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Judging Criteria

Competitors will be evaluated on the following criteria

APPROACH (5%)

  • Professional introduction
  • Salesperson gains prospect’s attention
  • Effectively builds rapport
  • Smooth transition into needs identification

NEEDS IDENTIFICATION (25%)

  • Uncovered decision process (decision criteria, peopled involved in decision process)
  • Effectively determined relevant facts about company and/or buyer
  • Effectively uncovered needs of the buyer (discovered current problems, goals, etc.)
  • Asked effective questions that brought to the buyers’ attention what happens to company or the buyer when problems continue (helped convert implied needs to explicit needs)
  • Gain pre-commitment to consider the product/service and smooth transition to presentation.

PRODUCT/SERVICE PRESENTATION (25%)

  • Presented benefits-based upon needs of buyer instead of only features
  • Logical, convincing presentation (display a strategy to communicate and persuade; clearly understands needs “hot buttons” of prospect and concentrates on those needs)
  • Used appropriate/professional visual aids
  • Effectively demonstrated product
  • Effectively involves the buyer in the demonstration
  • Effective use of trial closes (follow-up questions to determine where buyer is in decision process)

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS (15%)

  • Initially gains better understanding of objection (clarifies or allows buyer to clarify the objection)
  • Effectively answers the objection
  • Confirms that the objection is no longer a concern of the buyer

CLOSE (10%)

  • Persuasive in presenting a reason to buy
  • Asked for business or appropriate commitment from the buyer, given the nature of this particular sales call

COMMUNICATION SKILLS (15%)

  • Effective verbal communication skills (active listening; restated, rephrased, clarified, probed for better understanding)
  • Appropriate non-verbal communication
  • Verbiage (clear, concise, professional)

OVERALL (5%)

  • Salesperson enthusiasm and confidence
  • Product knowledge

The rating sheet and judging process are adapted from those used at the National Collegiate Sales Competition, Kennesaw State University; Kennesaw, GA.