Consumer Relationship and Personal Selling Essay

Consumer Relationship and Personal Selling - Essay Example Personal selling remains important independent of technologically driven sales processes because it is the â€Å"only communication† process that â€Å"allows a marketing message to be adapted to the specific needs and beliefs of each customer† (Spiro & Weitz, 1990, p.61). Other sales promotions such as promotions, point-of-sales’ exhibitions, packaging, and so on are directed toward the â€Å"typical customer†. Personal selling is rather more flexible as it allows for adjustments to be made to the sales’ message in response to observable consumer reactions. With other forms of selling processes, marketers have limited opportunities for adjusting messages as they typically have to wait it out and interpret consumers’ purchasing behaviour.It would therefore appear that personal selling has become even more important with technological advancements. While consumers are more inclined to rely on, and expect technological solutions, consumers valu e and expect superior customer services (Spiro & Weitz, 1990). Personal selling provides consumers with superior customer services since it puts the consumer in touch with sales’ personnel and offers a unique opportunity for consumers to ask questions or to register concerns and to have those concerns addressed. Moreover, personal selling is focused on specific consumers and as such creates and fosters the feeling that the consumer is special and valued. Personal selling is an important customer service technique.... nication† process that â€Å"allows a marketing message to be adapted to the specific needs and beliefs of each customer† (Spiro & Weitz, 1990, p.61). Other sales promotions such as promotions, point-of-sales’ exhibitions, packaging, and so on are directed toward the â€Å"typical customer† (Spiro & Weitz, 1990, p. 61). Personal selling is rather more flexible as it allows for adjustments to be made to the sales’ message in response to observable consumer reactions. With other forms of selling processes, marketers have limited opportunities for adjusting messages as they typically have to wait it out and interpret consumers’ purchasing behaviour (Spiro & Weitz, 1990). It would therefore appear that personal selling has become even more important with technological advancements. While consumers are more inclined to rely on, and expect technological solutions, consumers value and expect superior customer services (Spiro & Weitz, 1990). Personal selling provides consumers with superior customer services since it puts the consumer in touch with sales’ personnel and offers a unique opportunity for consumers to ask questions or to register concerns and to have those concerns addressed. Moreover, personal selling is focused on specific consumers and as such creates and fosters the feeling that the consumer is special and valued. In other words, personal selling is an important customer service technique that is particularly important at a time when modern technology is especially impersonal. Personal selling functions to personalise the relationship between the consumer and the firm and thus facilitates the superior customer services that consumers have come to expect. 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of building customer relationships by the internet. Chen