening.
b) Probing.
c) Reinforcing.
d) Gaining commitment.
3. Dealing with resistance.
4. Using visual aids.

7. INTRODUCTION

8. INTRODUCTION
There are three principles of salesmanship:
1. Human relation
2. Straight thinking
3. Presentation

9. HUMAN RELATION

10. STRAIGHT THINKING

11. PRESENTATION

12. Product
Customer
Competitors

13. Product

14. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
 Product knowledge is essential for the success of sales
calls.
 It helps the salesperson show the customers what they
will gain by prescribing and dispensing his product.

15. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
• History
• Research and Development
GENERAL
INFORMATION
• Medical Background
• Product Information
• Mode of Action
• Indication and Dosage
• Limitation and Side Effect
• Advantages and Benefits
• Price
SPECIFIC
INFORMATION
• Action, Indication and Dosage
• Limitation and Side Effects
• Disadvantages
COMPETITORS
INFORMATION

16. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
 Product knowledge is indispensable for the salesperson
to do his job effectively.
 However not all information about the product should be
demonstrated to the doctor during the sales call, so that
you have to select what to say.

17. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Knowledge gives you the three elements of successful
selling.

18. 1. CONFIDENCE.
It is hard to imagine a successful salesperson who is not
fully aware of his product.
If you know every details about your product and
competitors, you will feel confident.

19. 2. ENTHUSIASM
The salesperson hopes to make the doctor see the product
as he sees.
• Enthusiasm is contagious, let the customer catches it.

20. 3. PROFESSIONAL SELLING
The knowledge of why a doctor should prescribe a certain
product is as important for a salesperson as knowledge of
what he has to sell.

21. PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE
However, the salesperson should guard against talking too
much about the product features and too little about what it
will do for the sake of the patient, instead of selling product
features, he should sell the effects and results of the
product (benefits)

22. How to demonstrate a product?

23. HOW TO DEMONSTRATE A PRODUCT
1. FEATURES
They are the characteristics of the product.
This is what the producer puts into a product to produce
useful effects.
A Feature is an ingredient or description of an aspect of the
product.

24. HOW TO DEMONESTRATE A
PRODUCT
2. ACTIONS / ADVANTAGES
They are the result of the feature. This is the way the
product works, the effect of the feature is the most
important thing.
Actions are typically reduction or increase of levels of body
chemicals.
Advantages are typically relief of symptoms or speedy
relief.
Advantages also can be a relief of combination of
symptoms "pharmacological effect

25. HOW TO DEMONESTRATE A
PRODUCT
3. BENEFITS
They are how the end user is improved. These are the final
result of the action of the feature.
Benefits state how the user is improved or getting better.
Benefits could be to the patients or the doctor.

26. HOW TO DEMONESTRATE A
PRODUCT
FOR THE PATIENT
Returning to normal life style.
FOR THE DOCTOR
Doctor benefits are typically being able to prescribe
confidently and achieve control over the illness.

27. BUT
Features Never Change
Benefits Do
Depending on the needs

28. Don’t Assume That a Benefits
That’s Important To One
Doctor Will Be Important To Another
Doctor

29. Don’t Assume That Your Customer Will Translate
Your Product Features Into Benefits
Then
He buys it
But
Remember that it is your role

30. WHO IS FIRST

31. ORGANIZING THE PRESENTATION
FEATURE ACTION BENEFIT FAB
In this method, you start with the feature and explain its
action and then come up with the benefit
BENEFIT ACTION FEATURE BAF
In this method of organization, you start with the benefit
and then prove it with the action and relate this action to
the feature.

32. Customer

33. THE CUSTOMER
Perhaps, you are more oriented to the doctor’s role in
generating prescription for your product, but you should not
forget the retailer role in generating your sales.

34. THE CUSTOMER
Broadly speaking, what does the salesperson need to
know about the doctor?
 The problem facing the doctor for which the salesperson
product is the solution.
 The way the doctor thinks about his problem, the
salesperson product and the competing products.

35. Buying Motives

36. BUYING MOTIVES
 The doctor prescribes the product that fulfills one or
more of his prescribing motives (buying motives).
 We list out these motives below:

37. CONVENIENCE
EFFICACY /
PERFORMANCE
APPEARANCE
ECONOMY
SAFETY
PRIDE / PLEASURE

38. How To Motivate a Customer?

39. HOW TO MOTIVATE A CUSTOMER?
Normally, more than one motive will be revolved during the
product demonstration, so that the salesperson have to
organize his presentation in an order which satisfy the
physician motives according to the physician priorities.

40. HOW TO MOTIVATE A CUSTOMER?
The core of the salesperson job is to uncover the doctor’s
need and then satisfy this need with the product benefits
SUCCESSFUL SALESPERSON
Salesmanship is the ability of the salesperson to convert a
need to a want and fulfill it with his product benefits
PROFESSIONAL SALESPERSON

41. NEED AND WANT
Need is:
Want is:

42. NEED AND WANT
To convert a need to a want for a specific product, you
should demonstrate your product benefits in a way that
makes the doctor realize the urgency of your product to fit a
certain need, then he will be the one who is seeking to buy
your product.
In another word, combining more than one benefit which
satisfy more than one motive of high priority to the
physician will definitely convert the need to a want.

43. The Buying Decision Process

44. The Buying Decision Process
Need
recognition
Information
search
Evaluation of
alternatives
Purchase
decision
Post-purchase
evaluation

45. The Buying Decision Process
and the Communication Challenge
Need
recognition
Information
search
Evaluation of
alternatives
Purchase
decision
Post-purchase
evaluation
Understand motivation or influence motivation
Understand how the customer
responds to information
Create
favourable attitudes
Create
preference for brand
Reinforce
satisfaction
Selects and attends to information
interprets information
Create
favourable attitudes
Change
negative attitudes
Reduce the time delay between
decision and implementation of decision
Address
dissatisfaction
Manage
cognitive dissonance

46. The Selling Process Stages

47. Stage 1
RECEPTIVITY
 Receptivity is related to the salesperson and the product.
 Good personal relationship may positively affect
customer receptivity.

48. Stage 2
 Identity customers needs to help you get the customer to
FOCUS on his products needs .
 Customers focuses on the product characteristics
according to his needs.
FOCUS

49. Stage 3
 Relate and reinforce benefits to provides the customer
with knowledge about how your products address his
needs.
 Gain commitment and follow up to help the customer to
take favorable decision.
KNOWLEDGE

50.  Customers makes an evaluation to determine which
products would satisfy their needs.
Stage 4
EVALUATION

51.  Customers take decision to accept certain products or
indications and refuse others.
Stage 5
DECISION

52. Competitors

53. COMPETITION
The salesperson has to accept the competition because
there is no other choice.

55. COMPETITION
The salesperson should accept the fact that:
“These are the days of great product standardization, few
brands, if any, are superior over the others according to all
standards”

56. COMPETITION
The basis of handling competition is to
SELL THE DIFFERENCE
The difference may be in the product efficacy, safety, price
and dosage.
Or
May be in the salesperson personality, presentation, and
knowledge.

57. IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT COMPETITION
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
COMPETITION?
Knowledge of competition provides the salesperson with a
broad background for better handling of his job & helps him
orient himself in his territory.

58. KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPETITION
INCLUDES:
1.PRODUCT COMPARISON
 The salesperson should be fully aware of the information
about his product and the competing products, so as to
discover the strong and weak points of competitors.

59. KNOWLEDGE ABOUT COMPETITION
INCLUDES:
2.COMPETITOR SELLING ACTIVITIES
 What are the products recommended to the doctor by
the competitive salesperson, and whether the
specifications of these products recommended meet the
doctor’s requirements or not.
 How does the representative tell his story, the visual aids
used, the give - away, models, charts, samples, reports,
and demonstrations.

61. THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION
The salesperson can collect information about competitors
through …
1. Careful and analytical reading of competitors aids such
as brochures, posters, charts and inserted leaflets…etc.
2. Medical journals
3. Asking doctors and retailers
4. Listening to doctors complaints
5. Competitive salespeople

63. WHAT TO AVOID :
1. Do not include any reference of competitor in your sales
presentation unless it is strictly needed.
2. Never initiate the subject of competition, let the doctor
make the first reference.
3. Do not allow the situation to take you away from the
primary task, which is to explain your product.
4. Never make a statement about the competitor before
checking its accuracy.

64. WHAT TO AVOID:
5. Never criticize competitors since criticism can be
interpreted as poor salesmanship.
6. The salesperson should always remember that the
doctor may like the competing brand, and as a result he
might consider the criticism as criticizing his own
judgment.

65. Pre-call
Planning
Opening
Probing
Reinforcing
Gaining
Commitment

66. PRECALL PLANNING

67. PRE-CALL PLANNING
Being well informed about the product, the customer and
the competitors, the salesperson can prepare himself for
the call.

68. PRE-CALL PLANNING
 In particular, the pre-call planning is to find the doctor’s
basic problem or need for which the salesperson’s
product is the right solution, and to find the right way to
approach the doctor.
 Then, the salesperson has to plan how to concentrate on
the problem or the need and its solution when talking to
the doctor.

69. PRE-CALL PLANNING
The pre-call planning gives the salesperson a clear and
detailed picture of each doctor, so that a customized story
can be built for each one.

70. STEPS OF PRE-CALL PLANNING
THE FIRST STEP: IDENTIFY THE DOCTOR
 There are as many types of doctors as there are people.
 Some doctors are nervous, others are disagreeable,
many are timid, sympathetic, calm, talkative, insulting,
cooperative, hesitant, undecided and intelligent.

71. STEPS OF PRE-CALL PLANNING
THE SECOND STEP: COLLECT INFORMATION
 Present products and why he uses them.
 The standards he uses in judging products..
 The prescription philosophy as well as any personal
peculiarities, preference, and prejudices.
 The problems he is facing, his needs and wants.
 The objection and resistance that might be encountered
during the call.

72. STEPS OF PRE-CALL PLANNING
THE THIRD STEP : ASURANCE
It takes place during the first few minutes of the
salesperson interview, the salesperson can revise the data
he had collected so as to assure them or exclude the
information.

73. PRE-CALL PLANNING
BENEFITS OF PRE-CALL PLANNING:
1. Reduction of uncertainty
2. Higher quality of interviews
3. Better interpretation of the product in terms of the
doctor’s needs
4. Increased confidence of the salesperson
5. Sounder selling in shorter and more successful calls

75. WHAT IS OPENING?
Opening is the skill of capturing the customer’s attention
and focusing the sales call.

76. OPENING FUNCTION
1. It helps you establish the purpose of the visit.
2. Allows you to highlight an important product benefit
early in the call.
3. It helps you direct the conversation toward customer
needs.

77. TIME OF OPENING
Generally, you determine when to open, since it naturally
follows the casual conversation that often precedes the
business part of the call.

78. TIME OF OPENING
 However, sometimes a customer will directly signal you
to open, by saying
 “What brings you here?”
 “What can I do for you today?”
 Also, a doctor may tell you, with a facial expression or
body position, that it’s time to get down to business.

79. OPENING STEPS
OPENING INVOLVES TWO STEPS:
Step 1:
Identify known or presumed customer need.
Step 2:
Propose feature and benefit that satisfy this need.

80. OPENING - STEP 1
IDENTIFY A KNOWN OR PRESUMED CUSTOMER NEED
The first step in opening is to identify a known or presumed
customer need.

81. OPENING - STEP 2
PROPOSE FEATURE, ACTION AND BENEFIT THAT
SATISFY THE NEED.
The second step of opening is to propose the feature and
benefit that satisfy the customer’s need.

83. WHAT IS PROBING?
Probing is the skill of questioning.

84. TYPES OF PROBES
Type Definition Example
OPEN
A question that invites an
extended explanation
Sales Rep:
“Doctor, what sort of problems do you
have with newly born calves?”
Doctor:
“there are several, diarrhea is the most
dangerous one.”
Closed
A question that can be
answered in a single word,
often “yes” or “no”
Sales Rep:
“Do you always face diarrhea in newly
born calves?”
Doctor:
yes

85. PROBING FUNCTION
The general purpose of probing is to uncover customer
needs and concerns.
1. It allows you to guide the customer to reveal his needs.
2. With effective probing skills, you take control of the
sales interview.

86. PROBING FUNCTION
Type Function Example
OPEN
Allows the customer to
describe a need
Sales rep:
“Doctor, what sort of problems do you
have with your NSAID?”
Doctor:
“High prices is the major complaint.”
Closed
Allows you to direct the
customer to a presumed
need
Sales rep:
“Do your patients ever complain about
high cost therapy?”
Doctor:
”Yes”

87. PROBING STRATEGY
BEGIN WITH AN OPEN PROBE
NEED INPUT
BEGIN WITH AN OPEN PROBE
NO NEED INPUT
SWITCH TO A CLOSED PROBE
REINFORCING

89. REINFORCING
You probe to uncover needs that can be satisfied by the
features and benefits of your product, then you reinforce,
you show the customer why your product is needed.
Reinforcing is the skill that firmly establishes you as a
problem-solver and promotes your product to the customer.

90. WHAT IS REINFORCING?
Reinforcing is the skill of satisfying customer needs with
product features and benefits.
When you have successfully used the skill of probing, your
customer will either state or confirm a clear need that can
be satisfied by a feature and a benefit of your product.

91. REINFORCING STEPS
Step 1
1. Agreement
2. Paraphrase the customer need
Step 2
1. Propose a feature and a benefit that satisfy this need

92. REINFORCING - STEP 1
The first step in reinforcing is to paraphrase the customer
need.
This shows the doctor that you understand his/her need
and consider it important.

93. REINFORCING - STEP 1
First
You make a direct expression of agreement. Some
examples are:
 “Exactly.”
 “That can be a real problem.”
 “Absolutely”
 “That’s a significant issue.”
 “Without question.”
 “Good point, Doctor”

94. REINFORCING - STEP 1
THEN
You restate the customer’s need.
Restating is repeating the customer’s need in different
words.
When you restate, do not repeat the doctor’s exact words,
paraphrase them.

95. REINFORCING - STEP 2
PROPOSE A FEATURE AND A BENEFIT THAT SATISFY
THE NEED
The second step in reinforcing is to propose a feature and
a benefit of your product that can satisfy this need.
In this way, you show the customer how your product can
be the solution to the need. To present the feature and
benefit, link them in one statement

96. REINFORCING
RESPONDING TO COMPLIMENTS:
When a customer makes a positive reference to your
company, your product line, or your fellow employees, you
should reinforce it. To respond to a positive remark, you
should express agreement with the comment and expand it
to emphasize the positive impression

98. WHAT IS GAINING COMMITMENT?
Gaining commitment is getting the customer agreement to
take a specific action with respect to your product.
The action may be anything from reviewing a clinical paper
to using your product on a trial basis.
The key is to make a specific agreement with the doctor
about action steps that will lead towards product usage.

99. WHAT IS GAINING COMMITMENT?
Gaining commitment is the skill of obtaining the customer’s
agreement to act.

100. WHEN TO GAIN COMMITMENT?
How do you know when a customer is ready to commit
to using your product?
Customer signals are important in gaining commitment.
When the customer gives you a clear-cut acceptance
signal, this is your signal to seek commitment.
Whenever a customer gives you an acceptance signal you
should attempt to gain commitment, even if it happens
before you have probed for needs.

101. GAINING COMMITMENT STEPS
It involves two steps:
Step 1
Review the benefits accepted by the customer
Step 2
Ask for action

102. GAINING COMMITMENT – STEP 1
REVIEW THE BENEFITS ACCEPTED BY THE
CUSTOMER
When you attempt to gain commitment, it is crucial to
review all the benefits accepted by the customer during the
sales call. In your review, you do not need to include
features.
Your review of all the accepted benefits should draw the
customer’s attention to areas in which your product meets
his/her needs.

103. GAINING COMMITMENT – STEP 1
PROBE FOR AN ACCEPTANCE SIGNAL
If you decide to try to gain commitment without receiving an
acceptance signal, you summarize the accepted benefits
and then probe for acceptance signal.
The purpose of this probe is to test the doctor’s frame of
mind. You need to know whether he/she is ready to agree
to act.

104. GAINING COMMITMENT – STEP 2
ASK FOR ACTION
A request for action is actually a paraphrased sales call
objective.
When you ask for action you must be specific.

105. GAINING COMMITMENT – STEP 2
ADVANTAGES SPECIFIC REQUEST:
1. Strengthen your role as a problem-solver.
2. Will help you evaluate your progress after the call.

106. GAINING COMMITMENT – STEP 2
You can make your requests more specific by including any
of the following kinds of information;
1. Asking for use in a specific number of patients.
2. Specifying a time period for trial use of the product

107. TYPES OF REQUESTS FOR ACTION
Requests for action fall into four general categories:
1. Trial-use
2. Continued-use
3. Expanded-use
4. Back to use

108. TYPES OF REQUESTS FOR ACTION
Type Purpose Example
Trial-use
To get a doctor to prescribe
the product on a trial basis
New business is obtained
Continued-use
To get a doctor to continue
prescribing the product at the
same level
Current business is
maintained

109. TYPES OF REQUESTS FOR ACTION
Type Purpose Example
Expanded-use
To get a doctor to
prescribe more of the product
for the same indication
Or
To get a doctor to
prescribe the product for a
new indication
More business is
obtained
Back to use
To get the doctor to prescribe
the product again
Retaining business

110. 1. Review accepted benefits
Principal benefits accepted;
No acceptance signal
2. Ask for actions
2. Ask for action
Acceptance Signal
1. Review accepted benefits
1a. Probe for acceptance
signal

112. WHY DOES THE DOCTOR RAISE
OBJECTION?
1. He is not yet prepared to accept your work for a new
piece of information.
2. Because he is expressing a competitor’s counter-claim
and wants to know whether this counter-claim is
justified.
3. He does not understand your explanation for an
important point.
4. He is interested in your story and wants it to be
reassured.
5. He wants to test your belief in your product.

113. CUSTOMER RESISTANCE
Objections can be turned into assets and opportunities by
the skillful salesperson, and therefore they should be
welcomed, and highly interpreted as requests for additional
information.

114. TYPES OF CUSTOMER RESISTANCE
As a professional salesperson, you have to be able to
identify and respond to these four types of customer
resistance:
1. Misconception
2. Lack of interest
3. Real objection
4. Skepticism

115. TYPES OF CUSTOMER RESISTANCE
Type Definition Example
Misconception
An incorrect negative
assumption about your
product, due to a lack of
information or misinformation.
X single daily dose does not
offer anything more the
competitors
Real objection
A legitimate shortcoming or
disadvantage of your product.
X price is too expensive for
me.

116. TYPES OF CUSTOMER RESISTANCE
Type Definition Example
Lack of interest
Disinterest in your product
because of satisfaction with a
competitor product.
I am very satisfied with Y
Skepticism
Disbelief that your product can
provide the stated benefit.
I find it hard to believe that X
has such a prolonged effect.

117. 1- MISCONCEPTION

118. 1- MISCONCEPTION
DEFINITION
An incorrect negative assumption about your product due
to a lack of information or the misunderstanding of
information.
It is always accompanied with strong feeling and may be
aggressive attitude.

119. 1- MISCONCEPTION
HOW TO DEAL WITH MISCONCEPTION
1. You should resolve it immediately.
2. Paraphrase the doctor objection and magnify it.
3. Provide the correct information to satisfy the doctor

120. 2. REAL OBJECTION

121. 2. REAL OBJECTION
DEFINITION
A legitimate shortcoming or disadvantage of your product.
It is the most serious attitude, and handling it inefficiently
may spoil the call.

122. 2. REAL OBJECTION
HOW TO DEAL WITH REAL OBJECTION
Acknowledge the doctor opinion, since you can not deny it.
Use the YES…BUT technique.
Minimize the doctor objection by maximizing the other great
benefits of your product.
i.e. showing the doctor that your product benefits
outweigh its disadvantage.
Try to position your product in an indication in which its
disadvantage is not of great importance.

123. 3. LACK OF INTREST

124. 3. LACK OF INTREST
DEFINITION:-
Disinterest in your product because of satisfaction with a
competitor product.
It is the most common situation in the field.
It is a challenging situation and when you pass it, you will
enjoy success.

125. 3. LACK OF INTREST
HOW TO DEAL WITH LACK OF INTREST
FIRST
You should identify the competing product in use, and you
may know it through:
Pre-call planning
Directly ask the doctor
Doctor may voluntarily tell you
SECOND
Analyze the competitor, ask series of closed probes to
uncover area of dissatisfaction, and this will be your
entrance gate.

126. 3. LACK OF INTREST
THIRD
Express your product advantages and benefits over the
competitor and acquire the doctor agreement.
Support this step with more benefits, and then ask for
actions to switch the prescription.

127. 3. LACK OF INTREST
NOTE
Fully detailed knowledge about the competitor is essential.
Be prepared with more than one area of dissatisfaction, as
the doctor may not respond to the first one and sort them
according to the doctor priorities.

128. 4. SKEPTICISM

129. 4. SKEPTICISM
DEFINITION
Disbelief that your product can provide the stated benefit. It
occurs after you reinforce the suspected benefit.

130. 4. SKEPTICISM
HOW TO DEAL WITH SKEPTICISM
1. Restate what you have just said using strong and
confident words.
2. Voice tone provides you with 50% of success.
3. Offer documents such as trials, medical journals….etc.
4. Give it to the doctor and ask for commitment and action.
Set a date in which you will deliver the document and
Stick accurately to it
5. Provide the requested document and highlight the area
of the doctor interest with light marker.
6. Get the doctor agreement and then ask for action

132. READ THIS
A 2-leg
sits on a 3-leg
and eats a 1-leg.
Comes a 4-leg
and takes away the 1-leg from the 2-leg.
The 2-leg gets angry
and takes the 3-leg
and beats the 4-leg.

134. TIPS
1. You are selling your product not the visual aid.
2. Know your visual aid in details
3. Use it to support what you say, not to do the selling for
you.
4. Make it clean and ready to use.
5. Use pen or marker.
6. Keep control of the visual aid.

135. WHY WE USE VISUAL AIDS
1. Attract attention
2. Increase retention
3. Improve comprehension

136. TIPS
1. Make it coincize with what you are saying.
2. Rap it unless it is in use.
3. Make it seen by your audience not you.
4. Use it to illustrate point by point.

137. THANK YOU