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Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

2008

Sales management

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Become A Value Merchant, James Anderson, Nirmalya Kumar, James A. Narus May 2008

Become A Value Merchant, James Anderson, Nirmalya Kumar, James A. Narus

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Increasingly held accountable for reducing costs, purchasing and other customer managers don't have the luxury of simply believing suppliers' claims of cost savings. A relatively easy and quick way to obtain savings is for purchasing managers to focus on price and obtain price concessions from suppliers. To enhance their negotiating power, purchasing managers attempt to convince suppliers that their offerings are the same as their competitors, so that they could be easily replaced. In the face of such pressure, suppliers cave in and match competitor prices. Doing business based on demonstrating and documenting superior value is, indeed, a rare commodity. …


Business Market Value Merchants, James Anderson, Nirmalya Kumar, James A. Narus Mar 2008

Business Market Value Merchants, James Anderson, Nirmalya Kumar, James A. Narus

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

To get a fair return on the superior value that their offerings deliver to customers, progressive B-to-B companies transform their sales forces from value spendthrifts into value merchants. These companies foster value merchants in more ways than simply compensating salespeople on profitability. As a result, their salespeople become value merchants, making business with customers more profitable by finding value drains and value leaks--rather than by seeking price cuts to retain or gain business.