The Nature of Personal Selling

Last Updated on Thu, 04 Jan 2024 | Marketing Communications

To integrate the personal selling effort into the overall promotional program, we must understand the nature of this tool. Let us look at how personal selling has evolved over the years and then examine some of its characteristics.

The personal selling task encompasses a variety of responsibilities (some of which we discuss in the next section). Like other aspects of the promotional mix, these responsibilities are constantly changing. As noted by Thomas Wotruba, the personal selling area is constantly evolving as the marketing environment itself evolves.5 Wotruba identifies five distinct stages of personal selling evolution, shown in Figure 18-2.

1. Provider stage. Selling activities are limited to accepting orders for the supplier's available offering and conveying it to the buyer.

2. Persuader stage. Selling involves an attempt to persuade market members to buy the supplier's offerings.

3. Prospector stage. Activities include seeking out selected buyers who are perceived to have a need for the offering as well as the resources and authority to buy it.

Figure 18-2 The stages in the evolution of selling

Characteristics of Stages

Stages and Description

Customer Needs

Type of Market

Nature and Intensity of Competition

Examples

Continue reading here: Combining Personal Selling and Advertising

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Readers' Questions

  • INES
    Which of the following is an inherent weakness of direct marketing?
    6 months ago
    • There are several inherent weaknesses of direct marketing, but one of the most significant is the potential for annoyance or intrusion. Some recipients of direct marketing messages may feel overwhelmed or irritated by the constant barrage of promotional materials, leading to negative perceptions of the brand or company. Additionally, direct marketing relies heavily on personal data collection and targeting, which may raise privacy concerns for consumers.
    • Tiblets
      Which of the following in an inherent weakness of personal selling?
      1 year ago
      • The inherent weaknesses of personal selling include high costs associated with hiring, training, and compensating sales personnel; the difficulty of making exact predictions regarding the outcome of sales efforts; and the limitation of the salesperson's ability to reach large numbers of potential customers.
      • marcus tucker
        What is the nature of personal selling?
        1 year ago
        • Personal selling is a promotional strategy that involves the direct and personal communication of a salesperson with potential customers. It is an interactive process that involves persuading potential customers to purchase a product or service. Personal selling includes relationship building, persuading, and assisting customers in making a purchase decision. It often involves educating customers about the features and benefits of a particular product or service.