Seven steps of selling is one of the first and commonly used paradigm in sales (Dubinsky 1980/1981). These steps are prospecting, preapproach, approach, presentation, overcoming objections, close and follow-up (Moncrief & Marshall 2005) and they are representing the process to make a sale (Hawes, Anne & Widmier 2004). This selling process has stayed the same for almost 80 years (Moncrief & Marshall 2005).
In the first step, prospecting, salespeople are looking for new and potential customers through for example networking and cold canvassing to broaden their customer base (Moncrief &
Marshall 2005). A right prospect is the one that is responsive for contact from organization and who has a need and a buying power (Jolson & Wotruba 1992). Preapproach step is occuring before actual visit with a potential customer and it includes research of the potential customer, familiarizing the needs of the this potential customer, previous correspondence and all the other materials that can help to do the sales. Approach step is referring to the beginning of the meeting which includes for example opening talk, eye contact and overall good impression. The next step is presentation. It can be only one presentation or several presentations in a certain period of time. In this step, the buyer should get adequate information of the product and it has to be well prepared. Salesperson has to be prepared for the objections and in this step, overcoming objections, salesperson should convince the customer of his/her doubts that she or he could have about the sales. Last steps are close and follow-up. Close is a completion of the sales presentation that the customer is buying the product. This can be a difficult step for the
salespeople because it is possible that they are not actually asking customer to do the order.
Follow-up means that the salesperson is contacting the customer after the sales and making sure that the customer is satisfied with the purchase. (Moncrief & Marshall 2005.)
As time has passed, the selling methods have changed towards more relationship selling (Schurr 1987; ref. Moncrief & Marshall 2005) which is concentrating more to long-term relationships with the customers that are the most profitable for the firm (Johnston & Marshall 2006; ref.
Rodriquez et al. 2012). The change towards relationship selling has happened because of e.g higher customer expectations and demands, globalization and consumer avoidance of negotiations between buyer and seller (Anderson 1996). Also technology, new ways of selling and globalization are influencing to salespeople (Moncrief & Marshall 2005). Companies have to always look for new ways to sell to be able to answer the needs of the customers and make sales.
There are transformative factors in every step which have influenced to the evolving of sales process. These include for example emerging of the telemarketing, internet selling, technology and concentrating more to the customer. The evolved steps are customer retention and deletion, database and knowledge management, nurturing the relationship, marketing the product, problem solving, adding value/satisfying needs and customer relationship maintenance. In contrast to traditional seven steps of selling, the evolved steps are not sequential and it is possible that not all the steps are occuring in every sales. Traditional steps did not focused on customers that much but when the customers became more demanding, companies had to consider them more and concentrate to build long-term relationships with them in order to maintain their business. (Moncrief & Marshall 2005.) The relationship selling sees customer more as a partner in a long-term which will bring more value both to the company and the customer.
Customer retention and deletion step is concentrating more to retain the current customers which are profitable to the company (Moncrief & Marshall 2005). When the time is consumed with these customers, it will have a positive impact on performance (Sengupta, Krapfel &
Pusateri 2000). Also, some customers may cost money for the company when it is not profitable for the company to keep these customers. In these days, companies are spending a lot of money and effort to databases and knowledge management which gives salespeople easy access to customer’s information. This evolved step has made possible that salespeople can better answer
to the needs of the customers. The next step is nurturing the relationship which is focusing to consider key customers as partners and provide solutions that are profitable to both the company and the customer. Marketing the product step is bringing salespeople closer to the marketing.
They are getting more involved in marketing the product to the customers in order to get sales.
Problem solving is also a good example of building the relationship and partnership with the customers. Salespeople are no longer concentrating to overcome objections of the customer but they are trying to solve the problems of the customer through the product or service they are selling. Salesperson can work in this step more as a consultant for the customer. Close step is replaced with adding value/satisfying needs which is the key goal in evolved selling process.
Also, in this step, the mutual goals are identified and solutions should benefit both parties.
Futhermore, customer loyalty is pursued. The last step is customer relationship maintenance.
This step has changed more efficient because of the emerge of the technology which makes the contacting easier. (Moncrief & Marshall 2005.) When the contacting is easier, company is able to keep continuous communication with the customer and maintain their relationship better.
The evolution of the B2B sales process and reasons for the change can be seen in a Table 1.
Table 1. The evolution of the seven steps of selling.
Resource: Moncrief and Marshall 2005.