One has to be aware that both in our professional and our private lives, we all constantly convey the features, advantages and benefits of a product or service (or even an idea) to a prospective buyer, be it our partner, a teenage son or an important account, willing to pay the right price for our goods. In all these situations, we are eager to close the sale, i.e. to come to an agreement on the pricing and services, which will result in an exchange of a product or service for money, for a promise that money will be paid, a reciprocal favour, or even just a smile.
In the commercial world, the business of sales is performed via a company’s sales department, whose activities are far more sophisticated than a mere hand over of goods to customers.
What is more, a salesperson might not even see or talk to a customer directly but will nevertheless significantly contribute to a successful close of a sale by preparing a sales forecast or writing a report on sales figures.
Naturally, it is impossible to imagine sales without a more or less close contact with the customers, which is usually the job of sales representatives or sales reps. Whereas some work on leads only, i.e. with people or companies who have expressed interest in their products, others must employ other methods, like cold calling or making sales pitches. A sales pitch is a planned presentation of a product or service designed to initiate and close a sale. It must accomplish several goals within a short amount of time, e.g. present the features, accessibility and benefits of the product or service in question. As customers, we all know how irritating this soliciting can be, so sales reps pay special attention not to put too much strain on the thinly stretched nerves of prospective buyers who are constantly bombarded by irresistible pleas to buy.
