Correct Answer: (B) Personal selling

Explanation of the Correct Option:

Personal selling is considered the costliest means of sales promotion because it involves direct face-to-face communication between the salesperson and customers. Businesses have to spend money on salaries, training, travelling, incentives, and maintaining sales staff. Since individual attention is given to each customer, the cost per customer becomes very high. However, personal selling is highly effective in creating customer confidence and increasing sales, especially for expensive and technical products.

Explanation of the Wrong Options:

(A) Advertisement
Advertisement is expensive, but the cost is spread over a large number of customers through newspapers, television, radio, and internet. Therefore, it is generally less costly per customer compared to personal selling.

(C) Sales promotion
Sales promotion includes short-term incentives like discounts, coupons, free samples, and contests. These methods are usually less expensive and are used for increasing immediate sales.

(D) Public relations
Public relations aim at maintaining a good image of the company among the public. It is comparatively less expensive than personal selling because it does not require direct individual interaction with every customer.

Conclusion:

Hence, personal selling is regarded as the costliest means of sales promotion because it requires direct interaction, trained salespersons, and high operating expenses. Therefore, Option (B) is the correct answer.

Costliest means of sales promotion is

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