Exam 7: Planning the Sales Call

Andrew,who works for TeaTree,is going for his first sales call to Dynamo Motors.TeaTree leads the market in the vending machine industry for beverages.Andrew hopes to meet the members of the buying center first so he can estimate the demand for beverages and engage them in a presentation regarding his products.Additionally,he would like to get permission to give a demonstration at the MNC so its employees can taste TeaTree's beverages and provide their feedback.Obtaining the permission to provide a demonstration of his vending machine is a(n)_____ for Andrew's sales call.

Effective call objectives must be:

Describe a customer value proposition.

If a salesperson does not know the basics about a prospect's company,then the:

Which of the following statements would be of value to insurance salespeople collecting information about prospects?

Flora is a chief supplier of flowers to retailers in Dallas.Haley,a salesperson at Flora,is planning to call on a supermarket chain that stocks flowers but does not buy its supplies from Flora yet.Why would Haley set multiple call objectives including the goals of getting the company to buy its Valentine package for $129 and convincing them to display Flora's samples in some of its stores for her first meeting itself?

A simple way to help ensure that call objectives are measurable is to set objectives that require a buyer's response.

Which of the following is a realistic sales call objective for a first call regarding a product that would require a large capital investment?

Victor is calling on Meridian Cabinetworks.His goal is to close a deal for a customized profile sander valued at about $3,500.He'd be willing to accept if Meridian purchases one of his firm's ready-made sanders,which costs about $2,000.Victor wants to convince the owner of Meridian to use the sander and to provide his company with a testimonial that would help him approach other local wood workers.For Victor,the sale of the less expensive ready-made profile sander is his _____.

When making a telephone call to a new client,salespeople must:

TECAmerica,Inc.sells electronic scales used for weighing meats and vegetables.A salesperson for TECAmerica is calling on the headquarters of Kroger supermarkets.He has set his sales call objectives to meet the members of the buying center,to have his product brochures sent to the appropriate geographic division managers of Kroger,and to be allowed to demonstrate the superiority of his company's scales.If he truly expects to achieve his objective of meeting the members of the buying center,then the others would be classified as _____ call objectives.

Ivan's actual goal from his sales call is to get 10 people to buy his firm's insurance policies.Ivan hopes to get more than 25 people to buy his insurance policies,get their relatives and friends to buy the policies too,and develop a long-term relationship with these customers.This long-term relationship that Ivan hopes to build in the future is an example of his:

Rotocast Display Products sells display accessories to be used on the sales floor and in store windows.One popular item it sells is the Corinthian columns ranging from 16" to 96".A Rotocast salesperson is calling on a company that specializes in designing store displays.Her goal is to sell the design company 3 dozen columns of various heights.If she can't achieve this goal,she wants to sell the design company at least 6 small columns.Identify the two types of multiple sales objectives that the Rotocast salesperson has set.

The first place to look for information on the Internet about a prospect company would be the prospect company's Web page.

A buying center consists of all the people in the selling organization who participate in a selling opportunity.

"Get better acquainted with the prospect" is a measurable sales objective.

As part of the process of gathering precall information,salespeople must understand the policies and procedures followed by a prospect's firm.

Al sells everything a company needs to market decorative balloons-the balloons themselves,ribbons,helium tanks,etc.He wants to talk to the owner of a large catering company because balloons are great decorations for birthday tables,baby showers,and other such social occasions.Unfortunately,every time he tries to talk to the owner of the catering company,he finds himself in an unnecessarily long conversation with the assistant caterer,who does not let him talk to the owner.The assistant caterer is assuming the role of a(n):

A safety equipment salesperson calling on a prospect for the first time should try to schedule an appointment with the focus of _____,a person who will listen to the salesperson and provide valuable information about the types of equipment that the company needs.

The most important step for a salesperson in planning a sales call is to: