成人高等教育英语教材第四册02

UNIT 2
Personal Selling
Integrated Skills Development

Passage Selling Styles

Selling styles differ in many ways but one fundamental difference is between the sales-oriented and the customer-oriented approach. The first one concentrates on high-pressure-technique such as those in selling encyclopaedias² and cars. This form of selling assumes that the customers are not likely to buy except under pressure, that they will be influenced by a direct presentation and aggressive manners, and they will not be sorry after signing the order, or if they are, it doesn't matter.
In the customer-oriented approach, the salesperson³ learns how to listen and question in order to identify customer needs and come up with a good product solution. Presentation skills are secondary to needs analysis skills. This approach assumes that customers have hidden needs that constitute company opportunities, that they appreciate good suggestions and that they will be loyal to representatives who have their long-term interests at heart. The problem-solver is a more friendly image for the salesperson under the marketing⁴ concept than the hard-seller or order-taker.
Blake and Mouton distinguish various selling styles by examining these two dimensions: concern for the sale and concern for the customer.
Type 1 is very much the order-taker. He places the product before the customer and expects it to sell itself. If it doesn't, it doesn't matter. Type 2 is similar in that he also shows little concern for the customer but differs in that he is very concerned to get the sale; he pushes the product, piling on the pressure to ensure he gets the sale.
Type 3 falls somewhere in the middle of the two approaches. He has a tried and tested technique mixing customer concern and product emphasis; this is what is often called the soft sell.
Type 4 is very customer-oriented; the other extreme to the type 2 hard-seller. He aims to be the customer's friend, to understand him, develops a bond which ties him to the salesman and therefore the product.
Finally, type 5 is similar to type 4 in that he also shows concern for the customer but in a more impersonal⁵ way. He aims to consult with the customer, understand the needs and then work towards a sound purchase decision. This problem-solving attitude agrees more with the total marketing concept.
Blake and Mouton argue that no one sales style will be effective with all buyers. Buying styles are just varied⁶ as selling styles. Buyers vary their concern for the purchase and concern for the salesperson. Some buyers couldn't care less; some are defensive⁷; some will only listen to salespersons from well-known companies.

New Words and Expressions

aggressive
a. 挑衅的，好攻击的

analysis
n. 分析

assume
V. 假设，假定

attitude
n. 态度

bond
n. 联系

concentrate
V. 集中，专心

concept
n. 概念，观念

constitute
V. 构成，组成

defensive
a. 有戒备的，防卫的

differ
V. 不同，相异

dimension
n. 方面

distinguish
V. 区分，辨别

encyclopaedia¹
n. 百科全书

extreme
n. 极端

fundamental
a. 基本的，根本的

identify
V. 确定，辨认

long-term
a. 长期的

loyal
a. 忠实的，忠诚的

opportunity
n. 机会，机遇

orient
V. 引导，使…定向

oriented
a. 以…为向导的，以…为目标的

presentation
n. 介绍，展示

sound
a. 合理的，正确的

tie
V. 联系，连接

come up with
提出，提供

consult with sb.
与某人商量，向某人请教

pile on
堆积

Merry Learning

Commuters
Tired eyes,
Aching feet,
The commuters scramble⁸
For a seat.
Each night
They go to bed
With heavy heart
And sleepy head,
Knowing tomorrow
They must repeat,
In weary sorrow,
With hurrying feet,
The tedium⁹ of today.

1 encyclopaedia   

n.百科全书

参考例句：

• An encyclopaedia contains a lot of knowledge.百科全书包含很多知识。
• This is an encyclopaedia of philosophy.这是本哲学百科全书。

2 encyclopaedias   

n.百科全书，大全( encyclopaedia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• IT IS normally hard to get excited about encyclopaedias. 一般情况下，人们很难对一本百科全书而感到兴奋。 来自互联网
• He went from door door, selling encyclopaedias. 他逐门逐户去推销百科全书。 来自互联网

3 salesperson   

n.售货员，营业员，店员

参考例句：

• A salesperson works in a shop.售货员在商店工作。
• Vanessa is a salesperson in a woman's wear department.凡妮莎是女装部的售货员。

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 impersonal   

adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的

参考例句：

• Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
• His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。

6 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

7 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

8 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

9 tedium   

n.单调；烦闷

参考例句：

• We played games to relieve the tedium of the journey.我们玩游戏，来解除旅行的沉闷。
• In myself I could observe the following sources of tedium. 从我自己身上，我所观察到的烦闷的根源有下列一些。