As a salesperson for Economy Ceiling Fans, you have been asked to research and determine customers’ attitudes and beliefs toward your brand of ceiling fans. With this information you will determine if your company has the correct product line and suggest selling points for the company’s salespeople when discussing fans with customers who come into their chain of retail stores.
You decide to hold an open house on a Sunday in one of your typical stores located in an upper-income neighborhood and advertise your special prices. During that time, you ask everyone to be seated, thank them for coming, and ask them to discuss their attitudes toward your company and ceiling fans.
Some people felt that they should shop for ceiling fans without considering brands, but once they selected a brand, they should go to the stores carrying that particular brand and buy from the store with the best price. Most people had collected information on fans from personal sources (such as friends), commercial sources (such as advertising, salespeople, company literature), and public sources (such as consumer rating organizations). Sixty percent had narrowed their choice to fans from Hunter, Casablanca, and Economy, and they seemed to look for three things in a ceiling fan: price, quality, and style.
Given this information about why people buy ceiling fans, what should salespeople be instructed to do when a customer enters their store?