I hope everyone has had a great start to fall so far! Last month, we touched on Advertising as a
promotional tool. Today, we are going to look at Personal Selling benefits and drawbacks.
Promotional Tool 2: Personal Selling
Personal selling is the process involving personal interactions between two or more people with the purpose of selling a product or service.
Personal selling is the most effective tool at certain stages of the buying process, particularly
in helping solidify buyers' preferences. For example, when a customer comes into the store
looking at supplements, having someone in the store talk with them about what they need and
making recommendations will help the customer to feel more comfortable in their decision.
Without that personal interaction, they may end up walking out without making a purchase and
with more questions than answers.
Personal selling offers both advantages and disadvantages in comparison to other promotional tools. On the one hand, personal selling allows for specific, targeted messages to people who are looking for something in particular. Additionally, you receive immediate feedback and have greater persuasive impact on the customer. Another advantage is that personal selling can be a great source of information. You can get intel on competitors' products and services, emerging trends in the industry and it will help you build loyal, long term relationships with your customers.
On the other hand, personal selling does not reach a significant number of people simultaneously and when taking into the amount of time per sale, it can be the most expensive promotional tool.