Because the All American Copier $($AAC$)$ has only been in business for five years, Simone Brown is concerned that most of her competitors are older than she is$.$ The prospective customers she has been calling on state that they know they can count on her competitors, because they have a long track record. As AAC expands into new markets some of her prospects are not familiar with her company. One prospective customer, who works for one of the most prestigious and largest medical offices $(30$ doctors$)$ in the area, told her he has been buying copiers from the same company for over $25$ years. He also told her that his sales representative for the company has been calling on him for over seven years, and he knows when he calls on his copier supplier for advice he can count on him for a solid recommendation. Simone realizes these are going to be tough accounts to crack.

Simone does have an advantage due to the high quality of AAC products. In a recent trade publication, AAC$$s copiers tied for first in the industry on ratings of copier quality and dependability. AAC was also given a high rating for service. Simone has had this information for two weeks now and has brought it up in conversations with her prospective customers without much success. To make matters worse, one of her competitors must have started rumors about AAC. In the past month, she has heard the following rumors:

$$AAC is going out of business because of financial troubles.$$

$$AAC has missed several delivery deadlines with customers.$$

$$AAC$$s copiers have a software glitch that cannot be corrected.$$

$$AAC has cut its service staff.$$

Simone knows these rumors are not true, but prospects might believe the rumors. At a recent sales meeting, Simone$$s manager suggested that their competitors must be getting nervous about AAC$$s success, causing them to start such vicious rumors.

Simone is sitting at her desk trying to figure out what to do next and she is not exactly sure how to proceed.