ABSTRACT
Why have we included people as the final part of the marketing mix? Some consider personal selling as the interpersonal arm of the promotion mix. They regard employees as being a walking, talking, communication device that interacts with customers in order to inform them of the product offering. Characterizing people as an interactive billboard downplays their importance. Even in the modern economy where billions of goods and services are traded instantly, the human touch will always play a vital role in guiding the business process. For it is the relationship between buyer and seller, a relationship based on mutual interests, that creates the business opportunity for both parties to derive value and satisfaction. As Rolph Anderson, a business professor at Drexel University puts it, “[a person] responds to subtle clues, anticipates customer needs, provides personal service, nurtures on-going relationships and creates profitable new business strategies with their customers”. People are more than just a two-way radio. People are the cement that binds customer value to satisfaction. Of course it is not just salespeople but flight attendants, barbers, lawyers, maids and many more that are all part of the experience of our product/service.
