MAR 4400 Personal Selling

Assignment #1

PLEASE WRITE YOUR NAME: Sophia Joyce

INSTRUCTIONS: After watching the video ICX - Personal Selling: Helping People Solve Problems.
(http://online.fiu.edu/videos/?vivoId=8a1f51171d0b4cd8abd61d98ebee80ef

Please answer each of the questions below. PLEASE WRITE CLEARLY.

This assignment is worth $20. Use your textbook to answer the questions.

1. What kind of personal selling approach does Michael use (Chapter 1, pages 11-16)? Explain why.

Michael uses consultative selling as a personalized approach to help Howard achieve his strategic goals.
With this strategy, you will focus on gaining an in-depth understanding of Howard's business
requirements, pitfalls, and priorities.
Michael also offers specially customized solutions that focus on meeting Howard's needs, emphasizing
the benefits they will have for his company. Using his experience, he also acts as a consultant, offering
suggestions and advice. Consultative selling is a strategic approach that does not focus on a single
transaction, but on building long-term customer relationships and comprehensive support. Together,
these elements make consultative selling effective in helping Howard achieve its strategic goals.

2. What classification or type of sales job does Michael have (Chapter 1, pages 19-21)? Explain why.

Michael's sales job can be classified as a combination of support sales and unsupported sales. On the
one hand, it assists Howard in the specification process and follows up on calls, which are known as
qualities of support sales, for its focus on providing detailed information and assistance during decision-
making to ensure that Howard's needs are continuously met.
On the other hand, Michael also closes deals with Howard, which is a quality of unsupported sales since
it implies the responsibility of carrying out the negotiation and closing the sale. Since your role requires
you to perform multiple responsibilities including both customer support and concluding business
agreements, you can be considered to perform a combined sales job that encompasses both support
sales and unsupported sales.

3. Name three (3) qualifications or skills that Michael strongly displayed (Chapter 1, pages 21-22). Give
examples of how he displayed each one.

Michael has proven to be a highly competent salesperson with a number of key skills. First of all, his
ability to solve problems is remarkable, since he can provide quick and effective answers to Jennifer's
questions, managing to increase customer confidence. His ability for active listening is evident and is
taken as the second remarkable skill. In that sense, always pay attention before asking questions and
seek additional information when necessary. His initiative demonstrates an approach aimed at
understanding customer needs in depth. His oral communication skills are outstanding, as he manages
to persuade the buyer to close the sale. Your ability to effectively communicate the value of your
offering is critical to sales success. These skills make Michael a highly effective and customer-oriented
salesperson.
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Assignment #1

4. Describe three (3) trust builders that Michael displayed (Chapter 2). For each, give an example of
what he did.

Michael stands out as a salesperson because of his strong customer orientation. He always keeps the
customer's needs and expectations in mind, ensuring that both are on the same page throughout the
sales process. This careful attention to the customer's concerns creates an environment of trust and
comfort, which is essential to establishing lasting relationships in the sales world.
Michael's experience is an important confidence builder. His record of accomplishment of success
demonstrates that he can deliver on his promises and meet client needs effectively. The ability to share
concrete examples of how he has helped other clients in similar situations further enhances his
credibility by demonstrating that he is a professional who can be trusted.
Michael's reliability is a key characteristic. Customers feel confident working with him because they
know he is a dependable vendor who will deliver as promised. This reliability translates into peace of
mind for customers because they know they will be supported in the event of any problems or
concerns.

5. Describe three (3) knowledge bases that Michael used to help build trust (Chapter 2). For each, give
an example of what he did.

Michael demonstrated the application of three strong knowledge bases that contributed significantly to
building confidence during his participation in the trade show.
We started with the effective use of technology by utilizing a specific program to gain valuable insights
from the trade show. This is simple but demonstrated his ability to leverage modern tools to improve
his customer acquisition process. By exhibiting a deep understanding of the industry and discerning
which methods were effective and which were not when interacting with prospects at the trade show,
he had an assist in tailoring his approach and maximizing his efforts. Last but not least, his knowledge of
the customer played a crucial role. Michael had a keen understanding of his clients' needs and trends,
which was critical to closing successful deals, as he was able to provide customized solutions that
resonated with each client's specific needs. These knowledge bases, combined with his ability to apply
them effectively, were key to gaining the trust of the clients at the trade show.

6. Describe ICX’s Needs Gap (Chapter 3, pages 57-58). What’s the actual state? Desired state?

ICX appears to be facing two significant challenges on both the situational and functional levels. These
challenges relate to expanding its presence in new markets and improving its sales strategies. While
Michael is making an outstanding effort in this area, it’s clear that ICX needs an intelligent and
coordinated approach to acquire more customers and expand its reach. This involves not only the work
of salespeople, such as Michael, but also the collaboration of other stakeholders in the company. The
current state shows that ICX has the product it wants to sell, but the desired state involves determining
how to effectively market that product. This will require a more strategic approach that includes
participating in multiple trade shows and implementing persuasion strategies to attract and retain
customers in their base.

7. Describe the type(s) of buyer needs that ICX had (Chapter 3, pages 57-59): functional, situational,
social, psychological, and knowledge.
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ICX, as described in chapter 3 (pages 57-59), primarily faced three types of buyer needs: functional,
situational, and knowledge. Functional needs were related to the tasks they had to perform to sell their
product effectively, such as communicating product value and planning sales strategies. Situational
needs arose from the changing circumstances at each trade show they sought to reach, including
adapting to different audiences and competitors. In addition, they require knowledge to stay on top of
industry trends, persuasive methods, and best practices in sales strategies.

8. What steps of the organizational (business) buying decision process (Figure 3.1) were actually
observed in the video?

Step What Did You Observe?

1. Recognition of Problem
2. Determination of Characteristics
3. Description of Characteristics
4. Search/Qualify Potential Sources
5. Acquisition & Analysis
6. Evaluation of Proposals
7. Selection
8. Performance & Feedback
It begins with a recognition of the requirements and
needs.
It was observed how Michael acquired the proposal or
solution he offered, which included providing detailed
information and relevant data for Howard's analysis.
Determined the specific characteristics of Howard's
needs, understanding in depth his requirements and
preferences.
During the conversation, Michael may have mentioned
potential sources or resources that could help address
Howard's needs, which could have been helpful.
He acquired the proposal or solution he had for Howard
and performed a detailed analysis of how that proposal
aligned with Howard's needs.
Critically evaluated the proposal, ensuring that it was
adequate to solve Howard's problems and aligned with
its strategic objectives.
The video ended with the idea of providing feedback on
performance, suggesting that this step could be part of
the process to evaluate the effectiveness of the
solution.

8. What type of purchasing decision is illustrated (Chapter 3, pages 67-69)? Explain your answer.

9. What are the distinct roles of the buying team (users, initiators, influencers, gatekeepers, deciders,
purchasers) – (Chapter 3)? Then what are their primary communication/social styles?
MAR 4400 Personal Selling
Assignment #1

Role Role/Responsibilities Primary Social Style

Salesperson – No need to complete this
Michael Driver
section

Margo (CEO) Initiator, decider Driver

Bill (Sales VP) Influencer Driver

Jennifer (CFO) Influencer Analytical

Howard (Project
Purchaser, Gatekeeper Analytical
Head)