Give the meaning of 'sales strategy'. Explain two basic types of sales strategies. Give the meaning of promotion as a 'promotion strategy'. Explain any two approaches a company can use to promote its products.

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### Sales Strategy
A **sales strategy** is a plan that positions a company's brand or product to gain a competitive advantage. Successful strategies help the sales force focus on target market customers and communicate with them in relevant and meaningful ways. Sales representatives need to know how their products or services can solve customer problems.

### Two Basic Types of Sales Strategies

1. **Direct sales strategy:** Salespeople attack the competition head on when talking to the customer. They talk about each feature of the competitor's product and compare it to theirs. This is also called "negative selling."

2. **Indirect sales strategy:** This approach applies more subtle techniques by demonstrating features and benefits not available with the competitor's products without mentioning them by name. This sophisticated, positive strategy requires research and analysis of the competition.

### Promotion Strategy
**Promotion** is the method to spread the word about the product or service to customers, stakeholders, and the broader public. It involves communicating the value proposition of a product to the target audience.

### Two Approaches a Company Can Use to Promote Products

1. **Above-the-line (ATL):** Uses mass media methods focusing on advertising to a large audience through conventional media like print, television, online, and cinema advertising.

2. **Below-the-line (BTL):** Very specific, memorable activities focused on targeted groups of consumers including sponsorship, sales promotions, public relations, personal selling, and direct marketing.