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. 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 heading up this project, the national agency sales director, Tim Long, 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. Each department wanted something different and 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, how should Sally go about identifying the various members of the buying center?

1. Who at Farmland are the "initiators" of this project?

Nicks and Linn

Hughes and Long

Long and Nicks

Nicks and Hughes

2. Who at Farmland will have the primary technical responsibility to implement the new system?

Nicks

Long

Linn

Hughes

3. Who at Farmland could possibly be a "gatekeeper", serve as Sally's "inside sales person" and funnel her important information about the selection process?

Nicks

Long

Linn

Hughes

4. Which Farmland person might provide the most resistance to moving forward with the project?

Nicks

Long

Linn

Hughes

5. Aimee Linn has a relatively low level of influence regarding which vendor to select? (T/F)

6. For this project to be successful, each individual agency will be required to purchase a $3500 computer. This is a/an___ that Sally must deal with in the sales cycle?

Strength

Weakness

Opportunity

Threat

7. Sallys past relationship with Farmland could be considered a/an_______ when it comes to this sales campaign.

Strength

Weakness

Opportunity

Threat

8. As part of Sally's "win" strategy to land this sale. She might consider including this in her final proposal.

Cando could provide financing to the individual agencies to help the acquire their systems.

Sally could offer to help Long in his efforts to reach out to the agencies to help sell the concept.

Cando could offer installation support to each agency, after the sale, to make sure the implementation went well.

all the above are correct

9. When Sally meets with Hughes, she should do a "deep dive" with him on the technical features of CANDO's systems. (T/F)

10. What is/are the business outcome/s that Farmland hopes to realize with the successful adoption of this project

Incrreased sales

Better customer service

Easier access to customer data

b.and c. above

a. and b. and c. above