Marketing Management, 16th Edition

Personal Selling

Personal selling involves direct interaction with one or more prospective buyers for the purpose of making presentations, answering questions, and procuring orders (sales presentations, sales meetings, incentive programs, samples, and fair and trade shows). Personal selling is the most effective tool at later stages of the buying process, particularly in influencing buyer preferences, conviction, and action.2

Well-known companies that use a personal-selling model are Avon and Electrolux. Tupperware and Mary Kay cosmetics are sold one-to-many: A salesperson goes to the home of a host who has invited friends; the salesperson demonstrates the products and takes orders. The multilevel (network) marketing sales system works by recruiting ...