Sales promotion is the process of persuading a potential customer to buy the product. It can be part of the personal selling process. The main methods of sales promotion are:
Money-off coupons(优惠券) -- customers receive coupons out of newspapers or a products packing that enable them to buy the product next time at a reduced price. Competitions ---buying the product will allow the customer to take part in a chance to win a prize. Discount vouchers --- a voucher is like a money-off coupon.
Free gifts --- a free product when buying another product.
Point of sales materials --- e.g. posters, display stands-ways of presenting the product in its best way or show the customer that the product is there.
Loyalty cards -- e.g. Nectar and Air Miles; where customers earn points for buying certain goods or shopping at certain retailers(零售商)-- that can be later be exchanged for money, goods or other offers.
Loyalty cards have recently become an important form of sales promotion. They encourage the customer to return to the retailer by giving them discounts based on the spending from a previous visit. Loyalty cards can offset(弥补) the discount they offer by more sales and persuading the customer to come back. They also provide information about the shopping habits of customers -- where do they shop, when and what do they buy This is very valuable marketing research and can be used in the planning process for new and existing products. Which sales promotion form listed below gives customers discounts