Personal Selling Process Selling is a complicated activity that involves building buyer-seller relationships. Although the salesperson-customer interaction is essential to personal selling, much of a salesperson's work occurs before the meeting and continues after the sale itself. The personal selling process consists of six stages (1) prospecting, (2) preapproach, (3) approach, (4) presentation, (5) close, and (6) follow-up. The presentation stage is at the core of the order-getting selling process; its objective is to convert a prospect into a customer by creating a desire for the product or service. Three major presentation formats exist: (1) stimulus-response format, (2) formula selling format and (3) need-satisfaction format. Read the case below and answer the questions that follow. Pulte Homes is one of the nation's largest and most successful home builders, building over 500,000 homes over the past 55 years. During the sales and construction process, Pulte focuses on providing its customers with the best home for the best value. In 2007, Pulte Homes were ranked highest for customer satisfaction in 11 of its markets by J.D. Power and Associates New-Homebuilder Customer Satisfaction Survey. Pulte is trying to determine what the appropriate sales presentation would be for its prospective customers in order to better train the company's sales force and provide value to its customers. To choose between the formula selling presentation format and the need-satisfaction presentation format, Pulte must consider the dynamics of the salesperson-customer home buying interaction. Prospective customers entering the Pulte new home sales model face a complex decision process for a very high involvement process. To better understand the needs and wants of their prospective customers, sales people must ask their prospective customers questions about their individual family's needs in terms of square footage requirements, feature and amenity desire, price, and financing considerations. Pulte salespeople must be good listeners to identify the key attributes valued by the prospective customer so that they may include these attributes in their eventual sales pitch. Canned sales presentations are generally ineffective for selling homes due to the need for salespeople to tailor the presentation to the prospect so that salesperson can highlight the product benefits which are most important to the customers. Pulte's goal is to continually improve its customer satisfaction by building customer relationships. To narrow in on the appropriate presentation format to use in future sales force training, answer the following questions to understand whether a formula selling presentation format or a need-satisfaction presentation format would be most effective in helping Pulte achieve its goals.
1. The primary responsibility of the salesperson in Pulte's presentation stage should be
A. asking questions and listening.
B. delivering a standardized sales presentation.
C. engaging in suggestive selling.
2. In the need-satisfaction presentation format, who should do the majority of the talking during the presentation stage?
A. The sales manager
B. The prospective customer
C. The sales associate
3. Which presentation format emphasizes asking probing questions and listening to responses to identify the needs and interests of prospective buyers?
A. need-satisfaction presentation
B. stimulus-response presentation
C. formula selling presentation
4. The ideal sales presentation would be highly _______ to meet customers' diverse needs.
A. customized
B. scripted
C. standardized
5. The Pulte sales presentation format should emphasize
A. all aspects in which Pulte can potentially assist the customer.
B. only the aspects that interest the customer.
C. Pulte's strengths and weaknesses.