Editing Sales (section)

==Methods==
{{See also|Personal selling}}
{{Prose|section|date=March 2017}}
A sale can take place through face-to-face contact, via [[mail order]], through a [[vending machine]] or through [[Online shopping|online selling]]. Other methods of selling include:<ref>{{Cite book |title= Compendium of Professional Selling |publisher= United Professional Sales Association |date= n.d. |url= http://www.upsa-intl.org/index-4-cops.htm |isbn= <!--? --> |access-date= 2007-07-07 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070626141928/http://www.upsa-intl.org/index-4-cops.htm |archive-date= 2007-06-26 |url-status= dead }}
</ref>

* Agency-based sales
** [[Complex sales]]
** [[Consignment]]
** [[Consultant|Consultative sales]]
** [[Retail]] or [[consumer]]
** Sales agents (for example in real estate or in manufacturing)
** [[Sales outsourcing]] through direct branded representation
** [[Telemarketing]] or telesales
** Transaction sales
* [[Business-to-business]] – Business-to-business ("B2B") sales are likely to be larger in terms of volume, economic value and complexity than business-to-consumer ("B2C") sales. Often the complexity involves one business working closely with the other to define problems, to finding solutions, to supporting after-sale operation. Because of this complexity, there is a need to manage the relationships between the buying and selling organizations, for example using Peter Cheverton's relationship models<ref>{{Cite book|title = Key Account Management 4th Edition|last = Peter|first = Cheverton|publisher = Kogan Page|year = 2008|isbn = 978-0-7494-5277-3|pages = 90–104}}</ref> and the stakeholder map by Anderson, Bryson and Crosby<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://cep.lse.ac.uk/seminarpapers/10-02-03-BRY.pdf|title = What To Do When Stakeholders Matter: A Guide to Stakeholder Identification and Analysis Techniques|last = John|first = Bryson|date = 10 Feb 2003|journal = London School of Economics and Political Science|access-date = 31 December 2015|archive-date = 4 March 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185431/http://cep.lse.ac.uk/seminarpapers/10-02-03-BRY.pdf|url-status = live}}</ref>
* Channel sales, an indirect sales model, which differs from direct sales. Channel selling is a way for sellers to reach the "B2B" and "B2C" markets through distributors, re-sellers or value added re-sellers VARS. 
* [[Direct selling|Direct sales]], involving person to person contact
* Electronic
**[[Electronic Data Interchange]]
** Web – [[Business-to-business]] ("B2B") and [[business-to-consumer]] ("B2C")
* [[Pro forma]] sales
* [[Request for proposal]] – An invitation for suppliers, through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific product or service; an [[RFP]] usually represents part of a complex sales process, also known as "[[enterprise sales]]"
* [[Selling technique]]:
** Action selling
** Aggressive selling
** [[Auction]]s
** Challenger sales
** [[Cold calling]]
** Collaborative Selling
** Compass Selling
** Conceptual selling
** Consultative selling
** [[Cross-selling]]
** Guaranteed sale
** Hard selling
** Inbound sales
** Needs-based selling
** Paint-the-picture
** [[Personal selling]]
** Persuasive selling
** [[Price based selling]]
** Professional selling skills
** Relationship selling
** Reverse selling
** [[Mobile sales enablement#Sales Enablement|Sales enablement]]
** Sales Game Changer system
** Sales habits
** Sales negotiation
** [[Sales outsourcing]]
** Sandler selling system
** Short Selling
** Side selling
** [[Social selling]]
** [[Solution selling]]
** SPIN selling
** Strategic selling
** [[Take-out]] or take away
** Target account selling
** Transactional selling
** [[Upselling]]
* Traveling salesman
** [[Door-to-door]] methods
** [[Hawker (trade)|Hawking]]

=== Sales agents ===
Agents in the sales process can represent either of two parties in the sales process; for example:
* Buyers broker or Buyer brokerage: This is where the salesman represents the consumer making the purchase. This is most often applied in large transactions.
* Disclosed dual agent: This is where the salesman represents both parties in the sale and acts as a [[Mediation|mediator]] for the transaction. The role of the salesman here is to oversee that both parties receive an honest and fair deal.
* Internet Sales Professionals: These people are primarily responsible for ensuring immediate response to the leads generated via social media, website or email campaigns.
* Sales broker, seller agency, seller agent, [[Manufacturers' representative|seller representative]]: This is a traditional role where the salesman represents a person or company on the selling end of a deal.
* Sales managers aim to implement various sales strategies and management techniques in order to facilitate improved [[Profit (accounting)|profits]] and increased sales volume. They are also responsible for coordinating the sales and marketing department as well as oversight concerning the [[Justice|fair]] and [[honesty|honest]] execution of the sales process by their agents.
* Sales outsourcing involves direct branded representation where the sales representatives are recruited, hired, and managed by an external entity but hold quotas, represent themselves as the brand of the client, and report all activities (through their own [[sales management]] channels) back to the client. It is akin to a virtual extension of a sales force (see [[sales outsourcing]]).
* Salesperson: The primary function of salespeople is to generate and close business resulting in profit. The salesperson will accomplish their primary function through a variety of means including phone calls, email, social media, networking, and [[cold calling]]. The primary objective of the successful salesperson is to find the consumers to sell to.  Sales are often referred to as a "numbers game" because a general law of averages and pattern of successful closing of business will emerge through heightened sales activity. These activities include but are not limited to: locating prospects, fostering relationships with prospects, building trust with future clients, identifying and filling needs of consumers, and therefore turning prospective customers into actual ones. Many tools are used by successful salespeople, the most important of which is questioning which can be defined as a series of questions and resulting answers allowing the salesperson to understand a customer's goals and requirements relevant to the product they are selling. The creation of value or perceived value is the result of taking the information gathered, analyzing the goals and needs of the prospective customer and leveraging the products or services the salesperson's firm represents or sells in a way that most effectively achieves the prospective client's goals or suits their needs.  Effective salespeople will package their offering and present their proposed solution in a way that leads the prospective customer to the conclusion that they acquire the solution, resulting in revenue and profit for the salesperson and the organization they represent.

==={{Visible anchor|Inside sales}} vs. {{Visible anchor|outside sales}}===
In the United States, the [[Fair Labor Standards Act]] defines outside sales representatives as "employees [who] sell their employer's products, services, or facilities to customers away from their employer's place(s) of business, in general, either at the customer's place of business or by selling door-to-door at the customer's home" while defining those who work "from the employer's location" as inside sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/overtime/s1.htm |title=elaws - FLSA Overtime Security Advisor |publisher=[[United States Department of Labor]] |access-date=2011-05-25 |archive-date=2011-10-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006052431/http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/overtime/s1.htm}}</ref> Inside sales generally involves attempting to [[closing (sales)|close business]] primarily over the phone via [[telemarketing]], while outside sales (or "field" sales) will usually involve initial phone work to book sales calls at the potential buyer's location to attempt to close the deal in person. Some companies have an inside sales department that works with outside representatives and book their appointments for them. Inside sales sometimes refers to [[upselling]] to existing customers.<ref name="Upselling">{{cite web|last1=Low|first1=Jerry|title=Quick Tips For Upselling and Cross Selling|url=https://www.business.com/articles/quick-tips-for-upselling-and-cross-selling/|access-date=28 January 2020|website=Business.com|archive-date=28 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128144806/https://www.business.com/articles/quick-tips-for-upselling-and-cross-selling/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Sales coaching ===
Sales coaching is a one-on-one [[coaching]] process by high-performing sales professionals and consultants with salespeople, managers, and executives. The process involves equipping them with the knowledge, abilities, and skills needed to become more effective sales professionals. Unlike sales training, sales coaching is typically an individualized, ongoing endeavor.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Nguyen |first=Carlin A. |date=2017 |title=Essays on Sales Coaching |type=PhD dissertation |publisher=University of South Florida |url=https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8114&context=etd |access-date=2022-11-10 |archive-date=2022-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110203318/https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8114&context=etd |url-status=live }}</ref>