Appraisal Of The Impact Of Personal Selling In The Marketing Of Industrial Products

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Personal selling is one of the five major promotional tools used for influencing and persuading the audience or prospects to develop a positive attitude towards a firms products. The term personal selling have been defined by several marketing experts.
A. I. Okafor (1996.P4) defined personal selling as the aspect of the total promo-tool, which makes possible the occurrence of direct personal communication between the organization and its prospective buyers for the purpose of facilitating exchange for the mutual satisfaction of both parties.
Finally, personal selling can be defiles as the personal communication of information about a product, services or idea to the prospects for the purposes of facilitating and actualizing sales.
The words “communication” means communicating information about company’s product to the prospects on any interpersonal basis. The interpersonal approach of peraondl selling minimizes wasted effort as the selling effort focus on the prospective customer’s. Personal selling is the only promo-tools that actualize sales than other promo-tools.
Personal selling also facilitates sales by performing the job of information educating and persuading the prospected about the company’s product. Personal selling also plays the unique role of bring about direct contact between the organization and the prospects.
It is therefore clear from the foregoing that personal selling occupies a strategic position in the all over promotional effort of an organization and its target market. Because of this strategic position it service as a means of communication between the organization and the target market.
Personal selling is face to face interaction of the organization and the prospects is made possible. No matter promo-tools has the capacity of doing this except the personal selling and it is worth nothing, it is only through personal selling that the prospects are convinced to accept the value offered by the organization in exchange for a price sought .
In this project the researcher’s Concentration is on an appraisal of the impacts of personal selling in the market of industrial products. The researcher also briefly looked at the impacts generally and try to measure an appraisal of the impact of the personal selling has on the industrial products. Once a new product has been manufactured or produced, the next is to bring it to notice of prospects and persuaded them to buy it and this is done through personal selling.
The idea of establishing the Aluminum extrusion industries Ltd was first conceived in 1980 and two years later it was incorporated that was in 1982 under the leadership of chide Samuel O. Mbakwe who was the them government of the state.
Aluminum extrusion industry is located at km 4 Atta Amaimo road Inyishi in Ikeduru local government area it is licensed by the department of customers and exercise as manufactures of Aluminum profiles. The company was commissioned on Tuesday the 29th day of December 1987 by president Ibrahim Babangida. The company is specialized in the production of silver and bronze profile for the fabrication of doors and windows initially, the company was owned by Imo state government and was privatized in 1983 reason being the pursuance of privatization policy, during that period, tower Aluminum was invited into a joint venture and technical management agreement to day company is known as Alex Aluminum extrusion industries Ltd.
This research work deals with an Appraised of the impacts personal selling in the marketing of industrial products. Those industrial firms and institution that have recognized the usefulness of promotion do not see personal selling as equally to or surpassing the other element of promotional mix- like adverting publicity and sales promotion their end up spending more money of these other prkmktions without achieving their cooperate objective. But today the story has changed as more and more managers have come to realize the impact of personal selling and employ the service of professional sale person to handle their goods. Personal selling is seen as the seller’s promotional presentation conducted on a person to person basis with the buyer for the purpose of making sales.
Personal selling is used to satisfy marketing objectives like satisfaction of customers wants by identifying their problem and trying satisfying them.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Personal selling is expensive on per contact basis for Alex Aluminum extrusion company Ltd.
1) Poor management of sales force: it is also a problem because when the management can not mange their staff or employee properly and resources, they can not achieve their objective effectively.
3) Poor motivation of sales force: It is also a problem in Alex Aluminum Extrusion Company because when the sale people are not properly motivated it can result to the embezzlement of company’s fund by the sales force.
4) Poor Training of sales force: it is also a problem in Alex Aluminum extrusion company because when the sales force are not properly educated about the product they can not be able to convince their customers to any of their product.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the this study is to generally An appraisal of impact of personal selling in Alex Aluminum Extrusion Company Ltd with a view to identifying detects in the current, An appraise of impact of personal selling and recommending the most appropriate personal selling strategy that will enable the company to achieve his other objective.

1.4 THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXAMINE THE FOLLOWING:
To appraise the current personal selling programme of Alex Aluminum Extrusion Company.
2) To identify the detects or otherwise in current personal selling programme of other company’s.
3) To identify the problems militating against effective sales force in Alex Aluminum extrusion industries
4) To establish the relationship between effective personal selling of Alex Aluminum Extrusion company to achieve its marketing objective.
5) To also establish how effective personal selling will enable Alex Aluminum Extrusion achieve better customer services
6) To also establish how effective personal selling can combat competition through effective personal selling programme.
7) Finally, to recommend the most appropriate personal selling that would enable Alex Aluminums Company to achieve increase market share.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Since the study is concerned with An appraisal of the impacts of personal selling in the marketing of industrial products, the researcher shall limit the study to Alex Aluminum extrusion industrials Ltd Inyishi in Ikeduru local government area. The benefits of personal selling to the industrial producers and industrial users.

1.7 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1) Is there any detect in the current An appraisal of the impact of personal selling in the marketing of industrial products?
2) What are the problems that militate against effective An appraisal of the impact of personal selling in the of marketing industrial products?
3) Is there any relationship between effective An Appraisal of the impact of personal selling in the marketing of industrial products sustainable growth Alex Aluminum Extrusion company?
4) How cans effective personal selling brings about increased marketing share in Alex Aluminum Extrusion Company?
5) How can effective personal selling brings about better customer service in Alex Aluminum Extrusion company?

1.8 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS:
For the purpose of this research the following hypothesis will be stated.
Ho: High cost of personal selling does not constraint its choice for promotion exercise.
Ho: Personal selling is important in the marketing of industrial product.
Ho: Salesmen are not adequately remunerated for personal exercise.
Ho: Personal selling does not contribute to increase marketing activities.

1.9 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1) This research work is significant and beneficial to industrial firms that are yet to discover the benefits of personal selling.
2) Any researcher wishing to discover the rational for adoption of personal selling by industrial firms.
This study will also clarity and inform the yet to embrace, personal selling manufacturers on the needs to adopt it as one of strongest weapons of promotional tools. The study through it findings and recommendation will enable the case study company to solve its problem of using personal selling as promotional tools when it is an awkward to do so. And when it is suitable to do so as well.
Although the target market of the industrial product are fewer but this study will help any interested manufacturer of industrial product to know how best to adopt.
Personal selling as promotional tool for reducing customer perceived risk on product, if still seems to be neglected in the field of marketing programmers. It has been remarkable how relatively little attention, personal selling in industrial marketing has received in the professional intercourse and in academic research.
However, existing knowledge is limited concerning how effective personal selling is used in the marketing of the industrial products. This research work is focused on the marketing of industrial product by personal selling especially by Alex Aluminum Extrusion company ltd and the industrial customers and prospects.
The company’s products are bought by organization for the purpose of producing other goods for resale.
The study therefore seeks to find the following.
An appraisal of the impacts of personal selling in the marketing of industrial products.
The benefit of personal selling to:
The industrial produce
The industrial customer
The problem of salesmen in personal selling.
The contribution of personal selling to selling promotional exercise.
The industrial firms have low turn over, therefore, they cannot afford the cost of personal selling despite its necessity.
Both the public and the firm see it as an awkward means of promotion.
The target market of industrial products is not as large as the target market for consumer product.
Total sales volume.
Total net profit.
Other products or to be used in the operation that is raw materials or products purchased for further production.

1.10 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
During the course of carrying out the research project the research was constituted by the following limitations:
A huge sum of money was involved in conducting this research work, which account for one of the problems encountered by the researcher in the course of writing this work.
Also there was a problem of distribution and collection of questionnaires as well as time that was wasted in conducting personal interview because the lazy staffs needed enough explanation before they could offer some relevant information.
Finally, the time requirements was a problem that the researcher has to grapple with given the bulk of assignment and lectures that has to be attended irrespective of the research work.

1.11 DEFINITION OF TERMS
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT: This can be defined as a product purchased to be directly or indirectly to produce. Other products or to used in the operation. That is raw materials or products purchased for further production.
PERSONAL SELLING: This can be defined as the interpersonal communication of information, idea about a products service to the prospects for the purposes of facilitating and actualizing sales.
A product: This can be defined as anything of value tangible or intangible that can be offered to customers actual and potential for their attention, acquisition and consumption for the purpose of satisfying their needs.
APPRAISAL: This can be defined as a judgment of the value performance or native of some body or something.
SELLING: This is the first of persuading prospective buyers to buy goods and services from which they can derive suitable, benefit thereby increasing their total salesmen satisfaction.