Sales promotion

Sales promotion is an important element of promotion mix. Promotion mix is a combination of promotional tools used by a business unit communicates with target audience.

Sales promotion is any activity that offers incentives for a limited period to induce a desired response from those who are targeted. It stimulates the interest, trial, or purchase by final customers or others in the channel.

The basic purpose of sales promotion is to stimulate in the spot buying by prospective customers through short-term incentives. These incentives are essentially temporary and nonrecurring in nature.

As a matter of fact, sale promotion activities aim at supplementing and coordinating selling and advertising. The development and management of an effective sales promotion program requires an major commitment by a firm. During any given year, it is typical that as much as 30 percent of brand management time is spent on designing, implementing and overseeing sales promotions.

Sales promotion includes tools or techniques for
*Consumer viz, samples, coupons, contests, cash-refund offers, free-trials, price-off
*Dealers viz, display-aids, sales –contents, free ad-materials, free tour, buying allowance, dealer gift and other incentives
*Salesman viz bonus, contests, free tours, gifts, etc.
Sales promotion