What is the first step of the personal selling process?

The presentation is a later stage in the personal selling process where the salesperson showcases the product or service to the prospect, highlighting its features and benefits. This step occurs after prospecting and is dependent on having identified and approached potential customers first.

Handling objections refers to addressing concerns or objections raised by the prospect during the sales conversation. This step follows the presentation, as it involves responding to issues that arise once a potential customer is engaged in a discussion about the product or service, making it impossible to be the first step.

The approach is the stage where the salesperson makes initial contact with a prospect after identifying them during the prospecting phase. While important, it comes after the prospecting step, which is focused on finding potential customers rather than engaging with them directly.