Elements of Promotional Mix

Promotional mix refers to all the ways a company markets its business. Some companies promote their businesses exclusively through the Internet, while others market products by telephone. Most companies allocate a certain amount of money toward different promotional vehicles. For example, a company may spend 50 percent of its budget on display ads, 25 percent on radio and the rest on public relations. Some companies base their promotional mix on that of their competitors, especially if the industry is highly saturated.

Personal Selling

Salespeople often start out by finding leads on potential customers. For example, a marketing consultant uses leads such as corporations, advertising agencies and hospitals. Sale representatives then call on the leads and present their products or services. Most personal sales reps use sales manuals, brochures or laptop presentations to help sell their products. The key to personal selling is knowing how to close a sale. Sales reps may need to overcome a number of customer concerns or objections before closing a sale. Objections are excuses that buyers use to avoid buying products. For example, a customer may tell a sales rep that his products are too expensive. The sales rep may, in turn, explain how his products are of higher quality than competitive products.

Advertising

A company can use many types of advertising for its business. Many companies advertise through classified or display ads in newspapers and magazines, which are considered print media sources. Radio and television are two other advertising media. Radio advertising can be particularly cost-effective because it is highly targeted. This is because radio stations usually appeal to specific age groups, depending on the music they play. Other types of advertising include Internet search engine placement, and social media websites.

Sales Promotions

Sales promotions can include sweepstakes, contests, product premiums or bonus-size products and coupons, according to the Reference for Business website. Other types of sales promotions include free trials, demonstrations and rebates, with which customers send away for cash discounts. Trade shows are another highly effective type of sales promotion. Many companies, such as plumbing manufacturers, book publishers and construction companies, participate in trade shows. They are usually held in large convention centers, attracting customers from across the country.

Direct Mail

Companies that use direct mail often purchase names of consumers who already purchase similar products. The Direct Market Association is one of the largest purveyors of these types of lists. The typical direct mail package includes a sales letter, brochure and order form. Marketers use sales letters to explain the benefits of their products and services. The product features are usually explained in the brochure. Order forms provide an easy way for customers to fill out their names and addresses. Some companies or businesses do cooperative direct mailings. For example, a beauty salon may advertise in a direct mail coupon magazine that is mailed to peoples' homes.

References

• Dave Dolak: The Marketing Communications or Promotional Mix
• Gaebler.com: Typical Direct Mail Response Rates
• Reference for Business: Sales Promotion
• Dave Dolak: Sales and Personal Selling

Resources

• "Entrepreneur": Ads by Type
• Direct Marketing Association