Final answer:
Personal selling's major benefit is the personalized interaction that builds relationships, understands customer needs, and customizes the sales pitch, leading to a memorable and favorable impression.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the major benefits of personal selling over other promotional tools is the ability to create a direct, personalized interaction between the seller and the potential customer. This method is highly effective in building relationships, understanding customer needs, and customizing the sales approach to those specific needs.
Additionally, personal selling allows for immediate feedback and the opportunity to address customer concerns or objections in real time. In a broader sense, personal selling exemplifies professionalization in the context of sales and marketing, much like the professionalization of members of Congress and their constituent interactions in the 1960s. The electoral payoffs of such personal approach in politics translate to business as well—customers are more likely to remember and favor a product or service if they have a positive personal interaction with the brand representative.