Unit 3. Hard to reach

Vocabulary.

 

Consumer – потребитель

Customer – клиент

Direct mail – почтовая реклама

Discount – скидка

Flyer – рекламная листовка

Marketing – маркетинг

Sales – продажи

Sales pitch – продвижение продукта

Sales representative – менеджер по продажам

Many manufacturers sell their products through retailers, but they may also sell direct to the consumer by telephone or on the internet, or they may employ sales representatives. A lot of companies sell products and services business to business, or B2B. Product information is created in the form of flyers or catalogues and some companies send this information to large numbers of potential customers through the post. This method of selling is called direct mail. Marketers are always looking for ways to promote their products to new kinds of customer.

 

Mario Capelli

Perhaps the most effective way to promote products to a large number of people is to advertise. There are several different advertising media that we can use, for example TV and radio. There’s also the press - that’s newspapers and magazines - and the cinema. And, of course, the internet is extremely important now. Advertising is a good way to reach a lot of potential customers - but there are other selling techniques as well.

There’s personal selling, for example. This means employing sales representatives to make regular sales visits to customers and potential customers.

 

Then there are sales promotions. These include special offers, for example: «Buy satellite TV and get free installation» and discounts that encourage people to buy.

Other examples of sales promotions include competitions and free gifts.

Another method of promotion is public relations. This involves creating news and getting information about the company or its products in the press or on TV. For example, when a pop star launches a new album, people write about it in the music magazines. And this brings publicity for the company.

The next method is direct marketing. This includes all sales activities where consumers can buy the product immediately. An example is direct mail - where you send information to potential customers by post. We can also include TV and internet shopping in this category. And then there’s telephone selling, where sales staff telephone people and try to sell products over the phone.

And finally, we have sponsorship. A company pays money to have its name linked to an event or a person such as a sports personality. The person wears clothing with the name of the company on it.

Answer the questions according to the text:

1. How can companies attract attention when they launch a new product?

2. What do companies use to promote their products?

3. Is advertising a good way to reach many customers?

4. What do sales promotions include?

5. What does it mean a sponsorship?

 

Exercises: