Sales Promotion

Business-to-Business Sales Promotions

The use of sales promotion is not limited to consumer products marketing.  In business-to-business markets sales promotions are also used as a means of moving customers to action.  However, the promotional choices available to the B-to-B marketer are not as extensive as those found in the consumer or trade markets.  For example, most B-to-B marketers do not use coupons as a vehicle for sales promotion with the exception of companies that sell to both consumer and business customers (e.g., products sold through office supply retailers).  Rather, the techniques more likely to be utilized include:

• price-reductions
• free product
• trade-in
• promotional products
• trade shows 

Of the promotions listed, trade shows are by far the mostly widely used sales promotion for B-to-B marketers.