1. 
Intronics
Corporation, a manufacturer of electronic circuit boards, reaches the market through
the services of 75 manufacturers’ agencies. Most of the agencies average two
sales agents who call on Intronics customers. The agents also represent seven
to eight other manufacturers that produce noncompetitive products. Intronics wants
to eliminate the agents and develop its own company sales force. How many
salespeople do you think Intronics will have to hire? What issues affect your assessment
of how many salespeople are needed?  

2. 
IPM, Xeorox,
P&G, and many other companies have recognized to better serve their largest
customers. How might a global company reorganize itself to maximize effectiveness
with its most important customers? As senior sales management, how would you
define “most important” customer (by current sales, future potential sales, or
some other criteria)?

3. 
The chapter
mentions the theory of transaction cost analysis (TCA). What role does TCA play
in the decisions to use a company sales force rather than an independent manufacturers’
agents?

4. 
Telemarketing
has resulted in the development of inside sales force. Some companies assign
sales trainees to the inside or telephone sales force as part of the training
program in preparation for an outside sales position. Other companies view the
two positions as separate. What functions would an inside (telephone) sales
force performed? How would these functions differ from those performed by the
external sales force? How would compensation plans differ if they differ at all?
How might social media and online tools best be used to augment telemarketing/inside
sales force?

5. 
LaMarche’s
Enterprise manufacturers both technical and nontechnical products. Its sales
forces are organized in the same manner. The technical sales force has 175
people, and the nontechnical group numbers 128. To what extent would such a division
affect the following?

· 
Recruiting

· 
Sales training

· 
Compensation

· 
Supervision

· 
Span of
control