Fundamentals of Selling 13th Edition by Charles Futrell

Exercise 13

You are in the competitive business of selling office machines. You have an appointment with the senior partner of a large medical center. She has already studied several competitive products. Her hot buttons are low operating costs and low maintenance. You know that four competitors have demonstrated their products to your prospect.
After you have shown her the benefits of your product, she asks you, "Tell me, what makes your machine better than Brand X " You restate some of your obvious product benefits and she comes back with, "The salesperson with Company X told me that they use a special kind of toner that is superior to what you use for your machine by 20 percent." You know that this is an obvious lie, so you ask, "What evidence did this salesperson give you to prove the claim " She shows you a customer testimonial letter that talks about satisfaction with the machine, but it says nothing about a longer lifetime. You reply carefully, "That's the first time I have ever seen a letter praising a Brand X machine."
Next, she shows you another piece of paper, a chart that graphically illustrates the operating costs of five different brands. The chart says on the bottom, "Marketing Research Brand X, 2002." It shows your machine with the highest operating costs over a five-year period, and it shows Brand X in the leading position with 50 percent lower operating costs. You are stunned by this unfair comparison. You try to control your temper.
What would be the most ethical action to take
Tell your customer that you believe that the Brand X research is misleading. Based on everything you have seen or heard, Brand X does not meet the standards it states.