Given below are two statements : one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A) : Generally, the customers consider the sales force as the representative of the company. Reason (R) : Often, the company’s sale force works directly with the customers. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
Both are correct, and the reason explains the assertion — option 1.
The logic. For most customers the salesperson is the only person from the company they ever meet. Advertising is impersonal and remote; the factory, the head office and the management are invisible. The sales representative calls, listens, quotes, negotiates and follows up — and so, in the customer’s mind, he is the company. R gives the cause, direct personal contact; A states its consequence, that the customer identifies the two. That is a genuine explanatory link.
The salesperson’s double role. This is the point the pair of statements is really making :
| Direction | What the salesperson does |
|---|---|
| Company → customer | Carries the company’s offering, terms and reputation; his conduct is the company’s conduct as the customer experiences it |
| Customer → company | Brings back intelligence about needs, complaints, competitors’ moves and market conditions — the firm’s eyes and ears |
Why personal selling is used despite its cost. It is by far the most expensive element of the promotion mix per contact, but it has three properties nothing else has :
| Property | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Personal confrontation | A live, immediate, interactive relationship, in which each side observes the other |
| Cultivation | Relationships can be built and deepened over time |
| Response | The buyer feels an obligation to respond, if only to say no |
That is why personal selling dominates in industrial and high-value markets and in the later stages of the buying process — conviction, purchase and after-sale — while advertising is more efficient in the earlier stages of awareness and interest, and in consumer markets with many small buyers.
The management consequence. Because the salesperson embodies the company, sales-force selection, training, supervision, motivation and evaluation are treated as marketing decisions, not merely personnel ones; and a poorly behaved representative damages the brand in a way no advertisement can repair.
Hence, the answer is option 1.
Similar Questions
The major advantage of the direct mail marketing is :
Match the items of the List-I with that of the List-II and suggest the correct code from the following:
List-I List-II i. Competitive Parity a. Variations in Advertising ii. Promotional Elasticity of Market b. Level advertising iii. Optimal promotional mix c. Advertising expenditure decision iv. Contra-cycle advertising d. Marginal equivalency of media outlay Codes:
Match the items of List-I with the items of List-II and select the code of correct matching:
List-I (Medium of Mass Communication) List-II (Limitations) a. Outdoor i. Relative high cost; increasing consumer resistance b. Yellow pages ii. Over production could lead to runaway costs c. Brochures iii. High competition; long ad purchase lead time; creative limitations d. Telephone iv. Limited audience selectivity; creative limitations Codes:
Statement-I: Direct marketing is a non-interactive marketing system.
Statement-II: Direct marketing uses one or more media to effect a measurable response or transaction at any location.
Select the correct code:
Use of mail, telephone and other non-personal contact tools to communicate with, or solicit a response from, specific customers and prospects is called:
Which of the following is not a deciding factor for the Advertising Budget out of the given options?
Indicate the correct code matching the items in List - I with those in List - II as follows:
List - I List - II a. Competitive parity in advertising i. Variations in advertising b. Promotional elasticity of product ii. Advertising scheduling c. Optimal promotion mix iii. Advertising expenditure d. Pulsing advertising iv. Marginal equivalence of advertising media outlay Identify the correct sequence of stages in the sales process :
A. Initial contact
B. Gather the sales Lead
C. Meeting objections and concerns
D. Qualifying the Lead
E. Sales presentation
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
According to the ‘two-step flow’ concept, messages should be targeted to
The attempt to build and/or maintain a good “corporate image” is referred to as
Important Questions from Promotion decisions
The assumptions of rational decision making are:
(A) Preferences are not clear
(B) Preferences are not constant and stable
(C) Problem is clear and unambiguous
(D) No time or cost constraint exist
(E) Final choice will maximize pay off
Choose the correct answer from the options below:
Which one of the following is closest to the nature of decision making?
Match List - I with List - II :
List – I
(Decision making Bias)
List – II
(Explanation)
a
Anchoring Bias
i
Represents a case of selective perception
b
Escalation of commitment
ii
Refers to our staying with a decision even if there is clear evidence it’s wrong
c
Confirmation Bias
iii
Tendency to believe falsely, after the outcome is known
d
Hindsight Bias
iv
Tendency to fixate on initial information and fail to adequately adjust for subsequent information
Choose the correct option from those given below:
Which of the following will fall under the grievances relating to promotion category?
A. Supersession
B. Increments
C. Acting promotions
D. Seniority
E. Pay fixation
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
- ________ is a marketing term for any design to prompt an immediate response or encourage an immediate sale.
