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Chapter Matches: Case Information |
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Chapter 1:
Introduction to Selling and Sales Management
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ASCLEPIUS CONSULTING: THE SALES FORCE DILEMMASreeram SivaramakrishnanProduct Number: 9B13A036Publication Date: 1/10/2014Revision Date: 1/9/2014Length: 13 pagesIn 2012, Asclepius Consulting is one of the many small software companies in India that have aspirations to become product companies as opposed to being services companies. Asclepius Consulting deals in hospital management information systems and has a product and service offering that is competitive and well received by customers. However, due to lack of capital, the company has been unable to invest in a sales force, and this has created a problem of reach. It is currently selling through a combination of resellers (external parties contracted to sell the software) and an inside sales force. Now, one of its three co-founders, whose expertise is in business process restructuring and business planning and strategy, is looking at revisiting the sales and marketing model in this complex marketplace.Teaching Note: 8B13A036 (14 pages)Industry: Health Care ServicesIssues: Sales management; sales organization; business-to-business marketing; channel management; IndiaDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
BOISE AUTOMATION CANADA LTD.: THE LOST ORDER AT NORTHERN PAPER (A) (REVISED)Michael TaylorProduct Number: 9B12A008Publication Date: 3/9/2012Revision Date: 6/11/2015Length: 13 pagesA senior account manager at Boise Automation Canada Ltd. was disappointed with the news that he had just lost the $1.2 million order with Northern Paper Inc. (Northern), a paper mill. The opportunity was to design, supply, and install an automated control system for Northern’s wood-chip handling system. He had over 20 years’ experience selling automation systems in heavy industry, and had he won the order it would have easily put him over his target quota for 2011 and significantly boosted his incentive payout. Now, with less than three months before the end of the year, he was unlikely to meet his target for the year. The senior account manager wanted to understand what had gone wrong, and to learn from the experience in order to avoid repeating it. What should he have done differently? See supplement 9B15A029.Teaching Note: 8B12A008 (11 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Selling process; sales force resource management; organizational buying behaviour; CanadaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
BOISE AUTOMATION CANADA LTD.: THE LOST ORDER AT NORTHERN PAPER (B)Michael TaylorProduct Number: 9B15A029Publication Date: 6/11/2015Revision Date: 6/11/2015Length: 1 pagesSupplement to 9B12A008.Teaching Note: 8B12A008 (11 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Selling Process; Sales Force Resource Management; Organizational Buying Behaviour; CanadaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
THE POPCORN PREDICAMENT: COMPETITION, CONFLICT AND BUYING BEHAVIOURMichael TaylorProduct Number: 9B12A021Publication Date: 6/22/2012Revision Date: 6/18/2012Length: 2 pagesThis B2B role-play case, with its six supplements, is a six part interaction between competing Original Equipment Manufacturers, Distributors and End Users, each with their own business priorities. It is an excellent case to explore organizational buying behaviour, the discipline of the selling process, and the management of sales resources (time) as an asset. It can be included in an introductory marketing course at the MBA or undergraduate level. It is equally effective for executive development. It also fits in a B2B marketing course to explore organizational buying behaviour, or in the introduction module of a sales management course.Teaching Note: 8B12A021 (6 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Sales Force Resource Management; Selling Process; Channel Management; North AmericaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 2:
Strategy and Sales Program Planning
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STACK BREWING: A LITTLE BREWERY IN THE BIG NICKELRon Mulholland, Cameron Brooks, Benoit Roy, Katarina Schwabe, Cassidy StewartProduct Number: 9B15A004Publication Date: 5/21/2015Revision Date: 5/21/2015Length: 9 pagesStack Brewing, a start-up craft brewery, has a capacity of approximately 5,600 litres per month based on twelve 117-litre batches per week. A government grant based on growth and job creation potential will help boost production capacity by five times, necessitating the development of additional distribution and marketing communication strategies. The owner cannot afford a listing in the Beer Store, the distribution monopoly owned by Labatt Breweries of Canada and Molson-Coors Canada Inc., and his budget for communications is small. While this case provides an opportunity for students to perform quantitative analysis based on revenues and market size, the focus of the case, however, is on an improved distribution and communication plan.Teaching Note: 8B15A004 (10 pages)Industry: Accommodation & Food ServicesIssues: Communications; segmentation; management of growthDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
NATIONAL DAIRY: DEFENDING MARKET LEADERSHIPSubrat Sarangi, Debasis PradhanProduct Number: 9B15A001Publication Date: 2/9/2015Revision Date: 2/6/2015Length: 11 pagesThe head of marketing and sales at National Dairy, a quasi-government co-operative enterprise in the Indian state of Odisha, is hounded by the threat from private milk marketing firms that are attempting to overtake the monopoly position enjoyed by National Dairy for close to three decades. The title company’s field salesforce provides intelligence reports from the market, indicating that National Dairy’s authorized retailers and bulk customers (e.g., tea stall owners and restaurants) were slowly switching to competing brands, lured by attractive schemes and better earnings. National Dairy faced the dilemma of wanting to defend its leadership position and build a sustainable competitive advantage while at the same time continuing to uphold its social obligations towards the farming community in Odisha.Teaching Note: 8B15A001 (15 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Entry barriers; Porter's five forces; BCG portfolio matrix; IndiaDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
KAT ROSE INC. - SPONSORING ALL-STAR CRICKET: A SELLING DILEMMAMichael Taylor, Syed Saad KarimProduct Number: 9B14A033Publication Date: 9/4/2014Revision Date: 7/16/2014Length: 18 pagesHeadquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Kat Rose was founded in 2009 to produce small strategic business conferences and corporate hospitality events. After mixed success, it was presented with an opportunity in 2011 to organize a cricket match in Toronto. Although sports were not on its radar, the company decided to use the project as a base for expansion. It put in place an aggressive advertising plan, largely aimed at South Asian and West Indian communities in the city who were fans of the game, and contracted Universal Productions, an ethnic marketing agency, to procure sponsorships. However, with only 10 weeks to go before the International Cricket All-Star T20 Match was scheduled to kick off on May 12, 2012 at the Rogers Centre, Toronto, only $60,000 had been raised; $750,000 was needed to break even. Management had four choices: give Universal Productions more time, offer it a financial incentive to step up performance, switch to another agency with a proven track record in this field or increase its own in-house sales force to focus on countertrade barter agreements. Each option required different skills, knowledge, experience and risk. Given the severe time constraint, any change must be implemented immediately. What should Kat Rose do?Teaching Note: 8B14A033 (16 pages)Industry: Arts, Entertainment, Sports and RecreationIssues: External sales agencies; performance management; organizational buying behaviour; knowledge versus skill; CanadaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
HARMONIZING DEMAND FORECASTING AND SUPPLY AT MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LTD.Alok Yadav, Sunil AshraProduct Number: 9B13D019Publication Date: 1/13/2014Revision Date: 1/10/2014Length: 6 pagesMahindra & Mahindra Ltd., a US$15.4 billion company in 2012, has been the number one tractor manufacturer in India for the last 30 years. The agriculture tractor sale market in India is seasonal in nature and growing. To meet demand, the company has four manufacturing plants and 26 sales offices across the country; their main job is to coordinate supplies between its 800 dealers and the company. The sales offices provide a rolling tractor demand forecast for the current month plus two months in the future; it is used to determine the number and models of tractors to manufacture and to enable placing parts supply orders in advance. The deputy general manager of sales in the company’s Farm Division has been receiving an increasing number of complaints from irate dealers about the irregular and short supply of tractors from the company’s stockyards. This has created stress and low dealer satisfaction. The deputy general manager has decided to improve the demand forecasting of agriculture tractor sales and hence supply management.
Student spreadsheet 7B13D019 with data is available.Teaching Note: 8B13D019 (10 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Sales forecasting; tractor sales; excel spreadsheet; time series; IndiaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 3:
Sales Opportunity Management
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BOOSTING BOOST: CHARTING GROWTH OPPORTUNITIESJaydeep Mukherjee, Sriram PadmanabhanProduct Number: 9B15A003Publication Date: 2/27/2015Revision Date: 2/27/2015Length: 16 pagesThe general manager of GlaxoSmithKline India has been tasked to increase annual sales of the health food drink Boost to upwards of 18 per cent, without any significant change in contribution margins.
Repositioning the brand could increase the size of the target market, but may also jeopardize the brand’s sharply defined positioning. Attempting expansion of the distribution network, where the competition is strong and deeply entrenched, might strain company resources and may even be counterproductive. Executing the two strategies will require entirely different skills and the deployment of diverse resources. The general manager needs to make a firm and calculated choice.Teaching Note: 8B15A003 (11 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Brand Portfolio; repositioning; sales growth strategy; management; IndiaDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
SAMPOORN FOODS AND FEEDS LIMITEDKumar Rakesh RanjanProduct Number: 9B10M088Publication Date: 11/24/2010Length: 16 pagesA business school graduate has been assigned the responsibility of running a profit centre that deals in the production and sales of animal feed. The structure and operations of a mid-sized agri-input company are discussed, along with the interactions among several stakeholders in the supply chain and the sources of cooperation and conflict between them. The case details the interactional dynamics among agri-input sellers, the nature of competition between them, their sources of trade dominance and the distribution channel structure. Amid such a scenario, the graduate is trying to enhance the performance of his profit centre. On the other hand, a former classmate and recruit in an NGO is striving to achieve the developmental objectives of her organization. The case poses questions to evoke reflection on building mechanisms and institutions that deliver benefits for the many rather than profits for the few.Teaching Note: 8B10M88 (11 pages)Industry: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and HuntingIssues: Rural Marketing; Sustainable Development; Sales Management; Strategy Development; IIM-Bangalore/IveyDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
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Chapter 4:
Account Relationship Management
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AN IRATE DISTRIBUTOR: THE QUESTION OF PROFITABILITYRenuka Kamath, K.K. Kishore, Sagar SharmaProduct Number: 9B13A015Publication Date: 8/12/2013Revision Date: 8/9/2013Length: 14 pagesIn June 2012, an area sales manager at NutriPack India, a multinational company dealing with fast-moving consumer goods, had to find a way to match the success of his predecessor in increasing retail outlet coverage in central Maharashtra. He studied the territory data and identified the Jalgaon region as having the potential for high growth. However, the single distributor for Jalgaon was upset because he had already increased his operations the previous year and was unconvinced that this had been profitable. The area sales manager needed to convince this distributor of the benefits of his past investments, and also convince him to make further investments (e.g., hire more salespersons).
This case illustrates the challenges that young area sales managers face when they have to deal with experienced distributors in the Indian retail trade, especially in smaller towns where relationships can greatly affect business. Students will gain an understanding of the key performance indicators required to focus on developmental issues in a territory. They will appreciate financial considerations as a major tool in dealing with intermediaries, such as distributors, and will gain practical knowledge in how to convince a distributor of his past investments and profitability, and pave the way for further investment for retail expansion.Teaching Note: 8B13A015 (22 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Distributor management; channel management; profitability; IndiaDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
GLOBAL SOURCE HEALTHCARE: ALLOCATING SALES RESOURCESDonald W. Barclay, Shamail SiddiqiProduct Number: 9B05A021Publication Date: 9/1/2005Revision Date: 9/24/2009Length: 16 pagesThe founder and chief executive officer of Global Source Healthcare was struggling with how to allocate sales resources among acquiring new accounts, penetrating existing accounts and up-selling existing accounts. Global Source Healthcare provided domestic and international staffing services to healthcare facilities. The company had been operational for a year and growth had been considerably slower than expected. What made this decision especially important was that the healthcare staffing market was experiencing a substantial downturn. Consolidation was occurring in the industry. Given the limited sales and financial resources of the company, this decision was critical to ensure the very survival of Global Source. Other issues that may be raised include understanding the sales strategy in the business and marketing strategy, motivating a sales force in a difficult, limited-resource environment, and understanding the trade-off between the length of the sales cycle and the size of the potential account.Teaching Note: 8B05A21 (10 pages)Industry: Health Care ServicesIssues: Growth Strategy; Startups; Sales Strategy; ServicesDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 5:
Customer Interaction Management
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SALESBRAIN LLC - B2B COMMUNICATIONSDante Pirouz, Ramasastry ChandrasekharProduct Number: 9B12A005Publication Date: 2/21/2012Revision Date: 2/17/2012Length: 12 pagesIn May 2010, the “chief pain officer” of SalesBrain, a neuroscience-based marketing research and coaching company located in California, has been approached for advice by the marketing head of Digital Technology International (DTI), a Utah-based provider of technology solutions for the global publishing industry. DTI has been struggling with communicating the core value proposition of its offerings to customers, including leading newspaper publishers. Its frontline people are delivering messages that are technical, jargon-filled, and complex. Publisher-customers are unable to understand quickly how the technology solutions being offered by DTI can help them become competitive. The sales messages are also not consistent.
SalesBrain is suggesting a three-step process wherein it will identify the “pain points” being experienced by the publisher-customers of DTI; create a compelling set of claims that DTI could offer about its technology products; and guide its frontline salespersons towards developing appropriate sales scripts that they could use with prospective clients. SalesBrain is deploying the cutting-edge tools of neuroscience marketing in each of the three processes. The chief pain officer must choose between Layered Voice Analysis and Facial Action Coding System as a medium to serve the needs of DTI.Teaching Note: 8B12A005 (4 pages)Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical ServicesIssues: Business to Business Marketing; Marketing Research; Sales Management; Newspapers; Consumer Neuroscience; United StatesDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES OF CINCINNATI: THE FIRST YEAR AND BEYONDMary Conway Dato-onProduct Number: 9B10A008Publication Date: 6/10/2010Length: 15 pagesTen Thousand Villages (TTV) is a nonprofit fair trade retail organization with a store located in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the store's opening and first two years of operations (2002-2004), Karen, the chair of the board of directors, and Cheryl, the store manager, struggle to develop a customer-focused plan to ensure sales increases for their unique operation. Marketing issues ranging from store location selection to inventory selection and promotion are presented. In addition to covering an alternative method of doing business - nonprofit enterprise - the case provides a platform for customer relationship management (CRM) implementation in a small, nonprofit environment.Teaching Note: 8B10A08 (8 pages)Industry: Social Advocacy OrganizationsIssues: Not-For-Profit Marketing; Fair Trade; Retailing; Customer Value SegmentationDifficulty: 3 - Undergraduate
CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT: THE LOYALTY PROGRAMKenneth G. Hardy, Renee ZatzmanProduct Number: 9B08A008Publication Date: 4/1/2008Revision Date: 5/15/2009Length: 17 pagesIn 2007, the marketing director for Cineplex Entertainment is trying to decide whether or not to proceed with a loyalty program that would provide incentives for customers to see more movies and events, and spend more on concessions. An important by-product would be the collection of detailed customer buying data. She has crafted four possible combinations of rewards and received proposals from three suppliers with experience in managing customer data banks. She must decide the structure and richness of the program, the supplier, the likely response rate to determine financial feasibility, and whether to launch regionally or nationally.Teaching Note: 8B08A08 (10 pages)Industry: Arts, Entertainment, Sports and RecreationIssues: New Product Launch; Customer Relationship Management; Loyalty ProgramsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 6:
Sales Force Organization
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LAKSHMI PROJECTS: SALES STRUCTURE DILEMMASandeep Puri, Mehmet A. Begen, Akshay Nangia, Arjit Rawal, Mayank RawatProduct Number: 9B15A019Publication Date: 6/5/2015Revision Date: 6/5/2015Length: 10 pagesIn July 2014, the managing director of Lakshmi Projects in Delhi, India, finds himself struggling with the marketing and sales strategy for the year ahead. Founded in 1997, the company specializes in offering turnkey solutions for bulk material handling systems for industries in the fast-growing infrastructure segment of the Indian economy; its two main product categories are elevator and conveyor systems. Yet, the company was failing to meet its sales targets, largely due to an overextended and underachieving salesforce. What was the right structure for the sales, after-sales and quality teams in the organization? An additional concern was that a sales strategy for the company’s new product, set to launch in October 2014, had not yet been decided. Fluctuating industry dynamics, financial strains, field sales and service requirements meant that this was a complex decision that held larger consequences for the company’s future.Teaching Note: 8B15A019 (9 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Salesforce structure; management; designDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
OPTIMA BUSINESS GROUP: LEVERAGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR SALESFORCE ENABLEMENTRitu Mehta, Debabrata GhoshProduct Number: 9B15A021Publication Date: 4/29/2015Revision Date: 4/29/2015Length: 11 pagesOptima Business Group (OBG), a consumer packaged goods firm, achieved significant improvements in its sales and distribution processes through the implementation of sales force automation (SFA). The implementation was carried out in the urban markets of OBG, but it was not an easy journey. The chief technology officer has to decide whether OBG should implement SFA in its rural markets and, if so, how it should be executed. What are the risks and benefits of implementing the system? Competitors are fast leveraging information technology in other functions such as finance, HR and vendor management and OBG needs to catch up. Finally, competitors of OBG are adopting innovative methods to share the costs of IT implementation (e.g., handheld devices) with their partners. Faced with different options, and a unique terrain of conducting business in the emerging economy of India, the chief technology officer has to decide on OBG’s future IT strategy.Teaching Note: 8B15A021 (6 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Automation; sales and distribution; consumer packaged goods; IndiaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC. - THE SALES FORCE DILEMMADonald W. Barclay, Joe FalconiProduct Number: 9B06A035Publication Date: 2/26/2007Length: 20 pagesIn 2005, the vice-president of sales and marketing for the Canadian division of Spectrum Brands Inc. must determine his next steps regarding the structure of his sales force. Spectrum Brands (Spectrum), a global consumer products company formerly known as Rayovac Corporation, had made a number of acquisitions to diversify and expand its product and brand portfolio. With these changes, Spectrum had become a leading supplier of consumer batteries, lawn and garden care products, specialty pet supplies, and shaving and grooming products. The vice-president of sales and marketing was charged with the task of creating a national sales force from the teams of the newly merged companies. Knowing the importance of the sales function to each of these companies, he wanted to ensure; despite the differences among the diverse groups, that he still maintained a team which would effectively and efficiently continue to increase the sales of each business unit.Teaching Note: 8B06A35 (13 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Sales Organization; Acquisitions; Change Management; Sales ManagementDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 8:
Recruiting and Selecting Personnel
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ADVANTAGE FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES REPRESENTATIVEMichael A. Levin, Bruce C. BaileyProduct Number: 9B13A023Publication Date: 11/7/2013Revision Date: 11/1/2013Length: 5 pagesAdvantage Food & Beverage (AF&B), a sales and service vending machine company, has added an Avanti kiosk division and hired a sales representative to devote all their time to selling the kiosk service to businesses within a specific geographic market. In the first year of the kiosk operation, AF&B hired and fired three sales representatives while acquiring seven Avanti customers. A management review uncovered issues with the selling process and the lack of presentations to prospective customers. AF&B’s owner pondered the relationship between the personal selling process and AF&B’s current compensation approach for sales representatives. How could AF&B’s compensation approach be changed to meet senior management’s new emphasis on presentations, and how would the various options impact AF&B’s profit and loss statement?Teaching Note: 8B13A023 (11 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Sales; selling process; United StatesDifficulty: 2 - Intro/Undergraduate
JINDI ENTERPRISES: FINDING A NEW SALES MANAGERJune Cotte, Alan (Wenchu) YangProduct Number: 9B03A009Publication Date: 8/6/2003Revision Date: 10/15/2009Length: 14 pagesJindi Enterprises is a manufacturer of heat exchanger units for residential and commercial markets in China. Recently, the company's top sales representative, who is also the sales manager for one of the company's provincial offices, quit and joined a competitor. A replacement must be found, however, a delay in choosing a strategic direction is seriously complicating the hiring decision. The chief executive officer must determine the corporate strategy and ensure that the hiring strategy reflects these changes. Learning objectives include understanding that corporate strategy and sales hiring and selection strategy are inter-related and must be integrated, that hiring criteria may have to change to reflect strategy changes, and that sales and sales management practices in emerging markets can be different than those in mature markets.Teaching Note: 8B03A09 (8 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: China; Sales Management; Sales Organization; Strategic Change; Sales StrategyDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
SALESDRIVER (A): THE OFFER TO MARK SULLIVAN - SALESDRIVER'S PERSPECTIVEJoerg Dietz, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01C010Publication Date: 11/29/2002Revision Date: 12/15/2009Length: 9 pagesAs a startup in the online sales incentives industry, SalesDriver had a unique product to offer: online sales contests. From its early stages, SalesDriver had a great product, e-tailer relationships and initial customers who were pleased with the service. What SalesDriver needed was personnel. SalesDriver's two co-founders were facing several challenges. They were both young and making their first independent leap into the dot-com industry. With limited funding and no hiring experience, they needed to put together a staff for their company and wanted to do so within a two-week time frame. Their first need was to hire a vice-president of sales, but their candidate of preference had 15 other job offers on his plate, so time was of the essence. How much should they offer? What incentives should they include? What kind of fit would they have as a working team and would they even have enough time to assess that fit? The two friends and business partners were faced with the difficult challenge of working out a winning offer that would persuade the right person to accept a position in their very young company.Teaching Note: 8B01C10 (5 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: E-Commerce; Employee SelectionDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 8:
Sales Training
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PARKIN LABORATORIES: SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESSSandeep PuriProduct Number: 9B14A015Publication Date: 5/23/2014Revision Date: 5/21/2014Length: 10 pagesThe profits of a generic-pharmaceutical company, Parkin Laboratories, are dwindling as a result of recent legislation implemented by the Indian government. To compensate for the loss in value, the company needs to increase its sales volumes. The general manager of sales is exploring the idea of investing in a program of sales force effectiveness to increase the efficacy of the sales team.Teaching Note: 8B14A015 (9 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Sales force effectiveness; sales management; sales performance; pharmaceutical selling; IndiaDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
JSW SHOPPE — A UNIQUE DISTRIBUTION MODEL FOR BRANDED STEELV.V. GopalProduct Number: 9B11A023Publication Date: 1/30/2012Length: 13 pagesOrganized steel retailing was not very popular among steel manufacturers in India. Very few such initiatives were undertaken by Indian players, but the most prominent was the JSW Shoppe concept promoted by Jindal Steel Works (JSW). JSW sold its products through a large network of dealers. However, the management had been concerned with building a brand image for its products, increasing its market penetration beyond the market of builders and fabricators, and attracting the attention of end users who would drive up sales. The company had felt that its distribution model would not serve its purpose, and had designed the unique concept of JSW Shoppe - a franchising model wherein the company would partner with existing and new dealers to achieve its objectives.
Set in 2010, the case deals with the challenges of transforming from a transactional distribution model to a relationship-based distribution model for franchising. Through the analysis of the case, students will locate the execution flaws in the company’s transformation, and seek the best way to address the issues related to this transformation. The case demonstrates the importance and role of a salesperson and the problems and issues that arise when a distribution model is changed - both from the dealers’ and company’s perspectives. Highlights of the case include the presentation of the challenges of franchising a specialty product, the evaluation of dealers using a balanced scorecard, and the preparation of an elaborate training module for the sales force.Teaching Note: 8B11A023 (26 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Strategy; Sales Force Management; Retail Management; Balanced Scorecard; Change Management; Branding; Steel; India; Ivey/ISBDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
ALCHEMY TRAINING FIRMJune Cotte, Alan (Wenchu) YangProduct Number: 9B04A015Publication Date: 9/20/2004Revision Date: 10/7/2009Length: 14 pagesThe top sales person for Alchemy Training Firm has visited three potential clients, an existing customer, a warm call referral and a cold call, to sell a new offering from the company. While the company was well-known for providing top quality sales management training programs, the owners have decided to branch out with a new offer of supply chain management/purchasing training courses. The sales person must prepare a report of these sales calls for a planning session, and is concerned that the outcome may not be successful. He wonders what he could have done differently. The case highlights the difficulties in selling a new intangible service when firm reputation, trainer reputation, and course customization opportunities compete with cost as main buyer priorities. The differing opinions of the owners on the firm's growth strategy are an issue, as well.Teaching Note: 8B04A15 (5 pages)Industry: Educational ServicesIssues: China; Sales Management; Corporate Strategy; Sales Strategy; ServicesDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 9:
Leadership
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GOLDIEBLOX TOY COMPANY AND COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTZahra Ladha JiwaniProduct Number: 9B14A050Publication Date: 8/15/2014Revision Date: 12/22/2014Length: 3 pagesIn November 2013, GoldieBlox was accused of copyright infringement. It used the Beastie Boys song “Girls” in one of its advertisements promoting new toys for girls without permission. The company’s reaction to file a lawsuit against the band was not well received and perhaps a little hasty.
In the wake of the crisis, the chief executive officer of GoldieBlox Toy Company and her team had some decisions to make regarding how to handle the lawsuit they filed against the Beastie Boys that then backfired. The hostile environment was not conducive to the image of the company and the negative media was of concern to GoldieBox and its employees.Teaching Note: 8B14A050 (6 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Communications; conflict; copyright; United StatesDifficulty: 3 - Undergraduate
HR 500 PLUS SCANNER — RAPID COMMERCIALIZATION OR BUST AT KODAKDonald A. PillittereProduct Number: 9B11M117Publication Date: 1/26/2012Length: 6 pagesThe HR 500 Plus Scanner case examines how, in 2000, the Eastman Kodak Company confronts a drastic change in technology (from traditional to digital photography) that is eroding revenue and margins by double digits in its core film, paper, and chemical business. Matt Giorgio, the worldwide product manager for film scanners, is being pushed by upper management to extend the life of film to provide cash for the painful and less profitable transition to digital photography. With limited overall research and development (R&D) and a dictate from the CEO for flawless execution of projects, Giorgio and his team take an aggressive approach to develop, in less than a year, a scanner that can both stave off film market erosion and minimize the program’s impact on corporate R&D. Missing the team’s goal of nine months could cost him his job and leave the company vulnerable to even greater erosion of film, paper, and chemical sales.Teaching Note: 8B11M117 (11 pages)Issues: Disruptive Technology; Project Management; Product Marketing; Operations Management; Photography; United StatesDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
THE 2006 WORLD CUP: MOBILE MARKETING AT ADIDAS (A)Andy Rohm, Fareena Sultan, David T.A. WesleyProduct Number: 9B07A016Publication Date: 10/4/2007Revision Date: 2/26/2010Length: 14 pagesThe manager of Mobile Media for adidas International is debating what to do, given the sparse amount of traffic to date at the adidas FIFA World Cup mobile portal. By February, there had been only 3,000 visits to the mobile site, compared to the one million visits predicted earlier based on the previous success of a Lucas Films Star Wars mobile campaign. Given that the World Cup is a global event viewed by millions of people in person and more than one billion TV viewers worldwide, it represents a global stage for adidas to promote its brand and communicate its continued involvement and leadership in the sport of football. The manager of Mobile Media is worried that the brand's mobile efforts for this major event could fail miserably.Teaching Note: 8B07A16 (7 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: China; International Marketing; Telecommunication Technology; Marketing Communication; Marketing Channels; NortheasternDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 10:
Ethical Leadership
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LULULEMON ATHLETICA'S PRODUCT, EMPLOYEE AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ISSUESStefanie Beninger, Simon Pek, Karen Robson, Adam J. MillsProduct Number: 9B14A039Publication Date: 9/10/2014Revision Date: 9/10/2014Length: 9 pagesLululemon, a successful yoga and athletic apparel company, faced a number of controversies notably those surrounding comments made by the founder and regarding employee and public relations. Many of these controversies seem out of line with Lululemon's Manifesto, a one-page collection of sayings that guide the company's actions. These issues culminate with issues regarding one of their most popular products, resulting in a product recall in 2013. As Lululemon enters 2014, facing drops in their share price and a revenue growth below expectations, Lululemon's new CEO has to make some decisions about the best way forward for the company.Teaching Note: 8B14A039 (10 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Public relations; product recall; ethics; controversy; CanadaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
AMERICAN APPAREL: UNWRAPPING ETHICSJune Cotte, Seung Hwan (Mark) Lee, Brittany SchuetteProduct Number: 9B12A032Publication Date: 8/13/2012Revision Date: 8/13/2012Length: 5 pagesAmerican Apparel, a popular clothing manufacturer, has socially progressive labour policies and uses significant environmental advances in its manufacturing process. In addition, it has a well-established philanthropic arm. Set against these socially responsible policies is the highly sexualized nature of the company’s advertising. This element of the marketing mix seems, at least to some consumers, very much at odds with the other aims and policies of the company. The question facing students is whether this disconnect can be maintained or whether the brand’s advertising should change.Teaching Note: 8B12A032 (2 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Ethics; Corporate Social Responsibility; Advertising Strategy; Controversial Advertising, United StatesDifficulty: 2 - Intro/Undergraduate
BAYER CROPSCIENCE IN INDIA (A): AGAINST CHILD LABORCharles Dhanaraj, Oana Branzei, Satyajeet SubramanianProduct Number: 9B10M061Publication Date: 1/27/2011Length: 19 pagesAWARD WINNING CASE - Indian Management Issues and Opportunities Award, 2012 European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Case Writing Competition. This case explores value-driven strategy formulation and implementation by bringing to the fore issues of ethics, responsible leadership, social intiatives in emerging markets, and the global-local tensions in corporate social responsibility. It examines how Bayer CropScience addressed the issue of child labor in its cotton seed supply chain in rural India between 2002 and 2008. Bayer had been operating in India for more than a century. In December 2002, the Bayer Group completed the acquisition of India-based Aventis CropScience. Bayer CropScience first learned about the occurrence and prevalence of child labor in its newly acquired India-based cotton seed operations a few months post-acquisition, in April 2003. The Aventis acquisition had brought onboard a well-known Indian company, Proagro, which already had operations in the cotton seed production and marketing - a new segment of the supply chain for Bayer. Child labor was widespread in cotton seed production — a traditional practice taken for granted not only by Indian farmers but also by several hundred Indian companies then accounting for approximately 90 per cent of the market share. The (A) case focuses on Bayer’s decision whether, when, and how to launch a self-run program that would take direct responsibility for tracking and eradicating child labor in rural India.Teaching Note: 8B10M061 (11 pages)Industry: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and HuntingIssues: Emerging Markets; Strategy Implementation; Ethical Issues; Crisis Management; Corporate Responsibility; IndiaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT INC. IN SAUDI ARABIAJoerg Dietz, Ankur Grover, Laura GuerreroProduct Number: 9B07C042Publication Date: 3/17/2008Revision Date: 3/24/2009Length: 14 pagesA recently hired U.S.-trained sales account manager at Medical Equipment Inc. (Medical Equipment) returned to his office after meeting with the head of the cardiology department at a specialist hospital and research center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He had worked very hard to secure his first sale of US$725,000 for healthcare equipment, but was disheartened when the head of cardiology told him that the hospital's purchasing director intended to give the order to Medical Equipment's main competitor. The competition's sales representative and the purchasing director had known each other for 10 years and the head cardiologist implied that there might be side payments involved. The sales account manager knew Medical Equipment's product was superior and wondered how he could secure the order without having a history with the purchasing director or without engaging in practices he found ethically questionable.Teaching Note: 8B07C42 (8 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Intercultural Relations; Sales Management; International Business; Ethical IssuesDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 11:
Motivating Salespeople
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LEDALS REDISTRIBUTOR: ENACTING POLICIES THAT FRUSTRATE SALESPEOPLE AND CUSTOMERSWilliam H. MurphyProduct Number: 9B14A052Publication Date: 9/16/2014Revision Date: 9/15/2014Length: 5 pagesLedals, one of the premier redistribution firms in the United States, had determined that whenever backorders occurred, the additional trips being made by delivery trucks were killing margins. Therefore, management imposed a new policy, whereby backordered items would be held until the next customer order was received and prepared for shipping.
This arrangement led to repercussions, with both customers and Ledals’ salespeople frustrated with the new policy. Muted at first, but growing in volume, many members of the sales force were clearly disgruntled. What remained was figuring out how much damage was actually being done. Was it simply a predictable resistance to change that would resolve itself in the coming months? If it was a genuine problem, Ledals’ management needed to consider what, if any, actions should be taken. Ledals also had to determine whether the problem was with the policy itself or its implementation. Regardless of the cause, management had to make a decision as soon as possible about how to move forward.Teaching Note: 8B14A052 (8 pages)Industry: Wholesale TradeIssues: Relationship management; sales force; pricing; customer backlash; United StatesDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
PARKIN LABORATORIES: SALES TARGET DILEMMASandeep PuriProduct Number: 9B13A017Publication Date: 7/3/2013Revision Date: 12/10/2013Length: 7 pagesAt the end of the year’s third quarter, the sales team at a generic-pharmaceutical company has achieved just 91 per cent of its sales target, and growth is less than what was anticipated. The general manager of sales needs to decide whether he can revise the sales targets for the last quarter of the year without compromising growth. He also needs to address the impact of launching a new product when the sales team is striving to achieve its budgets and devise strategies the sales team can use to achieve their sales targets during a selling downturn.Teaching Note: 8B13A017 (6 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Sales management; sales strategy; conflict management; pharmaceuticals; IndiaDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
KYLE EVANS AT RUFFIAN APPAREL: STAFFING A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTAnn C. Frost, Kevin HewinsProduct Number: 9B09C008Publication Date: 1/27/2010Length: 11 pagesRuffian Kelowna, one of 19 British Columbia Ruffian Apparel locations, is underperforming. Recent management turnover and low unemployment in the region have left Kelowna short-staffed and in need of a new store manager to take over for the interim manager. Both sales and performance results are far below acceptable levels, and the store appears to be floundering. The newly hired B.C. regional manager for Ruffian Apparel is looking into the problem and needs to report back to Vancouver with his recommendations. This case can be used to demonstrate how different theories of motivation might apply to goal-setting and compensation plans. The case illustrates how an inappropriate or poorly structured compensation plan and motivational goals can lead to ineffective and detrimental results. Students who immediately attribute the problems of the case to the lack of a store manager will fail to explore the potential for increasing employee motivation and productivity across the board.Teaching Note: 8B09C08 (5 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Staffing; Compensation; Pay for Performance; MotivationDifficulty: 3 - Undergraduate
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Chapter 12:
Compensating Salespeople
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PHARMA TALENT: PAYING SALES FORCE BONUSES WITHIN A FIXED BUDGETMichael Taylor, Rocky CampanaProduct Number: 9B12A041Publication Date: 10/17/2012Revision Date: 10/17/2012Length: 9 pagesThis case concerns the bonus structure for a representative sales team. Pharma Talent, a contract sales company for pharmaceutical companies across Canada, promised its clients that its representatives would drive sales at a lower cost than what the client would incur if it had its own sales force. Historically, it had contracts with products that targeted physicians (e.g., prescription drugs or medical devices); however, a new contract in Ontario involved an over-the-counter (OTC) product. Pharma Talent currently had a pay-for-performance bonus structure that had already been revised three times. Nevertheless, due to the structure of the different territories in Ontario, many sales team members thought the bonus was unfair and very discouraging, while its pay-for-performance structure did not meet the clients' needs.Teaching Note: 8B12A041 (7 pages)Industry: Health Care ServicesIssues: Sales Force Compensation; Resource Management; Sales Process; Retail Merchandising; CanadaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
BIOMED CO., LTD.: DESIGNING A NEW SALES COMPENSATION PLANDonald W. Barclay, Ponlerd ChiemchanyaProduct Number: 9B06A037Publication Date: 1/9/2007Revision Date: 9/14/2009Length: 13 pagesA recent MBA graduate was about to return to the family business, Biomed Co., Ltd. as its general manager. Biomed's parent company, Thai Drugs Co., Ltd. has just revised Biomed's market strategy, a change that created the need to align the sales compensation system to fit with the new strategy. The new general manager was charged with this responsibility. Students will work through the path from strategy to a powerful sales compensation plan that will support the strategy and encourage to execute the role of the salesforce within this strategy.Teaching Note: 8B06A37 (13 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Human Resources Management; Compensation; Managing Implementation; Sales ManagementDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
CANDYM ENTERPRISES: FALLING SALES IN TERRITORY #61June Cotte, Megan McCraeProduct Number: 9B04A014Publication Date: 9/20/2004Revision Date: 10/7/2009Length: 9 pagesCandym Enterprises is a wholesaler specializing in producing, importing and exporting giftware, and selling these items through independent sales representatives. The president and founder has discovered that performance in one territory is falling. A major trade-show is approaching, and changes need to be made in the territory quickly. The president feels he has several options, including replacing an independent sales rep with a company sales rep, which would be a new strategy for the company. Learning objectives include understanding the pros and cons of salary-based relationship building, the importance of excellent customer relationship management, and recognizing that using distributors/independent sales reps has some risk.Teaching Note: 8B04A14 (5 pages)Industry: Wholesale TradeIssues: Sales Organization; Sales Strategy; Compensation; Sales ManagementDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 13:
Evaluating Performance
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PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AT BANK OF MAHARASHTRAAsmita Chitnis, Omkarprasad S. Vaidya, Darroch A. RobertsonProduct Number: 9B14D004Publication Date: 6/6/2014Revision Date: 6/6/2014Length: 7 pagesIn January 2013, the general manager of the Planning Division of the Bank of Maharashtra in Pune, India, is considering how best to analyze the performance of the bank’s 1,728 branches in 28 states and two union territories and its staff of nearly 14,000 people. Such a process would help develop a comprehensive yearly plan by setting realistic targets for each of the bank branches, which have a wide variety of operating conditions. With its market share falling and increasing competition from major players in both the private and public sectors, the bank must take proactive steps to develop a strategy for expansion. The general manager meets a business school graduate who suggests using performance evaluation and benchmarking tools that will not only help evaluate performance in terms of an efficiency score but also indicate possible potential improvements. Should the general manager trust that the young analyst can pinpoint why some branches are not meeting their targets and suggest how their performance can be improved, or should he hire a more experienced consultant?Teaching Note: 8B14D004 (15 pages)Industry: Finance and InsuranceIssues: Performance evaluation; banks; data envelopment analysis; IndiaDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
MOTIVATED REASONING, LEADERSHIP AND TEAM PERFORMANCESyed Salman Ahmad, Santosh Kumar, Sheetanshu MishraProduct Number: 9B13C010Publication Date: 5/7/2013Revision Date: 5/6/2013Length: 7 pagesThis case revolves around the experiences of an MBA student at an Indian business school. The student is dynamic, capable and intent on high achievement, but his pursuit of recognition eventually hampers his and his team’s learning and performance. The case is based on an event that happens within a course on organizational behaviour where the student makes a major mistake in his analysis of a case due to his need to demonstrate his competence and validate himself. This hurts his and his team’s performance on an assigned task. After the event, the student and his team members reflect on the events that led to this mistake. They also take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation - Behavior (FIRO-B) assessments to determine their personality preferences and interpersonal needs that might have influenced the team’s functioning.Teaching Note: 8B13C010 (26 pages)Industry: Educational ServicesIssues: Personality motivation; perception decision-making; group dynamics leadership; learning performance; IndiaDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
WORLDWIDE EQUIPMENT (CHINA) LTD.: A SALES PERFORMANCE DILEMMAJune Cotte, Alan (Wenchu) YangProduct Number: 9B02A028Publication Date: 1/9/2003Revision Date: 10/29/2009Length: 15 pagesAWARD WINNING CASE - This case was one of the winning cases in the 2002 Regional Asia-Pacific Case Writing Competition. Worldwide Equipment Ltd. is one of the world's largest manufacturers of heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment. The Beijing regional sales manager has just heard that the sales performance of his office ranked the lowest among the sales offices in China. The sales Beijing force will not receive their year-end bonus unless the situation can be turned around quickly. He must determine whether the sales management process or a recent new hire on the sales force, whose hiring was strongly suggested by the manager's boss, are to blame for the poor sales performance and how to keep the situation from recurring.Teaching Note: 8B02A28 (7 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: China; Organizational Behaviour; Sales Management; Sales Organization; Performance EvaluationDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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