Sales promotion refers to all those activities, other than advertising, personal selling and publicity which are undertaken for purpose of increasing the sale. It is short-term inventive. It is through the sales promotion that both the consumer and middlemen are motivated.
Here given below some essential techniques for sales promotion
Rebate: Under it, in order to clear the excess stock, product are offered at some reduced price. For example, giving a rebate by a car manufacturer to the tune of Rs.10,000/- for a limited period of time.
Discount: Under this method, the consumers are offered product on price which is less than the listed price. For example giving a discount if 30% on the sale of liberty shoes.
Refund: Under this technique, some part of the price of an article is refunded to the customer on showing proof of purchase. For example, refundiy an amount of rs.5/- on showing the empty packet of the product prices rs.100/-.
Product combination: Under this method the main product is offered to the customer along with some other products as a gift. Fir example giving a packet of rice free on shakti bhog atta.
Quantity gift: Under this method, some extra quantity of the main product is passed on as a gift to the customer. For example, 25% extra toothpaste in a packet of 200gm tooth paste.
Sample or sampling: Under this method, the producer distributes free sample of his product among the customer. Sales representatives distributes this samples from door-to-door.This method is used mostly in case of product of daily use like washing powder, tea, toothpaste etc.