session 23

MT 330
Marketing in the Technology Enterprise

Session 23

Session 23: Personal Selling Strategy

Earlier in the course we recognized that significant differences across markets and market segments require us to focus on those segments that presented the best fit with our core competencies, and then to design our value proposition accordingly. Personal selling is viewed as the logical extension of the marketing process down to the individual account level. Our challenge is analyze the characteristics of individual accounts, determine their unique leverage and resistance points, and formulate a uniquely tailored selling proposition.

In this lecture we consider what those unique customer characteristics are, how to recognize them, and how to build our sales strategy around them.

Readings: ® = required; scan = read introduction and conclusions; scan inside pages;
(o) = optional; = Adobe Acrobat File

Required for Class Discussion

Schrage, Michael, "The Dell Curve," Wired, July, 2002, 108-110.
Review: Porter: What is Strategy? from Session 15

Optional

Heiman, Stephen E. and Diane Sanchez, The New Strategic Selling, New York: Warner Books, 1998

Chapter 5: Key Element 1: Buying Influences

Chapter 6: Key Element 2: Red Flags/Leveraging From Strength

Michaels, Daniel, "In the Secret World of Airplane Deals, One Battle Up Close," Wall Street Journal, 3/10/03, A1, A9.

Lecture Notes:

Personal Selling Strategy

Discussion Question:

In the past three weeks we’ve had a chance to look a little more deeply into the implementation of the three archetypical strategies by three of the most successful technology companies in history: Microsoft pursuing technology leadership with Windows NT, IBM reinforcing its customer intimacy by rebuilding the company around Global Services, and Dell, pursuing its operational leadership strategy to the hilt with its dynamic, instantaneously adaptive pricing/purchasing strategy.

From what you know or can surmise about these three companies, what was responsible for the success of their strategy? To frame it in perhaps ridiculous terms, could Dell have been equally successful if it had chosen Microsoft’s strategy of creating something truly revolutionary, or could IBM have maintained its early leadership of the PC industry by adopting Dell’s infinitely adaptable business model? What lessons do these three success stories hold for other technology companies as they formulate a marketing strategy?

Optional Assignment 5: EMS Personal Selling. May be completed and submitted for a grade if you are not satisfied with your grade on one of the four required assignments. Due: Session 24.

Market Plan:

All: Complete through Section 11.
This week's presenter: Post to Prometheus on Monday of this week.
Others: comment on this week's presentation.