Meaning & use
selling concept
Last updated
Meaning
nounsingularbusiness
The business idea that customers will buy a product only if the company pushes it hard with aggressive selling and promotion.
Grammar: Used with 'the' and a singular verb: The selling concept focuses on sales volume.
Patterns
- the selling concept
- adopt the selling concept
- the selling concept of marketing
Many insurance companies follow the selling concept, relying on persuasive agents rather than on what customers actually need.
Under the selling concept, the goal is to sell what we produce, not to produce what the market wants.
The textbook contrasts the selling concept with the marketing concept, which starts with customer needs.
Common combinations
- adopt the selling concept
- The firm adopted the selling concept when competition increased.
- the selling concept of marketing
- The selling concept of marketing emphasizes promotion over product design.
- follow the selling concept
- Small companies often follow the selling concept because they lack market research.
- contrast with the marketing concept
- Teachers often contrast the selling concept with the marketing concept.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sales orientation
- A broader term for a company culture focused on selling; 'selling concept' is the specific academic label for the idea.
- push strategy
- Refers to a distribution or promotion approach that pushes products to retailers; the selling concept is a whole business philosophy, not just a tactic.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: selling concept or marketing concept?
selling concept vs marketing concept
The marketing concept starts with customer needs and works backward; the selling concept starts with existing products and pushes them out.
Practice
Which statement best describes the selling concept?
Choose one answer.
The selling concept assumes that customers must be persuaded to buy what the company already produces, so heavy selling and promotion are central. Option 0 describes the marketing concept, which begins with customer needs.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “selling concept”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.