The Influence of Sales Strategies on Customer Purchase Pattern in the Telecommunication Industry in Ghana

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of sales strategies on customer purchase pattern in the Ghanaian Telecommunication industry. It was conducted to assess how customers are influenced by the various marketing strategies of Telecommunication companies before purchase decisions are taken. The study was an exploratory in nature. Convenient sampling technique was used in selecting 250 mobile phone users from the Business city of Kumasi. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data was in a form of self-administered questionnaires and interviews in eliciting information for the study while the secondary data was culled from other related works as well as information from the internet. Pilot testing of twenty questionnaires was also employed to ensure reliability and validity of the data. Qualitative and Quantitative research approaches were also adopted. A Statistical Package for Social Sciences software using Regression; Mann-Whitney U test as well as a one – way between group Analysis of Variance (Anova) was used in analyzing the data. It was revealed from the study that, there was a strong relationship between the strategies used by companies and their purchase pattern. Corporate social responsibility activities and Sales promotional activities were seen to be strong in influencing customers towards the purchase of Telecommunication products. The study also recommended for the Telecommunication companies to embark on corporate social responsibility as panacea for an increased in patronage of their products. The use of frequency marketing strategy in rewarding loyal customers through the giving of discounts, provision of useful information to loyal subscribers must also be adopted to increase purchase. The results also indicated some statistically significant differences between the Gender and Age groups, which can have important implications for marketing officers in the telecommunication business.