MAKING PROFESSIONAL SELLING DECISIO

MAKING PROFESSIONAL SELLING DECISIONS
Case 3.1: Candoo Computer Corporation
Background
As a salesperson for Candoo Computer Corporation
(CCC), you have just received a call from
your regional manager regarding a program now
underway at one of your key accounts, Farmland
Companies. Farmland is a national insurance company
with agency offices spread across the United
States. The company is in the early stages of designing
and specifying a computer system that will place
a computer in each agency office. The system will
allow each agency to develop, operate, and maintain
its own customer database to provide better
service to customers. In addition, by linking
through the CCC mainframe, agencies, regional
offices, and CCC headquarters will be networked
for improved internal communications and access
to the corporate database.
Current Situation
You have serviced this account for several years, and
CCC equipment accounts for the biggest share of
computers now in place at Farmland—some 35 to
40 percent of all units. As reflected in your share
of this account’s business, you and CCC have a
good reputation and strong relationship with
Farmland. In talking with Aimee Linn, your usual
contact in the Farmland purchasing office, you
have learned that this agency network system is
the brainstorm and pet project of Mike Hughes, a
very ‘‘hands-on’’ CEO. Consequently, the probability
of the system becoming a reality is high. While
faxing a complete set of hardware specs to you,
Linn has also let you know that, although Kerris
Nicks, director of the Farmland MIS department,
is actually heading up this project; the national
agency sales director, Tim Long, is also very active
in its design and requirement specifications. His
interest stems not only from wanting to make sure
that the system will do what is needed at
the corporate, regional, and agency levels but also
from the fact that he brainstormed and spearheaded
a similar project two years ago that was never implemented.
The previous effort did not have the blessing
of Nicks in the MIS department, and it became a
political football between the two departments.
Each department wanted something different, and
both sides accused the other of not knowing what
it was doing. Primarily, because the CEO has commanded
that it will be done, both sides seem to be
playing ball with each other this time.
Linn did hint at one concern, however; although
corporate is designing and specifying the system,
each agency has to purchase its units out of its
own funds. Although the agencies exclusively represent
only Farmland Insurance products, each
agency is owned by the general agent—not Farmland.
Some of the agents are not convinced that
the system is worth the projected price tag of
$3,500 per system, and Farmland cannot force
them to buy the systems.
As with other selling opportunities with Farmland,
this has all the makings of a decision that
will be made as a result of multiple inputs from an
assortment of individuals across the company—a
buying team of sorts. As the salesperson having primary
responsibility for this account, how would you
go about identifying the various members of the
buying center? Using the worksheet provided,
respond to the following activities.
Questions
1. Identify each member of the buying center and
the role each participant plays, and estimate the
amount of influence (low, medium, high, very
high) each has on the final decision.
2. What are the major problems, needs, and
expectations that you will need to address for
each of these buying center members?
As you complete this assignment, remember that a
single individual can perform multiple roles in the
center. Furthermore, it is common to find more
than one individual playing the same buying center
role.
Situation: Read Case 3.1.
Characters: Yourself, salesperson for
the Candoo Computer Corporation;
Aimee Linn, purchasing manager for
Farmland Companies; Kerri Nicks,
director of MIS for Farmland Companies;
Tim Long, national agency
sales director for Farmland Companies;
and Mike Hughes, CEO for
Farmland Companies.
Scene 1: Location—Linn’s office at Farmland
Companies.
Action—You, as the Candoo Computer
salesperson, are entering the
first meeting with the Farmland buying
team. Your goal for this first sales
call is to establish a rapport with each
of the buying team members and
identify the needs and expectations
that will determine the purchases