TYPES OF SALESPERSON

1. Order Takers

Order takers do not have the responsibility to persuade customers to buy products and increase sales. Rather, they are only supposed to book customers’ orders and pass on the information to the company for delivery arrangements. Order takers should provide accurate information to the company and customer about the booking of orders and date of delivery.

1. Inside order-takers:  They are retail sales assistants (like sales assistants in Vishal Megamart). the customer has full freedom to choose products without the presence of a salesperson. The sales assistant’s task is purely transactional – receiving payment and passing over the goods. Another form of inside order-taker is the telemarketing sales team who support field sales by taking customers’ orders over the telephone.
2. Outside order-takers: They travel to customers. Use laptop computers to improve tracking of inventory and orders etc. These salespeople visit customers, but their primary function is to respond to customer requests rather than actively seek to persuade.
3. Delivery salespeople: The salesperson’s task is primarily concerned with delivering the product. In India, milk, newspapers and magazines are delivered to the door. There is little attempt to persuade the household to increase the milk order or the number of newspapers taken: changes in order size are customer-driven. Winning and losing orders is dependent on the reliability of delivery and the personality of the salesperson.

2. Order-Creators/Missionary Salespeople

Order creators are the salespeople who help in pulling the customer toward the product. Missionary salespeople are the best order creator’s. Missionary salespeople do not take purchase orders. Rather, they are involved in dissemination of information about the product. They help in increasing the goodwill of the company and educate customers about the product. They do not call the ultimate buyers but approach to those who make advices to the buyer about the product. for example, A salesperson from a book publisher calls a professor urging them to use certain books, but the actual buyers are the students who buy and use the books. Similarly, medical representatives approach to the doctors, the doctor does not use the drugs but advises patients to buy the drugs.

 3. Order-Getters/Front-Line Salespeople

Order-getters consists of those salespersons whose major objective is to persuade customers to make a direct purchase. They are required to acquire new businesses for the company and negotiate with new prospects. These are the front-line salespeople and should have several skills like the ability to identify new prospects, persuading and negotiating, and ultimately building a new and profitable business. They generate customer leads, provide information, persuading customers and closes the sale. The job of order getters is most challenging than any other type of salespersons.

4. Support Salespeople

1. Technical support salespeople: This type of salesperson provides sales support to front-line salespeople.  When a product is highly technical and negotiations are complex, a salesperson may be supported by product and financial specialists who can provide the detailed technical information required by customers.
2. Merchandisers: These people provide sales support in retail and wholesale selling situations. Orders may be negotiated nationally at head office, but sales to individual outlets are supported by merchandisers who give advice on display, implement sales promotions, check stock levels and maintain contact with store managers.
3. Trade Salespeople:  Spend much time helping customers, especially in retail stores, Restock the shelves, set up displays.
4. Service Salespeople: interacts with customers after the sale is complete.