Which among the following is correct differentiation between Advertising and Personal Selling
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → In advertising, the cost per person reached is very low, while in personal selling it is very high.
Option (1) Advertising provides direct feedback while personal selling lacks direct feedback — Incorrect. The feature is reversed for the two: direct feedback belongs to personal selling. An advertisement goes out and nothing comes back. The advertiser has to use marketing research to find out how it worked. A salesperson, on the other hand, sees the buyer’s reaction at once and can answer it.
Option (2) Advertising is flexible while personal selling is inflexible — Incorrect. The feature is reversed for the two: flexibility belongs to personal selling. An advertisement is written and released once, so every viewer gets the same message. The salesperson has no fixed script and changes his talk to suit the buyer in front of him.
Option (3) In advertising, the cost per person reached is very low, while in personal selling it is very high. — Correct. One advertisement reaches lakhs of people at once. The total cost is large, but the cost of reaching each person is very low. A salesperson meets one buyer at a time, and every call costs a share of his time and salary.
Option (4) Advertising reaches a limited number of people while personal selling reaches masses. — Incorrect. The feature is reversed for the two: advertising is the mass medium. A salesperson can meet only a limited number of people, because his time is limited and each meeting costs money.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition):
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