You will build your case analysis by answering a series of questions listed below. The questions are associated with specific chapters in your textbook. To answer them properly you will need to demonstrate your mastery of the material covered in those chapters.
The starting point for your case analysis is the Case Scenario, which contains basic information about the situation. The first thing you should do is to read this information and become familiar with it.
The questions below are designed for you to demonstrate an understanding of key practices as they pertain to a typical sales situation. For each of your responses to these questions, be sure to link specifics in the case to concepts from the text.
There is no specified length for your case analysis. However, you should aim to answer each question as thoroughly as possible. For information on how your work will be judged, see the “Assessment Guidelines for Case Analysis”, below. Use the criteria listed there as a guide when working on your case analysis.
The case analysis you submit should contain the following:
- Title page with your name, date, course code and mentor’s name.
- Introduction to your case analysis.
- The main body of your analysis (i.e. your answers to the questions below).
- Conclusion, in which you describe any factors not presented in the Case Scenario that you believe, could influence the outcome of the meeting.
Case Scenario
You are an experienced salesperson in the sales department of an apparel manufacturing company. Your manager has scheduled a meeting at your facilities in two weeks with an executive group from SmartLook, a clothing retailer. You have been assigned to meet with these important customers.
Information you have at this point includes the fact that SmartLook likes to “buy low”, but normally places large orders. However, your company prefers to “sell high.” Also, your company might not be able to deliver huge orders unless it invests in new facilities.
The team SmartLook is sending includes three people: the vice president of marketing, the purchasing manager, and a designer. They are interested in developing a collection for next season and determining a price with you. They also want to place a trial order at the price that would be the same as for a large (bulk) order. They will ask for delivery of the trial order to be made two weeks after you meet with them and agree on terms. Two problems with this request are: (a) the trial order is well below the minimum quantity your company is willing to accept and (b) your company normally needs one month to fill a new order.
In preparing for the upcoming meeting, answer the following questions:
- How can you use adaptive selling to deal with the issues in this situation? (Reference: Chapter 10)
- What will you need to do to create a value-added presentation to the SmartLook group? (Reference: Chapter 11)
- How can other departments in your company help you build a long-term partnership with SmartLook? (Reference: Chapter 15)
- What aspects of opportunity management can you, the salesperson, use in coping with these significant customers? (Reference: Chapter 16)
- What principles of negotiation may play a key role in the meeting with the SmartLook executives? Explain how. (Reference: Chapter 13)
- What common types of buyer concerns do the following possible statements indicate?
(a)We are concerned that you will not be able to meet our quality requirements;
(b) Your price is too high;
(c) Either take this trial or we will look for another manufacturer.
Provide positive approaches you might use to resolve these concerns. (Reference: Chapter 13).
SOLUTION TO THIS
ANSWER 1
Although it is a well established policy in the company to accept orders after negotiating the best possible rate (high selling) and accepting orders well within the capacity limits of the existing facilities, this will be subject to some adaptive selling as SmartLook Group are important customers. We already know that they place bulk order at lower wholesale prices and that the current trial orders they will place with us is well below or minimum acceptable order with an extremely low lead time of two weeks as opposed to our terms of a minimum one month period. Issues can be overcome using adaptive selling in the following areas:
- Based on the ordering nature of this customer, I would alter our sales pitch to accommodate their requirements as best possible. I would be open for discussing the situation before making any decisions
- Would stress on building long term relations with SmartLook Group with prospects of working collaboratively to manufacture products tailor made to their specific requirements. This would help drive home the fact that we as a Company see their point and are willing to do business their way
Would stress that meeting their bulk order requirements would have been the most profitable for us, however, the capacity of our facilities does not permit this. Would still honor this commitment for bulk orders by getting part of the work outsourced to our business
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