THE ROLE OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION IN THE SALES OF BEVERAGE (TEA) IN JOS METROPOLIS OF PLATEAU STATE

Abstract

The study was on the role of persuasive communication in the sales of beverages (tea) in Jos metropolis, Plateau State. The purpose of the study was to ascertain whether the use of persuasive communication as a promotional strategy could lead to a significant increase in the quantity of beverages sold. The study was anchored on social judgment theory. The population was all the tea makers (Maisha) located at major bus terminals in Jos metropolis. The sample was 120 tea makers in the study area. The study adapted the descriptive survey. Data were collected by means of a self-designed questionnaire tagged persuasive communication and beverages sales questionnaire (PECABSQ) with test-retest reliability of 0.79. The mean and Chi-square were used for data analysis. Results showed that, Milo is the most widely sold tea item in Jos metropolis. Also, the use of persuasive communication was found to improve the quantity of sales of beverages. The study also identified the challenges of using persuasive communications such as competition and difficulty in convincing customers. The study recommended among other things that marketing managers should train their sales agents on the use of persuasive communication weapons to achieve maximum results. The study concluded that the use of persuasive communication significantly impacted on the sale of beverages (tea) in the study area.