Price still remains one of the most important elements determining company market share and profitability. Generally, prices were set by buyers and sellers negotiating with each other. Setting one price for all buyers is a relatively modern idea. Price is the only element in the marketing mix that produces revenue. Price is also one of the most flexible elements of the marketing mix. At the same time, pricing and price competition are the number-one problems faced by many marketing executives. Yet many companies do not handle pricing well. The most common mistakes are these: Pricing is too cost oriented; price is not revised often enough to capitalize on market changes; price is set independent of the rest of the marketing mix rather than as an intrinsic element of market-positioning strategy; and price is not varied enough for different product items, market segments, and purchase occasions. Pricing Decisions in Industrial Marketing Continue reading
Industrial Marketing Concepts
Definitions of Key Terms in Integrated Marketing Communications
Integrated means that combine or coordinate separate elements so as to provide a harmonious, interrelated whole. In other word, when all marketing communication tool work together, it will be more effective than work as a single component. It will create more competitive advantages, boost sales and profit, while saving cost, time and stress if this concept is incorporated in marketing strategy. So, if the marketing communication tools are combined as a group it will produce more powerful outcome in the process of delivering customer superior value. Marketing The root word for marketing is market. Market is defined as a place for consumer and sellers to carry out transaction that required cash as an exchange medium for obtaining a product or service. Marketing can be defined in two perspectives which include old view or new view of marketing. From the new view of marketing, it is all about the creation of Continue reading
Sales Promotion in Industrial Marketing
Sales promotion is an activity used by the industrial marketer to boost the immediate sales of a product or service. It is used to increase the sales by impressing the customers, rewarding them and also motivating the sales force to get more business. There are different techniques used in a industrial sales promotion activity like a free-sample campaign, offering free gifts, arranging demonstrations or exhibitions, organizing competitions with attractive prizes, temporary price reductions, door-to-door calling, telemarketing, using personal letters, etc. More than any other element of the promotional mix, sales promotion is about “action”. It is about stimulating customers to buy a product. It is not designed to be informative — a role which advertising is much better suited to. Need for Sales Promotion in Industrial Marketing To introduce a new product in the market. To influence the public with the help of new uses of the product. To increase Continue reading
Managing the Industrial Sales Force
Sales force management is one of the important task for industrial marketing managers where they take great care in selecting the right personnel who can help them to increase their sales. They also give their sales team proper product training, supervise their performance, frequently motivate them by offering compensations, and at the same time control the expenses incurred. There are various steps that are involved in the industrial sales force management. 1. Selection of Sales Personnel Personal selling starts with selecting the salesperson who acts as the representative of an organization. They help to create an image and reputation of the company apart from increasing the sales by offering various products and services to the industrial buyers. In addition to giving the details on product features to their prospective buyers, they offer other services like technical assistance, recommendations, ideas, and sharing their experience. They also posses the skills that are Continue reading
Industrial Product Development
Industrial product is defined as a complex set of economic, technical, legal, and personal relationship between the buyer and the seller. A product is a combination of basic, enhanced, and augmented properties. Basic properties are included in the generic product, with fundamental benefits sought by customers. Generic products are made differentiable by adding tangible enhanced properties such as product features, styling and quality. The augmented properties include intangible benefits such as technical assistance, available of spare parts, maintenance and repair services, warranties, training, timely delivery, and attractive commercial terms. The product package as expected by the prospective customers should be well understood by the industrial marketer. Industrial product development is the process by which the product ideas are generated, assessed, directed and converted into products. There are seven stages in the process of industrial product development. Idea Generation: The Industrial marketer should be consciously search for new product idea and Continue reading
Personal Selling in Industrial Marketing
Personal selling is one of the oldest forms of promotion. It involves the use of a sales force who orally communicates about the company’s products or services to the potential buyers with an intention to make a sale. Personal selling is the primary demand stimulating force in the industrial marketer’s promotional mix. Its role is very dominant in industrial markets because of less number of potential customers present compared to the consumer markets and the large amount of money purchases involved. As the cost per sale through personal selling is too high, industrial marketers have to carefully manage and integrate personal selling into organization’s marketing mix. This will also lead to maximize its effectiveness and efficiency. The job of personal selling starts after determining the target segment in the organization’s market. The sales force in most of the industrial organizations follow the “systems selling” approach where they recognize the entire Continue reading