International Journal of Marketing Studies; Vol. 8, No. 5; 2016 ISSN 1918-719X E-ISSN 1918-7203 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 128 The Impact of Personal Selling on the Purchasing Behavior towards Clothes: A Case Study on the Youth Category Rudain Othman Yousif 1 1 Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Science, Al-Zarqa University of Jordan, Zarqa, Jordan Correspondence: Rudain Othman Yousif, Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Science, Al-Zarqa University of Jordan, Zarqa, Jordan. Tel: 962-6-586-2982. E-mail: dr.rudaina_othman@yahoo.com Received: July 15, 2016 Accepted: August 30, 2016 Online Published: September 22, 2016 doi:10.5539/ijms.v8n5p128 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v8n5p128 This article has been supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research in Al-Zarqaa University, Jordan. Abstract This study aimed to find the impact of personal selling on the purchasing behavior for youth in buying clothes. To achieve the objectives of the study, hypotheses were formulated and tested on a sample of the target community made up of 289 young men and women. The questionnaire design (32) was divided into five dimensions, four dimensions based on the personal characteristics of salespersons and their display of goods, characteristics of clothing stores, promotion done by salespersons in the sale of clothing, and the fifth focused on youth’s clothes purchasing behavior. The results of the study showed that 76.7% of males and 99.1% of females prefer to purchase from clothing retail stores. The sampling showed that salespersons in retail stores are honest in dealing with their customers but do not have the ability to negotiate with them. They neither have the required sales skill nor play a big role in stimulating sales, and they do not grant discounts to customers. The study recommended the importance of training and qualification for salespersons in personal selling to help them deal truthfully with customers and develop the ability to negotiate. Salespersons should be granted the authority to give discounts to customers. Keywords: personal selling, buying behavior, salespersons, purchasing behavior, clothes 1. Introduction The successful organizations in business are those that are able to achieve success in the study of consumer behavior and determine the factors that affect the development of marketing strategies, which enable them to reach the target consumers through the process of personal selling. The process of direct contact between buyer and seller plays an active role in strengthening the relationship between both of them. This is reflected, in turn, in the decision to purchase products displayed in retail stores; therefore, organizations are giving a great consideration to hiring salespersons because they are aware that they represent a key element in the achievement of personal selling in contact with buyers and in creating a good impression about the organization and its products. Personal selling is defined as a face-to-face contact process between buyer and seller in order to achieve planned goals, which are sales, and build long-standing relations with consumers (Kotler & Armstrong, 2013). Personal sales success depends on the implementation of eight processes: searching for salespersons, determining the course of action, assessing needs, nature of the offer, method of presentation, dealing with objections, commitment, and follow-up (Spiro et al., 2008). Personal selling represents the strategy that salespeople use to persuade customers to buy their products, provide them with all the information relating to the products, and work to eliminate consumer fears about such goods (Laura, 2016). Ahlam (2006) indicates that workers in personal selling work to convince consumers to make a purchase decision and that the personal characteristics, which are characterized by a man showing great personal strength and confidence and the ability to persuade and negotiate, are instrumental to winning consumers, influencing buying, guiding decision about replacement of items and even trying to help them get unavailable commodities they are seeking to buy.