The expression “hard selling” indicates the various strategies that are implemented to decisively solicit a consumer’s propensity to purchase.
This approach is broadly opposed to the “soft selling” approach in which the goal is no longer direct selling, but rather building a relationship with the potential customer that more indirectly can then lead to the sale itself.
The “hard selling” approach thus presupposes sales strategies that are decidedly opposed to those theorised by inbound marketing, which perhaps comes closest to a “soft selling” approach by following a model in which the user must be accompanied to purchase through the progressive building of a relationship with the brand, such that the purchase is only seen as a step in a process that the customer naturally accomplishes. As we can well imagine, in such a context, unlike with a “Hard Selling” approach, personalisation activities and strategies play a crucial role.
The expression “hard selling” is also used in the field of marketing communication to define a concrete, rational communication model that is more focused on content than style. Its goal is to provide detailed information about product, enhancing more its qualitative features and advantages, while leveraging the more rational aspect.
