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Problem

Given the rapid rise in the cost of making personal sales calls, should the business marketer attempt to substitute direct-mail advertising or online advertising for personal selling whenever possible? Support your position.

Step-by-step solution

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Step 1/4

Direct mails or e-mail are some of the marketing tools that are utilized by marketing managers. Direct mails are used to deliver the advertisement messages that are intended by the marketer managers to be delivered to selected individuals.

The direct mails or the e-mails may contain sales information about a new product being introduced by the company, or may contain product brochure or a sample of the product.

The main function of direct mails or e-mails is that they are used to deliver the product information directly to the selected individuals. The individuals to whom the direct mails are sent are qualified on various parameters.

Step 2/4

In case any individual shows interest in the product and replies on the e-mail received that person can be contacted by a salesperson over the phone and a meeting could be scheduled for explaining the details of the product.

The individuals even though haven’t shown any interest in the product are also contacted over the phone and are explained about the product specifications. The interested candidates are then scheduled with a meeting with a salesperson.

Step 3/4

Direct mailing cannot replace personal selling as direct mailing is only used for disseminating information about the product. It is used to trigger the interest of the customer towards the product.

The salesperson cannot make direct calls to the customer and explain about everything about the product to the customer. This would increase the cost of selling the product as the salespersons would be required to first generate interest of the customers and then would be required to sell the product.

Step 4/4

Thus, direct selling and personal selling should not be used as alternative to each other but rather they should be used in order to complement each other. Direct mailing should be used to generate the interest of the customers and personal selling should be used to sell the product.