Discussion Questions

1. Describe the type of sales activities that would be appropriate at different buy phases in the purchase process for (a) a new-task purchase, (b) a modified- rebuy purchase, and (c) a straight-rebuy. To what extent is the salesperson able to influence the purchase process after the initial sales presentation?
2. Assume that you are a salesperson with the task of developing sales to two groups of business customers. One group has long-established relationships with single suppliers, and the other changes frequently among different suppliers. Explain how you would assess the requirement of companies from the two groups. What would you expect these differences to be and how would your sales approach cope with them?
3. This chapter has separated the members of the buying center into a number of categories: users, deciders, buyers, and gatekeepers. Discuss the ways in which a marketing company can reach and influence these different groups and whether personal media are likely to be more or less successful.
4. This chapter has suggested that companies can compete on the bases of their problem solving ability and their transfer ability. How would the way in which marketing was organized be different between companies whose orientation was toward problem solving and those that concentrated on transfer ability?
5. From a marketer?s perspective, what are the advantages and disadvantage of dealing with a modern, centralized purchasing function compared to a decentralized department?
6. ?In selling to a committee, it is definitely more effective to make an initial presentation to the group as a whole and then handle objections and problems in separate, individual sessions.? Agree or disagree with this statement and explain why.