Scenario 18-3 Successful Selling of Complex Products Such as Computer Software Requires

question 110

Multiple Choice

Scenario 18-3
Successful selling of complex products such as computer software requires excellent salespeople. Lack of quality service in the marketplace led Alan Hall, head of a small computer networking company, to open Technology Advancement Corporation in 1988. Today, Technology Advancement is a national field marketer with several divisions. The bulk of its business involves training and educating salespeople on the features, benefits, competitors, and market potential of Technology Advancement's clients' products. To date, Technology Advancement has focused on computer software and hardware makers and has launched most of the marquee names in the industry: Novell, Lotus Development, IBM, Microsoft, Apple Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Intel, and Xerox, as well as smaller firms.
Here's how the Technology Advancement client relationship works for training. A marketer hires the company to promote its product or to launch a new product, and Technology Advancement assigns a team exclusively to that client. The team gathers, usually at a ski resort, and the client comes in for the training. The training starts with explaining how to use direct communication with a prospective purchaser and how it fits the company strategy and differs from sales promotion. Latest developments in the selling process are explained with special emphasis on networking, follow-up strategies, and post-purchase customer service. Many computer giants have reported that this type of training program has significantly improved their business.
-Refer to the scenario. Which of the following statements does NOT describe an advantage personal selling can provide the computer companies?

• A)It can tailor the message to the customer's needs.
• B)It is good for explaining the merits of complex products.
• C)It is inexpensive on a per contact basis.
• D)It is effective in convincing a prospective client.

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Definitions:

Resource Allocation

The process of distributing available resources among various competing needs or uses in order to achieve a desired outcome or optimize efficiency.

Comparative Advantage

An economic theory stating that a country should specialise in producing and exporting goods in which it has a lower opportunity cost than other countries.

Opportunity Cost

Opportunity cost refers to the value of the next best alternative foregone as the result of making a decision.

Corn

A cereal plant that yields large kernels set in rows on a cob, a staple food in many parts of the world.