We have reached now that stage of discussion where it is unavoidable to note the minute points of difference between ‘buying motives’ and the ‘selling points’. It is so because, for good any people, there is no difference between the two closely interlinked terms. It is quite acceptable case of those who are lay-men. We are the serious students of salesmanship and should extinguish between the two very clearly. It would be wrong and foolish on our part to take trees to wood. Buying motives can be distinguished on at least eight valid grounds.

1. Meaning:

“Buying motive” is the inner feeling or the range that propels a person to buy a particular product. Thus, it is the consumer expectation. We can say that buying motives together give a profile of a consumer, specifications or expectations. On the other hand, “selling point” or a “talking point” is the seller’s pack of offers. They can be taken as the sellers statements or specifications. The deal takes place only if the consumer expectations or specifications match perfectly or near perfectly with those of seller’s offers or specifications. Thus, buying motives emerge from the buyers while selling points from the sellers.

2. Theme:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

“Buying motives” explain clearly the reason or reasons as to why a customer buys a particular product or services from a particular store. These motives rather buying motives provide a solid base on which the selling house or salesman develops the selling points or talking points. On the contrary, “selling points” explain the reasons as to why a particular product is to be sold to a customer. In case of buying motives, the buyer moves from motives to the product or service while in case of selling points from product to the reasons of sale. Thus, the start and converging points differ in case of buying motive and selling points.

3. Control:

In case of “buying motives”, the customer has the control over them. That is, he can be contented with a few or pretty large number of buying motives working towards his purchase decision. However, the salesman has no control over buying motives as they are in the minds of a customer. On the other hand, salesman has full control over “selling points” which he can increase or decrease while presenting his sales-talk. Similarly, the customer has no control over the “selling points” as they come from the salesman. In other words, buyer has full control over the buying motives as they are his own and the salesman over the selling points as they are his points.

4. Priority:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Very interesting and intriguing question arises as to where “buying motives” are the product of “selling points” or the “selling points” the product of “buying motives”. Much depends on what is the base for thinking. Otherwise, the question is the same as “egg first or chick first” Taking consumer as the KING, of modern marketing system, we come to the conclusion that this is the buying motives first from which selling points stem. Thus, a manufacturer makes available a product to mater to the buying motives or specifications of consumers and then tries to bring to their notice his product or products that have those expected points which he uses for easy selling.

5. Coverage:

The phrase “selling point” or “talking point” is much more comprehensive than buying motives. In other words, a single selling point is capable of catering to so many buying motives at a time but a single buying motive can not meet the magnitude of any selling points Take the latest example of ‘Surf Excel’ detergent. When the manufacturing house name Hindustan Lever Limited, is talking about it, it appeals to the buying motives of economy better results no damage to cloth, space saving in case of operation and so on including it lower price. Or when noodles are talked of “two minutes” by Food Specialties of India in case of ‘maggi’, it means saving in time, cost, improved taste, case of preparation, variety c preparation and so on.

6. Sources of Knowledge:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

The sources of “buying” motives are the result of a study of different buying motives c different types of customers. This depends much on the capability skills, imagination, curiosity and keen observation on the part of sales person. As opposed to this, sources of selling points are mastered by the salesman, his past experience of goods, use of those goods, interaction peer and senior salesman and the sales journals.

7. Nature of Buying Motives:

The buying motives are the invisible and intangible forces which one can not see, touch, smell but has to feel and experience. Thus, no body has seen pride, vanity, habit, comfort, lone, on, jealousy and so on. However, very few of them are visible depending on the perception the other hand majority of selling points are visible and can be touched, smelt, and so on. colour, around, design, weight, pattern, properties of product and so on. This speaks of psychological and physical difference between the two.

8. Communication:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Communication is the bridge of meaning. It is pouring the ideas of one into the heads of others to get the same meaning. These ‘buying motives’ are from consumers side and “selling points” are from sellers side. Unless there is two-way communication, the deal is not finalized. To finalize the deal, there is need for incoming of informally and out going of information. The incoming informally is from the world of consumers to the firm. While out going is from form to the target market or group of consumers.