United Airflow, Inc.
Manufacturer of Household Appliances—
Salesperson’s Job
conditioners, dehumidifiers,
mall household appliances,
United Airflow, Inc., was a manufacturer of
humidifiers, vaporizers, and a variety of other
The United sales force consisted of 200 people, accounting for about $125
million net sales volume annually. Thomas Rogers had been a salesperson
for United Airflow for eight years, calling on department stores, discount
houses, appliance stores, and hardware stores. His territory consisted of
the western half of Ohio and southern Michigan. Rogers had been one of
the leading salespeople for United Airflow over the past three years, rank-
ing tenth among the entire sales force in sales volume. However, despite
favorable business conditions in his territory, Rogers’s performance had
fallen off, with a current ranking of thirtieth in the sales force.
The branch sales manager in Toledo, the office from which Rogers
worked, had a conference with Rogers to try to uncover the reasons for
the sales decline. The sales manager believed that a first step should be
to compare Rogers's daily call reports with the job description of a United
Airflow salesperson.job description for a United Airflow
Following is the “Specific Duties and Responsibilities” section of the
A
lesperson:
Present
ind potential customers
1. Achieve sales volume goals as determined in cooperation with
sales manager.
2. Improve dealers’ merchandising methods.
3. Call on dealers regularly.
4. Introduce new products by discussing with dealers the new
products’ selling features, new pol
they apply to the new products.
ies, and new campaigns as
5. Explain United's advertising and promotion plans and as
sist dealers in carrying out local advertising programs, and
make sure that all dealers are aware of current United Airflow
advertising,
6. Provide assistance in inventory control.
7. Assist dealers in training salespeople, setting up point-of-
purchase displays, solving retail management problems, and
provide any other assistance deemed essential for the mainte-
nance of a long-term relationship with customers.
8, Provide feedback of information relating to market trends, de-
mand preferences, dealer suggestions, competitive strategies,
and all other information thought to be valuable for the pres-
ervation of the United sales operation.
9. Handle complaints with an absolute minimum of delay and
make sure there is a fair settlement.
10. Secure new dealers by making a market analysis as suggested
‘on the Potential New Dealer form, including selection of towns
in which there is no dealer for United products, observation of
competition, selection of most desirable dealer prospect, and
presentation of the United Airflow sales program.
Contact architects, appliance dealers and installers, contractors,
and subcontractors and sell them United products, or sell them on
specifying United equipment for installation in new buildings and
new homes. Keep these persons informed of new developments
in the United Airflow line.
Keep abreast of competitive practices and dealers handling compet-
ing products by checking resale practices, sales plans, advertising,
and new products.
Prepare all reports and correspondence promptly so as to main-
tain their timeliness.E, Make effective utilization of time, being sure to take advantage
of every opportunity which will help to sharpen 5
develop better all
ales skills and
ound selling ability
Following are Rogers’ daily call reports for a typical week during the
past several months:
Monday
Cail 1. Nicholson Department Store. United customer. Took order for five
Model 78 G9 small vaporizers.
Cail 2. Drummond's Discount Variety. First call on prospective dealer. Inter-
ested in carrying toasters and radios. Call back later.
Call 3. Patton and Swain, Architects. Second call. Tried to interest them in
United products. Not interested.
Call 4. Hicks Hardware. First call. Tried to interest in our complete line.
Possible interest in smallest air-conditioning unit. Call back later.
Cail 5. Klein and Sons. Department store. Buyer unavailable.
Call 6. Poindexter Construction Co. Home builder. Completely unapproach-
able the moment I mentioned United Airflow. Could not get reason.
Call 7. Tufts Hardware. First call. Happy with present line of small appli-
ances and does not want to take on an additional line.
Call 8, Ames and Wade. Discount store. Sales poor in United dehumidifiers
and humidifiers, but okay in air conditioning. Thinking of dropping the
poor sellers and concentrating on better selling competitors. Will let me
know next trip.
Tuesday
Call 1. Sawyer Construction Co. Developers. Tried to interest in air condi-
tioners for apartment building complex. Appeared interested, but said to
contact the architect.
Call 2. Hennessy Appliance Outlet. Regular customer. Needed help with a
new point-of- purchase display. Couldn't oblige because of delay in getting
the materials from the Promotion Department. Upset, but placed normal
monthly order,
Call 3. Feinberg’s, Inc., department store. Regular customer. Business
slow, but expect it to get better. .
Call 4. Herb’s Hardware. Regular customer. Sales call interrupted when
long-lost pal of Herb’s appeared on the scene.
Gall 5. Skinner's Discount. Regular customer. Overstocked at present.Gall 6. Glick and Sons, department store. Regular customer. Took big
order. Sales good. Complained about lack of advertising support by
United
Call 7. C:
nbridge Appliances. First call. Buyer too busy. Call back later.
Call 8. Franklin Hardware. First call, Has nothing in this product line, but is
expanding store and seems interested in carrying these products
contacted by two competitors, Will call back.
Call 9, Horwitz, Inc. Regular customer, Buyer out all week.
Call 10. Drucker and Hayes. Regular customer. Small order for vaporizers.
Wednesday
Gall 1. Bosco and Baron. Large department store. Regular customer. Carries
most complete offering of anyone in territory. Reviewed advantages of
United Airflow products,
Call 2, Page's Bargainland, First call. Is in process of eliminating slow mov-
ers and not interested in taking on any new brands.
Call 3. Alberts and Machen. Architects for Sawyer Construction Co. Already
placed order with competitor for 300 air-conditioning units for Sawyer’s
new apartments. Expressed little interest for future orders.
Call 4. Callahan's, First call. New discount ‘store in Northeast Mall. Will
consider. Call back later.
Call 5. Kirshner Associates. Shopping center developer. Has plans for new
center. Call back later.
Call 6, Frost Brothers Appliances. Store closed. Reason unknown.
Gall 7. Gridiron State University. First call, Done business with competitor
for years and happy.
Thursday
Call 1. Thompson's Hardware. Regular customer. Not opéned yet.
Call 2, Glenn and Driscoll. Regular customer. Buyer out.
Call 3. Frank's Greasy Spoon. First call. Will consider an air conditioner.
Business slow. Call back later,
Call 4. Callahan Excavating. Building five homes now. Would like to
install United air-conditioning units but complained about price.
Call 5. Snell, Bascom, and Birch. Real-estate developers. Used to be good
customers but switched purchases to competitor for unstated reason.
Happy with present supplier.
Gall 6, Davis Stores, department store. Regular customer. Worked with
‘three salespeople on selling techniques.Call 7. Hardiman’s Discount store. Occasional customer. Business booming.
No order as don’t want to change anything while business is good.
Call 8. Hoffman’s House of Appliances. Regular customer. Complained
about lack of good salespeople. No order.
Friday
Spent morning in weekly sales meeting at branch sales office. Made first
call at 2:00 p.m.
Call 1. Vishrut’s Appliance Store. Regular customer. Took small order.
Call 2. Swast’s Appliances. Regular customer. Complained about competi-
tive dealers’ pricing tactics. Wondered if he could get United air condition-
ers, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, and vaporizers at lower prices.
Call 3. Roper and Sons. Appliance store. Regular customer. Buyer out.
Call 4. John’s. Department store. First call. Buyer out.
Call 5. Jeter and Jones. Hardware store. Regular customer. No order.
Call 6. Hoffman's House of Appliances. Regular customer. Owner-buyer out.