Slavik's Sports Inc. Case Study

Background

Slavik's Sports Inc. (SSI) is a Vancouver-based supplier of custom-made novelty sports items such as bobble-head figures, caps, sunglasses, and sweatshirts. Most of SSI's sales are to medium-sized businesses that use SSI products in employee motivation programs or as specialty advertising giveaways. SSI has been in business for 40 years and has an excellent reputation as a reliable, competitive supplier. They have built a successful business across Canada. SSI sales representatives are knowledgeable and can advise their customers on how to use specialty advertising to build employee morale, introduce new products, and reinforce brand images.

Current Situation

Craig Robertson had recently been assigned to the western territory. Although this was his first sales job, he felt confident and eager to begin. Craig had just completed SSI's training program and had a good understanding of SSI's products and the sales process. For most sales situations, SSI's sales trainers recommended using an organized sales presentation in which the salesperson organizes the key points into a planned sequence, allowing for adaptive behavior as the sales call progresses.

Craig had been in his territory for 60 days, enjoying his job. Days passed quickly, and he was never bored. He had landed some major customers but was frustrated at how long it took some customers to make a buying decision. Overall, he thought he was doing a good job, and his sales manager, Felicia Jameson, had been consistently positive in her feedback.

Craig tried to be honest with himself as a way of improving his performance, and he was not happy as he reviewed today's last sales call. He had called on H2G, a large manufacturer of garden tools, intending to sell several specialty advertising items for giveaways at major trade shows in the coming year. After researching H2G online, he arranged a 4:00 p.m. meeting with Cam Evans, the director of marketing.

Throughout the day, Craig was running late due to an unexpected snowstorm and heavy traffic. He called to let Cam know that he would be late, but he could only leave a message. Craig arrived 15 minutes late and was relieved to be shown into Cam's office without delay. Craig apologized for being late and was surprised to learn that Cam had not received his message. Despite being irritated, Craig noted that Cam did not seem to mind and indicated that he had plenty of time to meet.

Craig decided to give Cam an overview of SSI's capabilities and success stories. Fifteen minutes later, Cam interrupted, leading to the following dialogue:

Cam: Thanks for the overview, Craig. I had a pretty good idea of what SSI offers, but some of what you told me might be helpful. What have you learned about H2G that makes you think SSI would be a good fit for our trade show programs?

Craig: Well, I know that H2G participates in two national shows and several regional shows every year.

Cam: That's right, and we work really hard to stand out at those shows.

Craig: What works well for you in terms of standing out at the shows?

Cam: Having a terrific, eye-catching product display is key. Doing a lot of pre-show communications to ensure key buyers visit our booths and having enough people on hand to sustain a high-energy atmosphere during the show.

Craig: How about specialty advertising to spice things up, maybe add to the fun element?

Cam: I am not sure what you mean. We have wasted a lot of money on giveaways in the past, and I don't believe that it differentiates us from our competitors.

Craig: That's because you haven't worked with SSI. We're the best, and I can fill you in on how we can add sizzle to your trade shows.

Cam: O.K., but I just remembered that I need to pick my daughter up after her piano lesson. With the snow and traffic, that leaves us about 15 minutes.

Craig proceeded to describe how SSI works with most customers to supplement trade show communications. He felt rushed, as there were many alternatives depending on the customer's budget and objectives for each trade show. About 10 minutes into his monologue, Cam told Craig:

"Thanks for coming today. We will talk about this internally, and I will get back to you if we decide to do more with specialty advertising this year. I really do have to run now. Sorry."

As Craig drove home, he realized that he had never asked Cam about H2G's trade show objectives or their budget. With the abrupt end to the meeting, he also failed to try to get another appointment with Cam Evans. Craig realized that his call with H2G was not his best performance.

Question

Baxter Baxter

23-07-2024
Business

High School

Slavik's Sports Inc. Case Study

Background

Slavik's Sports Inc. (SSI) is a Vancouver-based supplier of custom-made novelty sports items such as bobble-head figures, caps, sunglasses, and sweatshirts. Most of SSI's sales are to medium-sized businesses that use SSI products in employee motivation programs or as specialty advertising giveaways. SSI has been in business for 40 years and has an excellent reputation as a reliable, competitive supplier. They have built a successful business across Canada. SSI sales representatives are knowledgeable and can advise their customers on how to use specialty advertising to build employee morale, introduce new products, and reinforce brand images.

Current Situation

Craig Robertson had recently been assigned to the western territory. Although this was his first sales job, he felt confident and eager to begin. Craig had just completed SSI's training program and had a good understanding of SSI's products and the sales process. For most sales situations, SSI's sales trainers recommended using an organized sales presentation in which the salesperson organizes the key points into a planned sequence, allowing for adaptive behavior as the sales call progresses.

Craig had been in his territory for 60 days, enjoying his job. Days passed quickly, and he was never bored. He had landed some major customers but was frustrated at how long it took some customers to make a buying decision. Overall, he thought he was doing a good job, and his sales manager, Felicia Jameson, had been consistently positive in her feedback.

Craig tried to be honest with himself as a way of improving his performance, and he was not happy as he reviewed today's last sales call. He had called on H2G, a large manufacturer of garden tools, intending to sell several specialty advertising items for giveaways at major trade shows in the coming year. After researching H2G online, he arranged a 4:00 p.m. meeting with Cam Evans, the director of marketing.

Throughout the day, Craig was running late due to an unexpected snowstorm and heavy traffic. He called to let Cam know that he would be late, but he could only leave a message. Craig arrived 15 minutes late and was relieved to be shown into Cam's office without delay. Craig apologized for being late and was surprised to learn that Cam had not received his message. Despite being irritated, Craig noted that Cam did not seem to mind and indicated that he had plenty of time to meet.

Craig decided to give Cam an overview of SSI's capabilities and success stories. Fifteen minutes later, Cam interrupted, leading to the following dialogue:

Cam: Thanks for the overview, Craig. I had a pretty good idea of what SSI offers, but some of what you told me might be helpful. What have you learned about H2G that makes you think SSI would be a good fit for our trade show programs?

Craig: Well, I know that H2G participates in two national shows and several regional shows every year.

Cam: That's right, and we work really hard to stand out at those shows.

Craig: What works well for you in terms of standing out at the shows?

Cam: Having a terrific, eye-catching product display is key. Doing a lot of pre-show communications to ensure key buyers visit our booths and having enough people on hand to sustain a high-energy atmosphere during the show.

Craig: How about specialty advertising to spice things up, maybe add to the fun element?

Cam: I am not sure what you mean. We have wasted a lot of money on giveaways in the past, and I don't believe that it differentiates us from our competitors.

Craig: That's because you haven't worked with SSI. We're the best, and I can fill you in on how we can add sizzle to your trade shows.

Cam: O.K., but I just remembered that I need to pick my daughter up after her piano lesson. With the snow and traffic, that leaves us about 15 minutes.

Craig proceeded to describe how SSI works with most customers to supplement trade show communications. He felt rushed, as there were many alternatives depending on the customer's budget and objectives for each trade show. About 10 minutes into his monologue, Cam told Craig:

"Thanks for coming today. We will talk about this internally, and I will get back to you if we decide to do more with specialty advertising this year. I really do have to run now. Sorry."

As Craig drove home, he realized that he had never asked Cam about H2G's trade show objectives or their budget. With the abrupt end to the meeting, he also failed to try to get another appointment with Cam Evans. Craig realized that his call with H2G was not his best performance.

Answer :

Other Questions