Roles/Importance Of Personal Selling To Businessman, Consumers & Society
The importance/roles of personal selling in marketing can be likened to those … the promotional tool personal while using it to create awareness and close clients.
Personal selling as a promotional tool performs different roles to different parties when necessary.
The role it performs or it importance to customers it quite different to that of businessmen and the society at large…
…all of which I will be giving you more information on very soon.
So without wasting any much time, let’s dive it into the business of day.
Table Of Contents
Importance Of Personal Selling To Businessman.
The promotional tool performs the following roles to organizations and other small business owners…
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It’s an effective promotional tool.
Personal selling is an effective marketing tool to businesses owners has it helps them make sales… especially those who are into selling complex product.
In case you are wondering:
What are complex products?
Firstly they can be likened or referred to as industrial products…
…and they are simply those products that can be used for the production of other products.
For example: Tractors for the production of farm produce, Pizza ovens for cooking pizzas, sewing machine for making and/or designing dresses etc.
When you carefully look at the products above…
…other promotional tools such as advertising and sales promotion to mention a few – can’t primarily effect sales at the individual level – as they can only create awareness.
Because they don’t have the ability or luxury to effectively educate clients.
However, personal selling makes it possible for businesses to provide all the necessary information to the client…
…with the salesman highlighting the features, advantages and benefits of the products in question, in other to convince the client to buy it.
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Personal selling compliments other marketing efforts of business owners
An organization may decide to use aggressive marketing for a marketing offering to encourage fast consumer adoption .
In case you’re wondering what aggressive marketing is all about. ..
For the records:
Aggressive marketing simply refer to the application of all marketing communication tools or promotional tools to inform, educate and convince customers to buy.
In essence, an organization may decide to run adverts on their latest offering i.e Car.
And they still position sales reps when and where necessary to attend to clients who come around after seeing the ads on their Cars.
The essence of this is to have the sales reps tackle the objections the clients concerning Cars, lay emphasis on certain things the adverts couldn’t pin-point…
…and also offer additional information that will make the client buy. (For instance, details on payment policy for those who can’t afford one time payment)
Bottom line:
One of the key roles of personal selling to businesses is that it ensures her overall marketing strategy becomes a success.
…by complimenting other promotional tools like advertising in other to make sales, which equals a positive return of investment on the long run.
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Customer’s attention.
According to www. An average human is exposed to at least 2000 adverts on a daily basis…
…majority of which they are not really aware or conscious of if you’d ask me.
But with personal selling, the salesman tends to call the attention of prospect to product in question…
…and afterwards, a deliberate effort is made to get the client to buy.
Let’s the client was unable to buy the product as at that time, one thing that is now certain is that the client is now conscious/properly aware of it.
…in addition with some extra information.
In essence, the purchase decision can then be made in the future thanks to the role of the salesman.
Bottom line:
Another importance of personal selling to businesses is that it guarantees conscious exposure of a product to client…
…which isn’t 100% possible with other marketing communication tools.
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Role in introduction stage.
The introduction stage of a product life cycle in one which a product is new to the market…
…and it’s relatively unknown to by the target audience.
Since the likes of advertising can’t primary pass all information about the product to clients, personal selling is then employed.
But the kicker here is this:
During the process of describing the feature, advantages and benefits of a product in other to convince the customer to buy, salesperson helps in introducing a new product in the market .
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Building lasting relationship
In today’s world of high competition, getting customers to patronize a brand for long is one hell of a task.
As evident in the process of personal selling, this promotional tool is not all about make a onetime sale.
…and that’s why Follow Up comes after Closing .
In case you are wondering:
What is Follow Up?
This is simply the last stage in the personal selling process …
…and it’s one in which the salesman ensures the client get the product right time, right place, and in the right form.
Furthermore, the salesman does some routine checkup on the client to ensure they’re fairing very well with product.
Aside ensuring customer satisfaction, another reason this is done is to get the client think of the organization when thought of getting what they offer comes up.
I’ve even seen cases whereby clients reach out to sales reps to refer them to another company when they’re not into what the client needs as at that time.
Bottom line:
One of the roles of Personal selling to businesses is that it creates TRUST between her and her client.
This is vital to getting repeat purchases, which leads to brand loyalty and of course more profit in the long run.
Below are other importance of personal selling to businesses you need to know…
- It’s a flexible promotional tool which sales reps can adjust to suit a particular client requirement in other to effect sales.
- It involves minimum wastage of efforts as compared to other tools of promotion.
Importance of personal selling to customers
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Genuine information.
Sales representatives are professionals who are well in the know with what they offer.
Considering the level of false information consumers are exposed to lately thanks to the likes of social media…
…if there’s anyone one could trust with giving the right market information about a particular offering, they could come in handy.
In essence, personal selling plays the role of making sure customers are well in the know with timely and accurate details regarding any product…
…be it information regarding price, product availability and the likes.
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Expert advice
In a situation where a client is at crossroads concerning a product he/she intends to purchase, personal selling comes in handy to properly educate…
Information is provided using the FAB techniques (features, advantages and benefits).
This provides the consumer with all that’s needed to be known concerning the product in question…
…which is key to making a reasonable purchase decision.
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Role in need identification.
As you may already know, personal selling involves face-to-face presentation between a sales rep and a consumer.
Now:
During the process of conversing and exchanging ideas, a sales representative tends to pin-point the problems of a client…
…and in turn, provide him/her with solutions (product) to solve the problem.
For the records, this is one of most vital importance of personal selling in marketing. That’s why it the promotional tool is highly recommended when necessary.
Importance of personal selling to society.
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Employment opportunity
The last time I checked, the best sales representatives aren’t robot, they are humans.
These humans tend to retire at some point or leave their current position in pursuit of something better.
Situations like this are inevitable…
…therefore put an organization in search of reinforcement which qualified members of the society they operate in can easily seize.
So yeah;
One of the roles of personal selling is that it helps in tackling the issue of unemployment…
…by providing opportunity to unemployed people to work as sales representatives for earning income and living a better life.
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Improve standard of living.
One of the not so talked about importance of personal selling is that salespersons also arrange deliveries…
…which is key to providing goods/services when and where needed that helps improve the societal standard of living.
The 7 Process Of Personal Selling In Marketing With Examples
Key Takeaway on the Roles Of Personal Selling In Marketing
1. Convincing clients
Getting customers to buy is now more difficult than ever. And that’s because they are open option to lots of other similar products from competitors.
Unlike other promotional tools, what personal selling does is that:
It makes it possible for sales representatives to use their skills to convince prospects to buy a product…
…or at least persuade them to give it (product) a TRY – in situations whereby the sales man can tell the client in question is already loyal to a particular competitor’s brand.
For example:
My dad doesn’t do any brand of milk outside PEAK. This has been the case for 40 years and counting.
Now for someone like this, other promotional tools like advertising won’t just cut it… because he’s seen countless adverts on other brands but he’s still loyal to peak.
Look:
It’s possible you have a sizeable amount of people like my dad as your target audience who are on the side of your competitors. Especially if the brand has been existing for a very long time.
In essence, the only to get them to choose you is via personal selling.
Because personal selling is the only promotional tool that gives room for immediate feedback from clients.
So when they raise doubts over your product in terms of satisfaction you immediately handle such objection.
2. Building long term customer relationships
Unlike other promotional tools, the goal for personal selling is beyond just closing a client or making a sale.
This is evident in the process of personal selling because Follow Up actually comes after closing.
In case you’re wondering what Follow Up is:
in summary, it is the last stage of the personal selling process whereby the sales representative ensures the client gets the product when needed, and in the right form.
Aside that, the salesman still do some checkings on the clients from time to time.
This is to ensure they’re not having issues with the product and that they’re effectively using the product to get maximum result.
All of the activities carried out during the follow up stage tends to build a long lasting relationship between the sales rep and the client… which will also transcend to the brand.
Furthermore, it gives room for repeat purchase. Because satisfied customers of a sales rep will consider their company when planning their next purchase.
When you look closely, aside personal selling in marketing, no other promotional tool does so much after persuading a client to buy…
…and this is another reason why it is important.
3. Selling Complex Products
Complex products in this regard can be likened to industrial products.
And these are simply those products that can be used for the production of another product. i.e Oven – for the production/baking of Cake Or Tractors for farming.
Because they’re not consumer products , personal selling is therefore important to sell the product.
The salesman’s job is to enlighten or share vital information with the buyer concerning some uniques features and benefits that will make them buy.
Some of those information may be on how to use the product (product functionality).
For example:
Let’s say you’re interested in starting a baking business or running a SUCCESSFUL pizza shop .
Equipments you’ll need for your pizzeria include dough mixer, pizza ovens etc.
If there’s something you can’t do without, it’s a Pizza oven.
Now:
Aside your personal requirement in terms of price or budget for the oven … let’s assume you also need something that can help cook up to 16 inch pizza.
So which will you go for out of the ones below?
It’s possible you might feel a little confused.
This is where the salesman comes in to enlighten you everything you need to know concerning every one of the pizza ovens… functionality, benefits, cons, guarantees and so on.
The information will then help you make a decision. Or the perfect one will be recommended for you.
Also See
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Conclusion.
While all of the above roles of personal selling are vital, I want you to know that the promotional tool is in most cases – part of a marketing strategy whose goal is to gain market share and make profit.
However, if the essence of using it is way below expectation, it’s advisable to re-visit your overall marketing strategy…
…and also work on motivating your sales team if you’re convinced personal selling is the right promotional to use in other to create awareness for your offering.
So that’s it on the importance of personal selling in marketing from end.
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