Introduction to Personal Selling

PERSONAL SELLING

Personal selling is a means of implementing marketing programs. It is concerned with ‘persuasive communication’. A salesperson in personal selling tries to persuade the prospectso that he can take a decision to buy a product. It is a major factor in creating sales volume. It is a direct presentation of a product to a prospective customer by a salesman. It takes place face to face or over the telephone. It may be directed to a middleman or a final consumer.  Personal selling is a tool for building up buyer’s preference, conviction and action.

DEFINITION

1. According to William Stanton and Walker, “Personal selling is the personal communication of information to persuade somebody to buy something.”
2. According to Mahoney and Slone, “Personal selling is the personal communication between a salesperson and a potential customer or group of customers.”