Background:
As a salesperson for Candoo Computer Corporation (CCC), you
have just received a call from your regional manager regarding a
program now underway at one of your key accounts, Farmland
Companies. Farmland is a national insurance company with agency
offices spread across the United States. The company is in the
early stages of designing and specifying a computer system that
will place a computer in each agency office. The system will allow
each agency to develop, operate, and maintain its own customer
database to provide better service to customers. In addition, by
linking through the CCC mainframe, agencies, regional offices, and
CCC headquarters will be networked for improved internal
communications and access to the corporate database.
Current Situation:
You have serviced this account for several years, and CCC
equipment accounts for the biggest share of computers now in place
at Farmland—some 35 to 40 percent of all units. As reflected in
your share of this account’s business, you and CCC have a good
reputation and strong relationship with Farmland. In talking with
Aimee Linn, your usual contact in the Farmland purchasing office,
you have learned that this agency network system is the brainstorm
and pet project of Mike Hughes, a very “hands-on” CEO.
Consequently, the probability of the system becoming a reality is
high. While faxing a complete set of hardware specs to you, Linn
has also let you know that, although Kerris Nicks, director of the
Farmland MIS department, is actually heading up this project; the
national agency sales director, Tim Long, is also very active in
its design and requirement specifications. His interest stems not
only from wanting to make sure that the system will do what is
needed at the corporate, regional, and agency levels but also from
the fact that he brainstormed and spearheaded a similar project two
years ago that was never implemented. The previous effort did not
have the blessing of Nicks in the MIS department, and it became a
political football between the two departments. Each department
wanted something different, and both sides accused the other of not
knowing what it was doing. Primarily, because the CEO has commanded
that it will be done, both sides seem to be playing ball with each
other this time. Linn did hint at one concern, however; although
corporate is designing and specifying the system, each agency has
to purchase its units out of its own funds. Although the agencies
exclusively represent only Farmland Insurance products, each agency
is owned by the general agent—not Farmland. Some of the agents are
not convinced that the system is worth the projected price tag of
$3,500 per system, and Farmland cannot force them to buy the
systems. As with other selling opportunities with Farmland, this
has all the makings of a decision
that will be made as a result of multiple inputs from an
assortment of individuals across the company—a buying team of
sorts. As the salesperson having primary responsibility for this
account, how would you go about identifying the various members of
the buying center?
Using the worksheet provided, respond to the following
activities.
Questions
1. Identify each member of the buying center and the role each
participant plays, and estimate the amount of influence (low,
medium, high, very high) each has on the final decision.
2. What are the major problems, needs, and expectations that
you will need to address for each of the buying center
members?
You will answer the above questions by creating and using a
worksheet like the one provided with the case. Your answers should
be logical and demonstrate understanding of the how each of the
case characters affects the purchase process. The following is a
sample answer.
Buying Team Role
Team Member Playing this Role
Level of Influence
Team Member’s Perceived Needs and Expectations
Initiators
Mike Hughes
High
• Needs a system that will provide the corporate office access
to the information collected by general agents.