Characters: Gary, sales manager; Ted, salesperson
Scene 1 : Location-Gary’s office. Action-Continuation of Gary and Ted’s conversation. Ted just replied “I am already overloaded.” Role play Gary’s response to Ted and Ted’s feedback.
Scene 2 : Location-Conference room. Action-Gary and the rest of the salesforce are having a meeting (3-5 salespeople).
Role play Gary going over points 1-5 in the case with the salesforce.
Upon completion of the role play, address the following question:
What are the pros and cons of addressing each sales representative individually or having them all in for a sales meeting?
Case 9.2 : Whatever lt Takes to Get the Order Background
Roberta Thomas has seen the good life. Her
company is paying high bonuses to bring in
new customers. Roberta has earned more than $100,000 per year the past three years. Roberta has been given increasingly higher quotas the past two years to reach her bonus. She feels her company is putting her in an awkward position. She wants to continue to reach her quota, but in doing so, she will spend more than 90 percent of her time trying to bring in new business. Just over two years ago, she spent half her time keeping her present customers satisfied. Her customers have been complaining about how little attention they receive. Roberta knows that she is not spending enough time with them. She brought her dilemma to her boss, Betty Barrett, who seemed less than sympathetic.
Current Situation
Their conversation follows:
Roberta: I am really having a problem with the quota I’ve been assigned this year.
Betty: Is that so? What is the problem?
Roberta: I think it is too high. I have to spend way too much time going after new business.
Betty: That is what we pay you to do; your job is to bring in new business.
Roberta: It was not that many years ago when I spent at least half or my time keeping my present customers happy. I enjoyed following up on them and building a strong relationship.
Betty: Times change, you know. We have to bring in new business or face the chance of laying some of you off.