Strengths and Weaknesses of Personal Selling
Introduction
Personal selling is one of the oldest communication techniques practiced by companies. Personal communication implies a person-to-person communication and is considered be one of the best marketing tools due to the participation of human elements that helps build a long-term relationship with the client understand the various involved activities and understand the importance of managing customer relationships for the potential of future sales. Not all marketing communication tools are the best times. In this unit, we will understand the advantages and disadvantages of selling. The personal sale would achieve success easily when it is backed by another marketing tools such as advertising or public relations.
Personal Selling as a marketing communication tool
Definition: Personal selling can be seen as a marketing communication tool that implies a one-on-one communication, which can happen in a face-to-face way communication, through the telephone line, through video conference or by email.
Personal sale vs. other communication tools
Personal selling is different from other marketing tools, such as advertising, sales promotions, etc. Advertising is a communication tool aimed at many consumers simultaneously. Unlike advertising, the personal sale is aimed at a potential customer and develops the relationship. Advertising is aimed at a group and is not personal where Communication is based mainly on the media. AMA defines sales promotion as "Multimedia and non-media marketing communication" employees for a predetermined and limited time to increase consumer demand, stimulate market demand or improves the availability of the product. "The main difference between sales promotion and personal sale is that the latter is a non-personal way of communicating With the client.
Advantages and disadvantages of personal selling
They have their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Personal Selling
a) Flexibility in the delivery of the message
If the client does not understand the message transmitted by the sales representative, then the message can be modified and transmitted to the client again. Since a sales representative interacts with a potential customer in a time the messages can be adapted and delivered according to the needs of the client. This flexibility is not available in the advertising that occurs through the television, newspapers, magazines, shop windows, etc.
b) Efficient communication mode
Personal sales are a bidirectional communication process that allows for efficiency dialogue between the customer and the sales representative. It would be easy know if the client has really understood the message communicated About the product / service. The feedback would be immediate by the client in personal sale, which would help the sales representative to know if the the sales approach works or not, the focus changes accordingly. In other Promotional tools such as advertising that are based on unidirectional communication, it does not guarantee that the clients have understood the communicated message.
c) Build long-term relationships
Being a bidirectional and one-to-one communication, the personal sale certainly has a Additional advantage over other communication tools in long-term construction customer relations.
d) Better access to several target segments
Not all target groups can be contacted with advertising, sales promotions and public relations. In such cases, the personal sale would help to reach the client and inform about the product / service. For example, if the company deal with the B2B markets or with the CEO of a company, the personal sale
be a better communication tool than advertising or sales promotion. In B2B markets, the sales process involves a lot of communication time and, therefore, a high level of bidirectional interaction is required for personal sales to be practical communication tool.
e) Delivery of complex information
In personal sales, more complex information such as technical characteristics of the product can be easily transported compared to other communications tools Since numerous meetings can occur between the client and the sales representative, there is a lot of time available to explain all the features of the product.
Disadvantages of personal sale
a) High costs per sale
Personal selling can not be applied to all products, even if it is efficient in building a lasting relationship with the client. Cost per sale plays an important role in the decision of personal selling as a communication tool by the companies. The personal sale would apply if the cost per sale is justified as insurance products, loan products, credit card sales, personnel banking products, high-value kitchen appliances such as dishwashers, water purifiers, chimneys, etc., in which the benefits of the client for the company they are more than the costs that are incurred for the sale to happen. Low value Products can not depend on personal sale unless it is a repeat purchase by the client and the long-term gains are justified by the cost incurred.
b) Misunderstanding by the client
Many people prefer to buy the product / service from a store instead of buying it of a sales representative who visits the home. These clients can have experienced the aggressive behavior of sellers in the past and can be decided not to buy any product from them. The client may lose confidence in the sales people because of this aggressive behavior, therefore, it is the responsibility of sellers to focus on making the customer happy instead of pushing Aggressively for sale.
SAQ 1
1) Explain the benefits of using personal sales as a communication tool to sell loan products.
2) If you are the sales manager of a FMCG product like toothpaste, which one Do you prefer between personal sales or advertising to increase sales? Explain the reason for your preference.
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