MKT 3063 Personal Selling
Dr. Thomas F. Cannon
Case Study #2 (5.0)
“What Makes Him So Successful?”
____________________________________________________
Dan Clover met with several customers during his day of selling. Your answers must demonstrate your understanding of why Dan acted in the manner he did during the rapport stage of selling.
Read the case study carefully for clues and support each of your answers with specific information or logical assumptions based on information.
1. Customers: (1.25) Center-city drug store pharmacy operated by afather and son:
· Why did Dan take off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves? (0.625)
· What is the significance of a salesperson (such as Dan or Wanda) noticing the wall hangings and coffee table magazines? (0.625)
2. Customer: (1.25) Dr. Stanley Hafer who works at a suburban hospital:
· In sales term/jargon, Nurse Ruth Blair is considered what? (0.625)
· What role, if any, does Nurse Ruth Blair have in the buying decision? (0.625)
3. Customer: (1.25) Dr. Beverly Pruett who operates a private medical clinic:
· Why did Dan wait for Dr. Pruett to sit before seating himself? (0.625)
· Dan did not engage in rapport building based on his assumption of Dr. Pruett’s communication style which he most likely thinks is what? (0.625)
4. Rapport Stage: (1.25) Effective rapport building creates a level of comfort between a
prospect/customer and the sales person. Complete the following sentence about the value of
rapport building.
As in any relationship, comfort builds ______ which will lead to a long-term _________________.
Submission Format:
· One cover sheet (See Blackboard)
· Arial font, 11 or 12 point
· Print this answer sheet front/back if necessary and if possible
· Staple all pages together
FIN 3660
Assignment Chapters 5-6 Name:
1. Briefly discuss the three most important characteristics of term life insurance
a.
b.
c.
2. Please define each of the following and provide one scenario in which each plan or type of coverage would be appropriate.
(a) Estate plan:
(b) A key person insurance plan:
(c) Credit life insurance:
(d) A business continuation insurance plan:
(e) A buy-sell agreement:
3. Please describe the key features of each of the following types of policies:
(a) An endowment insurance policy:
(b) Variable life policy:
(c) Universal life policy:
4. Describe the differences between a last survivor life insurance policy and a joint whole life insurance policy.
5. Rebecca Dee is the policy owner-insured of a life insurance policy that names her 27-year-old son, Eli, as the beneficiary. If Ms. Dee dies while the policy is in force and while Eli is still alive, then the death benefit of the policy
a. Will be payable to whom? _______
b. Will or will not (mark the correct answer) be taxable income to the recipient.
On the remaining questions, please indicate the CORRECT statement and explain why the other three statements are not correct:
6. Emmanuel L ...
MKT 3063 Personal SellingDr. Thomas F. CannonCase Study #2.docx
1. MKT 3063 Personal Selling
Dr. Thomas F. Cannon
Case Study #2 (5.0)
“What Makes Him So Successful?”
____________________________________________________
Dan Clover met with several customers during his day of
selling. Your answers must demonstrate your understanding of
why Dan acted in the manner he did during the rapport stage of
selling.
Read the case study carefully for clues and support each of your
answers with specific information or logical assumptions based
on information.
1. Customers: (1.25) Center-city drug store pharmacy operated
by afather and son:
· Why did Dan take off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves?
(0.625)
· What is the significance of a salesperson (such as Dan or
Wanda) noticing the wall hangings and coffee table magazines?
(0.625)
2. Customer: (1.25) Dr. Stanley Hafer who works at a suburban
hospital:
· In sales term/jargon, Nurse Ruth Blair is considered what?
(0.625)
· What role, if any, does Nurse Ruth Blair have in the buying
decision? (0.625)
3. Customer: (1.25) Dr. Beverly Pruett who operates a private
medical clinic:
· Why did Dan wait for Dr. Pruett to sit before seating himself?
(0.625)
· Dan did not engage in rapport building based on his
2. assumption of Dr. Pruett’s communication style which he most
likely thinks is what? (0.625)
4. Rapport Stage: (1.25) Effective rapport building creates a
level of comfort between a
prospect/customer and the sales person. Complete the
following sentence about the value of
rapport building.
As in any relationship, comfort builds ______ which will lead
to a long-term _________________.
Submission Format:
· One cover sheet (See Blackboard)
· Arial font, 11 or 12 point
· Print this answer sheet front/back if necessary and if possible
· Staple all pages together
FIN 3660
Assignment Chapters 5-6 Name:
1. Briefly discuss the three most important characteristics of
term life insurance
a.
b.
c.
2. Please define each of the following and provide one scenario
in which each plan or type of coverage would be appropriate.
(a) Estate plan:
(b) A key person insurance plan:
(c) Credit life insurance:
3. (d) A business continuation insurance plan:
(e) A buy-sell agreement:
3. Please describe the key features of each of the following
types of policies:
(a) An endowment insurance policy:
(b) Variable life policy:
(c) Universal life policy:
4. Describe the differences between a last survivor life
insurance policy and a joint whole life insurance policy.
5. Rebecca Dee is the policy owner-insured of a life insurance
policy that names her 27-year-old son, Eli, as the beneficiary. If
Ms. Dee dies while the policy is in force and while Eli is still
alive, then the death benefit of the policy
a. Will be payable to whom? _______
b. Will or will not (mark the correct answer) be taxable income
to the recipient.
On the remaining questions, please indicate the CORRECT
statement and explain why the other three statements are not
correct:
6. Emmanuel Lawson purchased a new home and obtained a 30-
year mortgage from the
MTSU Mortgage Company. The terms of the mortgage loan
contract required Mr. Lawson to purchase mortgage life
insurance and to name MTSU as the beneficiary of the mortgage
life insurance policy. Mr. Lawson purchased mortgage life
insurance from the Southside Insurance Company. Which of the
following statements are correct?
(1) MTSU Mortgage Company is a party to the mortgage life
insurance contract that Mr. Lawson purchased.
(2) Southside Insurance is a party to the mortgage loan contract
that Mr. Richards obtained.
4. (3) The amount of the renewal premium Mr. Lawson will pay
for his mortgage life insurance policy is likely to decrease
throughout the 30-year term of his mortgage loan.
(4) The amount of the policy benefit payable at any given time
under Mr. Lawson’s mortgage life insurance policy generally
equals the amount Mr. Lawson owes on the mortgage loan.
7. The following statements are about family income coverage
and credit life insurance. Which statement is correct?
(1) Family income coverage is a plan of increasing term life
insurance.
(2) Family income coverage provides a stated monthly income
benefit amount to the
beneficiary—typically the insured’s surviving spouse—if the
insured dies during the term of coverage.
(3) The amount of benefit payable under a credit life insurance
policy usually remains level over the duration of the loan.
(4) The policy benefit of a credit life insurance policy may be
paid to a beneficiary other than the lender, or creditor, if the
insured borrower dies during the policy’s term.
8. Lisa Churchill purchased a $100,000 15-year renewable term
insurance policy on her life. At the end of the 15-year term, the
renewal provision in Ms. Churchill’s policy most likely gives
her the right, within specified limits, to renew her insurance
coverage
(1) Without having to submit evidence of her insurability
(2) For a one-year term, but not for another 15-year term
(3) After first undergoing a required medical examination
(4) At the same premium rate she was charged for the original
15-year term policy
9. Alexis Richardson, age 35, purchased a $250,000 30-year
return of premium (ROP) term insurance policy from the
Parsons Insurance Company. Ms. Richardson paid annual
5. premiums of $700. Ms. Richardson paid all required premiums
and was alive at the end of the 30-year term when the policy
expired. This information indicates that
(1) Ms. Richardson’ policy expired without Parsons Insurance
Company making any payment to anyone
(2) Parsons Insurance Company paid $21,000 to Ms. Richardson
(3) Parsons Insurance Company paid $250,000 to the
beneficiary of Ms. Richardson’s policy
(4) Parsons Insurance Company paid $250,000 to Ms.
Richardson’s attorney
10. The difference between an endowment insurance policy and
a cash value life insurance policy is that only the endowment
insurance policy
(1) Pays a fixed benefit whether the insured survives to the
policy’s maturity date or dies before that maturity date
(2) Has premiums that are level throughout the term of the
policy
(3) Steadily builds a cash value
(4) Receives favorable federal income tax treatment in the
United States
Cash Value Life Insurance and
Endowment Insurance
Life and Health Insurance FIN 3660
Chapter 6
Cash value life insurance vs. whole life insurance
Cash value life insurance – (permanent life insurance) provides
life insurance coverage throughout the insured’s lifetime and
provides a savings element, known as cash value.
Provides protection for the entire lifetime of the insured
6. Provides both insurance coverage and a savings element that a
policyowner can use to meet financial needs during the
insured’s lifetime.
Whole life insurance – a type of cash value life insurance that
provides lifetime insurance coverage usually at a level premium
rate that does not increase as the insured ages.
Whole life – refers to the broad classification of insurance
products that are considered to be cash value insurance.
Also used to refer to a specific type of cash value insurance
product.
2
Whole Life Insurance
Policy loan – a loan a policyowner receives from an insurer
using the cash value of a life insurance policy as security.
Cash surrender value – the amount of the cash value that a
policyowner is entitled to receive upon surrender.
Premium Payment Periods
Continuous-premium whole life policy: premiums are payable
until the death of the insured.
Most whole life insurance policies sold today are continuous-
premium policies.
Also known as a straight life insurance policy or an ordinary
life insurance policy.
Limited-payment whole life policy: a whole life policy for
which premiums are payable only for a stated period of time or
until the insured’s death, whichever occurs first.
They are designed to meet a policyowner’s need for life
insurance coverage that continues throughout the insured’s
lifetime and that is funded over a limited time.
Paid-up policy – requires no further premium payments but
continues to provide coverage.
Single-premium whole life policy: a type of limited payment
policy that requires only one premium payment.
3
7. Whole Life Insurance
Modified Whole Life Insurance
Modified-premium whole life policy: a whole life policy for
which the annual premium amount changes after a specified
initial period (typically 5 or 10 years).
The face amount of a modified-premium policy remains level
throughout the life of the policy.
Graded-premium policies - whole life policies for which
premium payments are modified even more frequently.
Modified coverage policy: a whole life policy under which the
amount of insurance provided decreases by specific percentages
or amounts either when the insured reaches certain stated ages
or at the end of stated time periods.
The annual premium for a modified coverage whole life policy
is lower than for a continuous-premium whole life policy having
the same initial face amount.
4
Whole Life Insurance
Whole Life Insurance Covering More Than One Insured
Joint whole life insurance: same features and benefits as
individual whole life insurance, except that it insures two
people under the same policy.
Referred to as fist-to-die life insurance
Because coverage under a joint whole life policy ends once the
policy death benefit is paid, the surviving insured may be left
uninsured.
Last survivor life insurance: a variation of joint whole life
insurance under which the policy benefit is paid only after both
people insured by the policy have died.
Also known as second-to-die life insurance or survivorship life
insurance
8. Family Policies: a whole life insurance policy that includes term
life insurance coverage on the primary insured’s spouse and
children.
5
Universal Life Insurance
Universal Life (UL) Insurance – a form of cash value life
insurance that is characterized by its flexible premiums, its
flexible face amount and death benefit amount, and its
separation of the three primary policy elements.
Separation of Policy Elements
Mortality Charges: the amount needed to cover the risk the
insurer has assumed in issuing the policy.
“Cost of insurance”
Periodically deducted from a universal life insurance policy’s
cash value.
Interest Rate
Universal life insurance policy guarantees that the insurer will
pay at least a stated minimum interest rate on the policy’s cash
value each year.
Insurer will pay a higher interest rate if economic and
competitive conditions warrant.
Usually the insurer determines the current interest rate for
universal life policies based on the return that its own
investments are earning.
6
Universal Life Insurance
Separation of Policy Elements
Expenses
A flat charge during the first policy year to cover sales and
policy issue costs.
A percentage of each annual premium (such as 7 percent) to
cover expenses.
9. A monthly administration (management) fee, sometimes referred
to as a policy fee.
Surrender charges, which are specific charges imposed if the
owner surrenders the policy for its cash surrender value.
Specific charges for other services such as coverage changes or
policy withdrawals.
Operation of a Universal Life Insurance Policy
When an insurance company receives a universal life premium
payment, the insurer first deducts the amount of any applicable
expense charges. The insurer then credits the remainder of the
premium to the policy’s cash value.
The policyowner can increase the cash value of a universal life
policy by making additional or larger-than-required premium
payments.
If the cash value of any universal life policy is not sufficient to
pay the periodic mortality and expense charges, the policy will
lapse, unless the policyowner takes action to keep the policy in
force.
Lapse: the termination of a life insurance policy for nonpayment
of premium.
7
Universal Life Insurance
Flexibility Features
A universal life insurance policy gives the policyowner a great
deal of flexibility, both when he purchases the policy and over
the life of the policy.
Face Amount and Death Benefit: when a person buys a universal
life policy, he specifies the policy’s face amount and decides
whether the amount of the death benefit payable will remain
equal to the face amount (as with most traditional whole life
policies or will vary with changes in the policy’s cash value.
Premiums: a universal life policy may be either a flexible
premium policy or a fixed premium policy.
Flexible premium universal life insurance policy – allows the
10. policyowner to alter the amount and frequency of premium
payments, within specified limits.
Fixed premium iniversal life insurance policy – requires a series
of scheduled premium payments of a specified amount for a
specified length of time (typically 8 to 10 years) or until the
insured’s death, whichever comes first.
8
Universal Life Insurance
Periodic Reports
Generally include:
The amount of the death benefit payable
The amount of the policy’s cash value
The amount of the cash surrender value, if different from the
cash value
The amount of interest earned on the cash value
The amount of the mortality charges deducted
The amount of the expense charges deducted
The amount of premiums paid during the reporting period
The amount of policy loans outstanding
The amount of any cash value withdrawals
9
Variable Life Insurance
Variable Life (VL) Insurance - a form of cash value life
insurance in which premiums are fixed, but the death benefit
and other values may vary, reflecting the performance of
investment subaccounts that the policyowner selects.
Subaccount: an undivided investment account in which an
insurer maintains funds that support its contractual obligations
to pay benefits under its guaranteed insurance products, such as
whole life insurance and other nonvariable products.
11. Separate account: (segregate account) an investment account the
insurer maintains separately from its general account to isolate
and help manage the funds placed in its variable products.
General account: an undivided investment account in which an
insurer maintains funds that support its contractual obligations
to pay benefits under its guaranteed insurance products, such as
whole life insurance and other nonvariable products.
10
Variable Universal Life Insurance
Variable Universal Life (VUL) Insurance – (flexible-premium
variable life insurance) combines the premium and death benefit
flexibility of universal life insurance with the investment
flexibility and risk of variable life insurance.
11
Endowment Insurance
Endowment Insurance – provides a policy benefit payable either
when the insured dies or on a stated date if the insured is still
alive on that date.
Maturity date: the date on which the insurer will pay the
policy’s face amount to the policyowner if the insured is still
living.
Reached either (1.) at the end of a stated term, such as 20 years,
or (2.) when the insured reaches a specified age.
12
Term Life Insurance
Life and Health Insurance FIN 3660
Chapter 5
12. Outline
Needs Met by Life Insurance
Personal Needs
Business Needs
Term Life Insurance
Characteristics of Term Life Insurance Products
Plans of Term Life Insurance Coverage
Features of Term Life Insurance Policies
2
Needs Met by Life Insurance
Personal Needs
Most common personal needs that life insurance can meet are:
Dependents’ support
Estate planning
Paying debts and final expenses
3
Dependents Support
Life insurance can provide funds to support the family members
of a deceased loved one until they obtain new methods of
support or until they adjust to living on a lower income.
The proceeds can also be used to supplement the family’s
income.
In many jurisdictions, the beneficiary of a lump sum of money
after the death of a loved one is usually not taxed on the money
they receive.
4
Estate Planning
Estate- the accumulated assets an individual owns when he/she
13. dies.
Will- a legal document that directs how the individual’s
property is to be distributed after his death.
The executor is the person who is a personal representative of
the person who has died with a valid will. (administrator if they
person died without a valid will)
Estate Plan- considers the amount of assets and debts that
he/she is likely to have when he/she dies and how best to
preserve those assets so that they can be distributed as she
desires.
Life insurance is an important part of the estate plan.
Can leave home to one child and life insurance policy to the
other.
5
Debts and Final Expenses
A person’s death generally does not extinguish his/her debts.
In some cases the deceased estate isn’t large enough to pay
his/her debts and final expenses.
If a life insurance policy is included in the estate plan, the
proceeds can help pay those remaining debts.
6
Business needs
Two reasons for a business to purchase life insurance:
To provide funds to ensure that the business continues in the
event of the death of an owner, partner, or other key person.
To provide benefits for its employees.
7
Business Continuation Insurance
An insurance plan designed to enable a business owner(s) to
14. provide for the business’ continued operation if the owner or a
key person dies.
Key Person Life Insurance- individual life insurance that a
business purchases on the life of a key person.
The business owner is the beneficiary of the insurance policy if
the person dies.
Buy-Sell Agreement- an agreement in which one party agrees to
purchase the financial interest that a second party has in a
business following the second party’s death and the second
party agrees to direct his estate to sell his interest in the
business to the purchasing party.
8
Characteristics of Term Life Insurance Products
Provides a death benefit only is the insured dies during the
period specified in the policy.
The length of the policy term varies considerably from one
policy to another.
Another common type of term life insurance cover the insured
until he/she reaches a specified age, usually 65 or 70.
Referred to as term to age___.
9
Level Term Life Insurance
Most common plan of term insurance.
AKA Level face amount term life insurance or guaranteed level
premium term insurance.
Provides a policy benefit that remains the same over the term of
the policy.
Amount of initial premium and each renewal premium payable
for a level term policy remains the same throughout the stated
policy term.
15. 10
Decreasing Term Life Insurance
Provides a policy that decreases in amount over the term
coverage.
The amount of each renewal premium payable for a decreasing
term insurance policy usually remains level throughout the
policy term.
Three common plans of decreasing term insurance are mortgage
life insurance, credit life insurance, and family income
insurance.
11
Mortgage Life Insurance
A plan of decreasing term insurance designed to provide a
benefit amount that corresponds to the decreasing amount owed
on a mortgage loan.
The beneficiary is often a family member of the insured.
Joint Mortgage Life Insurance- provides the same benefit as a
mortgage life insurance except the join policy insures the lives
of two people.
12
Credit Life Insurance
A type of life insurance designed to pay the balance due on a
loan if the borrower dies before the loan is repaid.
Generally the loan must be a type of loan that can be repaid in
10 years or less
Premiums for credit life insurance may be level over the
duration of the loan or, in cases in which the amount of the loan
varies, may increase or decrease as the amount of the
outstanding loan balance increases or decreases
16. 13
Family Income Coverage
A plan of decreasing term life insurance that provides to the
beneficiary a stated monthly income benefit amount if the
insured dies during the term of coverage.
A form of decreasing term life insurance
Most commonly purchased as a policy rider to a cash value life
insurance policy.
Policy Rider is an amendment to an insurance policy that
becomes apart of the insurance contract and either expands or
limits the benefits payable under the contract.
14
Increasing Term Life Insurance
Provides a death benefit that starts at one amount and increases
by some specified amount of percentage at stated intervals over
the policy term.
Often purchased as a rider to a life insurance policy and usually
is just for a limited time.
Premium generally increases as the amount of coverage
increases.
15
Renewable Term Insurance
A term life insurance policy that gives the policyowner the
option to continue the coverage at the end of the specified term
without presenting evidence of insurability (proof that the
insured person continues to be an insurable risk).
Renewal Provision- the provision in the policy that gives the
insured the right to continue coverage without presenting
evidence of insurability.
17. Most common limitations on renewals
The coverage may be renewed only until the insured attains a
stated age.
The coverage may be renewed only a stated maximum number
of times.
16
Convertible Term Insurance
Gives the policyowner the right to convert the term policy to a
cash value life insurance policy.
Conversion Privilege- allows the policyowner to change the
term insurance policy to a cash value policy without providing
evidence that the insured is an insurable risk.
Premium rate is higher when a term policy is converted into a
cash policy.
Attained age conversion- premium is based on insured’s age
Original age conversion- premium rate is based on insured’s age
when original term policy was issued
17
Return of Premium Term Insurance
A form of term life insurance that provides a death benefit if the
insured dies during the policy term and promises a return of
premiums if the insured does not die during the policy term.
18
MKT 3063 / Personal Selling
Dr. Thomas F. Cannon
18. Case Study #2
“What Makes Him So Successful?”
Wanda Soules is a new salesperson for Corbet Corporation, a
small pharmaceutical company.
After graduating near the top of her class with a degree in
biology from an Ivy League university,
Wanda had interviewed with several companies for a job in
research and development. She
took a couple of interviews in technical sales—mainly as a lark
because her college roommate
had challenged her to do it. Surprisingly, the two sales
interviews convinced Wanda to switch
directions and start her business career in sales with Corbet.
After completing an intensive one-
month training program, which concentrated mainly on product
knowledge and role plays of
sales calls, Wanda was assigned to a territory that mostly
consisted of small, private medical
practices, retail store pharmacies, and hospitals.
Wanda did well in training and felt she learned a great deal
about the company’s products and
the proper “steps” in selling. But her first month was
disappointingly slow, even though she
faithfully followed the same selling steps she had learned in the
training program. After Wanda’s
second slow month, her sales manager suggested that she spend
a day traveling with one of
the company’s rising star sales reps, Dan Clover. Wanda was a
little perturbed to be asked to
tag along behind another salesperson who had only about a year
19. more selling experience than
she had. And Dan was only twenty-two years old—her own age!
She felt she could learn more
from a real veteran rep. Wanda also knew that Dan didn’t even
have a technical degree.
Nevertheless, she had to comply with her sales manager’s
request. On Monday, this is how her
day goes:
The two young missionary reps meet for breakfast at 7 A.M.
Dan suggests that Wanda just
observe everything during the calls but hold her comments until
the end of the day, when they
can sit down together to critique the entire day. Wanda says
nothing but thinks to herself, “He’s
condescending to me . . . and I know more than he does.”
The first call is at 8 A.M. at a center-city drugstore pharmacy
run by a father-and-son team.
As they leave the car, Wanda is surprised to see Dan remove his
suit coat and roll up his
shirtsleeves. She is about to remark that she really doesn’t think
it’s appropriate to be so casual
(after all, they’re representing a respected company with an
image to uphold), but, remembering
Dan’s request to watch the day’s progression with an open
mind, Wanda resists the temptation
to say anything.
As they enter the store and head back to the pharmacy
department, Wanda notices that neither
pharmacist has a white lab coat on and their sleeves are rolled
up. Dan and the senior
pharmacist head back to his office with Wanda tagging behind.
They chat casually about fishing
while Wanda stands by, silently but impatiently waiting for
20. them to get down to business. “What
a waste of time,” Wanda thinks to herself, as the two men talk
on and on about fishing. “Dan
probably hasn’t memorized the sales presentation that we were
taught, so he’s trying to
sidetrack the conversation to keep from being embarrassed in
front of me.”
While they talk, Wanda glances around the office at all the
nature scenes on the walls. Many
show the father and son pharmacists, each with a rod and reel,
wading in mountain streams up
to their hips. Wanda considers them tranquil scenes, but
somewhat monotonous. Even the
magazines on the coffee table look alike: Field and Stream,
Wildlife, Hunting and Fishing, and
Backpacking. “Boy, I’d hate to be stuck a long time in this
room,” she says to herself.
Finally, the two stop chatting and Dan mentions the new drug
they should have been discussing
the entire time. Dan speaks briefly about the benefits of the new
drug and leaves some
information. Wanda is dumbfounded. They’ve been here for
twenty-five minutes, and Dan has
only talked about their company’s products for five minutes.
And even more amazing, as they
are leaving, the senior pharmacist says, “I’ll give the new drug
a try, Dan, to see how it works. I’ll
call you with my order by the end of next week.”
Their next call is with Dr. Stanley Hafer at a suburban hospital
outside of the city. Wanda
21. notices that Dan rolls down his sleeves and replaces his jacket
before entering the hospital.
After signing in at the security desk, they are escorted to the
doctor’s office by the doctor’s
nurse, Ruth Blair. Wanda is surprised to hear Dan’s
conversation with the nurse. He speaks to
her about Corbet’s new product, asks her opinion on some of the
company’s other products,
and even leaves a sample and some product brochures with her.
Wanda can’t believe that Dan
is wasting all this time and energy on the nurse when everyone
knows that it’s the doctors who
make all the decisions. After Dan has spent about fifteen
minutes with the nurse (while Wanda
tries not to act upset), they go in to see Dr. Hafer.
They have only a few minutes with the doctor, who is expected
in surgery shortly. Wanda is
surprised that the doctor asks only a couple of questions about
the drug before excusing himself
and heading out the door. As he leaves, Dr. Hafer calls back:
“Leave your product brochures
and a sample with my nurse, Mrs. Blair.”
On the way out of the medical office, Dan stops to say goodbye
to Mrs. Blair, and Wanda is
interested to hear her say, “I’m sure the doctor will give your
new drug a try. Why don’t you call
me next week to check on how we like it?”
The third call of the day is at a small medical practice about
four blocks away from the hospital.
As they enter the room, Dan greets the nurse by her first name,
Sandra. Wanda can’t believe
how informal Dan is acting with Sandra—telling her jokes and
22. asking about her son’s Little
League games. Wanda thinks, “How could this guy be one of
the company’s rising young stars?
He wastes time on every call, and he doesn’t stick to the sales
steps that we were taught in the
training program. Matter of fact, he seems to change his style
and approach on each call. He
isn’t the least bit consistent or professional!”
The last call of the morning is at Dr. Beverly Pruett’s office at
another private medical clinic.
After announcing themselves at the receptionist’s desk, Dan and
Wanda wait quietly in the
reception room for about fifteen minutes before the nurse asks
them to come in. Dan’s behavior
finally seems appropriate. He doesn’t say anything other than a
polite hello to the nurse.
As they enter the doctor’s office, Wanda notices that Dan’s
whole attitude has changed from
that exhibited in the previous sales calls. He waits for the
doctor to sit before seating himself. He
goes through the entire presentation (just the way they were
trained to in class). The doctor
stops Dan and asks him several different questions. Wanda is
impressed with Dan’s direct, no-
nonsense answers. She is also surprised that Dan doesn’t take
the opportunity to expand on
certain points and bring up other products. Wanda knows that
the appointment is supposed to
last only twenty minutes, but what harm would it do to take a
little extra time? Wanda is startled
to realize that Dan has neatly condensed into twenty minutes a
presentation that normally takes
her forty-five minutes. When all points have been covered, Dan
concludes the presentation by
23. graciously but directly asking for the order. It is interesting to
observe the doctor glance at her
watch, think over the information for a few long seconds, and
then agree to place an order for
the new product.
By the end of the day, Wanda is really confused. Dan doesn’t
use the same sales technique
twice. Sometimes he calls the prospect by a first name,
sometimes not. Sometimes he goes
through the entire presentation, sometimes only parts. In certain
offices he seems to spend
more time talking about other subjects than the company’s
products. On certain calls he comes
right out and asks for the order, but on others he simply thanks
the doctor for his or her time. He
doesn’t seem to be following a prepared script, yet each call
seems to produce a sale. Wanda is
really unsure what, if anything, she has learned from watching
Dan. Perhaps it will be sorted out
when they critique the day together as they head for a nearby
coffee shop.
Source: Personal Selling, Anderson, Dubinsky, Mehta,
Houghton Mifflin Company, (2007)