Contemporary Selling, 5e
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Outline: Understanding Sellers and Buyers
Value-Added Information in Chapter 2
• Global Connection – “Global Virtual Sales Teams”
• Exhibits
o Exhibit 2.1 – “From Salesperson to CEO”
o Exhibit 2.2 – “Success Factors for Salespeople”
o Exhibit 2.3 – “Sales Job Factors and Selected Associated Activities”
I. Overview of Selling as a Career
A. Why Sales Jobs Are So Rewarding
1. Job Autonomy
2. Job Variety
3. Opportunities for Rewards
4. Favorable Working Conditions
5. Ability to Move Up in the Organization
II. Key Success Factors in Contemporary Selling
A. Listening Skills
B. Follow-up Skills
C. Ability to Adapt Sales Style from Situation to Situation
D. Tenacity—Sticking with a Task
III. Selling Activities
IV. Types of Selling Jobs
A. Selling in B2C versus B2B Markets
B. Types of B2B Sales Jobs
1. Trade Servicer
2. Missionary Seller
V. Participants in the Organizational Buying Process
A. Selling Centers and Buying Centers
B. Stage Two: Determination or Description of the Traits and Quantity of the Needed
Item(s)
C. Stage Three: Search for and Qualification of Potential Suppliers
D. Stage Four: Acquisition and Analysis of Proposals or Bids
VII. Types of Organizational Buying Situations
VIII. Summary
IX. Key Terms
Discussion Questions
1. It is often said that successful salespeople today must be “nimble.” What does it
mean to be “nimble” as a salesperson and as a sales organization?
Nimble firms:
• Constantly monitor and communicate with customers.
• Are proactive instead of reactive in meeting customer needs.
2. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Write “Pros” on the top left
and “Cons” on the top right. Now, from your own perspective, come up with as many
issues as you can on both sides regarding selling as a career choice for you. Be sure
to note why you list each item as you do.
Students answer will vary. Here is a sample answer:
Pros:
• Job autonomy – A salesperson is largely free to get the job done their own way and to
spend time as they choose, so long as they get good results.
Cons:
• Stigma or negative stereotype associated with selling – May cause lack of respect or
misunderstanding from others.
• Pressure – Constant pressure to make numbers, especially if the salesperson is being paid
on a straight commission.
3. Creativity is important to sales success. What is creativity? Give specific examples of
several things you have done that are especially creative. How might creativity be
taught to salespeople?
Creativity is the ability to be original, expressive, imaginative, and innovative. Art is creative.
Music is creative. Coming up with a business idea or a sales approach that has never been done
4. Telecommuting and using a virtual office are major aspects of many professional
sales positions. How do you feel about telecommuting and virtual offices? What
aspects of them are you most and least attracted to?
Student answers will vary. Here is a sample answer.
Although telecommuting sounds utopian, it is not always a panacea. On the positive side,
telecommuting and virtual offices give the freedom and flexibility to work from home and can
5. What aspects of sales jobs do you believe provide a strong foundation for moving up
in an organization?
Chapter 02 – Understanding Sellers and Buyers
Exhibit 2.1 provides some great insights on areas on which salespeople can focus in order to
ensure they are positioned well for moving into upper management. Beyond that advice, a few
specific aspects of sales jobs that enhance this are:
6. Review the top 20 key success factors for relationship selling as listed in Exhibit 2.2.
Which of these factors are currently your strongest points? Which need the most
work? How do you plan to capitalize on your strengths and improve on your
weaknesses?
Student answers will vary. Here is a sample answer.
Strengths
• Listening skills: I use these to understand the needs and wants of customers—to
understand what they are really communicating.
• Proficiency in interfacing with people at all levels (of a customer’s organization and of
your organization): I use this to communicate effectively with different members of the
buying center, as well as other key players in both firms.
Weaknesses
• Follow-up skills: Follow-up is required to properly serve the client and maintain the
relationship. I need to give it high priority even when I am busy with other selling
activities.
• Demonstrated ability to overcome objections: Objections can be minimized by
developing a trusting relationship with the client over the long run and by working to
7. Pick the three selling activities presented in Exhibits 2.3 that you would most like to
perform. Then pick the three you would least like to perform. Explain the rationale
for your choices.
Student answers will vary. Here is a sample answer:
Most like to perform
• Make sales presentation: I enjoy being “on stage” and have an opportunity to have a
dialogue with customers.
Least like to perform
• Call on new accounts: Making cold calls on people I don’t know seems difficult to me.
8. This chapter outlines the roles different members of a buying center play within an
organizational buying context. Think of a purchase process you were involved in as
an end-user consumer (not an organizational buyer). Can you list people who played
these buying center roles in your purchase? Try to connect as many specific people to
buying center roles as you can.
The buying center roles in the purchase include:
• Initiators
Student answers will vary. Here is a sample answer:
I finally broke down and bought a smart phone. My boss and my friends were both initiators and
influencers of my purchase. I am the user and the buyer, although my fiancé is also a user.
Actually, to be honest my fiancé was also a decider and a controller, having loaned me part of
9. Explain the differences among a new-task purchase, modified rebuy, and straight
rebuy. How will each situation alter the way a salesperson approaches a client?
A new-task purchase is where a customer is buying a relatively complex and expensive product
or service for the first time (e.g., a new piece of production equipment or a new computer
system). In this case, the seller may be an out supplier, and if so the objective is to move the
customer away from the automatic reordering procedures of a straight rebuy from somebody else
procedures of a straight rebuy from somebody else toward the extensive evaluation processes of
a modified rebuy.
Global Connection – Global Virtual Sales Teams
Answers to Questions
1. How does the global virtual sales team approach impact the sales role and selling
activities?
The norm today is 24/7 communication with global customers by sales teams. The use of
2. Would you like to be part of a global virtual sales team? Why or why not?
Answers will vary among students based on their personal preferences.
Ethical Dilemma – Teaching Notes
Teaching Notes
One of the challenges for salespeople is how to balance work and personal goals. In this case,
Jennifer is faced with a difficult decision. It is easy to argue on behalf of Jennifer’s involvement
with after-school programs as the program helps needy teenagers. However, Dynamic
understanding the key success factors in relationship selling. Specifically, how does Jennifer
manage her time effectively and how can she be better organized to stay focused on critical
tasks?
Chapter 9 presents an in-depth discussion of time and territory management skills, and it may
perhaps she should evaluate her life goals. Indeed, she may find that her interests and goals are
more directed at helping at-risk teenagers than working for Gracie.
This dilemma highlights some issues for younger as well as older students. It is tough to criticize
Answers to Questions
1. What should Jennifer do?
First, she needs to seek the advice of her manager. The worst decision she could make at this
point is to hide or misrepresent her activities to anyone at Gracie or Dynamic Manufacturing.
2. As a salesperson, how would you balance the demands of a sales career with a personal
life?
There is no “right” answer. However, Chapter 9 does present a framework for students to help
them sort through life and career priorities. This dilemma is introduced here to get students
thinking about what is important to them and thinking about the balance between work and
personal time.
3. Can you identify some other challenges a person might face in balancing a sales career
and personal life?
Issues related to family often present difficult ethical challenges for students. This is especially
true for salespeople who spend a lot of time traveling. When salespeople travel a lot, their
Mini-Case 2 – National Agri-Products Company
This case prompts students to begin thinking about the organizational buying process and the
various roles individuals within the company play in the purchase decision. Students should be
encouraged to answer the questions provided with the case. In addition, students should be
Answers to Questions
1 and 2. Best illustrated in the following tables.
Name
Position
Buying Center
Role(s)
Primary Needs
Level of Influence
Sue Wilson
Purchasing
Manager
Gatekeeper and
Buyer
▪ Following
company policy.
▪ Satisfying the
needs of other
buying center
Tom Roberts
Plant Manager
Initiator and
Decider
will accomplish
Low initially but
high at the end as
the final decision is
Vicki Sievers
Plant Engineer
Influencer
equipment.
Medium to high
given her position as
plant engineer and
Low to moderate
depending on
latitude allowed for
negotiating.
Greg Runyon
Production
Manager
Influencer and, as
production
manager, he also
represents the
Users in the
buying process.
▪ Efficient
manufacturing
process and
keeping operating
costs low.
▪ Ease of
Vijay Sethi
VP of
Influencer
▪ Adherence to
Low to moderate.
Medium to high
given his position as
production manager
and Tom’s reliance
on his expertise.
purchasing
type of equipment.
The buying process that National Agri-Products is using mirrors that provided in the chapter. Sue,
Tom, Vicki, and Greg have just finished a meeting that can represent stage one of the process—
recognition of a problem or need. Vicki is now in the process of developing specifications for the
equipment, which represents stage two of the process.
3. The point at which it becomes beneficial for Larry to get involved is at stage two of the
process. Larry does not want his company, New Products Steel, to get left out of the proposal
process because the equipment specifications being developed by Vicki include aspects that
New Products cannot provide. Therefore, Larry needs to make sure that the equipment