Chapter Summary:
In this chapter, we define personal selling, look at the advantages and disadvantages, and see how it fits within an organization’s promotional strategy. We also see there are a variety of different selling roles available to the marketing organization, including some whose objectives are not tied to getting customers to buy. Finally, we examine several trends facing the personal selling field.
Key Issues:
- What is Personal Selling?
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Personal Selling
- Objectives of Personal Selling
- Classifying Selling Roles
- Trends in Personal Selling
Cited References:
- “National Occupational Employment and Wages Estimates United States.” Bureau of Labor Statistics – U.S. Department of Labor, May 2020. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#41-0000.
- For more on the need for building trust in international business relationships see: Ron Carucci. “How to Build Trust When Working Across Borders.” Harvard Business Review, July 18, 2018. https://hbr.org/2018/07/how-to-build-trust-when-working-across-borders.
- For a discussion on the history of personal selling see: Rolph E. Anderson, Alex H. Cohen, Paul F. Christ, Rajiv Mehta, and Alan J. Dubinsky. “Provenance, Evolution, and Transition of Personal Selling and Sales Management to Strategic Marketing Channel Management.” Journal of Marketing Channels. 26 (1), 2020.
- Until the coronavirus pandemic, virtual trade shows were not widely adopted. However, with the pandemic cancelling traditional in-person trade shows, many organizations experimented with virtual shows for the first time. The experiences of several organizations are discussed here: Cynthya Porter. “COVID-19 Industry Impact: Industry Pivots to Virtual & New Normal.” Exhibit City News, September 1, 2020. https://exhibitcitynews.com/covid-19-industry-impact-industry-pivots-to-virtual-new-normal.