Instructions: It’s about a Personal Selling. In an increasing online sales envir
ID: 393135 • Letter: I
Question
Instructions:
It’s about a Personal Selling. In an increasing online sales environment, is there a place for personal selling? Can it be used to compliment online commerce? Explain your answer and give an example.
On my post message here:
Personal selling involves face to face interaction with the consumers and making an impact upon the buying decisions with the help of selling approach and product expertise that can impress the customers and they buy the product. It is still relevant, and there is a place for the personal selling even if there is an online sales environment because there are many product categories that still demand somebody to explain and show the functions as well as confirm the quality of the product. For example, iPhone X does not require personal selling, because it is a standardized product, what that is available online at Amazon is the same as another e-commerce portal. But, a new foot massager cannot confirm the same. Here, the personal selling is required that shows the demo of the product, explain its proper functionality and other features that can be suitable in varying degrees to the different customers. Here, personal selling helps to sell the product with product expertise and customizing the presentation as per the customer’s needs. In another example, high-end, sophisticated IT products such as ERP applications required best personal selling attributes to sell the product. It makes the salespeople apply all stages of the personal selling to become successful. Besides, all high-end products that bring high price tags, require customized presentations and it needs personal selling in some capacity.
Personal selling also compliments the online commerce as people who are suspicious about the products want somebody to explain it and help them take a right buying decision. It is always seen in the textile and apparel category, that personal selling works better and help increase the sales when customers get the details. Hence, personal selling should not be treated as a competitor to the online selling, and rather it should be used as a complement to increase the overall sales and market development.
One of classmate’s responded to my post:
I like your example of the iPhone versus the new foot massager. Iphone’s themselves don't need much personal selling in person or online, because it is so simplified and standardized like you stated. But a product that is not standardized is going to require a lot more work, and it is very much so possible online. Online is a great place to post videos and do interactive chats to advertise a product. Anything from foot massages, to cleaning products, even clothes can be showed off to explain their features and fit. YouTube is a great place to do personal selling online because one a person posts a video showing off the functionality of a product, customers can direct message them and inquiry on a product and can also leave comments with questions for them to directly respond to. I think personal selling is still just as important, even with the increasing amount of online sales!
What will I respond to classmate’s perspective?
Explanation / Answer
Classmates perspective on personal selling has some valid points. Increasing technologicsl support on sales and marketing actually increased the visibility of products and also customers can access the product characteristics online from any location. Still the personal selling of products has its own space in the current market situations. The information or techhnologite gap is still exist in many cases where there are potential customers who are not well versed in using gadgets and not much aware of YouTube kind of informative platforms and yet they have the capability to but products. In such cases especially people who are on the age group of 50 or60+ in many countries they still believe in personal meeting for buying products by understanding the physical feel of the product. The sales person can get in touch and through direct illustration they may get convinced to buy the products. For such cases it is always advisable to give a personal marketing of products and get them insert the features and how it can be useful to them. From a sales point of view still 10-20 % of target customers are not that used to technology revolution and they can be approached only through direct marketing of products. This makes personal selling still on live and such interactive discussions would be helpful for themtk get knowledge about the products.