Approach
The step in the selling process in which the salesperson meets the customer for the first time. (572)

Catalogue marketing
Direct marketing through print, video, or electronic catalogues that are mailed to a select customers, made available in stores, or presented online. (582)

Closing
The step in the selling process in which the salesperson asks the customer for an order. (573)

Customer database
An organized collection of comprehensive data about individual customers or prospects, including geographic, demographic, psychographic, and behavioural data. (576)

Customer sales force structure
A sales force organization under which salespeople specialize in selling only to certain customers or industries. (557)

Direct-mail marketing
Direct marketing through single mailings that include letters, ads, samples, foldouts, and other “salespeople with wings” sent to prospects on mailing lists. (580)

Direct-response television marketing
Television spots that persuasively describe a product and give customers a toll-free number for ordering. (583)

Direct marketing
Direct connections with carefully targeted individual consumers to both obtain an immediate response and cultivate lasting customer relationships. (574)

Follow-up
The last step in the selling process in which the salesperson follows up after the sale to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business. (573)

Handling objections
The step in the selling process in which the salesperson seeks out, clarifies, and overcomes customer objections to buying.

Inside sales force
Inside salespeople who conduct business from their offices via telephone or visits from prospective buyers. (558)

Integrated direct marketing
Direct-marketing campaigns that use multiple vehicles and multiple stages to improve response rates and profits. (585)

Needs analysis
The process of determining a buyer's or prospect's needs before presenting or demonstrating a product or service. (572)

Outside sales force (or field sales force)
Outside salespeople who travel to call on customers.

Preapproach
The step in the selling process in which the salesperson learns as much as possible about a prospective customer before making a sales call. (572)

Presentation
The step in the selling process in which the salesperson tells the “product story” to the buyer, highlighting customer benefits. (572)

Product sales force structure
A sales force organization under which salespeople specialize in selling only a portion of the company's products or lines. (557)

Relationship marketing
The process of creating, maintaining, and enhancing strong, value-laden relationships with customers and other stakeholders. (574)

Sales force management
The analysis, planning, implementation, and control of sales force activities. It includes setting and designing sales force strategy; and recruiting, selecting, training, supervising, compensating, and evaluating the firm's salespeople. (555)

Sales quota
A standard that states the amount a sales person should sell and how sales should be divided among the company's products. (570)

Salesperson
An individual acting for a company by performing one or more of the following activities: prospecting, communicating, servicing, and information gathering. (554)

Selling process
The steps that the salesperson follows when selling, which include prospecting and qualifying, preapproach, approach, presentation and demonstration, handling objections, closing, and follow-up. Prospecting
The step in the selling process in which the salesperson identifies qualified potential customers. (571)

Team selling
Using teams of people from sales, marketing, engineering, finance, technical support, and even upper management to service large, complex accounts. (562)

Telephone marketing
Using the telephone to sell directly to customers. (579)

Territorial sales force structure
A sales force organization that assigns each salesperson to an exclusive geographic territory in which that salesperson sells the company's full line. (556)