PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER Today’s salesperson cannot be simply a vessel for information but must enable buyers to do their jobs by helping them know what to do and how to do it. They must focus on solving buyer problems, meeting their needs, and partnering with them. This chapter provides an overview of personal selling, affording insight into the operating rationale of today’s salespeople and sales managers. It also describes different approaches to personal selling and presents the sales process as a series of interrelated steps. The chapter concludes with a discussion of several important aspects of sales careers, including types of selling jobs and characteristics and skills needed for sales success. In the highly competitive and complex international business community, personal selling and sales management have never played more critical roles. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES The following objectives are addressed in this chapter: 1-1 Discuss personal selling and its unique characteristics as a marketing communications tool. 1-2 Distinguish between transaction-focused traditional selling and trust-based relationship selling, with the latter focusing on customer value and sales dialogue. 1-3 Understand sales professionalism as a key driver in the continued evolution of personal selling. 1-4 Explain the contributions of personal selling to society, business firms, and customers. 1-5 Discuss five alternative approaches to personal selling. 1-6 Understand the sales process as a series of interrelated steps. 1-7 Describe several aspects of sales careers, types of selling jobs, and the key qualifications needed for sales success. COMPLETE LIST OF CHAPTER ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENTS The following table organizes activities and assessments by objective, so that you can see how all this content relates to objectives and make decisions about which content you would like to emphasize in your class based on your objectives. For additional guidance, refer to the Teaching Online Guide. Chapter Objective Activity/Assessment Source (i.e., PPT slide, Workbook) Duration 1-1–1-7 Icebreaker PowerPoint Slide 2 5–10 mins. 1-2 Discussion Activity PowerPoint Slide 12 5 mins. 1-4 Knowledge Check 1 PowerPoint Slide 19 <5>