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Now that you have read this chapter, you should be able to understand how to communicate effectively and with proper etiquette in business.
Now it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice. The following are two roles that are involved in the same selling situation—one role is the customer, and the other is the salesperson. This will give you the opportunity to think about this selling situation from the point of view of both the customer and the salesperson.
Read each role carefully along with the discussion questions. Then be prepared to play either of the roles in class using the concepts covered in this chapter. You may be asked to discuss the roles and do a role-play in groups or individually.
Safe and Secure
Role: Sales rep for Sun Security Systems for retail stores
You are meeting with a potential customer who is responsible for purchasing security systems for over two hundred retail stores. He is convinced that your company’s security system is the one he wants to use, but he has to convince his boss. The key selling point in his mind, he mentions to you, is the fact that the system carries a money-back guarantee so that if anything happens, the company will be protected. You realize that he has misinterpreted the terms of the guarantee. It is a money-back guarantee only on the security system itself, not for any other loss. It appears that there was some miscommunication between all the meetings and follow-up e-mails.
Role: Security manager at Argon Retail, Inc.
You have been looking at security systems for several months and reviewing the offering from different suppliers. Sun Security Systems appears to offer the best performance at the best value. The key selling feature is the money-back guarantee. It’s a strong statement about how the company stands behind its products. This kind of low-risk investment is important to you and your company.
Discuss at least three reasons why informational interviews are good to do. Then watch this video to see if you named the reasons mentioned.
http://www.blinkx.com/video/what-is-an-informational-interview-myjobpath-video-series/6dugA0wq_-PRAk4EeUVjdASource: Bay Area Video Coalition