(a) What is personal selling? (b) List and explain six media available to an advertiser of goods and services

Answer Details

(a) Personal selling

Personal selling is a method of promotion in which a salesman meets prospective buyers face to face to present, explain and persuade them to buy goods or services. It involves direct, personal communication between the seller and the customer with the aim of making a sale.

(b) Media available to an advertiser

1. Television: It combines sound, colour and motion to reach a very large audience, making it powerful for demonstrating and creating strong impressions of products, though it is expensive.
2. Radio: It passes advertising messages by sound and reaches a wide audience, including those in rural areas and non-literate people, at a relatively low cost, but it lacks visual appeal.
3. Newspapers: They carry advertisements in print to a wide readership and can give detailed information, and they can be kept for future reference, but they reach mainly literate people.
4. Magazines: They target particular groups of readers with quality, coloured advertisements that last long, making them suitable for special or luxury products.
5. Posters and billboards (hoardings): These are large printed advertisements placed in public places and along roads to catch the attention of passers-by with brief, striking messages.
6. The internet and social media: These carry advertisements online to a very wide and global audience at relatively low cost, and they allow interaction and quick response from customers.