This Document Contains Chapters 9 to 10 Chapter Nine—Expanding Customer Relationships Learning Outcomes After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1. explain how to follow up to assess customer satisfaction. 2. explain how to harness technology to enhance follow-up and buyer-seller relationships. 3. discuss how to take action to ensure customer satisfaction. 4. discuss how to expand collaborative involvement. 5. explain how to add value and enhance mutual opportunities. Chapter Outline I. Introduction II. Assess Customer Satisfaction III. Harness Technology to Enhance Follow-Up and Buyer-Seller Relationships IV. Ensure Customer Satisfaction A. Remember the Customer after the Sale B. Expedite Orders and Monitor Installation C. Training Customer Personnel D. Correct Billing Errors E. Resolve Complaints and Encourage Critical Encounters F. A Procedure to Handle Complaints G. Build the Relationship to the Point that Your Customers Are Comfortable Complaining H. Listen Carefully and Get the Whole Story I. Ask Customers How They Would Like Their Complaint Resolved J. Gain Agreement on a Solution K. Take Action—Educate the Customer L. Follow Through on All Promises—Add Value V. Expand Collaborative Involvement VI. Work to Add Value and Enhance Mutual Opportunities A. Provide Quality Customer Service B. Customer Expectations C. Develop a Service Strategy D. Customer Service Dimensions Exercises Developing Professional Selling Knowledge 1. How can a salesperson convert new customers into highly committed customers for life? Answer: Customers become committed for life only after the salesperson has proven himself or herself to the customer over a period of time. This entails building goodwill by continually creating and delivering value, resolving complaints, and processing special requests as needed (and where appropriate). In other words, the salesperson should add value and never let the customer down during one of the many “moments of truth.” 2. Why should a salesperson follow up to assess customer satisfaction? Answer: Salespeople should follow up to assess customer satisfaction to ensure the customer’s expectations have been met and. This can help salespeople build trust. Most customers will not complain when they experience dissatisfaction (unless the dissatisfaction is great) or when their expectations have not been met. They will, however, often express their dissatisfaction to others (negative word-of-mouth) and question whether they want to continue doing business with the salesperson and the salesperson’s organization. If salespeople do not follow up, they will never know that their customers are dissatisfied and consequently will never have a chance to correct the problem. 3. Explain why relationship-enhancement activities are important. Answer: Relationship-enhancement activities are important to the growth and development of long-term relationships. Long-term relationships are desirable because selling costs are reduced (relative to finding new customers) and sales are more secure and predictable. In addition, salespeople want their relationships with buyers to be strong enough to withstand minor problems and/or the overtures of the competition. 4. What does a salesperson hope to accomplish by providing his or her customers with useful information after the sale? Answer: Providing customers with useful information after the sale is another way for salespeople to add value to the relationship. By doing so, salespeople hope to strengthen the relationship and build trust. Ultimately, salespeople hope to accomplish the establishment of a mutually beneficial long-term relationship with their customers. 5. Most salespeople are not trained in how to install their products. Why then should a good salesperson make it a point to oversee the installation process? Answer: Most salespeople are not trained in how to install their products, and most installers are not trained in how to deal with customers. A good salesperson will make it a point to oversee the installation process so that he or she can ensure that the customer’s expectations are met. If problems arise, the salesperson is usually best suited for smoothening out rough spots and handling customer concerns correctly. In addition, overseeing the installation process helps to build a customer’s trust in the salesperson and will strengthen the relationship. 6. Why is it important for a salesperson to ask a buyer what he or she wants the salesperson to do when resolving the complaint? Answer: While addressing customer’s complaints, the goal of the salesperson should be to resolve them in order to ensure customer satisfaction. The most effective way to determine what will satisfy the customer is simply to ask questions; asking the customer what it will take to resolve the complaint. This approach also gives the customer ownership in the resolution and may prevent the salesperson from doing too much or too little. Finally, asking the customer how to resolve a complaint demonstrates the salesperson’s customer orientation and strengthens the relationship. 7. Why should a salesperson encourage his or her customers to complain? Isn’t this just asking for trouble? Answer: Salespeople should encourage their customers to complain so that they may be aware of and have the chance to fix/address even the tiniest of customer concerns. Not only will this serve to strengthen the relationship, but it will also give salespeople continuous feedback on their and their company’s performance. 8. Why is it important for a salesperson to gain agreement on a solution when dealing with a customer complaint? Answer: In the process of gaining agreement, the salesperson should be clear about what he or she can and cannot do for the customer. It is important for a salesperson to gain a customer’s agreement on a proposed complaint resolution to ensure the customer has clear and accurate expectations. Gaining agreement also helps the salesperson know the customer perceives fairness in the resolution and serves to reduce the likelihood that the customer will harbor any unnecessary ill feelings once the solutions are correctly implemented. 9. Why do many salespeople seem to ignore after-sale activities that enhance the relationship? Answer: Many salespeople seem to ignore after-sale activities that enhance the relationship because they perceive the closing stage as the last stage of the selling process, at least for a while. After making a sale, the salespeople will turn their attention to other customers or new prospects in the hopes of getting additional sales. This may be a critical mistake because neglected customers may decide not to become customers in the future. 10. Why is it important for a salesperson to establish expectations with a new customer? Answer: It is important for salespeople to establish accurate expectations with new customers in order to develop trust and promote customer satisfaction. A customer with high expectations may be dissatisfied with the delivered product, even though the product meets the buyer’s needs. Conversely, a buyer whose expectations are too low may not do business with the salesperson. The salesperson should set the buyer’s expectations high enough to earn the business but not so high that the customer’s expectations will not be met or exceeded nearly all of the time. Group Activity Divide the students by major and then into groups of three to five. Each group is to assume it has been hired by the university’s placement office (career services). The group’s job is to assess and maintain existing relationships with companies that are registered (and recruiting on campus). Focusing on their own major area, each group should develop a strategy for following up to ensure satisfaction among recruiters. Next, they should identify probable areas of dissatisfaction and a plan for dealing with customers (recruiters) expressing those dissatisfactions. Below is a list of possible areas of dissatisfaction. Dissatisfactions: • Difficult to register with career services • Information on registered students is hard to find • Not enough students are interested in interviewing to make it worth my time to visit campus • It’s difficult to get students interested in our company because they know nothing about us • I get too many resumes with spelling and grammar errors • Students never send us thank you notes after interviewing Experiential Exercises 1. What to Do After Gaining Commitment Objective: The sales rep has to complete a number of activities once the order has been signed. Your students will understand what activities must be completed after earning commitment. Time Required: 15 to 20 minutes. Teaching Tip: Have students complete this exercise individually or in small groups. You are a salesperson calling on your school’s purchasing department and the buyer has just informed you that they have made the buying decision in your favor. What do you do now? Explain how you will accomplish each of the following: 1. Confirm the customers’ decision: I would speak with the buyer and summarize the agreement one more time, making sure both parties have accurate expectations. Then, I would make sure the customer signs the necessary agreement or contract forms. 2. Cement the relationship: I would provide the customer a timeline, so they know when to expect delivery. I would also provide the customer additional information that assures them they made the right decision. 3. Monitor installation: I would be on site for the installation and be available to the customer. I would oversee the installation, answer questions or concerns, and make sure everything is working for the customer as promised before leaving. 4. Handle complaints with sensitivity: I would follow the complaint resolution process described in the text. Perhaps the most important part of this process is keeping the lines of communication open. I would make sure the customer feels comfortable providing me any feedback that is positive or negative. And I would maintain regular contact with the customer. 5. Provide information on the care and use of products: I would provide the customer any pertinent information about the care and use of products prior to or during installation. I would also work with the customer to ensure he or she understands the information and is comfortable with caring and using the product. 6. Show appreciation: I would immediately thank the customer and then follow-up with a letter the next day acknowledging his or her decision. 7. Monitor delivery: I would work with our order fulfillment people to make sure I know the progress of the product in the order fulfillment and delivery process. I would keep the customer updated. 8. Keep your promises: I would make notes (paper or electronic) of all promises I make and integrate them into a time management system to keep me on track. 9. Respect the customer’s time: I would always make appointments with the customer and never exceed the agreed upon meeting time duration (unless requested by the customer). 10. Follow-up actions that will cement the relationship between you and your customers: I would build goodwill by maintaining regular contact and looking for ways to add value. I would make sure I promptly and satisfactorily resolve customer complaints, and I would make sure to follow-through on all special requests (where possible and appropriate). Students’ response to the activities mentioned above will vary. 2. Enhancing Customer Relationships Objective: Your students will be able to understand that building mutually satisfying relationships between buyers and sellers is essential for success in sales. Time Required: 15 to 20 minutes. Teaching Tip: Have the students complete this exercise individually or in small groups. To build mutually satisfying relationships between buyers and sellers, professional salespeople must be competent in accomplishing five ongoing tasks: 1) providing information, 2) reducing risk, 3) establishing high standards and expectations, 4) anticipating and responding to customer problems and concerns, and 5) monitoring and improving customer satisfaction. For each of these, explain what it means and why it is important to building a relationship. Providing Information: Providing useful information means communicating with the customer after the sale and keeping him or her updated on the delivery process, the installation process, and any other pertinent information the customer will find valuable. As time moves on, the salesperson should keep the customer updated on new capabilities, new technologies, and other factors affecting the customer’s business. It is important to provide useful information so that the customer feels good about the purchase decision, trusts the salesperson, and sees value in the relationship with the salesperson. Further, providing useful information to the customer enhances the salesperson’s ability to secure referrals from the customer and identify additional opportunities with the customer. Reducing Risk: Buyers assume a degree of risk when they agree to purchase from a salesperson. The extent of the risk and the buyer’s risk tolerance will impact the purchase decision. Salespeople need to look for ways to reduce perceived risk before, during, and after the sale. While this can be accomplished through written documentation (e.g. warranties), it is the salesperson’s ability to build trust that has a major impact on the perception of risk. The salesperson’s successful management and resolution of a dissatisfaction, after the sale, can strengthen the relationship and reduce the buyer’s perception of risk. That is, the buyer knows the salesperson will satisfactorily address any problems that arise. Establishing High Standards and Expectations: Salespeople should establish high standards and consistently meet or exceed customer expectations. Establishing high standards means never being satisfied with mediocrity and having the personal and professional integrity to ensure the standards are met. Setting expectations refer to the extent to which the salesperson clearly communicates to the customer what to expect from the purchase and the relationship. It also means the salesperson has a clear understanding of what he or she expects from his or her own performance and performance of his or her products and company. Establishing high standards and expectations serve to reduce the buyer’s perceived risk and help build trust and strengthen relationship. Anticipating and Responding to Customer Problems and Concern. Anticipating and responding to customer problems and concerns means being aware of the types of concerns that generally arise. It also means being intuitive enough to sense concerns when communicating with the buyer. Responding to concerns refers to the salesperson’s ability to effectively manage and resolve the concern in a timely fashion. Effectively anticipating and responding to customer problems and concerns is essential in building trust and ultimately, the survivability and profitability of the relationship. Monitoring and Improving Customer Satisfaction: Monitoring and improving customer satisfaction refers to the salesperson’s ability to attend to the customer in a way that allows for the customer to communicate his or her relative satisfaction with the purchase and the relationship. Doing so allows salespeople to take care of little problems before they become a major concern. Further, by ensuring customer satisfaction, salespeople build customer loyalty; loyal customers are more likely to provide referrals and give positive word-of-mouth. Finally, monitoring customer satisfaction provides the salesperson feedback on the factors that drive customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This information is useful for future interactions with current and new customers. Chapter 9 Case Naturally Beautiful, Inc. Background Naturally Beautiful, Inc. is a maker and marketer of organic cosmetics. Its cosmetics are formulated from all-natural organic ingredients. Although the company currently serves primarily the higher-end market, distributing through upscale department stores and boutiques, it would like to expand its distribution channels. It is currently developing an organic line to sell through outlets such as Walgreens, CVC and Wal-Mart. Long-term plans include expanding internationally, first to Canada and Mexico, and eventually to Western Europe and beyond. Sales are strong and continue to rise. The company gives much of the credit for its success to its salesforce, which has done a great job expanding into new outlets while establishing and maintaining strong customer relationships. Jill Aunaturale, a nontraditional student, was hired as a sales representative by Naturally Beautiful out of college approximately ten months ago. Since being hired she has had a good deal of success, landing several new accounts. In fact, if she can land a few more accounts by the end of the rapidly approaching fiscal year, she will exceed her quota and achieve a hefty bonus. Jill is counting on this bonus because she has planned a big family trip and does not want to let her family down. Current Situation Lately, Jill has heard various concerns from several of her customers. For instance, the other day she received a voice mail from Rick at Beauty Boutique, a recently acquired customer whose order was incorrect. A few items were missing from the order. Jill figured that shipping must have inadvertently omitted the items and that Rick could give them a call to get it fixed. She figured that it was not her fault, Rick still had product to sell and she certainly did not have time to mess with this. Similarly, she received a text from Kim at Devine’s department store indicating that an expected delivery was late. Again, Jill figured she could not do anything about the delivery. She texted Kim to tell her to contact the shipping department at Naturally Beautiful about the matter. Jill also received a second email from Sarah at Cosmetics Unlimited: Dear Jill, A few weeks ago you promised you would return to train our beauty consultants on your newest product line. Our consultants need to fully understand the benefits of this new product and how it is to be applied so that they can best serve our customers. As you know, we take great pride in providing the highest quality products and services to our customer base. We discussed this when you offered me your line. Although we like your line, if we are unable to offer our customers top-shelf service with your brand then we may have to look elsewhere. Sincerely, Sarah Jill recalls telling Sarah that she would conduct training for her sales consultants but has been so busy working to get new accounts that she put it on the back burner. Jill was not sure that she could put Sarah off much longer, but felt it would be in her best interest to write her back and stall her for at least a couple more weeks. By then, she thought, she might have exceeded her quota. To Jill, these were but minor customer issues, not even problems. In her opinion, these were nothing more than “needy” customers. As far as she was concerned, she was delivering a great product at a great price. Besides, she had more sales to make and nobody was going to help her if she came up short on providing that great family vacation she promised. Questions 1. For each of the concerns expressed by Jill’s customers in the case, explain an alternative means for handling the concern. Answer: For issues related to shipping, the alternative would be placing a tracking and detection system in place for the customers. Through this, they can access their order and the components of the order. For training purposes, Jill can have a manual for the products that can temporarily supplement for the training. Students’ answers will vary. However, students should address the points mentioned above. 2. What are the potential long-run implications of how Jill is handling her current customers? Answer: The way how Jill is handling her customers might affect her business in the future. She might lose potential customers. Also, such occurrences could create a negative image about the brand. Students’ answers will vary. However, students should address the points mentioned above. Jill's handling of her current customers could have significant long-run implications. If she is effectively addressing their needs, providing excellent service, and building strong relationships, it can lead to high customer satisfaction, repeat business, and positive referrals. Conversely, if she is neglecting their concerns or failing to meet expectations, it could result in customer churn, damage to the company's reputation, and a loss of future business opportunities. 3. What types of activities can Jill do after acquiring an account to enhance customer value and ensure long-term customer relationships? Answer: To enhance customer value and ensure long-term customer relationships, Jill should improve her after-sale services. Also, Jill should take the customers’ complaints seriously, and she should try to solve them by providing alternatives. Students’ answers will vary. However, students should address the points mentioned above. Role Play Situation: Read the Naturally Beautiful, Inc. case Characters: Jill Aunaturale, sales representative for Naturally Beautiful; Rick, customer at Beauty Boutique; Kim, customer at Devine’s department store; Sarah, customer at Cosmetics Unlimited Scene: Employing a more personal touch, Jill contacts each customer and takes appropriate action to ensure customer satisfaction. Role play these conversations. Chapter 9 Role Play Midwest Live Bait & Tackle, LLC Background Midwest Live Bait & Tackle, LLC, located in St. Louis, Missouri, is a regional wholesaler of live bait and tackle to bait shops and service stations in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Known for its high-quality live bait, reasonably priced tackle, and good customer service, the company has been able to maintain a steady market share over the years. Its five salespeople have been primarily responsible for selling and servicing the company’s current accounts. This involves making sure that customers have bait and tackle when needed, assisting them with merchandising and pricing, and ensuring their complete satisfaction. Wanting to retire, the owner recently sold the business. The new owner was very ambitious and had big plans for expanding the company’s market share. He felt that the quickest and most efficient way to move in that direction was to have his current salespeople actively pursue new accounts. Thus, he mandated new customer quotas, compensated salespeople for achieving targeted growth goals and threatened their jobs if minimal new account requirements were not met. Current Situation Dan Chub has been a sales representative for Midwest for over five years. Until the new ownership, he enjoyed his job very much and made a good living doing it. With his fourth child on the way, a poor economy, and a tight job market, Dan did not want to jeopardize his position with the company and reluctantly went along with the new changes. However, he was very concerned with how much time prospecting for new business was taking. He felt it may be endangering his current customer relationships. What follows are excerpts from a recent conversation with Earl Carp, a very significant customer, especially considering he sold bait and tackle out of his service station convenience store: Earl: Dan, I’ve been having some problems recently with the minnows you’ve supplied for me. Some loss is typical, but lately the loss percentage has increased. What’s going on here? Dan: I don’t know Earl. None of my other customers are having problems with their minnows. You’re making sure that you don’t add chlorinated water when replenishing your minnow holding tanks, aren’t you? Earl: Of course! I recently refurbished my tanks and added a new oxygen system. Maybe that has something to do with the increasing loss. Could you check it out and see what you think? Dan: Just let me know how many minnows you think you lost and I’ll see what I can do. Earl: Okay, but since this has been going on for the last couple of weeks I was just hoping you might be able to give me your thoughts on my new system. By the way, that new line of fishing poles doesn’t seem to be moving very well. How are they moving for your other customers? Dan: I haven’t heard much about those, so I guess they are moving okay. Earl: Do you have any ideas on how I might improve my merchandising so I can move more of them? Perhaps my price point is too high. What do you think? Dan: I’m really busy today Earl. I have several stops yet to make and I need to call on a couple of new prospects in the area. Earl: You’re not planning to supply my competition down the street, are you? Dan: I don’t know Earl. I’ve got to make a living, too, you know. Earl: Last week you promised to bring by some of those new plastic cricket containers you were telling me about. Did you bring any of those for me to examine? Dan: Oh no, those completely slipped my mind. Earl: Hmm. Well, certainly you brought me the crayfish you promised me last week. I’ve had customers coming in every day asking for them. Also, how about those waterdogs we talked about? I’ve been getting some requests for those. Dan: I should have told you sooner, but our usual crayfish supplier is having difficulty getting us as many crayfish as we need. I know you wanted 500 but I think I can give you 100. I thought we’d have the waterdogs by now, at least that is what I was told. We’re still waiting. Earl: Dan, I’m beginning to wonder how much you value my business. If you can’t take care of me any longer, maybe I need to look for someone who can. Dan: I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately to get more done in the same amount of time. My new boss is driving me nuts! I definitely want your business. Dan needed to hurry off to meet with a new prospect. He didn’t have time to preview some of the new spinner baits his company was now carrying. Role Play Activity Characters: Dan, sales rep; Earl, service station owner Action: Role play the meeting between Dan and Earl. This time have Dan handle the situation (i.e., respond) as a sales rep that takes customer complaints seriously and cares about providing great customer service. Chapter 9 Continuing Case The Disgruntled Customer It was 8:30 A.M. Friday morning when Brenda received the voice mail. It was Susan Swanson, owner of a small architecture firm, who Brenda had acquired as a customer nearly three months ago. “I’m finished with you all,” she barked. “Come get my copier, I want my money back! This blasted machine you sold me keeps jamming. I was billed for extra toner that I never received. You promised me training, and I have yet to see any. And, this machine is much slower than I thought it would be. I don’t see how your company stays in business. I knew I should have gone with Xerox!” It’s true, Brenda had told Susan that she would provide training on how to use some of the new advanced features of the copier. She had neglected to get back to Susan and since she had not heard from Susan she assumed Susan no longer desired the training. As for the paper jams, Brenda found this to be unusual. NCC carried high-quality copiers and she could not imagine what might be wrong. She was sure she had told Susan the specific type of paper to use for her application. However, using the wrong paper could lead to more frequent paper jams. But why hadn’t Susan said anything to her about this sooner? As for the extra toner, Brenda recalls that Susan did order it and later contacted her to let her know that she did not receive it. Brenda then contacted NCC’s shipping department who said they would ship Susan the product. Brenda just assumed that it was shipped. As for the speed of the machine, Brenda was certain its output was per specifications as equipment at NCC must pass strict quality-control measures. Perhaps Susan simply misunderstood the machine’s capabilities. Wow, Brenda thought, now what am I going to do? Questions 1. How should Brenda go about handling this complaint? Answer: Student’s answers will vary. The best strategy that Brenda should adopt for handling this complaint is to first consult with her supervisor to determine her options. While doing as Susan suggested is probably the simplest move, it is probably not the best. It may be in her long run interest to visit Susan, apologize for all the trouble, and then investigate the paper-jam situation. Next, Brenda should be prepared to either refund Susan’s money and let her continue to use the copier or replace the copier with a more powerful unit (with no up-charge) that meets Susan’s needs. Next, Brenda needs to schedule the training and deliver the toner (free of charge). If Brenda can successfully manage and resolve the complaint, she may be able to retain Susan’s business in the future and diminish the probability of Susan making negative comments about Brenda and her company to others. Brenda should first listen carefully to the complaint to fully understand the customer's concerns. Then, she should address the issue promptly and offer a practical solution or compensation to resolve the problem and restore the customer’s confidence. 2. What could Brenda have done to avoid this incident? Answer: Brenda needed to do several things. First, she needed to make sure that she clearly understands Susan’s performance needs and make sure Susan clearly understands the performance capabilities of the various copiers. Next, Brenda needed to make sure Susan was adequately trained on how to use the copier. Had Brenda initiated and maintained regular communication with Susan, she would have known that Susan needed some more training. Brenda should also have monitored the toner shipment, making sure that Susan received her toner. If nothing else, Brenda could have delivered the toner herself, which would have strengthened the relationship. Brenda needs to work on maintaining open communication with her customers and following through on tasks. 3. What steps can Brenda take to do a better job of maintaining open, two-way communication with Susan? Answer: In order to maintain an open, two-way communication, Brenda can develop a system for ensuring regular contact with her customers, especially after the sale and during the first few months after installation. Included in that system should be a checklist of activities to monitor installation, provide training, and ensure customer service needs (e.g. toner replacement fulfillment). 4. Assuming that Brenda can retain Susan as a customer, how can she add value to her relationship with Susan’s firm? Answer: Brenda needs to keep a close eye on Susan’s satisfaction with the copier and the relationship. She should be prepared to fix maintenance issues by creating a system that would ensure that they are resolved quickly with little downtime. She should also make an extra effort to know Susan’s business and look for other opportunities to help Susan and her organization, whether through suggestions on cost savings or other valuable sources. Chapter Ten—Adding Value: Self-Leadership and Teamwork Learning Outcomes After completing this chapter, you should be able to explain, identify and, describe: 1. the five sequential stages of self-leadership. 2. the four levels of sales goals and explain their interrelationships. 3. techniques for account classification. 4. the application of different territory routing techniques. 5. the usefulness of different types of selling technology and automation. 6. increasing customer value through teamwork. 7. the six skills for building internal relationships and teams. Chapter Outline I. Introduction II. Effective Self-Leadership A. Stage One: Setting Goals and Objectives B. What Makes a Good Goal? III. Working with Different Levels and Types of Goals A. Stage Two: Territory Analysis and Account Classification IV. Account Classification A. Single-Factor Analysis B. Portfolio Analysis C. Stage Three: Development and Implementation of Strategies and Plans D. Establishing and Implementing Selling Task and Activity Plans V. Establishing Territory Routing Plans A. Straight-Line Routing Plans B. Cloverleaf Routing Plans C. Circular Routing Plans D. Leapfrog Routing Plans E. Major City Routing Plans VI. Stage Four: Tapping Technology and Automation A. Mobile Sales Technologies B. Salesperson Customer Relationship Management (CRM) C. Deal Analytics D. The Internet, Intranets, and Extranets E. High-Tech Sales Support Offices F. Stage Five: Assessment of Performance and Goal Attainment VII. Increasing Customer Value through Teamwork A. Internal Partnerships and Teams B. Sales Partnerships C. Marketing Partnerships D. Design and Manufacturing Partnerships E. Administrative Support Partnerships F. Shipping and Transportation Partnerships G. Customer Service Partnerships VIII. Building Teamwork Skills Exercises Developing Professional Selling Knowledge 1. Explain why setting goals and developing formalized selling plans are represented as key requirements for success in selling. Answer: Setting goals is a key requirement for success in selling because it allows salespeople to set work-related priorities and provides them with a target toward which they can work. Without goals, salespeople would have trouble understanding the relative importance of the various selling tasks they need to complete. Since there are no particular targets, salespeople might not have a systematic way or order to complete a given task. Formalized selling plans are important because they represent the road map, including sales strategies and resource allocation, salespeople should follow to accomplish their goals effectively. In addition, once a goal has been hit or missed, formalized selling plans allow salespeople to look back at the road map and evaluate their performance along the way. Salespeople can then modify their formalized selling plans accordingly. 2. Identify and discuss the three required characteristics of a goal or objective. Answer: The three required characteristics of a goal or objective are realistic yet challenging, specific and quantifiable, and time specific. Goals must be realistic yet challenging in order to maintain the salesperson’s motivation. Salespeople will not be motivated to obtain goals they perceive as unobtainable. Likewise, goals that are too easy to obtain will lower performance standards and reduce motivation. Goals must be specific and quantifiable for the salesperson to know exactly what the goal is and when the goal must be accomplished or attained. For example, the goal of getting some information about the prospect might be ineffective because the salesperson will not know the type of information needed or how much information is enough to accomplish the goal. Is learning the prospect’s name the desired type of information and enough to accomplish the goal? Goals must be time specific so that salespeople know when they can assess a particular goal or whether it is possible to attain the goal. Consider the previous example; the goal of learning some information about the prospect does not have a time frame. If after a year the salesperson has not learned any information about the prospect, has the goal been missed? Without a time frame tied to the goal, it is difficult to determine. 3. Explain the five sequential stages of self-leadership and how they affect selling success. Answer: The five sequential stages of self-leadership are (1) setting goals and objectives, (2) territory analysis and account classification, (3) development and implementation of strategies and plans, (4) tapping technology and automation, and (5) assessment and evaluation. Setting goals and objectives is important because it provides salespeople with performance targets and the ability to prioritize and allocate resources. Territory analysis is important because it allows salespeople to better understand their territories, including customers, prospects, and competitors and any other factor affecting their ability to compete. Account classification is important because it allows salespeople the ability to meaningfully prioritize customers. Using the information gained in the first two stages, salespeople can develop strategies and plans that will guide them toward achieving their goals. This stage includes identifying and prioritizing the steps and resources necessary to accomplish the goals. Since salespeople’s resources are limited, they must understand and plan on how to best utilize them to accomplish their goals. Effectively tapping technology and automation not only adds to salespeople’s resources, but it also allows them to manage their time and territories more efficiently and effectively. Finally, assessment and evaluation are crucial to salespeople’s ability to improve their performance. Salespeople who regularly assess and evaluate their performance can identify problems as they arise and make the necessary modifications to reduce the likelihood of missing goals. 4. Develop an example of the four different levels of goals and how they are interrelated. Answer: Students’ answers will differ. However, they should include an interrelated reference to personal goals, sales call goals, account goals, and territory goals in their answers. Here is an example (from Exhibit 10.2): Personal Goal—desired annual income $70,000 Is dependent on Annual Territory Sales Goal (11% commission on sales) $636,364 Is dependent on Annual Accounts Sales Goal (19 equally-sized accounts) $33,493 Is dependent on Sales Call Goal (each account is called on twice a month) $1,396 1. Corporate Goal: Increase overall company revenue by 20% within the next fiscal year. 2. Departmental Goal: Grow the sales department's revenue by 25% over the same period by expanding into new markets. 3. Team Goal: Each regional sales team should contribute to the departmental goal by increasing their sales by 30% through targeted local campaigns. 4. Individual Goal: Each sales representative should aim to increase their personal sales by 35% by securing new accounts and enhancing relationships with existing clients. In this structure, the individual goals support the team goals, which in turn contribute to the departmental goals, ultimately helping achieve the corporate goal. Each level is designed to ensure that every effort contributes to the higher-level objectives. 5. Using a map of your state or region, use city and town locations to establish routing plans using the straight-line, cloverleaf, circular, leapfrog, and major city methods. Answer: Students’ can look online (e.g., Google Images) for maps and then add the points and paths to create the patterns. Students can use the figures provided in the text as a reference. 1. Straight-Line Method: Route sales visits along a direct path from the city center to outlying towns, minimizing travel distance. 2. Cloverleaf Method: Create routes that loop out from a central city to surrounding towns and return, resembling a cloverleaf pattern. 3. Circular Method: Develop a circular route that connects several cities in a loop, ensuring all are covered efficiently. 4. Leapfrog Method: Plan visits by jumping between major cities and skipping intermediate towns, optimizing travel between high-priority locations. 5. Major City Method: Focus routes on visiting major cities first, then cover smaller towns in the vicinity based on their proximity to these cities. 6. Explain how a salesperson might use Internet-based, online product catalogs, and presentation libraries to enhance his or her sales productivity. Answer: Students’ answers will vary because a salesperson might use online product catalogs and presentation libraries to enhance his or her sales productivity in several ways. However, two of the more common tools used by salespeople are provided as examples. First, online product catalogs allow customers to make product inquiries and orders in the absence of a salesperson. In addition, new products and new promotions can be introduced to the customers in the absence of a salesperson. Second, Internet-based presentation libraries give the salesperson the opportunity to adjust his or her presentations at the customer’s site. This lets the salesperson make a more customized presentation that helps in addressing the needs of the customer effectively. A salesperson can use Internet-based catalogs and presentation libraries to quickly access and share detailed product information and visuals, streamlining presentations and improving client engagement. These tools also enable easy updates and customization, ensuring accuracy and relevance in sales pitches. 7. Explain the weaknesses and strengths of the two methods for account classification. Answer: The primary strength of the single-factor analysis of account classification is its simplicity. It is very easy to use and understand. Its primary weakness is that it only uses one factor to classify accounts. Since many factors contribute to the sales potential of an account, using only one for classification may be misleading. The primary strength of the portfolio analysis is that it uses more than one factor to classify accounts. This reduces the likelihood of misclassification. Its primary weakness is that it is a complex method and may be difficult to understand and implement. 8. Why is a teamwork orientation important in selling? Answer: A teamwork orientation is important because selling is becoming more complex with a greater focus on long-term inter-organizational relationships. Consequently, a greater number of personnel from both the buying and selling organizations are required to develop and maintain successful and mutually beneficial relationships. In addition, the salesperson serves as the “point-person” for the relationships and must often work with other personnel from the selling organization, including marketing, customer service, and order fulfillment, to create and deliver a market offer customized to the needs of the customer. Put simply, the role of the salesperson is shifting from order taker to consultant and relationship manager. 9. Who are the individuals within the organization that salespeople are likely to team with, and how could such a team be advantageous to the salesperson? Answer: Salespeople are likely to team up with individuals from various departments, including sales, marketing, customer service, order fulfillment, and administrative support. Such a team could be advantageous to a salesperson because it would allow him or her to customize the market offer to the specific needs of each customer. For example, a salesperson might work with someone from the marketing department to design a promotional program tailored to the specific needs of a particular customer. In addition to helping salespeople generate revenue (either with existing or new customers), these types of teams will also help salespeople maintain and nurture existing relationships. For example, information from customer service and order fulfillment may allow the salesperson to identify and head off order fulfillment problems before the customer is aware of or is affected by them. 10. What are the six teamwork skills? Explain why they are important for success in developing interpersonal relationships. Answer: The six teamwork skills include 1) understanding the other individuals, 2) attending to the little things, 3) keeping commitments, 4) clarifying expectations, 5) showing personal integrity, and 6) apologizing sincerely when a mistake is made. It is important to understand the other individuals in a team so that one knows what is important to them. In addition, understanding an individual will help in improving communication. Attending to the little things is essential because it makes people feel important, and it shows that the other team members care about them. Keeping commitments is important because it helps develop and maintain trust within the group. Clarifying expectations is important because it ensures that all team members know what are expected of them. As with keeping commitments, showing personal integrity develops and maintains trust within the group. Finally, apologizing sincerely when a mistake is made helps to maintain group harmony and reduces the detrimental impact of the mistake on group dynamics. Group Activity Divide the class into groups of five to seven. Ask each group to discuss and answer the following questions: 1. What are the characteristics of a “good” group member? 2. What are the characteristics of a “bad” group member? 3. What are some different ways in which group members contribute? 4. How should you deal with a “bad” group member? 5. Is it important that everyone in a group participate and/or contribute? 6. Why do some group members not participate and/or contribute? 7. How should you encourage/motivate a reluctant group member reluctant to participate and/or contribute? Experiential Exercises 1. Building Mastery of the Seven Teamwork Skills Objective: Your students will be able to understand and apply the key principles for successfully working in group and team settings. Time Required: 15 to 20 minutes. Teaching Tip: Have the students complete this exercise individually or in small groups. Ask students to review the seven teamwork skills and then consider a time within this past year where work or class required them to work as part of a team. Based on their reflections, have them address the following two sets of questions. Which of the seven teamwork skills did they apply? How did they impact the student and the team? Which of the seven teamwork skills did they not apply? How did not applying these skills negatively impact the student and the team? How might using the missing skills impact the effectiveness of the team? Answer: Applied Skills: Students might highlight effective communication and collaborative problem-solving. These skills likely improved team cohesion and productivity, fostering a positive working environment and achieving better results. Missing Skills: If students neglected skills like conflict resolution or time management, it could have led to misunderstandings and inefficiencies, negatively affecting team performance. Incorporating these skills could enhance overall team effectiveness and harmony. 2. Working with Interdependent Levels of Salesperson Goals Objective: Provide students with experience in working through the different levels of salesperson goals and how they are all interrelated. Time Required: 8 to 10 minutes. Teaching Tip: Have the students complete this exercise individually. Select one or two students to give their answers and explain their methodology. The correct answer for the territory sales goal is $900,000. As a sales person for Allied Chemical Co., you are preparing for a planning session with your sales manager in which the two of you will work together to develop your territory sales quota for the next year. While your sales manager will input organizational objectives into the quota-setting process, the sales manager has asked that you establish your personal sales goals for the upcoming year and bring those to the meeting. You plan to earn a total of $80,000 this coming year. Your base compensation is $4,000 per month. In addition to the base salary, Allied Chemical pays sales commission of 8 percent on annual territory sales over $500,000. What territory sales goal will result in producing your $80,000 personal earnings goal? Answer: The following calculations show the territory sales goal to produce $80,000 for the coming year: Target compensation $80,000 Base salary $48,000 (4,000 x 12) Gap to be made up through commission $32,000 (80k-48k) Extra sales need to generate that much commission $400,000 (32k/.08) Total Sales Needed $900,000 (400k + 500k) Chapter 10 Case Universal Control Corp. Background Universal Control Corp. is a leading supplier for process control systems and equipment used in a wide variety of production and distribution applications. You have taken a sales representative job with Universal, and having just completed training, you have been given a territory of your own. Your district manager has provided you with a list of accounts (shown below) as well as several boxes of notes and files that had been assembled and used by your predecessor. These are the accounts currently buying your products. You are expected to build these accounts and add new accounts to the list as you increase your territory’s sales performance. You have summarized the account information into the summary set of account profiles, which follows. Account Name Account Opportunity Competitive Position Annual Number of Sales Calls Last Year Mueller Distribution High Low 30 Tri-State Specialties Low High 20 Birkey Paper Co. Low High 26 Normal Supply Low Low 12 Darnell Aggregate Products Low High 21 Reinhart Chemicals High High 26 ACCO Manufacturing Low High 23 Tri-State Manufacturing High Low 28 Ideal Engineering Low Low 11 Terracon High High 25 Lowry Foods High Low 26 SCS Industrial High High 27 Lowell Services Low High 18 Bowles and Sons Low High 21 American Foundry High Low 22 Hewitt & Associates Low Low 16 Bright Metals Inc. High High 22 Decatur Extrusions Low Low 14 King Chemicals Low High 22 Bear’s Steel Corp. Low High 20 Hoffman Pharmaceuticals High Low 20 Barlow & Clark Systems Low High 18 Questions 1. Develop a portfolio classification of accounts and assess the allocation of sales calls your predecessor made over the past year. Answer: Students’ answers will vary. In general, the previous salesperson did a somewhat fair job of allocating sales calls. As shown in the table below, the salesperson allocated time equally to customers falling into the High Account Opportunity and High or Low Competitive Position. Customers characterized as Low Account Opportunity and High Competitive Position received a little less attention. Finally, customers falling into the Low Account Opportunity and Low Competitive Position received about half of the attention of the next highest category. Average of Annual Number of Sales Calls Last Year by Category Competitive Position Account Opportunity High Low Grand Average High 25.00 25.20 25.11 Low 21.38 10.75 17.83 Grand Average 22.58 18.78 20.95 Portfolio Classification: Categorize accounts as A (high value), B (medium value), and C (low value) based on revenue potential and strategic importance. Assessment: Review the previous year’s sales call allocation to ensure high-value A accounts received appropriate attention, while B and C accounts were managed efficiently. Adjust allocation as needed to optimize sales efforts. 2. What problems do you find with the previous allocation of calls on these accounts? Answer: Students’ answers may vary. However, their answers should include some reference to the idea that the previous salesperson was allocating too much time to accounts in both the “low, high” and “low, low” groups. The salesperson should have allocated more sales calls to the first two groups (“high, high”). In addition, students should mention that the salesperson needed to allocate more time toward Bright Metals, Inc. The previous allocation may have overemphasized lower-value C accounts, leading to insufficient focus on high-value A accounts, potentially missing key revenue opportunities. Additionally, if B accounts were neglected, it could have resulted in missed growth potential. 3. Based on your account classification analysis, suggest a new sales call allocation strategy that would make better use of your time in the territory. Answer: Students’ answers will vary. However, their answers should reflect a redistribution of sales calls showing increased allocation toward the first two groups, with the last group (low, low) receiving the lowest allocation. In addition, the total number of sales calls should not exceed the previous total (468). The following table is an example of a reallocation of sales calls based on the portfolio analysis. Account Name Account Opportunity Competitive Position Annual Number of Sales Calls Last Year SCS Industrial High High 40 Reinhart Chemicals High High 40 Terracon High High 40 Bright Metals Inc. High High 40 Mueller Distribution High Low 37 Tri-State Manufacturing High Low 37 Lowry Foods High Low 37 American Foundary High Low 37 Hoffman Pharmaceuticals High Low 37 Birkey Paper Co. Low High 11 ACCO Manufacturing Low High 11 King Chemicals Low High 11 Darnell Aggregate Products Low High 11 Bowles and Sons Low High 11 Tri-State Specialties Low High 11 Bear’s Steel Corp. Low High 11 Lowell Services Low High 11 Barlow & Clark Systems Low High 11 Hewitt & Associates Low Low 6 Decatur Extrusions Low Low 6 Normal Supply Low Low 6 Ideal Engineering Low Low 6 Allocate more time to A accounts for maximizing high-value opportunities and increase focus on B accounts to nurture growth. Reduce call frequency on C accounts, reserving minimal time for maintaining basic relationships. Role Play Situation: Read the provided Universal Control Corp. case material Characters: Zack Hanna, salesperson for Universal Control Corp. Gage Waits, district sales manager and Hanna’s immediate supervisor. Scene: Location—Gage Waits’ office at Universal Control Corp. Action—Zack has just been assigned this territory and has completed an analysis of sales and customer files to profile the individual accounts and sales call allocation strategies utilized by the previous salesperson in the territory. Based on this information, Hanna has developed information responding to each of the three questions following the Universal Control Corp. case materials. This information includes a new sales call allocation strategy. Hanna is meeting with his sales manager to explain his new sales call allocation plan. As Hanna, complete the three questions previously listed. Using this information, role play your interaction with your sales manager, Gage Waits, as you discuss and explain (1) your analysis of the previous salesperson’s sales call allocation and (2) your new plans and how they will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your selling efforts in this territory. After completing the role play, address the following questions: 1. How might Hanna’s sales allocation plan be different if he had used single-factor analysis (ABC analysis) instead of portfolio analysis? Answer: The difference in results had Hanna used a single-factor model would depend upon the factor she chose (from those listed or others) for the analysis. For example, using Account Opportunity would have produced results similar to what she has now. The primary difference is that she may misallocate time, spending more time on the high, low groups than on the high, high groups. In addition, she may allocate too much time to the low, low groups relative to the low, high groups. 2. Develop a sales call allocation plan using single-factor analysis. Compare the results of Hanna’s portfolio analysis with the results of your single-factor analysis. Where and how are they different? Answer: Account Name Account Opportunity Category Annual Number of Sales Calls Last Year Mueller Distribution High A 30 Tri-State Manufacturing High A 28 SCS Industrial High A 27 Lowry Foods High A 26 Reinhart Chemicals High A 26 Terracon High A 25 American Foundry High A 22 Bright Metals Inc. High A 22 Hoffman Pharmaceuticals High A 20 Birkey Paper Co. Low B 26 ACCO Manufacturing Low B 23 King Chemicals Low B 22 Bowles and Sons Low B 21 Darnell Aggregate Products Low B 21 Bear’s Steel Corp. Low B 20 Tri-State Specialties Low B 20 Barlow & Clark Systems Low C 18 Lowell Services Low C 18 Hewitt & Associates Low C 16 Decatur Extrusions Low C 14 Normal Supply Low C 12 Ideal Engineering Low C 11 Students are likely to produce a classification system similar to the one above. The resulting classification system should be similar to the portfolio analysis with respect to the top accounts and the bottom accounts. However, it will be the allocation in the middle accounts that will be different. Some accounts that should be “C” accounts may be classified as “B” accounts. Some accounts that should be “B” accounts might be classified as “C” accounts. When students have finished answering the question, ask them if they took the “Average Number of Sales Calls Last Year” into consideration. If yes, then the students have followed a two-factor model and not a single-factor model. In this example, we only have two types of “Account Opportunity”—High and Low. Accordingly, there should only be “A” accounts and “B” accounts. Using single-factor analysis, prioritize accounts based on sales potential, such as revenue or profitability. Compare this with Hanna's analysis to identify discrepancies in account prioritization, focusing on whether the single-factor approach highlights different accounts or emphasizes varying levels of engagement. 3. How might those differences translate into increased selling effectiveness and efficiency? Answer: The portfolio model will reduce the likelihood that Hanna would waste time on accounts in which she has a low probability of success, and it makes sure she spends the appropriate amount of time with accounts in which she has a high probability of success. This will make her more efficient and more effective. Chapter 10 Role Play Payroll Systems, Inc. Background You are a business development specialist for Payroll Systems, Inc., an industry leader providing automated payroll processing and related record keeping for medium to large businesses having 15 or more employees. Your primary selling responsibility is new account development and working with existing accounts to increase share of account by selling them additional employment-related services. Account management and day-to-day servicing responsibilities are performed by a team of customer service representatives who work with customers through the phone and Internet. Due to a combination of rapid growth in the number of customers and several customer service representatives being new to the job, the resulting level of service provided by the customer service team has become inconsistent and all too often below the level you have promised to your customers. As a result, you are spending much of your time trying to patch over service shortcomings and working to win back accounts that have been lost to competitors due to the service problems. Not only are you losing business, but your own reputation—as well as Payroll Systems’ reputation—is beginning to suffer. Role Play In discussing these problems with your sales manager, it was decided that you would meet with the team of customer service representatives in order to discuss and find a workable solution to the problems. Role play how you would approach and initiate a positive discussion with the members of the customer service team that would generate improved experiences and outcomes for your customers and Payroll Systems, Inc. Remember to employ Covey’s six teamwork skills discussed in this chapter. Chapter 10 Continuing Case Managing and Classifying Accounts Brenda’s planning and extra effort in servicing and developing her accounts continue to produce increasing levels of profitable business for NCC. Her methodical approach to identifying new prospects and building repeat business within her existing accounts has been observed by her sales manager as well as the Regional Vice President of Sales. As a result of Brenda’s consistent performance, she has been given the opportunity to expand her current list of accounts by taking over part of the account list of a retiring salesperson and integrating them into an expanded territory. Brenda is working through the account information files for each of these added accounts and has summarized the information into the following table. Account Name Account Opportunity Competitive Position Annual Number of Sales Calls (Last Year) Maggie Mae Foods Low High 23 C3 Industries High Low 28 Trinity Engineering High High 28 Britecon Animations High High 22 Lost Lake Foods High Low 26 Attaway Global Consulting High High 24 Waits and Sons Low High 21 Reidell Business Services High High 26 Ferrell & Associates Low Low 16 Biale Beverage Corp High High 18 Captain Charlie’s High Low 23 Cole Pharmaceuticals High Low 20 PuddleJumper Aviation Low High 18 Tri-Power Investment Services Low Low 18 Ballou Resin & Plastics Low Low 14 Tri-Chem Customer Products Low High 20 Guardian Products High High 25 Bartlesville Specialties Low High 26 Questions 1. Develop a portfolio classification of Brenda’s 18 new accounts. What is your assessment of the allocation of sales calls made by Brenda’s predecessor over the previous year? Answer: Account Name Account Opportunity Competitive Position Annual Number of Sales Calls (Last Year) Trinity Engineering High High 28 Britecon Animations High High 22 Attaway Global Consulting High High 24 Reidell Business Services High High 26 Biale Beverage Corp High High 18 Guardian Products High High 25 C3 Industries High Low 28 Lost Lake Foods High Low 26 Captain Charlie’s Travel High Low 23 Cole Pharmaceuticals High Low 20 Maggie Mae Foods Low High 23 Waits and Sons Low High 21 PuddleJumper Aviation Low High 18 Tri-Chem Customer Products Low High 20 Bartlesville Specialties Low High 26 Ferrell & Associates Low Low 16 Tri-Power Investment Services Low Low 18 Ballou Resin & Plastics Low Low 14 In the table above, the accounts are sorted by Account Opportunity and then by Competitive Position. Brenda should use this table to allocate her time—more time to accounts toward the top and less time toward accounts at the bottom. Account name Account Opportunity Competitive position Annual Number of Sales Calls (last Year) Trinity Engineering High High 28 C3 Industries High Low 28 Reidell Business Services High High 26 Lost Lake Foods High Low 26 Bartlesville Specialties Low High 26 Guardian Products High High 25 Attaway Global Consulting High High 24 Captain Charlie’s Travel High Low 23 Maggie Mae Foods Low High 23 Britecon Animations High High 22 Waits and Sons Low High 21 Cole Pharmaceuticals High Low 20 Tri-Chem Customer Products Low High 20 Biale Beverage Corp High High 18 PuddleJumper Aviation Low High 18 Tri-Power Investment Services Low Low 18 Ferrell & Associates Low Low 16 Ballou Resin & Plastics Low Low 14 The table above sorts the accounts by the number of calls. As one can see, the previous salesperson spent too much time on a few accounts with a low Account Opportunity (e.g., Bartlesville Specialties) and too little time on a few accounts with a High Account Opportunity (e.g., Biale Beverage). Students may make other comparisons as well. Use the table given above for reference. 2. What specific suggestions would you make in terms of sales call allocation strategy for Brenda to make better use of available selling time in calling on these new accounts? Answer: Account Name Account Opportunity Competitive Position Tier Trinity Engineering High High Tier 1 Britecon Animations High High Tier 1 Attaway Global Consulting High High Tier 1 Reidell Business Services High High Tier 1 Biale Beverage Corp High High Tier 1 Guardian Products High High Tier 1 C3 Industries High Low Tier 2 Lost Lake Foods High Low Tier 2 Captain Charlie’s Travel High Low Tier 2 Cole Pharmaceuticals High Low Tier 2 Maggie Mae Foods Low High Tier 3 Waits and Sons Low High Tier 3 PuddleJumper Aviation Low High Tier 3 Tri-Chem Customer Products Low High Tier 3 Bartlesville Specialties Low High Tier 3 Ferrell & Associates Low Low Tier 4 Tri-Power Investment Services Low Low Tier 4 Ballou Resin & Plastics Low Low Tier 4 Brenda should allocate her time based on the Tiers identified in the table above, with Tier 1 accounts receiving the greatest amount of attention and Tier 4 receiving the least amount of attention. 3. Develop a classification of these 18 accounts using the single factor analysis method. How do these results differ from the results from the portfolio analysis? Answer: Students’ solutions will differ, but the resulting classification system should be similar to the portfolio analysis with respect to the top accounts and the bottom accounts. However, it will be the allocation in the middle accounts that will be different. Some accounts that should be “C” accounts may be classified as “B” accounts. Some accounts that should be “B” accounts might be classified as “C” accounts. When students have finished answering the question, ask them if they took the “Average Number of Sales Calls Last Year” into consideration. If yes, students have followed a two-factor model and not a single-factor model. In this example, we only have two types of “Account Opportunity”—High and Low. Accordingly, there should only be “A” accounts and “B” accounts. Using single-factor analysis, classify the 18 accounts based on a single criterion, such as total sales potential or profitability. This approach will categorize accounts into high, medium, or low priority based on that single factor. Compare these results with the portfolio analysis, which likely considers multiple factors (e.g., potential, current sales, strategic value), to identify differences in account prioritization. The single-factor method may result in a different emphasis, potentially highlighting accounts that are not as prioritized in the more comprehensive portfolio analysis. 4. How might the differences between the single factor analysis and the portfolio classification translate to increased selling effectiveness and efficiency for Brenda? Answer: The portfolio model will reduce the likelihood that Brenda would waste time on accounts in which she has a low probability of success, and it makes sure she spends the appropriate amount of time with accounts in which she has a high probability of success. This will make her more efficient and more effective. Solution Manual for SELL: Trust Based Professional Selling Thomas N. Ingram, Raymond (Buddy) W. LaForge, Ramon A. Avila, Charles H. Schwepker, Michael R. Williams 9781305662094, 9781305662087
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