Scenario: Sally Smith, Salesperson for CANDOO Computer Corporation

As a salesperson for Candoo Computer Corporation (CCC), Sally Smith has just received a call from her regional manager regarding a program now underway at one of her key accounts, Farmland Companies. Farmland is a national insurance company with agency offices spread across the United States. The company is in the early stages of designing and specifying a computer system that will place a computer in each agency office. The system will allow each agency to develop, operate, and maintain its own customer data base in order to provide better service to customers. In addition, by linking through the CCC mainframe, agencies, regional offices, and CCC headquarters will be networked for improved internal communications and access to corporate data bases.

Sally has serviced this account for several years and CCC equipment accounts for the biggest share of computers now in place at Farmland -- some 35-40% of all units. As reflected in her share of this accounts business, Sally and CCC have a good reputation and strong relationship with Farmland. In talking with Aimee Linn, Sallys usual contact in the Farmland purchasing office, she has learned that this agency network system is the brainstorm and pet project of Mike Hughes, a very hands-on CEO. Consequently, the probability of the system becoming a reality is very high. Hughes is not technical and leaves IT issues to that department. While emailing a complete set of hardware specs to Sally, Aimee has also let her know that, although Keri Nicks, director of the Farmland MIS Department, is actually in charge of the technology implementation part of this project, the national agency sales director, Tim Long, owns this initiative and is also very active in its design and requirement specification. His interest stems not only from wanting to make sure the system will do what is needed at the corporate, regional, and agency levels, but also from the fact that he brainstormed and spearheaded a similar project two years ago that was never implemented. The previous effort did not have the blessing of Nicks in the MIS Department and it became a political football between the two departments. The MIS department viewed this as just another IT project that they did not have the bandwidth and staff to deal with the implementation. Nicks position is likely still the same MIS simply is over-worked and under-staffed. Both sides accused the other of not knowing what it was doing. Primarily because the CEO has commanded that it will be done, both sides seem to be playing ball with each other this time.

Aimee did hint at one concern, however: although corporate is designing and specifying the system, each agency has to purchase its units out of its own funds. Although the agencies exclusively represent only Farmland Insurance products, each agency is owned by the general agent -- not Farmland. Some of the agents are not convinced that the system is worth the projected price tag of $3500 per system, and Farmland cannot force them to buy the systems.

As with other selling opportunities with Farmland, this has all the makings of a decision that will be made as a result of multiple inputs from an assortment of individuals across the company -- a buying center of sorts. As the salesperson having the primary responsibility for this account, Sally needs to identify the various members of the buying center and put together a winning strategy.

> Question 5 5 pts Aimee Linn has a relatively low level of influence regarding which vendor to select? True False