What reservations should she expect? How should she handle them? ALTA DATA SOLUTIONS:

MAKING THE SALE36 When Vicki Nguyen reached her office, she had a message from Mike Smith, the regional sales manager, to meet him in his office regarding the Burtell Inc. order. Vicki Nguyen is a senior sales associate for Alta Data Solutions Inc., a firm that markets software and hardware designed for data storage.

The Burtell order represents a multimillion-dollar contract for Alta Data Solutions and would help Burtell boost its productivity levels and revenue for the region. To prepare for the meeting, Nguyen reviews her sales call report notes on the Burtell account.

Alta Data Solutions Alta Data Solutions provides software and hardware solutions to large firms and has an established track record for delivering an exceptional standard of quality and high levels of customer service. This excellent reputation allows Alta Data Solutions to charge a substantial premium, ranging from 10 to 20 percent above the market leader.

The data storage software services market has been dominated for two decades by this market leader. Alta Data Solutions holds the second position in the marketplace, with a considerably lower but growing market share. Only one other competitor, an aggressive, small, low-price player, holds a significant market share; this provider has made inroads into the market in the past several years through its aggressive sales tactics.