PERSONAL SELLING:

Process of Sales Communication

INFORMATION PROCESSING 
the process through which a person is 
1. exposed to information 

2. attends to it 

3. comprehends it 

4. places it in memory and 

5. retrieves it for later use. 

PERCEPTION  

the process through which a person is 

A. exposed to information, 

B. attends to the information, and 

C. comprehends the information 

PERCEPTION   …….CONT.

 Exposure: 
a person receives information through his/her senses 
 Attention: 
a person allocates processing capacity to a stimulus 
 Comprehension: 
a person interprets the information to obtain meaning
from it 
ATTENTION 

the allocation of cognitive capacity to an object or task 

Types of Attention 

voluntary attention:

a person actively searches out information that has

personal relevance 
selective attention:

a person selectively focuses attention on relevant

information 
ATTENTION 

 involuntary attention:

a person is exposed to something surprising, novel,

threatening, or unexpected 
- e.g.: 
 surprise 
 movement 
 unusual sounds 
 size of stimulus 
 contrast effects 
 color 
COMPREHENSION 
Interpretation processes: 
people draw upon their experience, memory and
expectations to attach meaning to a stimulus 
Expectations: 
prior beliefs about what should happen in a given
situation can influence the interpretation of information 
Semiotics: 
how it is that people interpret meaning from signs 
signs: words, gestures, pictures, products, and logos used
to communicate information 
INVOLVEMENT 

the process through which a person is influenced by the perceived personal

importance and/or interest evoked by a stimulus 
Personal importance increases as perceived risk increases. 

As involvement increases, a person has greater motivation to comprehend and

elaborate on information salient to the purchase. 

Higher levels of involvement are expected to result in 

 a greater depth of information processing 
 increased stimulation  
 more extended decision making 
 Factors which can influence purchase involvement: 
 situation 
 product 
 personality 
 communication 
THANK YOU