Sales force management: as a general rule, rural marketing involves more intensive personal selling effort compared to urban marketing.
Rural marketing calls for some specific traits on the part of salesman
1. Willingness to be located in the rural areas: first of all, only those who feel happy in living and working in the villages can become goos rural salesman. It is common knowledge that the rural areas lack modern compared with the urban areas. Because of this factor, well qualified salesmen are often reluctant to live in the rural areas.
2. Cultural congruence: location is just the straight point. The sales man must be well acquinated with the cultural aspects of rural life. Since the cultural patterns of the rural commodities differ from one another, a background that gels with the culture of the given community is to be preferred.
3. Attitude factors: attitude factors are of particular significance in the rural context. For example, the rural salesman must have a great deal of patience, as their customer is a traditional and cautions person. Preserve is another essential trait. It will not be possible for the rural salesman to clinch the sale quality.
4. Knowledge of the local language: rural salesman should also be conversnet with the local language whereas his urban counter part can successfully manage with English and a working knowledge of the local language, the rural salesman should be quite familier with the local language.
5. Ability to handle several product lines: often rural salesman is required to handle several product lines. While urban salesman can generate an economic size business through a few product lines, rural salesman are compelled to handle a large variety of products, as they do not generate economic volume of business with a few products.
6. Creativity: rural selling also involves greater creativity. Often, the products connected may be very new in the rural conext. The rural salesman have to make special endavors to introdure them.