Definition of personal influence

power of individuals to sway or control the purchasing decisions of others. Personal influence can be either external or internal. External personal influence involves social interaction between two or more people, such as a neighbor, a mother, a father, and a child. For example, a mother might seek advice from a neighbor about a product and convey this information to her family. Internal personal influence occurs when decisions are influenced by mental processes that have to do with other people or groups. For example, a teenager may purchase a record album because he wants to be perceived as being "with it" to his friends. In both cases, identifying personal influences in a target market and turning these influences into a positive force is important to advertisers because face-to-face communication frequently has more impact than "nonpersonal" advertising in determining brand choice.