Marketing Management, 16th Edition

Designing the Sales Force

The original and oldest form of direct marketing is visiting target customers (prospects) in person. To locate prospects, develop them into customers, and grow the business, most industrial companies rely heavily on a professional sales force or hire manufacturers’ representatives and agents. Many consumer companies such as Allstate, Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, Merrill Lynch, and Tupperware use a direct-selling force.

Tupperware

Tupperware was founded in 1946, when inventor Earl Tupper introduced his airtight seals, patterned after the inverted rim on a can of paint, to prevent food from drying out. Despite their breakthrough nature, his products didn’t sell well in retail outlets, mainly because their advantage over regular ...