Understanding Tom Penders It was Monday afternoon and Brenda Smith was very excited. She just got off the phone with Tom Penders, the administrator in charge of a large medical office in her territory. After an introductory letter and several follow-up phone calls, Tom Penders finally agreed to meet with Brenda next Friday to discuss the possibility of replacing his organization's old copiers, as well as adding new copiers to keep pace with his organization's rapid growth. The primary purpose of the meeting was for Tom to learn more about the National Copier Company and its products and for Brenda to learn more about Tom's company and its specific needs. When Brenda arrived about 10 minutes early for her meeting with Tom Penders at the medical offices on Friday, she was greeted by a receptionist who asked her to be sealed. Ten minutes passed and Brenda was promptly shown to Tom's office. Brenda couldn't help but notice how organized Tom's office was. It appeared to Brenda that Tom was a man of detail. First. Tom explained that the medical offices housed over 25 doctors specializing in a variety of fields. They occupied two floors and were planning to expand to the vacant third floor in the near future. Currently, they were organized into four divisions with an office professional assigned to approximately six doctors for each division. Each division ran its own "office" with a separate copier and administrative facilities. Tom also had an assistant and a copier. Upon concluding his overview, Tom provided Brenda with an opportunity to ask questions. After this. Tom systematically went down a list of questions he had about NCC, its products, and Brenda herself. Following this, Tom had his assistant take Brenda on a tour of the facility so she could overview their processes. Before leaving, Tom agreed to meet with Brenda in two weeks. Based on her conversation with Tom, Brenda did not find Tom to be a particularly personable individual. In fact, she found him to be somewhat cool and aloof, both deliberate in his communication and actions. Yet, Tom was willing to learn how NCC could help his medical office. While Brenda preferred communicating with someone more personable and open, such as herself, she was determined to find a way to win Tom's business.

What type of communication style do you believe that Tom exhibits? What are the characteristics of this communication style?

Based on your understanding of Tom's communication style, outline a plan for selling to Tom Penders.

Identify other members of Tom Penders' organization that may play a role in the buying decision and explain the role they might play. How should Brenda handle these individuals?

Explain the types of buyer needs that will be most important in this selling situation.