Sales Chapter 4 Homework Safeway has instituted a new program that requires vendors to pay for the space their products take up in the Safeway distribution centers

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

SECTION 4

BUYER ROLE PLAY SCENARIOS

For the Two Role Play Cases (Stubb’s Bar-B-Q ® andNetSuite) at the back of the text book.

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 1 Safeway—Corporate Headquarters (Resell Situation)

Buyer A

You are an amiable.

Needs: Safeway has instituted a new program that requires vendors to pay for the space

their products take up in the Safeway distribution centers.

Objections:

1. I really hate to have to hit you with this right away, but we are starting to require all

vendors to pay distribution warehouse slotting allowances. I guess I just needed to tell

2. There are dozens of new upstart barbecue sauce makers out there. Why should we

carry Stubb’s?

3. What if they don’t sell as well as you say they will

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 1 Safeway—Corporate Headquarters (Resell Situation)

Buyer B

You are an analytical.

Needs: You got this job a year ago due to your skills in purchasing and negotiating, not because

you know a lot about grocery products. You don’t know very much about barbecue sauces. You

Objections:

1. How long have these sauces been on the market? How are they selling?

2. How many different configurations or flavors or whatever do you offer of your sauces? How

3. What else can you tell me about your sauces?

At the end: Don’t buy today. You want to talk it over with Susie, another buyer at corporate

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 2 Safeway—Local Supermarket (Resell Situation)

Buyer A

You are an expressive.

Needs: To stock products that consumers are going to want to buy. You need good

merchandising, good prices and hopefully some good co-op advertising opportunities.

Objections:

1. Have you tried the new Jack Daniel’s Grilling Sauce by Heinz? Wow, is it ever great! And it

comes in four flavors.

2. I know this may sound crazy but I still don’t know a lot about grocery products. At least I

don’t know a lot about barbecue sauces. I’m learning, but it’s slow going. I don’t barbecue either,

3. You really should try that Jack Daniel’s brand I was telling you about. It’s great! I’m trying to

see if I can get it on our shelves. Of course, I don’t know if I would have room for two new

brands if I did.

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 2 Safeway—Local Supermarket (Resell Situation)

Buyer B

You are a driver.

Needs: You’ve blown it by buying some products that salespeople promised were going to be

great sellers (and they weren’t). Now you’re very cautious. You can’t afford to make many more

bad decisions because the store is downsizing and you don’t want to lose your job.

Objections:

1. Has any other grocery store in our area sold your products? How did they sell? [Then find

2. What do your discounts look like? [let seller answer] Can’t you cut me a better deal than that,

if I purchased small quantities at first? I mean, after all, if we carry your line, you will get pretty

3. One thing I always worry about is shelf life. What is your’s?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 3 Gourmet Garage Foods (Resell Situation)

Buyer A

You are an amiable.

Needs: You’re a very successful manager who runs a very successful grocery store. You know

exactly what your customers want and give it to them. You don’t have time to waste listening to

Objections:

1. So, I always start off with an easy question. Or two. What are you selling and how much does

it cost?

2. I can see that you’ve probably got a good set of products there. I hate to say it, but let’s face

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 3 Gourmet Garage Foods (Resell Situation)

Buyer B

You are an analytical.

Needs: You’re the general manager of this grocery store. Sales haven’t been as good since a

larger store with grocery products opened near you a few months ago. What has made you

successful in the past are the personal relationships you and your employees have made with your

Objections:

1. Do you make calls often in our town? [seller answers] I don’t remember you calling on me

before. Or am I mistaken?

2. Do you really think that barbecue sauces and marinates would sell that well in our store? I

3. Do you personally shop at large grocery stores or smaller ones, like ours? [seller answers]

What barbecue sauces are selling well there?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 4 Mac’s Convenience Stores (Resell Situation)

Buyer A

You are an expressive.

Needs: You don’t remember ever having a Stubb’s salesperson call on you before (you’ve been a

grocery buyer for this regional franchise of 10 Mac’s stores for the last seven years). That’s no

Objections:

1. So, why did you guys come out with so many variations on your sauces? What makes them so

terrific?

2. I pretty much know what’s going on in the grocery market. I make it my business to know!

3. If I were to carry every one of your sauces it would break me! You just have too many

4. Who are some other convenience stores that carry your brand right now?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 4 Mac’s Convenience Stores (Resell Situation)

Buyer B

You are a driver.

Needs: You are a sharp businessperson who never takes a risk. Your stores already carry Kraft

original barbecue sauce, but you’re not willing to share any sales information with this seller.

You want products that will sell well and generate a substantial profit for your stores.

Objections:

1. I’ve not heard that any of our customers have ever come in asking for your sauces before.

At end: Don’t agree to anything, except to maybe read any literature that the seller leaves with

you. You don’t feel like buying today.

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 5 Home Depot—Corporate Headquarters (Resell Situation)

Buyer A

You are an amiable.

Needs: To sell a very limited line of grocery products that compliment your outdoor living

products like grills. You’re not so concerned about turnover, but very concerned about profit

margins. You want to make at least 15% on any grocery item you sell.

Objections:

1. We already carry several barbecue sauce products (Kraft and Heinz Barbecue sauce). Why do

we need more?

2. To be honest, we don’t have very high sales in barbecue sauces in our stores. So it’s not a very

important product for us. Are you suggesting that if we carried your products, that our sales of

barbecue sauces would suddenly skyrocket?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 5 Home Depot—Corporate Headquarters (Resell Situation)

Buyer B

You are an expressive.

Needs: You don’t trust salespeople although you meet with them all throughout your normal day.

You’ve been burned too many times to count. The last time was a salesperson for a company you

Objections:

1. How do I do know I can trust what you’re saying? I’ve never even heard of your company

before.

2. Exactly what are your sauces made of? [if the seller says he can’t tell you the secret recipe or

claims s/he doesn’t know, act frustrated and say you need honesty!]

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 6 Home Depot—Individual Store (Resell Situation)

Buyer A

You are an analytical.

Needs: The usual: good profit margin and pretty good turnover. Your store has carried a few

Objections:

1. I’m not a grocery fan. I mean, in grocery stores, great! But in Home Depot? Not really.

3. Looks like these would be pretty easy to steal. I mean, all someone has to do is slip it in their

pocket and be off with it.

4. What is your company doing in terms of research? Do you test on animals?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 6 Home Depot—Individual Store (Resell Situation)

Buyer B

You are a driver.

Needs: To sell more grills. That’s where your real profit margins are at. You currently carry two

brands: Hunt’s, and Porky’s Gourmet Historic Lynchburg BBQ Seasoning and Rub.

Objections:

1. To be honest, I’d carry fifty brands of barbecue sauce if I could. I like to sell unusual items. I

even sold NYFD sweatshirts over in the portable saws section once to get attention and interest.

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 7 Whole Foods Market—Corporate Headquarters (Resell Situation)

Buyer A

You are a amiable.

Needs: To make purchasing decisions that will enhance the image of Whole Foods Market and

Objections:

1. I hate to say it, but your product might not be unique enough for our stores. After all, you sell

your barbecue at grocery stores all over the country.

2. Our retail stores couldn’t buy enough to get many, if any of your discounts. Thus, our profit

margins won’t be very high, will they?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 7 Whole Foods Market—Corporate Headquarters (Resell Situation)

Buyer B

You are an expressive.

Needs: You want to see your stores expand the number of items offered. But this has to be done

in some logical and systematic fashion. Just throwing in a product here and there doesn’t meet

Objections:

2. Let me taste your product. [pretend to taste some] Wow, that’s incredible. [Make the seller

3. I need to admit that personally I’m a train enthusiast. I do like to grill also, and do enjoy using

4. Give me more information that will help me make my decision easier to make.

At the end: Have the seller come back in a month. By then you should know more about the

model train situation.

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 8 Whole Foods Market—Local Store (Resell Situation)

Buyer A

You are an analytical.

Needs: To make more profits. The sales and profits in this location have been down for the last

twelve months. You think it is due to your employees, but having the wrong selection of

Objections:

1. I need profits now. Can your product secure that for me?

2. Wouldn’t our sales be only in the summer months? What about the other nine months of the

year? Would you expect us to continue stocking your product?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 8 Whole Foods Market—Local Store (Resell Situation)

Buyer B

You are an driver.

Needs: To simply your life. You have so many things going on right now that you can hardly see

straight. Your spouse is going through chemo-therapy for liver cancer and that’s really hard on

Objections:

1. How much shelf space do you need?

2. Who will train my clerks to answer any questions that customers might have about your

sauces?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 9 Applebee’s Grill & Bar

Buyer A

You are an amiable.

Needs: To make money. Period. The bottom-line, that’s what it’s all about. You currently have

K.C. Masterpiece available for your customers to use during dining.

Objections:

1. Can you please help me learn how adding your product will increase my bottom line profits.

2. What other large chain restaurants use your sauce?

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 9 Applebee’s Grill & Bar

Buyer B

You are an expressive.

Needs: To generate repeat business by our customers. You currently have Heinz Barbecue Sauce

available for your customers to use during dining and you’ve heard no complaints.

Objections:

1. We currently offer our customers Heinz Barbecue Sauce. What’s wrong with it?

2. I’ve never heard of your sauce. I doubt if our customers will have heard of it either.

Section 04 – Buyer Role Play Scenarios

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Buyer Scenario

Situation 10 Phil’s BBQ

Buyer A

You are an analytical.

Needs: To do something very unique and exciting.

Objections:

1. I wonder how unique your brand is.

4. We’re generally not a high-end sort of place here. Using Stubb’s would increase our costs.

And I’m not sure it would generate enough in profits to offset our increase in costs.