Question

1. Define personal selling and discuss its role in a company’s promotion mix. List an example of when you were sold something using a personal selling approach, what was your experience as the buyer like?

2. Discuss the benefits of direct and digital marketing to buyers and sellers. Would you agree that direct and digital marketing are methods that influence your buying behavior? Use an example.

3. Define competitive advantage. How do companies go about finding their competitive advantage? Identify a product or service you use and list the competitive advantage. Why did this influence you?

4. What environmental factors must international marketers consider when enter foreign markets? Explain why certain factors are more important than others. Do you agree/disagree?

Answer 1

Personal Selling is identified as face to face selling and consists of two parties. Here the customer is persuaded by the seller to buy a product. It the phenomenon whereby the salesperson exhibits his skills in an attempt to make a sale.

Personal selling plays a very vital role in a company’s promotion mix. It has a threefold benefit i.e to the business, customers and society

Importance to a business organization are:

1. Effective Promotional Tool – Personal selling is one of the most effective tools as it increases the prospects regarding the merit of the product which in turn increases it sales.

2. Flexible Tool – As compared to other marketing mix tools, personal selling the most flexible. It allows a business to change their techniques in different purchase situation. It allows a business to change its techniques in various purchasing decisions.

3. Reduces effort wastage – In comparison with other tools, personal selling reduces the wastages of resources as the focus is on a s particular prospect.

4. Attention of the consumers – Personal selling helps in detecting the loss of the interest and the attention of the customers. Which further helps the business in successfully completing the sales.

5. Personal Rapport – Personal selling helps in developing a good rapport and relationship between the company and the buyer. This helps in increasing the competitive strength of the business.

Importance to the customers:

1. Identification of needs – Through personal selling customers and identify their needs and the ways these needs can be satisfied.

2. Latest Market Information – Personal selling helps customers to get latest market information in terms of product availability, price changes and product introduction etc. All these allow the customers to take better decisions.

3. Expert Advise – Personal selling allows customers to get guidance and expert advice on purchasing various goods and services, which in turn helps them in making better purchase.

4. Higher Standard of Living – Personal Selling persuades a customer to make purchase of a new product which is capable of satisfying the needs of the customers in a better way. This enhances their standard of living.

Importance to the society

1. Generates Employment – It helps in providing better income and employment opportunities to the unemployed personnel.

2. Product Standardization – it helps in enhancing the standardization of the product and its uniformity in consumption.

3. Generates latent Demand – Personal selling allows the conversion of latent demand into demand that is effective. This leads to more jobs, more income and more products and services in order satisfy particular needs and wants.

My Experience of personal selling:

A salesperson came to the apartment where I live and was trying to sell some herbal products for men and women. He came to my house as well. My mother being an enthusiast and a lover for herbal products invited him in. He sat there with us for about an hour and surprisingly we ended up buying the products he sold. He displayed all the products, made us try a few, tried some on himself as well to showcase us. During all this he also told us certain details about his family as to how his mother loves herbal products as well and how their entire family has been using these products only.