Personal Selling Meaning, Features and Importance, Advertising Vs. Personal Selling | Principles of Marketing Notes CBCS Pattern | B.Com 5th Sem Hons

Personal Selling
Principles of Marketing Notes CBCS Pattern
B.Com 5th Sem Hons

Personal Selling Meaning, Features, Importance and difference Between advertising and Personal Selling

Personal selling is the act of presenting of product or services so that the consumer appreciate the need for it and mutually satisfactory sales follows.

Features of Personal selling:

a)      Personal contact is established under personal selling.

b)      Oral conversation.

c)       Quick solution of queries.

d)      Receipt of Additional Information.

e)      Development of relationship.

Qualities of a Good salesman:

a)      Physical Qualities : Physical qualities include personality health, stamina and tolerance

b)      Mental Qualities: These include mainly skill, mental alertness, imagination and self-confidence.

c)       Social Qualities: These include social-abilities tact, sound character, and sweet nature.

d)      Vocational Qualities: It includes mainly knowledge of product, knowledge of competitive product, training and aptitude.

Importance of Personal Selling:

Personal selling plays a very important role in marketing of goods and services. It is important tool for businessmen, customers and society.

a) Importance to Businessmen: 

Personal selling is an important tool to increase the sale. It is important for businessman due to following reasons:

Ø  Effective Promotion Tool: Personal selling is an effective tool to increase the sale of product. Salesmen explain the merits and products to customers.

Ø  Flexible Tool: Personal selling efforts can be changed according to the type of customer salesmen are attending. They may change the offer in varying purchase situations.

Ø  Minimum Wastage of Efforts: As compared to other methods of promotion in personal selling the wastage of efforts is minimum.

Ø  Relationship: Personal selling helps to create lasting relationship between customers and sales-persons which help in increasing sale. 

b) Importance to Customers: 

Personal selling is very important from customer’s point of view, as customers can get required information about the product from customers. Customers are benefits by personal selling in the following ways:

Ø  Helps in Identifying Needs: Salesmen help the customers to discover their needs and wants and they also help customers to know how these needs and wants can be satisfied.

Ø  Latest Market Information: In personal selling salesmen provide information regarding the new products available in market, uses of those products etc.

Ø  Expert Advice: Customers can get expert advice and guidance in purchasing various goods and services.

Ø  Induces Customers: Personal selling induces customers to buy products for satisfying their needs.

c) Importance to Society: 

Personal selling brings following positive effects for society:

Ø  Converts Latest Demand into Effective Demand: Personal selling create effective demand which results in increasing sale and more income.

Ø  Employment Opportunities: Unemployed youth can work as salesman and earn their livelihood.

Ø  Career Opportunities: Personal selling offers attractive career with job satisfaction and security.

Ø  Mobility of Sales Persons: Sales people move from one place to other, this promotes travel and tourism industry.

Ø  Product Standardization: With the help of personal selling there can be uniformity of consumption by supplying standardized products.

Differentiate between advertising and personal selling