SELLING SKILLS
TRAINING

Teachers open
the door.

You enter
by yourself.
Chinese Proverb
Chinese Proverb

Customer
A customer is a
person who has some
needs to be fulfilled.
He buys things to
fulfill these needs,
or is a person with
whom one is
concerned.

Product
It is a thing or a substance
produced by natural
process or manufacturing.
Or, it is a thing or service,
which is used to satisfy
one’s needs.

Feature
Shape and the visible effect
of the product tells what a
product is. It gives the
distinctive or characteristic
part of a thing.

Benefit
It is the advantage
which the product
provides. What the
product does

Unique Selling Point (USP)
It is a remarkable,
unusual or
unparalleled
advantageous
feature of the
product.

Why people buy?
To satisfy a pre-
conceived or a set
need

Need
Need is a state of deficiency which
wants to be eliminated

Motive
Motive is a factor or circumstance
that induces a person to act in order
to satisfy the need for a while.

Achievement
The need to see result
usually quickly. The need
to avoid failures

Affiliation
The need to be
associated with
other to help
others

Power
The need to
prevail over others

Because achievement and power
are often present together, we can
group these to build a matrix of
buyer motives.

Achievement/ Power
+ve
Doctor-1 Doctor-4
“Resistant/Defensive” Buyer “Solution” Buyer
Affiliation –ve Affiliation +ve
Doctor-2 Doctor-3
“Pass the buck” Buyer “Pushover” Buyer
Achievement/ Power
-ve

The Resistant/Defensive Buyer B1
This Buyer has high
Power/Achievement motives and
low level of affiliation motive.
He is very Hi-Fi in his personality
and always tends to dominate
the discussion. Want the
maximum value of what he
spend.
Hot Buttons: Profit, Gain,
You, You only, Expensive,
Advanced, Figures, Results.

The “Pass the buck” Buyer (B2)
This Buyer has low
Power/Achievement motives
and low level of affiliation
motive. He is very
conservative in his personality
and always tends to get
someone else to make the
decision. They avoid the sales
people.
Hot Buttons:Safe, No risk,
Secure, No change, Practical,
Small modification, Only.

The “Pushover” Buyer (B3)
This buyer has low
Power/Achievement motives and
high level of affiliation motive. He
is very friendly in his personality
and usually buy the things even if
not necessarily needed (from
those people whom they like).
Hot Buttons: Popular, Others
use, We, Your people, Helping.

The “Solution” Buyer (B4)
This Buyer has high
Power/Achievement motives
and high level of affiliation
motive. Wants what will fit
his/her needs, and knows
his/her needs.
Hot Buttons: Novel, The
latest, The Newest, The most
challenging, The most
advanced, (Plus much of what
interests Doctor-B1 & Doctor-
B2.

The Selling Procedure
Selling to a doctor is a single act but a long-term procedure.
You rarely achieve instant success with only one call.

Reason
 Prescription potential can only be developed
gradually
 Prescription habit of doctors is hard to break.
The change from the use of one drug to
another takes time.
 Each call bring the representative closer to
his/her long-term objective. In practice each
call achieves part of the objective.

Selling Steps
 Step 1. PROSPECTING
 Step 2. PRE-CALL PLANNING
 Step 3. THE CALL
 Step 4. RESPONSE HANDLING
 Step 5. CLOSE
 Step 6: POST CALL ANALYSIS

Step 1. PROSPECTING
 Identify Markets,
segments,
competition and
requirements/
needs to be met

Step 1. PROSPECTING
 To find potential customers, to qualify,
classify/ categorize them

Step 1. PROSPECTING
 The basis for the strategy for sales call

Step 1. PROSPECTING
 Proper allocation of time and
 frequency of sales call

Step 1. PROSPECTING
 A continuous process, all changes must be
known at all relevant levels

Step 2. PRE-CALL PLANNING
Set and define call
objectives (what
should be the
result of this call?)

Step 2. PRE-CALL PLANNING
Plan the procedure (How can I achieve the
result?)

Step 2. PRE-CALL PLANNING
Prepare the
documents (What
do I need for the
call?)

Setting Objectives
Setting Objectives is important because
it provides a target to aim for, and a
yardstick for measuring results and
evaluating performance i.e. your
success

Setting Objectives
It helps you to identify problems when
the result fall short of objectives

Setting Objectives
It acts as a planning tool, to help you
take specific steps to achieve your
objectives

Objective
The objectives should be set in SMART
way
S Specific
M Measurable
A Attainable/ Ambitious
R Realistic/ relevant to your job
T Time Framed

Planning the Procedure
How do you want to proceed, what are
the tools, methods, and techniques we
must use to reach our objectives. Best
time to call on Customers/ Doctor.

Prepare the call
Approach

Prepare the call
Questions to uncover need/ verify
assumptions

Prepare the call
Benefits to satisfy needs

Prepare the call
Responses to possible reactions

Prepare the call
Use of Visual Aids

Prepare the call
Ways of Closing/ Gaining commitment

Questioning

Open Ended Questions
 What is your experience of
Ectobal in Diabetic
Neuropathy?
 How do you overcome the
problem of IUGR?
 In the treatment of
Obesity, Managing hunger
pangs is a real problem
what is your opinion?

Close Ended Questions
 Ask to gain information
 Do obese women have greater risk of
infertility?
 Does Obesity worsen osteoarthritis?

Step 3. THE CALL
Approach/ Identify needs: Identifying
needs by making the doctor talk about
them

Step 3. THE CALL
Presentation/ satisfy needs: Satisfying
needs by introducing appropriate
benefit

Step 4. RESPONSE HANDLING

Acceptance
 The doctor agrees with the product
benefit and has no negative feelings
towards it
 Close

Indifference
 The doctor shows no interest in the
product because of no perceived needs
for its benefits
 Use closed questions to uncover

Doubt
 The doctor is interested in a special
benefit, but doubts whether the product
can really provide it
 Offer proof

Objection
The doctor shows an opposition to the
product
Many representatives think objections
are problems and are afraid of them. As
a result either there is

Objection
Emotional Reaction: The feel attacked
and possibly respond with verbal attack

Objection
Resignation: They give up and accept
resignation

Objection
Avoidance: They ignore and do not deal
with it

Objections however are a reality
and at times can be very useful
because they give a lot of
information regarding the doctor’s
opinion and feelings.

Objection
Objections are because of two factors
 Misunderstanding: due to lack of
information
 Perceived drawback: can not provide a
benefit- or disapprove a feature

Objection Handling Steps
Listen carefully

Objection Handling Steps
Acknowledge

Objection Handling Steps
Restate the Objection/question

Objection Handling Steps
Answer

Objection Handling Steps
Checking question

Objection Handling Steps
Commitment

It is a challenge for the
representative to use this negative
information and change this
negative attitude into acceptance
and sometimes it leads to a
concrete close.

Step 5. CLOSE
The final part of the sales call is closing i.e.
after satisfying needs, ask for prescriptions.
When to close
Neither too early nor too late
GET COMMITMENT

Buying Signals
Look and listen for buying signals
Buying signals are indications that tell
an observant sales person that the
prospect is ready to buy. They can be

Buying Signals
Verbal
The prospect may make comments that
suggest that he/ she is ready to make a
commitment. It may a statement or a
question.

Signals
Non- Verbal
Body language such as
 Facial Features
 Expressions

Signals
Non- Verbal
Physical Actions
 Moving Forward in the Chair
 Nodding One’s Head up and Down
 Using Open-handed Gesture
 Stroking One’s Chin

How to close
Closing is simply asking for Prescriptions

Step 6: POST CALL ANALYSIS
 After the call always review
 Did you follow your plan?
 Were you able to identify and satisfy
doctor’s need?
 Did you handle objections correctly? If not
what went wrong?
 Plan your next call