Rules of selling constitute first and foremost defining, secondly guidelines, and finally obligations and responsibilities. This paper will begin with simple explanations and details surrounding the business of selling. Further in, it will begin to get more complex and descriptively explain guidelines. Obligations and responsibilities of companies will be discussed in the latter part of the paper. The definition of selling by Alan J.

Zell, who is a self-proclaimed Ambassador of Selling, is stated as, “asking someone to buy what is being offered, in return for time, effort and/or money. ” Referring to the definition, what is being offered: ideas, information, policies, procedures, policies, attitudes, skills, knowledge, changes, products, and services. I categorize selling into four different parts. The first is buying, accepting and adopting what is being offered. The second is marketing, determining to whom and how what is being offered is presented.

The third is presenting, giving customers information in oral, written, and/or physical format. The fourth is selling, helping people buy what is being offered by giving them justifications on their decision to buy or getting confirmation from someone else about the decision. The largest problem with producing sales is convincing the customer that their fears aren’t a factor in buying a good or service. These fears are, their own lack of knowledge, the presenter’s lack of knowledge, and being criticized for buying.

When selling the presenter has to cause the customer to be comfortable in buying, be proud to be associated with what is being offered, and enable the customer to talk with confidence and intelligence, and without the fear of embarrassment or criticism about what is being offered. These are the basic rules that define selling. There are many guidelines that the presenter has to follow in order to gain customer approval and acceptance. At first glance, the presenter must be logical and understandable to the customer. If in any way the customer is offended, then the sell probably won’t be made.

This also hurts the organization because the customer might be so offended that they never return and furthermore discuss how degrading that organization is to all his or her friends. This is extremely harmful if the organization is based in a small town where each customer is known by name, because in that type of environment the organization/customer relationship is much deeper than anywhere else. Another guideline that is very difficult to follow is to not offend customers with advertisements and simple comments made by employees.

A presenter has to be very sensitive to the customer’s wants and needs. Obligations and Responsibilities of selling are critical to a successful business. Anyone in business, be it a business, practice, school, government, or individuals have obligations and responsibilities and so do their customers. There are three important obligations that business should have toward their customers. Obligation number one is to what is being offered, its ideas, information, policies, procedures, attitudes, skills, knowledge, changes, products, and services are all presented in their best possible manner.

That is to say, if the customer doesn’t want what is being presented it is simply because they don’t NEED it and not because the presentation was done poorly. The second obligation is to one’s customers, that they are given enough choices so that they believe they will have made the right decision. Many times, if the customer doesn’t have enough choices they will delay their decision to buy. The third obligation is to make sure that one’s customers are never embarrassed for having made the decision to buy of even contemplate buying or buying what the business offers.

In conclusion, I think rules of selling apply to any aspect that is a deciding factor in the outcome of the decision made by a customer to buy or not. With the right strategies and by following the correct set of guidelines developed in the environment in which the company is run, will make the business successful. However, I think that following obligations and responsibilities are a short-term mistake for companies that need quick profits, but in the long run will develop customer relations and help the business prosper.