The Four Pillars of Marketing Every marketing plan should incorporate these four critical elements.

• Personal selling refers to sales done face-to-face, whenthe prospect is right in front of you. It includes retail sales,professional services selling and a healthy percentage of B2Bsales.

• Advertising refers to paying for media space or time inwhich to sell your product at a distance.

• Promotion is a short-term activity, directed at eitherthe distributor or the purchaser to boost sales for a limited timethrough special pricing or other offers. Of course, the goal is forthe short-term increase to lead to an incremental gain. Promotioncan include advertising and personal selling.

• Public relations is the marketing effort you undertaketo expose your product to potential customers and other interestedparties through the press, trade media and special media-relatedevents.

Excerpted from Knock-Out Marketing: Powerful Strategies to PunchUp Your Sales