3.10 Exercises
Exercises (3.2)
- Think about a local bank that offers free checking accounts. How does free checking provide a solution for a business customer? How would this solution be different for an individual customer? How do you think the personal banker changes her sales pitch based on the customer?
- Describe a time when you made a purchase, or modified a planned purchase, because a salesperson revealed an opportunity that you wouldn’t have otherwise considered.
- Think of the last major purchase you made where you bought from a salesperson (not online). Did the salesperson adapt his or her approach to address your specific needs and concerns? If so, how?
- Imagine that you sell Hershey’s chocolate products to grocery stores. One of your prospects said that he cannot carry the complete line of Hershey’s Kisses because there isn’t enough shelf space in the store. Conduct a short brainstorming session to identify ten ideas that might solve this prospect’s problem.
- Assume you worked in the Apple Store. Identify one general benefit statement and one specific benefit statement for each of the following:
- iPod
- MacBook Pro
- iTunes
- Assume that due to the recession, donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation are below expectations. The foundation’s director of development has asked your class to identify ideas to increase donations in the next three months. Work in teams of two to conduct a brainstorming session using the guidelines covered in this section. Each team should present their ideas to the class.
Exercises (3.4)
- Describe the ideal customer for the following products or services:
- iPod Touch
- Ferrari sports car
- GEICO car insurance
- Flat World Knowledge textbooks
- Discuss the sales funnel and why leads are important to the selling process.
- Discuss the difference between a prospect and a customer.
- If someone goes into a Best Buy store and looks at the home theatre systems, is he a lead or a prospect? Why?
- Visit a local jeweller and shop for a watch. What questions does the salesperson ask to qualify you as a prospect?
Exercises (3.5)
- Assume you are selling staffing services to banks and financial institutions. Identify three sources you would use to identify prospects.
- Imagine that you sell real estate in your area. Discuss three ways referrals can find you.
- Assume you are selling advertising. Identify three trade organizations that you might use as sources for leads.
- Assume you are responsible for donations at a local nonprofit organization that provides services for battered women. You are looking for possible corporate sponsors for your shelter. Visit your campus library and review at least two of the databases or directories listed in this section and identify two leads from each one.
- Assume you sell lumber to construction companies. How would you use a trade show to identify leads?
- Identify the industry for each of the following NAICS codes. How would this information be helpful in prospecting?
- 44
- 62
- 71
- 54
Exercises (3.6)
- Assume you have identified Gap as a prospect for your product line called “Green” Jeans, blue jeans made with completely recycled materials. You are preparing for a sales call with the denim buyer in the Gap’s home office. What demographic information would you gather about the company during the preapproach stage? What would recent company news tell you in preparation for your sales call? What do current customers think about Gap? What is your value proposition, and how does it fit Gap’s need?
- Imagine you work for a company that sells interior design services and acts as an art broker (finding and purchasing artwork to display) for large companies. One of your customers has used your broker services in the past, but you are hoping to expand the relationship. What additional information would you need to know to make a proposal?
- Assume you are selling payroll services to small businesses. Identify three pieces of information you would learn about your prospect during your preapproach research and identify the sources where you would find the information.
- Imagine that you sell life insurance. Describe how customer demographics can help you with your preapproach research.
- Assume you are selling security systems and you have just qualified a prospect, Fine Dining, Inc., that owns a chain of fifteen restaurants in the area. Your contact is Lee Crowan, the operations manager. The corporate office is located in the Willowwood Corporate Center in Willowwood. You have learned that the chain is growing, with expansion to ten new restaurants planned in the next twelve months. You have also learned that security is a major issue since two of the existing restaurants have had break-ins during the past six months. Complete a precall planning worksheet for your upcoming call with Lee Crowan at Fine Dining, Inc.
- Assume you are selling financial services to consumers. You have identified a couple in their forties as qualified prospects. They are interested in retirement planning. What are three questions you would ask them during your initial meeting with them?
“7.2 Solving, Not Selling”, “6.2 Prospecting: A Vital Role in the Selling Process”, “6.3 Go Fish: Resources to Help You Find Your Prospects”, and “7.1 Researching Your Prospect: Going Deeper” from Selling For Success 2e by NSCC and Saylor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
