Assume you are contacting the purchasing agent for office supplies of a large chain of retail department stores. After hearing that the company is opening 10 new stores, you determine that they will need a copier for each store. Three months earlier, you had sold this purchasing agent a lease agreement on two large machines. The buyer wanted to try your machines in the company’s new stores. If they liked them, you would get the account. Unknown to you, one of the machines was broken, which caused the purchasing agent to be pressured by a store manager to replace it immediately. As you walk into the purchasing agent’s office, you say: Salesperson: I understand you are opening 10 new stores in the next six months. Buyer: I don’t know who told you, but you seem to know! If you’ll let me know when you want a copier at each store, I’ll arrange for it to be there. Buyer: Look, I don’t want any more of your lousy copiers! When the leases expire, I want you here to pick them up, or I’ll throw them out in the street! I’ve got a meeting now. I want to see you in three months.
2. Develop another approach the salesperson could use to uncover the problems experienced by the purchasing agent.