Page 471 - Foundations of Marketing

438 Part 6 | Promotion Decisions

Advertising has disadvantages as well. Even though the
cost per person reached may be low, the absolute dollar out-
lay can be extremely high, especially for commercials during
popular television shows and those associated with popular
websites. High costs can limit, and sometimes preclude,
use of advertising in a promotion mix. Moreover, advertis-
ing rarely provides rapid feedback. Measuring its effect on
sales is often difficult, and it is ordinarily less persuasive
than personal selling. In most instances, the time available to
communicate a message to customers is limited to seconds,
because people look at a print advertisement for only a few
seconds, and most broadcast commercials are 30 seconds or
less. Of course, the use of infomercials can increase expo-
AP Images/PRNewsFoto/Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco
sure time for viewers; however, the format can disengage
more sophisticated buyers.

Personal Selling

Personal selling is a paid personal communication that seeks
to inform customers and persuade them to purchase prod-
ucts in an exchange situation. The phrase purchase prod-
ucts is interpreted broadly to encompass acceptance of ideas
and issues. Personal selling is most extensively used in the
business-to-business market and also in the business-to-con-
sumer market for high-end products such as homes, cars,
electronics, and furniture.
Personal selling has both advantages and limitations
when compared with advertising. Advertising is general
communication aimed at a relatively large target audience,
Advertising to Spread Awareness
Not all advertising is used to stimulate demand for products. This whereas personal selling involves more specific communi-
outdoor ad is designed to make parents aware of the implications cation directed at one or several individuals. Reaching one
of secondhand smoke. person through personal selling costs considerably more than
through advertising, but personal selling efforts often have
greater impact on customers. Personal selling also provides immediate feedback, allowing
marketers to adjust their messages to improve communication. Such interaction helps them
determine and respond to customers’ information needs.
When a salesperson and a customer meet face-to-face, they use several types of interper-
sonal communication. The predominant communication form is language, both spoken and
written. A salesperson and customer frequently use kinesic communication , or communica-
tion through the movement of head, eyes, arms, hands, legs, or torso. Winking, head nodding,
hand gestures, and arm motions are forms of kinesic communication. A good salesperson can
often evaluate a prospect’s interest in a product or presentation by noting eye contact and head
nodding. Proxemic communication , a less obvious form of communication used in personal
selling situations, occurs when either person varies the physical distance separating them.
kinesic communication When a customer backs away from a salesperson, for example, he or she may be displaying
Communicating through the a lack of interest in the product or expressing dislike for the salesperson. Touching, or tactile
movement of head, eyes, arms, communication , is also a form of communication, although less popular in the United States
hands, legs, or torso than in many other countries. Handshaking is a common form of tactile communication both
proxemic communication in the United States and elsewhere.
Communicating by varying the
physical distance in face-to-face Public Relations
interactions
tactile communication Although many promotional activities focus on a firm’s customers, other stakeholders—
Communicating through suppliers, employees, stockholders, the media, educators, potential investors, government offi-
touching cials, and society in general—are important to an organization as well. To communicate with

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