Question 1
Selling has a place in the marketing mix and sales managers see that personal selling as one component of its promotional decision area. Selling prompts a variety of responses. In the marketing mix, it evokes a high percentage of hostile and negative responses that include dishonest, immoral, degrading and wasteful. Good things selling themselves is a phrase that people use since selling start and it depicts its place in the marketing mix.
Question 2
In the marketing concept, there a slight difference between production orientation, sales orientation and marketing orientation. In Production orientation, company focuses on the production in an economic climate and the potential demand should outstrip supply but in things have changed today. Companies focus on producing enough supply to outstrip demand.
When it comes to sales orientation, a company switches most of its focus towards the sales function and the main issue changes from production to how they will sell the products. Up to date, many companies do adopt sales oriented approach in doing business. Marketing orientation completes the cycle of the marketing concept and the company concentrates on marketing their products. Each of them relates to one another and absence of one makes the cycle incomplete. The differences are major when it comes to companies and each gets equal attention and workforce (Rackham, 1996).
Question 3
Marketing strategies are different from sales strategies in that sales people misunderstand the strategies in marketing. This engenders great deal of resentment between sales and marketing. The selling strategies are just part of marketing strategies and the total effort gets coordination from marketing. Selling strategies are not stand-alone elements and must be incorporated with the overall marketing strategies. On the other hand, marketing strategy affects selling through strategic objectives. The main difference between the two is that sales strategy and objectives derive from marketing strategy and should always remain consistent with marketing mix elements (Rackham, 1996).
Marketing strategy defines if there need for a sales force and if there can be accomplishment using mediums like direct mail. Sales strategy gives the definition of how there can be achievements of objectives. In the sales strategy there are several things put into consideration. They include call rates, percentage of call and discount policy (Rackham, 1996).
Question 4
Communication mix has component parts that make it viable and versatile. The component parts are price, product, promotion and place. Under price, there are price levels, credit terms, discounts and price changes. Under product, we have features, range, quality and packaging. Promotion comprises of advertising, sales promotion, publicity, personal selling and sponsorship. Getting all the five elements working together requires harmonization and there is a term given to that harmony called integrated marketing communications (Rackham, 2000). Finally, there is place, which could be in form of inventory, number of intermediaries and channels of distribution (Rackham, 2000).
Question 5
Reverse marketing is the process by which the buyer takes the initiative of persuading suppliers to supply or provide what an organization wants.
Question 6
Brand personality relates to the brand name and it refers to the set of characteristics that attribute to brand name. The name reflects the brand name and given examples includes sincerity, excitement, competence, ruggedness and sophistication.
Question 7
Reference group refers to a group under which a brand or good refers to and in most cases brands refer to child groups as the reference group.
Question 8
The best example of a company that uses push versus pull strategy is wall mart. This is a system in business describes the movement of one product or information between two given subjects. Concerning the market, the consumers pull the products and the sellers push the products to them.
Question 9
The marketing concept commonly known as unique selling point or USP is very influential in buying and selling of goods and services. It refers to a brand unique from the rest and in advertisement; many marketers use it to woo customers.
Question 10
When it comes to comparisons and differences between how consumers and organizations buy products and services, marketing mix tools may apply within both categories of market. Consumers buy products and services for their families and own benefits and needs. Consumers buy goods and services for private motives and use. For consumers, concerning product, aspects of the mix’s product element like branding, design, logos and packaging are important unlike for organizations that buy things in bulk and ignore such aspects. Consumers make impulse buying because of how the products attract them. Organizations hardly make impulse buying because they operate on tight budget and only buy what they require.
Organizations on the other hand have similar aspects that influence them on what to buy like location and distance only that they choose technical specifications on what they buy. For organizations, there are crucial elements of the marketing mix like reliability of products and degree of backup offered. Organizations put more emphasis on personal selling unlike consumers who rely mainly on advertisements. For organizations, price does not really count, it is value of the product and service they buy that matters. Regarding place, organizations often get direct distribution because they buy things in bulk.
Question 11
The relationship in subject is that between the customer and the seller. It is important to have buyer-seller relationships between organizations in marketing. The industrial purchasing and marketing group came up with an interaction approach that explained relationship management complexity. Supplier and customer staff should not only consider distributors, salespeople and sales subsidiaries or formal organizational arrangements as a whole but also the informal network consisting of personal contacts. Senior directors of Marks & Spencer’s meet the boards of its major suppliers twice every year in order to have frank discussions.
Question 12
Knowing where to go makes it easy for one to start a journey unlike moving without knowing the destination. Targeting is important because the channels only direct to a specific target group. Segmentation goes hand in hand with targeting. The segmented channels target specific groups. For example, a product aimed for the youth should go directly to the youth and if it is advertisement, it should only be when there is a probability of many youths around. The target market makes it easier for the sales team to sell. Some products are for women and without segmentation; confusion will cue in because men will also be part of the group.
