What is the Selling Concept of Marketing Management?


Change is the only constant. The market is always evolving, both in terms of the products and services that firms offer and in their ways of selling those products and services. If we had to list the various stages of market evolution, it would be −

  • Production Concept − Here the focus is on the number of goods being produced or the number of customers being served.

  • Product Concept − Here the entire focus is on product improvisation.

  • Selling Concept − Here the entire focus is on aggressively selling the product or service to the consumers or customers. Salespeople are in the spotlight.

  • Marketing Concept − Here the focus is on marketing the products or services to the consumer.

  • And the societal concept − this is a concept that focuses on the consumer, society, and the environment of the business. It is a whole concept.

Before moving ahead, it is important for us to understand that all the marketing management philosophies are still very much applicable to the different products and services in the market. No method is superior to the other, and all the methods have their own list of pros and cons.

In this article, we will be taking a deep dive into the selling concept of marketing management to read about its pros and cons and, at the same time, understand the company’s strategy in following such a method.

Selling Concept of Marketing Management

Here, the focus of the company is to sell the products manufactured by the factory to the customers. Companies do not pay heed to the usability of the product or the needs of the consumer. They are working on the assumption that consumers need the product for their own good and that the consumers are just unaware of this need of theirs. This is also known as unsought goods. Companies aggressively sell products to the consumer.

his concept of marketing management came into light after the Great Depression, when there was an excess supply of goods on the market. Companies wanted to get rid of the excess inventory to liquidate their money, and selling was the only option. The selling concept is also applicable to products whose consumers are uneducated about their utility. Here, the companies have to go the extra mile to capture the blue ocean of possibilities.

Typical Goods that Require an Aggressive Selling Method even in Today’s era are

  • Life Insurance and other Insurances − Here, the companies are forcing the customers to imagine the worst-case scenario. Customers do not get anything unless some calamity has happened. There are no benefits at present, but the cost is there. Money also gets wasted if nothing happens in the future. In the case of life insurance, the person who gets insured never receives the benefit of the plan.

  • Funeral Plots or Cases − No one would want to imagine their death or prepare for it. No customer would feel the need for it in their daily lives; hence, the companies have to aggressively sell their products to the consumers.

  • Water Purifiers − When water purifiers were first introduced in the market, consumers were highly uneducated about their benefits. For them, their age-old method seemed like the optimal choice, and there was no need to invest so much money. Here, the company had to aggressively sell its product to the consumers. To each customer, the salesperson would demonstrate the product and list all of its benefits.

  • Blood Donation Campaigns − we always want to help others, but not at the cost of ourselves. A lot of social campaigns as well as emotions have to be evoked to ensure that people donate their blood to the needy and that blood donation camps become a success.

  • Fundraising and Non-Profit Work − It is difficult for people, in general, to give away their money to others. It is their hard-earned money, and they would like to utilize it for themselves and their loved ones. Humans are selfish by their nature, so again, emotions have to be evoked for this activity.

Benefits of the Selling Concept of Marketing Management

  • Helps the Company Increase sales − The selling concept helps the companies achieve their short-term goal of increased revenue. It aids the company's survival in a competitive environment. Businesses may take care of numerous things, but the end goal of every business is to ensure revenue.

  • Assists the Company in Getting rid of Excess Inventory. A lot of money is blocked in the inventory. The selling concepts assist businesses in liquidating this money as soon as possible.

  • It aids in Educating Consumers about Undesirable Products. Humans are the most resistant to change. They do not want to be introduced to new technologies or products, even though they may benefit them. Water purifiers, air purifiers, insurance, and many others need personal selling, as the company now has a chance to influence consumers for good.

  • Helps in Gaining Market Share − With aggressive selling, firms are able to acquire more customers and, hence, a larger market share as compared to their competitors.

Disadvantages of the Selling Concept of Marketing Management

  • Is Not Sustainable in the Long Term − The main focus of the company is to sell its products aggressively to consumers. There is no consideration for the customer or the market. Companies will not be able to maintain a good public image, and their decline is therefore guaranteed. Consumers like to purchase of their own free will, not through any forced mechanism.

  • Destroys the Image of the Company − Not all products are aggressively sold to consumers. If the product quality is not as good as promised, customers will realize soon that they have been cheated, and this is going to destroy the image of the company in the community. With a bad public image, it is difficult for companies to survive.

  • Dissatisfied and Disheartened Consumers − Customers will be dissatisfied with the product or service because the strategy does not take into account the needs of the consumer or society. No loyal customer base will be developed for the company.

The marketing management concept seems to have both destructive disadvantages and many short-term benefits. Companies must understand this scenario and take steps to ensure market sustainability. Aggressive selling is not all bad or all good. The business has to understand that happy and satisfied customers and a satisfied community are the only mantras for success in the red ocean that they are in.

Updated on: 19-Jan-2023

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