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DISCUSSION STARTERS
Discussion Starter 1: Sales Force Automation
ASK: How do you think technology has revolutionized personal selling?
Technology has radically altered how sales people do their jobs. The amount of data a salesperson has
access to during the sales appointment is unprecedented. Thanks to organizations, such as Salesforce.com,
Discussion Starter 2: Personal Selling Skills and Successful Job Interviewing
ASK: How can an understanding of personal selling skills and tools assist you during job interviews?
If you know personal selling skills, you are better able to understand how to read the interviewer and how
to respond to the interviewer’s questions.
Doing your homework for an interview, similar to the way a sales person plans for a sales meeting, will
allow you to be successful in the interview. Just as there are different types of buyers, there are different
Discussion Starter 3: Drug Companies and Free Samples
Drug companies often distribute free samples to doctors as a form of promotion. Pfizer provided $2.7
billion in free samples during a one-year period. Concerned medical professionals believe that brand-
name samples encourage doctors to prescribe them in place of more affordable generic alternatives or
more appropriate medicines. Free samples also bypass the pharmacist, which is risky because pharmacists
possess databases to detect how the sample might interact with other prescriptions. Drug companies claim
samples give doctors firsthand knowledge of new treatments. Additionally, a study revealed that even
after free samples are banned, there is only a slight reduction in the brand-name drugs prescribed.
ASK: Is it responsible for drug companies to encourage trials through free samples?
Discussion Starter 4: Digital Coupons
Recent years have seen an uptick in digital coupon use and redemption rates. In one year digital coupon
rates grew 141%, with 66 million digital coupons being redeemed. Digital coupons on mobile devices is
particularly popular as the vendor can simply scan the coupon’s barcode from the customer’s phone. It is
estimated that digital coupons are 10 times more likely to be redeemed than paper coupons.
ASK: Why are digital coupon redemption rates so much higher than redemption rates for print?
CLASS EXERCISES
Chapter 18: Error! Unknown document property name. 379
The types of salespeople are order getters (current-customer sales, new business sales), order takers
2. Identify the resellers in your distribution channel. Discuss the role that trade sales promotions
to these resellers could play in the development of your promotional plan.
Students will have different resellers in their distribution channels depending on their product and
their product’s target market. Distribution channels for different products can look very different.
Nevertheless, trade sales promotions to resellers are likely to play a role in the development of every
student’s promotional plan.
• Sales contests
3. Evaluate each type of consumer sales promotion as it relates to accomplishing your
promotional objectives.
Students should start off by stating their promotional objectives. They then need to go on to
outline the different consumer sales promotions and link them back to their objectives. Not all
promotional techniques discussed in this chapter will likely be helpful to every student.
There are many different consumer sales promotions methods. Students should review in their books
which are best used to attain their specific objectives. Consumer sales promotions include:
• Coupons
• Cents-off offers
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed
with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
(6) A dealer listing is dual-purpose advertising that announces a product or consumer promotion
and contains names of participating retailers that carry the product.
(7) Free merchandise may be offered to a reseller that purchases a stated quantity of the same or
different products.
15. What types of sales promotion methods have you observed recently? Comment on their
effectiveness.
This is an open-ended question that will enable students to recall some sales promotion methods they
COMMENTS ON THE CASES
VIDEO CASE 18.1: NEDERLANDER ORGANIZATION REWARDS
THE AUDIENCE
Summary
The Nederlander Organization is a theatrical organization that owns concert venues and Broadway
theaters. Nederlander describes itself as a lifestyle company, which puts them in a specific niche with a
specific type of customer. The organization engages in promotional activities for various concerts as well
as production of Broadway shows. Nederlander Organization has leveraged these relationships with their
Audience Rewards program, a type of sales promotion that has allowed them to build strong relationships
with customers by enhancing their experience. The unique nature of the industry and smaller size of their
target market allow Nederlander to create a valuable experience for customers through personal selling
and sales promotion activities. The Audience Rewards is similar to a frequent-flyer program.
Nederlander’s sales promotion program strongly benefits smaller venues. The Audience Rewards
program also depends on outside relationships with major companies that sponsor the rewards for the
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed
with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
2. How do driver appearances on television and public events contribute to promoting the
Indy Racing League?
When drivers are on television promoting a sponsor’s product, it is often done while showing the
driver in an Indy Racing Car, therefore also promoting the league. Drivers engage in personal selling
3. What is the link between sponsorships of cars and drivers by corporations and promotion
of the IRL?
Sponsorships are the use of corporate names to be associated with the racecars, the drivers, or (in the
case of a title sponsorship) all association with the league. Through sponsorships, the IRL not only
