Prospecting and Gaining Prospect Information Background Preston Adams has just completed the sales training program for the Office Equipment Division of Xerox. Adams has been assigned a territory in Illinois that includes the metro areas of Bloomington Decatur, and Peoria. The company once commanded a significant market share in these markets. However due to a problem with a previous salesperson in these markets three years ago, Xerox has not been directly working this particular region of central Illinois. Although there are a large number of Xerox machines still in use across this territory, it has been a while since a salesperson has called on any accounts. As with any geographic area there have likely been a lot of changes with existing companies moving or even going out of business and new companies opening up Current Situation Adams's sales manager, Eric Waits, is coming in two weeks to spend three days in the field with Adams calling on prospective accounts Adams is working to develop a list of leads that he can quality and then contact in order to set up the sales calls he will be making with his manager. Role Play Situation: Read the Role Play Prospecting and Gaining Prospect Information above Characters: Preston Adams, salesperson for Xerox Business Machines Division, Jerri Spencer, office manager with purchasing responsibilities for Peoria-based McKelvey and Walters, Attorneys-at-Law. Scene: LocationPreston Adams's office at Xerox Business Machines Division ActionIn the course of Adams's prospecting activities, Spencer and the McKelvey and Waters law firm have come up as a strong prospect for Xerox's new line of professional coplers. McKelvey and Walters operate a large office in Peoria that occupies most of two floors in the Planter's Bank Building and a branch office in Bloomington. They were previously a customer of Xerox but the information that Adams has obtained indicates that they are using an unspecified variety of different brands of copiers. Role play the phone conversation between Adams and Spencer as Adams introduces himself and his company to Spencer, gathers needed information to better qualify the prospect, and asks for an appointment for an initial sales call