SELL, Canadian Edition Solution Manual

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 1-1
INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE – SOLUTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
Chapter One — Overview of Personal
Selling
Exercises
1. How is personal selling different from other forms of marketing communications?
Personal selling is part of the promotion program of an organization’s marketing mix, used
primarily to communicate with potential buyers for the purpose of selling a product or service.
The differences between personal selling and other forms of marketing communications are
reflected in its four characteristics: direct contact with the buyer; two-way communication;
flexible message content; and immediate feedback. Due to these characteristics, personal selling
is used to initiate, develop, and enhance customer relationships, as per the definition provided in
the text.
2. What are the key differences between transaction-focused traditional selling and trust-
based relationship selling?
In transaction-focused traditional selling, salespeople are focused on maximizing short-run gain,
and are self-oriented rather than customer-oriented. Little attention is given to uncovering needs
or providing customized solutions. Instead, selling tactics include a heavy reliance on objection
handling and closing techniques. Little to no post-sale follow-up is provided by the salesperson
unless it is focused on another transaction.
In contrast, trust-based relationship selling strategies focus initiating, developing and enhancing
long-run mutually beneficial relationships with the customers. Selling methods are customer-
oriented, focusing on need discovery and presentation of customized solutions. Post-sale follow-
up is considered an important part of the relationship development process.
3. What factors will influence the continued evolution of personal selling?
The continued evolution of personal selling as a profession is necessary in response to the ever
growing complexity of our dynamic environment. Factors that will influence this evolution
include the increased sophistication of buyers, economic uncertainties, social media, and new
computer technologies. Other issues include intensified competition, more emphasis on
improving sales productivity, fragmentation of traditional customer bases, customers dictating
quality standards and other procedures, and a greater demand for in-depth, specialized
knowledge as an input to purchase decisions.

Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 1-2
4. How do salespeople contribute to our society? Are there negative aspects of personal
selling from a societal perspective?
Salespeople contribute to society’s goal of economic growth in two basic ways. First, they act as
stimuli for economic transactions by initiating action within the business world. In a fluctuating
economy, salespeople make invaluable contributions by assisting during recovery cycles and by
helping to sustain periods of relative prosperity.
Salespeople also contribute to our society by playing a critical role in the diffusion of innovation,
the process whereby new products, services, and ideas are distributed to the members of society.
Consumers who are likely to be early adopters of an innovation often rely on salespeople as a
primary source of information. Consumers often exhibit strong resistance to change; however,
change is necessary in the long run for the continued progress and/or survival of society. By
encouraging the adoption of innovative products and services, salespeople make a positive
contribution to society.
The negative aspects of personal selling can become apparent when salespeople allow
themselves to exhibit unethical conduct. If salespeople mislead a consumer regarding a product
or service for their own or their company’s benefit, then society is negatively impacted. Society’s
perception of personal selling as a professional and ethical occupation is adversely affected, and
salespeople’s credibility as accurate sources of new information becomes damaged.
5. What are the primary contributions made by salespeople to their employers?
Salespeople make three important contributions to their firms. First, they are the direct
producers of revenue in most business firms. Second, they play an important role in market
research and in providing feedback to their firms. For instance, salespeople can provide
information about customer-requested additions to the product line.
The third contribution that salespeople make to their firm is serving as a pool of candidates for
promotion into management positions. The sales job is often considered an entry-level position
providing the right foundation for future management assignments.
6. Most businesses would have a difficult time surviving without the benefits of the
salespeople who call on them. Do you agree?
Yes; customers benefit from salespeople in many ways. Buyers expect salespeople to contribute
to the success of the buyer’s firm. Salespeople do so by providing valuable information to buyers
and using their problem-solving skills to benefit the buyer’s firm.
7. How are need satisfaction and problem-solving selling related? How do they differ?
Need satisfaction and problem-solving selling are related in that each seeks to uncover and
satisfy the needs of the buyer. Problem-solving selling differs from need satisfaction selling in
that it seeks to identify a set of alternative solutions, which may include a competitor’s product,
to satisfy the buyer’s needs.

Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 1-3
8. How does the consultative selling approach differ from problem-solving and need
satisfaction selling? Explain the three key roles of consultative salespersons.
Consultative selling differs from problem-solving selling in that this type of selling is focused on
helping customers reach their strategic goals, not merely solving immediate problems or filling
immediate needs. To engage in consultative selling, the salesperson must possess a great deal of
knowledge about the customer’s business and industry. This is necessary so that the salesperson
can provide the customer with insight into all areas of his/her business that influence their
ability to reach their strategic goals.
The three key roles of consultative salespeople include the strategic orchestrator, the business
consultant, and the long-term ally. As the strategic orchestrator, the salesperson’s primary job is
to utilize the resources of the sales organization to help the customer obtain his/her strategic
objectives. As the business consultant, the salesperson’s job is to become an expert on the
customer’s business and industry. This often entails seeking internal and external resources in
order to become better educated with respect to the customer’s business. As a long-term ally, the
salesperson’s job is to support the customer, even if a sale is not expected in the short term.
9. How important is teamwork between the customer and the sales organization in
practicing consultative selling? How does teamwork within the sales organization factor
into consultative selling?
Teamwork between the customer and the sales organization is essential if consultative selling is
to be successful. This is especially true when the salesperson is assuming the role of a strategic
orchestrator and long-term ally. Teamwork within the sales organization is also essential given
that internal resources must be directed toward helping the organization’s customers achieve
their strategic goals.
10. Discuss the final step of the sales process (enhancing customer relationships) as it relates
to the continuing evolution of personal selling.
The final step of the sales process is enhancing customer relationships, which is an important
part of the continuing evolution of personal selling. As personal selling evolves from a
transaction-oriented process into a relationship management process, the ability of the
salesperson to enhance relationships will become increasingly important.
Video Exercises
1. Review the videos and comment on the sales professional’s performance in areas
mentioned above.
Students’ answers will vary but should address a couple of key issues. Both salespeople
demonstrate some empathy and decent interpersonal communication skills. Jim seems to be

Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 1-4
assuming he will win the contract because he is the current provider and because he has a good
relationship with Mark. As a result, Lisa demonstrates greater enthusiasm than Jim.
2. Comment on the role that these sales people contribute to society.
Students’ answers will vary, but should include mention of the diffusion of innovation. For
example, other salespeople are helping with the diffusion of innovation – informing Mark about
new security technology. In addition, both are trying to help stimulate the economy by proposing
Mark spend $40–$50 thousand dollars on a new security system.
3. What managerial roles do you see in the clip?
Students are likely to have some difficulty with this question as none of the clips includes
managers (other than the customer). However, Jim appears to have greater autonomy than Lisa
as he is able to make changes to the proposal (e.g., price discount) without needing managerial
approval. Both salespeople seem to be able to manage their respective sales support personnel
(i.e., IT folks) to effectively generate an appropriate solution.
Chapter 1 Case
Discussion Questions
1. What problems do you see with Craig’s H2G sales call?
 Failed to confirm that Cam knew Craig would be late
 Spent too much time early in the call talking about SSI without asking Cam what he knew about
SSI
 Did not ask enough questions to determine Cam’s needs
 Did not ask Cam to discuss why he felt they had “wasted a lot of money on giveaways in the
past,” or why it was important for H2G to differentiate itself from its competitors during the
tradeshow
 Did not ask about H2G’s trade show objectives
 Did not ask about H2G’s trade show budget
 Did to gain commitment to pressing the sale
2. If you were Craig’s sales manager, what would you recommend he do to improve his
chances of succeeding?
First, Craig should always pay attention to weather conditions that may create delays and plan
accordingly. If he is going to run late, Craig should make sure his customers know. Craig should
reschedule appointments if he believes doing so is necessary for him to have adequate time to
conduct his sales call.
Craig needs to remember his goal is to develop a trust-based relationship, and that such a
relationship is developed through sales dialogue, not a sales monologue. During the early
stages of the sales process, Jeff should make sure that he asks the customer questions that will
help him learn about the customer’s unique needs. This means the customer should be doing

Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 1-5
most of the talking early on. It is only after he understands the customer’s unique needs that he
will be able to discuss how his company can deliver customer value. Finally, Craig should be
prepared for abrupt endings to meetings resulting from unforeseen circumstances. He should
have a well-rehearsed contingency plan in place so he can end the meeting professionally and
with a some degree of commitment to a “next step.”
Chapter 1 Continuing Case
Questions
1. Brenda had been thinking about Jin Tan’s feedback that directed her to become more of a
consultative salesperson. In thinking about her own selling approaches, she knew that she
had been concentrating on the needs satisfaction and problem-solving approaches. What
must Brenda do to become a more consultative salesperson?
To become more of a consultative salesperson, Brenda needs to shift her focus from helping her
customers solve copier-related problems to helping her customers reach their strategic
objectives. This will require her to expand her involvement with her customers, looking for
opportunities to help her customers obtain their strategic objectives through the products she
sells as well as the business expertise and other resources she and her company can provide.
Brenda will need to serve as a strategic orchestrator, a business consultant, and a long-term ally.
To fill these roles, Brenda will need to become an expert with respect to her company’s
capabilities and the industries in which her customers compete. She will also need to
demonstrate the trustworthiness necessary for organizations to share with her their strategic
goals.
2. Three months later, Brenda was having mixed results with the consultative selling
approach. She was finding that some of her customers just wanted the convenience of
having a copier in their offices, and did not seem eager to discuss their strategic goals. She
was beginning to wonder about the consultative selling model, thinking it was not such a
good idea after all. What recommendations do you have for Brenda?
First, Brenda needs to target for a consultative relationship only those customers with whom she
is likely to generate enough revenue (now or in the future) to make the consultative approach
profitable (at least in the long run). Given the appropriate set of customers, Brenda needs to
respect and appreciate the relationship-orientation of each of those customers. Some will desire
a consultative relationship and others will not. Further, developing and maintaining a
consultative relationship requires greater effort and time. It’s unlikely that she would be able to
effectively maintain a consultative relationship with all of her customers. Finally, I would suggest
that as she gains experience, competence, confidence, and a successful track record in her role as
a consultative salesperson, she will be better able to win over some of the customers currently
not interested in that sort of relationship.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 1-6
3. A month before the annual meeting for all NCC sales representatives, Jin Tan told Brenda,
“For the upcoming meeting, I want you to prepare a 10 minute presentation about the
pros and cons of the basic selling approaches that we use at NCC compared to our
competitors.” NCC’s sales training program advocated the use of needs satisfaction,
problem-solving, and consultative selling. Many of NCC’s key competitors used the same
approaches. However some of the toughest competitors used stimulus response and
mental states (AIDA) approaches. This latter category of competitors often stressed lower
prices and utilized telemarketing instead of field sales representatives in selling their
products. Put yourself in Brenda’s role and prepare the presentation requested by Jin Tan.
Students’ answers will vary but should include some discussion of the idea that stimulus-
response and mental states approaches are transaction-focused traditional selling approaches
rather than a trust-based relationship approach. These approaches, combined with lower prices
and less interpersonal interaction, tend to produce price-loyal customers. This represents a
disadvantage for NCC, especially if the market begins to commoditize copiers (i.e., fails to
recognize any difference between competing offers). Another disadvantage of the problem-
solving, need satisfaction, and consultative selling approaches is that they require a greater
investment in sales training and, subsequently, are more expensive to utilize (relative to
telemarketing and other non-interpersonal forms of sales communication).
The primary advantage of the trust-based relationship approaches (i.e., problem-solving, need
satisfaction, and consultative) is that they tend to build loyal customers and provide a certain
degree of insulation against price competition. In addition, by working more closely with their
customers through interpersonal interaction, NCC salespeople are in a better position to identify
other opportunities (e.g., identify problems of which the customer may not yet be aware) and
provide more customized solutions.
4. Early in the year, Jin Tan told Brenda that her efforts were needed to gain more exposure
for NCC’s college recruiting program: “Brenda, I want you to be part of a two-person team
to help with recruiting on two college campuses in your territory. The other team member
will be an experienced recruiter who had sales experience before moving into recruiting.
The two of you should seek out opportunities as guest speakers for classes and student
organizations. Your role will be to talk about how sales can be a great place to start a
career and, for some, a great career path. Think about the future of selling and what it
takes to be successful and share your thoughts with students.” Acting as Brenda, make
note of ten key points you would like to make about the future of professional selling and
what it takes to be successful. (Hint: Be sure you read the online Appendix to Chapter 1
along with Chapter 1 before you undertake this task.)
Students’ answers will vary but may include mention of: Advantages: job security, advancement
opportunities, immediate feedback, prestige, job variety, independence, and high compensation.
What it takes to be successful: empathy, strong ego drive, self-motivation, ethical behaviour, and
strong interpersonal communication skills.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 2-1
Chapter Two — Building Trust and Sales
Ethics
Exercises
1. What is the essence of trust for a salesperson?
Students’ answers will vary. The answers should include some description of the buyer relying on the
salesperson’s words or actions in situations where such reliance involves risk to the buyer.
2. If trust means different things to different buyers, how is a salesperson to determine what trust
means for each buyer?
The salesperson must determine what trust means for each buyer by asking questions, listening to the
responses, and making general observations. This is the only way the salesperson will be able to learn
what trust attributes are critical to relationship-building for a specific buyer.
3. Why is trust important to a salesperson?
Today’s customers are more sophisticated, more informed (or at least have access to more information),
and more aware of traditional manipulative “sales tactics.” In addition, buying organizations are
interested in taking advantage of efficiencies associated with using a smaller number of suppliers.
Salespeople who understand these characteristics know that the stereotypical type of selling (e.g.,
manipulative, pushy, aggressive) is ineffective and that building mutually beneficial relationships with
their customers is the only way to compete in the new millennium. Trust is important to a salesperson
because it is essential for building these long-term relationships.
4. How might a salesperson go about earning trust?
Students’ answers will vary, but they should include discussion of the basic building blocks of trust,
including expertise, dependability, candour, customer orientation, and compatibility/likeability.
5. What does it mean for a salesperson to have a customer orientation?
Customer orientation means the salesperson is as concerned about their customers’ interest as his or her
own. It means truly understanding the customer’s situation and then presenting fair and balanced
solutions addressing the customers’ needs. In other words, it means “looking out” for the customer. This
requires salespeople to be honest, candid, and fair when dealing with the customer.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 2-2
6. How would you rank the five trust builders in order of importance?
Students’ answers will vary, but should include each of the five components (expertise, dependability,
customer-orientation, candour, compatibility).
7. Explain why expertise is such an important relationship builder.
Expertise is a very important trust builder because it gives the salesperson credibility and is associated
with several of the other trust builders. Credibility affords the salesperson a degree of the buyer’s trust
prior to the salesperson actually earning it. Expertise may help the salesperson earn the buyer’s trust
through the other trust builders. For example, salespeople with greater expertise are more likely to have
greater competence and/or make more significant contributions.
8. How do knowledge bases help build trust and relationships?
Knowledge bases help build trust and relationships because they empower the salesperson to use the
trust-building variable more effectively. For example, as salespeople gain more product knowledge, they
are better able to demonstrate expertise and customer orientation (by more precise matching of
solutions to needs) and make a stronger contribution.
9. Do you think certain knowledge bases are more important than others? Why?
Students’ answer will vary but should include appropriate rationale based on the chapter content.
Knowledge bases viewed as more important may vary depending upon the buyer-seller relationship and
the type of selling situation.
10. What are the three areas of unethical behaviour? Discuss each.
The three areas of unethical behaviour are deceptive practices, illegal activities, and noncustomer-
oriented behaviour. Deceptive practices refer to any attempt by the salesperson to mislead or otherwise
deceive the buyer. For example, a salesperson may exaggerate a product’s benefits knowing that the
buyer’s decision will be based on (or that the buyer is relying on) those exaggerations. Illegal activities
refer to a variety of activities in which the salesperson knowingly breaks the law. For example, it is illegal
for a salesperson to pad an expense reimbursement report. Noncustomer-oriented behaviour refers to
actions taken by the salesperson that 1) are in conflict with the buyer’s interests, and 2) are done so
when other options are available that are more customer-oriented.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 2-3
Video Exercises
1. Which area of unethical behaviour does Mark want Lisa to engage in?
Mark wants Lisa to share with him information about how much one of his competitors paid for its
security system software. If Lisa were to share that information, she would be engaging in noncustomer-
oriented behaviour.
2. Discuss how Lisa’s answer can institute trust in her relationship with Mark as well as avoid her
engaging in unethical behaviour.
Lisa’s avoidance of breaching the confidentiality she shares with her other customer serves to ensure
Mark that she can be trusted with his company’s information. It is important to note that while sharing
such information may seem useful in the short run (i.e., help get a sale), it is unlikely that prospective
clients would ever truly trust a salesperson who does so. In fact, the buyer could have been testing the
salesperson’s integrity, and may not really be concerned about the information.
Chapter 2 Case
Discussion Questions
1. What are the ethical issues involved in this situation?
2. If you were Kelly Myers, do you think Janet Williams intended for you to see the competitive bids?
What would you have done, given this situation? Why?
Students’ answers will vary, but each should demonstrate the student’s understanding of how to build
trust through the various components. Here’s an example.
Customer Orientation: It should be highlighted that Kelly did not demonstrate customer-oriented
behaviour and that although her actions may have achieved that sale this one time, she may experience
short-term gain, yet long-term pain.
Kelly breached the confidentiality she shared with Janet and it is unlikely that Janet would ever truly trust
Kelly in the future. If Janet did do this with intention, she may have been testing Kelly’s integrity.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 2-4
Chapter 2 Continuing Case
Questions
1. What would you recommend Brenda do to handle the challenges she faces?
Students’ answers will vary but should focus on trust-building activities. In particular, Brenda needs to
build her knowledge base, including knowledge of her industry, company, products, services, prices,
markets, customers, competitors, and technology. Doing so will give her confidence and improve her
credibility within her territory.
2. Brenda appears to have an advantage with her products and services. Develop a plan for Brenda
to build trust in NCC with prospective customers.
Again, students’ answers will vary. However, the plans students develop should include a heavy reliance
on activities designed to demonstrate competence, dependability, and customer orientation.
3. What do you recommend Brenda do to compete effectively against competitors that have a long
and successful track record?
First, Brenda needs to engage in activities designed to develop a sense of compatibility with her
customers. This will help her gain access and build trust. In addition, Brenda needs to become an expert
in her industry and market, knowing exactly how her products compare with those of her competitors.
Using this information, Brenda needs to look for opportunities arising based on her product’s (and
company’s) competitive advantages, and/or her customers’ dissatisfaction with their copier providers.
4. How should Brenda go about handling the rumour mill?
Because the text contains no specific recommendations or guidelines for this sort of situation, students’
answers will vary. However, the recommendations should centre on strategies for correcting the
misinformation and building trust. Recommendations should not include any behaviour that may be
considered unethical, like making disparaging statements regarding the competitors.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 3-1
Chapter Three — Understanding Buyers
Exercises
1. How might the following characteristics of business-to-business markets affect the relational
selling activities of salespeople?
Larger, but fewer, buyers? Since the market consists of larger, but fewer, buyers, each customer (or
potential customer) relationship is extremely important. This means that salespeople will need to be
more flexible and allocate more resources (i.e., time and money) to develop and maintain the
relationship.
Derived demand? Salespeople selling products characterized as having a derived demand will need to
monitor the markets of products from which the demand for theirs is derived. This will allow salespeople
to anticipate demand shifts and then help their customers plan accordingly.
Higher levels of demand fluctuation? Similar to the effects of derived demand, salespeople will need to
anticipate demand fluctuations and then help their customers plan for those fluctuations by adjusting
inventory accordingly. Since customers will value salespeople who can help them avoid having too much
or too little inventory, the ability to correctly anticipate demand fluctuations will help salespeople forge
stronger relationships.
2. How do the three different types of purchasing decisions (straight rebuy, modified rebuy, new
task) influence the time and effort a buyer might allocate to the different steps of the purchase
decision process?
Generally speaking, as the type of purchasing decision moves from being characterized as straight rebuy
to modified rebuy to new task, the amount of time and effort spent in the purchase decision process
increases. In straight rebuy situations, it is not uncommon for the purchase decision to immediately
follow the recognition of need. For example, a taxi driver low on fuel will stop at a gas station with little
consideration given to the different brands or types (e.g., octane rating) of fuels available. In contrast,
when in new task situations, the person recognizing the need often does not know how to fill the need.
Consequently, they will spend much more time gathering information and evaluating alternatives. For
example, businesses buying new phone systems will often spend weeks (or months) trying to determine
their telecommunications needs (the first step in the purchase decision process).
3. List and compare the probable functional, situational, psychological, social, and knowledge needs
of (a) a large financial investment office and (b) a college student, both of whom are looking to
purchase a new computer printer.
Answers to this question will vary. The student should, however, demonstrate an understanding of how
these various needs differ between the business organization and the college student. For example, the
business organization may have a functional need for large print jobs, while the college student may have
a need (functional as well) for small print jobs.
4. How might a salesperson work with and assist a business buyer in each step of the buying
process?
Recognition of the problem or need? The role of many salespeople is to help potential customers recognize
needs. The salesperson can accomplish this task by asking need identifying questions (covered later in
the text) and listening closely to and flowing with the buyer’s answers.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 3-2
Determination of the characteristics of the item and the quantity needed? After helping a customer
recognize needs, the salesperson may be in a position to help the buyer determine the characteristics of
the solution. In order to be effective in this role, the buyer must perceive the salesperson as possessing
expertise in the related area.
Description of the characteristics of the item and the quantity needed? A salesperson with related expertise
may help the buyer develop detailed specifications for the solution. As mentioned above, this would
require the buyer to have a great deal of trust in the salesperson’s expertise.
Search for and qualification of potential sources? Salespeople often serve as an important source of
information for buyers. In this step, salespeople can help the buyer identify potential sources of the
proposed solution. Of course, the objective of the salesperson is to make sure his or her organization is
considered one of those sources (given the organization can provide an appropriate solution).
Acquisition and analysis of proposals? Salespeople need to understand the evaluation criteria so they can
present their proposal in the best light possible. Better yet, salespeople working closely with the buyer
through the earlier stages may have the opportunity to help shape the evaluation criteria. They then must
make sure that their proposed solution meets or exceeds those criteria.
Evaluation of proposals and selection of suppliers? In this stage, a trusted salesperson may be able to
influence the evaluation of the proposals and selection of the suppliers. However, a salesperson in such a
trusted position has an ethical obligation to ensure the best interests of the customers supersede his or
her own interests.
Selection of an order routine? Once identified as the selected solution provider, the salesperson may work
with a buyer to determine the best order process. The salesperson must ensure that both the buyer and
the selling organization understand and are able to meet their respective obligations associated with the
delivery process.
Performance feedback and evaluation? This stage requires salespeople to follow up with their customers
(after purchase) to ensure the buyer’s expectations have been met or exceeded. If not, the salesperson
needs to address the unmet expectations immediately. This stage is crucial to the long-term success of
the relationship.
5. Explain the role of functional attributes and psychological attributes in the post-purchase
determination of customer satisfaction.
Functional attributes refer to the features that allow the product to do what it is supposed to do, and the
extent to which it does it as expected. Products not performing as expected will have a negative effect on
customer satisfaction. Products performing better than expected will have a positive effect on customer
satisfaction.
Psychological attributes refer to the things in the market offer that shape the buyer’s feelings about the
acquisition process and the relationship with the salesperson. For example, at the buyer’s request, the
salesperson may make last minute delivery schedule changes that he or she is not otherwise obligated to
do. Generally speaking, the stronger the psychological attributes, the greater the customer satisfaction.
6. How might salespeople use their knowledge of the multiattribute evaluation model to plan and
deliver their sales presentations to a buyer?
Salespeople may use their knowledge of the multiattribute evaluation model in several ways to help plan
and deliver their sales presentations. For example, salespeople may adjust their presentation so that they
highlight the heavier-weighted attributes and reduce the time spent on lower-weighted attributes. Other
ways salespeople may use this information include 1) modifying the product offering being proposed, 2)
altering the buyer’s beliefs about the proposed offering, 3) altering the buyer’s beliefs about the
competitor’s offering, 4) altering the importance weights, and 5) calling attention to neglected attributes.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 3-3
7. What are the implications for a salesperson if, when making a sales call, he or she discovers that
there is no needs gap present? Illustrate your answer with an example.
Answers to the question will vary. However, the student should demonstrate understanding of the
salesperson’s ability to help buyers uncover needs that they did not previously recognize. Salespeople
often call on customers who do not yet realize they have a need for the salesperson’s product.
8. Why has knowledge and the capability to creatively apply that knowledge in creating unique
solutions become so important for today’s salesperson in the business-to-business marketplace?
As markets become more competitive and technology (e.g., e-commerce) improves, salespeople will have
to “add value” to their relationships in order to be successful. The ability of salespeople to solve problems
is an important means by which they can add value to their customer relationships. In addition, the
increased competition brought by globalization requires salespeople to be more creative so that they can
meaningfully differentiate their market offers.
9. Explain the concept of communication styles and how a salesperson might flex his or her own
style to better match the style of the buyer. How would the salesperson’s behaviours and activities
differ as he or she advances through the different stages of the selling process? Illustrate your
answer with examples.
The concept of communication styles suggests individuals possess different psychological predispositions
to communication. The text covers two different dimensions that allow individuals to be categorized into
one of four categories. The two dimensions are assertiveness and responsiveness. The resulting four
communication styles are amiables—low on assertiveness and high on responsiveness; expressives—
high on responsiveness and assertiveness; drivers—low on responsiveness and high on assertiveness;
and analyticals—low on both responsiveness and assertiveness.
The salesperson needs to flex his or her communication style based on the communication style of the
buyer. This does not mean mirroring the buyer, necessarily; rather, it means adopting a style that
enhances communication and moves the sales process in the desired direction.
Students’ examples will vary.
10. What are the implications of buying teams for a salesperson selling complex production
equipment to a manufacturing firm? Develop an example to explain further and illustrate your
answer.
Answers to this question will vary. However, students’ answers should demonstrate their understanding
of the various roles making up a buying centre and how salespeople need to adjust to and interact with
each member in those roles.
Video Exercise
1. Comment on the assertiveness and responsiveness communication style in this interaction
between Jim and Mark.
Students’ answers about the interaction between Jim and Mark will vary somewhat, but should include
appropriate justification. Students may notice that neither Jim nor Mark appears to be very low on
assertiveness. Mark is candid with Jim about seeking a proposal from another supplier (introducing
conflict), and Jim doesn’t hesitate to suggest Mark purchase the top-end system (which includes an

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 3-4
increase in cost). Some students may perceive Mark as higher on responsiveness than Jim. Mark seems
to be informal, animated, and emotional. In contrast, Jim appears to me more guarded and controlled.
2. Discuss the buying influences that are impacting Mark’s decision making in this sales situation.
Mark’s upper management is pressuring him about controlling costs. This is forcing him to consider
multiple bidders. In addition, Mark is feeling the pressure from the situation; he has a relatively urgent
need for upgraded security to protect the company’s intellectual property rights. Finally, he is feeling
pressure from another supplier.
Chapter 3 Case
Questions
1. Based on your understanding of both Dawn and Adam, how would you characterize the
communication style of each?
Dawn is an Amiable. She is low on assertiveness and high on responsiveness. Adam is a Driver. He is high
on assertiveness and low on responsiveness.
2. What, if any, preparations and style flexing should Dawn make to better relate to and
communicate with Adam Strong?
Students’ answers will vary but should include Dawn’s recognition that Adam is a Driver. Accordingly,
Dawn must work on becoming more businesslike—being punctual and reducing or eliminating
discussion unrelated to the task at hand. When communicating, Dawn must make sure her messages are
clear and concise. She should describe solutions in terms of “results” important to Adam. When
presenting supporting evidence, she should stick to facts and figures, and avoid using the opinions of
others (e.g., testimonials). She should recognize that Adam is a risk-taker and give him the opportunity to
make decisions quickly. She must also not be offended or discouraged by Adam’s cold/controlling
behaviour. Finally, she must guard against being “pushed around” by Adam when it comes to earning
commitment and negotiation.
3. Who all might be involved in the buying decision for Red Meadows with regard to Dawn’s
offering? For each, explain why and how?
Students’ answers will vary but should include some mention of the President (owner), the Director of
Operations, the Director of Information Technology, and the Director of Accounting and Finance.
Students may mention the store managers and outside salespeople, but their participation in terms of
real significance would most likely be negligible. It’s likely that the President will be the decision maker
and the various Directors serving as Users and Influencers. Adam will likely serve as a User, Gatekeeper,
and Influencer. Sharper students will likely point out that the extent to which the other Directors are
involved will depend upon their respective social styles.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 3-5
4. Explain at least two needs that might be met by Red Meadows by purchasing the software offered
by RelationshipsFirst.
Students’ answers will vary but should be consistent with the RelationshipsFirst’s value proposition.
Chapter 3 Role Play
Questions
1. Identify each member of the buying centre 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 centre members?
3. As you complete the assignment, remember that a single individual can perform multiple roles in
the centre. Furthermore, it is common to find more than one individual playing the same buying
centre role.
Students should answer the above questions by creating and using a worksheet like the one provided
with the case. Answers will vary somewhat, but students’ answers should be logical and demonstrate
understanding of 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.
Ravi Singh High
Needs a system that will connect the entire organization
and provide him access to the sales-related information

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 3-6
1. In what way would the different communication styles of the buying team members present
complications in the critical stages of building rapport and discovering the buyers’ needs and
expectations?
Ask students to review/discuss the characteristics of the various communications styles. Next, ask them to
discuss areas in which differences in characteristics would present problems for the salesperson addressing
the entire buying centre at once. Ask students to discuss how Mike’s (who is a driver) need to get a system in
place soon conflicts with Ravi’s (who is analytical) need to be sure that they are purchasing the right system.
2. How can a salesperson effectively build rapport with a team of different individuals who have large
variations across their communication styles?
Remind students that ideally, the salesperson would have already built rapport with each member
individually, prior to the meeting role-played above. Then ask students to think about what sorts of
communication methods and aids a salesperson could use to minimize the impact of the variations across
communication styles. Next, have them discuss how the salesperson’s rapport-building efforts might differ
depending upon the role of the buying team member in addition to variations in communication styles. Ask
students to discuss how they would build rapport with Aimee Linn; with Mike Hughes.
3. In a buying team situation, it is typical that certain needs will be championed by specific members,
while other members will be vocal in support of other needs the solution must address. How might a
salesperson best present the proposed package of features and benefits and recognize the relevant
interests of the different buying team members?
Students should discuss the importance of recognizing the relative influence of each buying centre member.
While salespeople need to try to address the needs and concerns of each member, they also need to recognize
that they must adequately address those of the key influencers.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 3-7
2. Based on your understanding of Tom’s communication style, outline a plan for selling to Tom
Penders.
Students’ answers will vary but should include some reference to the need to let Tom make the
decision at his own pace, based on facts rather than opinions. In addition, sales material and the sales
person must be logical and well organized.
3. Identify other members of Tom Penders’ organization that may play a role in the buying
decision and explain the role they might play. How should Brenda handle these individuals?
Tom’s assistant, along with the other office personnel from the four divisions may play some role in the
process. Tom’s assistant is likely to be the primary gatekeeper. Accordingly, Brenda should make sure
to keep her happy. Other personnel with whom Brenda may want to connect are the “users.” She will
want to work with these people to better determine their needs. However, she needs to be careful
when sharing what she learns with Tom. Tom won’t be interested in what others think. He will only be
interested in factual information (e.g., usage data, cost data, and so forth) that will help him make the
right decision.
4. Explain the types of buyer needs that will be most important in this selling situation.
Students’ answers will vary but should focus on functional, psychological, and knowledge needs. The
psychological should include the need for risk reduction (e.g., warranties, performance data, and so
forth). Tom will likely not experience much in the way of situational or social needs.

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 4-1
Chapter Four — Communication Skills
Exercises
1. Explain why talking with buyers rather than talking at buyers is critical to success in selling.
Today, success in selling requires building mutually beneficial relationships with customers. Building
these mutually beneficial relationships requires that the salesperson identify the needs of the customer,
which can be done only through interactive discussion (i.e., talking with the buyer) and sharing of
information. In addition, talking with buyers rather than at buyers helps to build trust, which is critical
for building successful relationships.
2. Discuss how salespeople use effective questioning to maintain subtle control over the buyer–
seller communication dialogue.
Salespeople can maintain subtle control over the buyer–seller communication dialogue by using effective
questioning to guide the course and depth of the conversation. Salespeople can use questions to shift the
conversation to an appropriate topic, control the depth of conversation on the topic, and redirect the
conversation when the topic’s usefulness diminishes. Salespeople can also use questions to gain, regain,
and then hold the buyer’s attention. Finally, salespeople can use questions to control the progression of
the sales call, moving the customer from the introduction stage all the way through the commitment
stage.
3. Distinguish between open-end and closed-end questions, and describe how each of these question

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Answers and Discussions for Instructor’s Guide to accompany SELL, Second Canadian edition, Ingram/Shannahan 4-2
use these questions to redirect the focus of the conversation when the present topic is of little value or
otherwise non-productive. Salespeople use reactive questions when responding to information provided
by the buyer. Typically, salespeople use these questions to get the buyer to elaborate on something he or
she has just said.
5. Explain the superiority of using verbal communication skills to create mental pictures compared
to simply using words in sales dialogue with buyers.
Salespeople need to communicate effectively and efficiently given the relatively short amount of time
they will spend with the buyers. Mental pictures convey meaning more efficiently and enhance
understanding relative to dialogue without mental pictures. Moreover, studies in cognitive psychology
have long supported the contention that pictures are more memorable than words. To increase the
impact of creating mental pictures, salespeople should incorporate (where appropriate) relevant visual
aids that support the idea conveyed in the mental picture.
6. Identify and explain each of the individual steps involved in the SPIN sequence of questioning.
Develop two example questions for each step.
SPIN is a progressive questioning technique that is designed to uncover needs of the buyer that the
salesperson can fill with his or her market offer.
Situation questions are fact-finding questions that ask the buyer to provide information about his or her
background and/or existing situation. “Who are your current suppliers?” and “What methods of
advertising do you use currently?” are examples of situation questions.
Problem questions probe the buyer for specific difficulties or areas of dissatisfaction. “Have you ever had
any problems with your current suppliers?” and “What problems have you experienced with your current
methods of advertising?” are examples of problem questions.
Implication questions ask the buyer to consider the ramifications of the problems uncovered from
problem questions. These questions help motivate the buyer to want to solve the problems. “How is your
business affected when your suppliers are late with deliveries?” and “What is the effect of ineffective
advertising on your profitability?” are examples of implication questions.
Need-payoff questions focus the buyer’s attention on the benefits of solving the problem.

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