Management
Needs Audit Dialogue
Part 1:
1. I will be selling to the Regional Director of Marketing and Advertising of Dairy Queen who oversees the area of Indiana. I saved his name in Salesforce.com as Ben Sanders.
2. Email: Ben, My name is Jared Woodcox and I am a sales executive for the Indiana Pacers. I’m really impressed with all of Dairy Queen's marketing efforts that I have seen. Our team offers the premiere marketing and advertising opportunities of the region. We successfully advertise dozens of brands and drive traffic to those businesses. Our top restaurant partners have seen a 30% increase in sales during their partnership. Could I schedule a time to meet with you in person on Thursday, October 2nd, at 8:00 a.m. to describe how we can find a similar fit with your business? I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Jared Woodcox
Part 2: All Salesforce.com requirements completed! Part 3:
1. Prediction of five explicit needs: a. “I want to put the Dairy Queen brand at the top of people’s mind when they think of not
only a delicious treat, but of a convenient and satisfying meal.” b. “I want to raise public opinion of Dairy Queen so it becomes the top chain of its kind in
the region.” c. “I’m looking for a way to increase sales at Dairy Queen, especially during the winter
months when ice cream isn’t as popular.” d. “I’m hoping to find an effective means to promote all the products that Dairy Queen
offers.” e. “I’d like to enter into a partnership that enhances Dairy Queen’s brand image by giving
back to the community.” 2. Status Quo: They have likely ridden on the back of what corporate Dairy Queen has been
pushing with national television ad campaigns. The average Dairy Queen probably gets involved with small local marketing activities such as coupon distributions, discounts, in-‐store promotions, etc. Their level of satisfaction is probably around average. Corporate likely helps to
keep the business afloat, but they would probably like to see large increases in productivity in their local chains. This partnership would allow even the local DQ’s to push their marketing and advertising effectiveness to the next level.
3. They would use a sponsorship of the Indiana Pacers as a vehicle to put their product in front of thousands of fans via on-‐site promotions, branding, television ads, and internet/social media ads to increase awareness and favorability of their product. They would engage fans by being inside the stadium and could even get involved in a promotion that gave back to the community.
4. Reframe (italicized type indicates conversational text): As you know, I’m Jared Woodcox, sales executive for the Indiana Pacers where we offer the region’s premiere marketing and advertising opportunities. I know that Dairy Queen does an excellent job of marketing its products and I would like to help expand this effort to further your business’s growth. We recently received a report from one of our top restaurant partners that their sales have increased 30% during their partnership with us. I’d love to learn more about what you’ve done with Dairy Queen to see how we can provide you with similar results.
1. Permission play (to follow immediately after the reframe above: Would it be alright if I took 5 to 10 minutes to ask you some questions about your business so I can better determine where we can find a fit between your needs and what we have to offer?
2. Opportunity Queries: a. Status Quo Queries:
I know that a lot of Dairy Queen’s advertising comes from corporate funding and marketing. What role does corporate decision making play in what you do to improve local Dairy Queens? What kind of partnerships, if any, have you entered into with businesses in the region?
b. Vision Queries: In your opinion, what accomplishments would Dairy Queen have to achieve in the next few years for you to feel like you had been successful in marketing and advertising for it? What long-‐term measures of performance do you hope you can help the local Dairy Queen chains to achieve?
c. Like Queries: What marketing and advertising activities have been especially effective for you? By what means have you managed to drive the most customers into Dairy Queen?
d. Decision Making Queries:
Are you the primary decision maker on how the regional Dairy Queen’s marketing and advertising assets are used? Or are there others who need to be included in the decision making process? What can I do personally to help ensure the smoothest transition as we work through the decision making process?
e. Financial Ability Queries: As you come to decide that a partnership with the Indiana Pacers is a good fit for your business, what is a realistic amount of money that you would feel comfortable in investing per year in the deal? Is there a particular time of year that could potentially bring about financial constraints?
3. Problem Queries:
a. 4 -‐ (Industry Challenges) i. Based on my research there is increasing competition in the food service
industry, what are a couple (four) challenges that your industry is facing? ii. What are couple challenges that you face in the fast-‐food industry?
b. 2-‐(Barriers to Company Vision) i. As it relates to your vision for Dairy Queen going forward, what do you see as
two of the biggest barriers that are keeping you from achieving _____________(prospect’s stated vision)?
ii. What are two needs that you need to address to accomplish your goal of____________ (prospect’s stated vision)?
c. 1-‐ (Major Breakthrough) i. If you could eliminate one of these barriers today, ______ or _______ (what the
prospect shares as barriers) which would give you the biggest breakthrough for your company?
ii. What one single tweak could help bump up sales during this down period of time?
4. Drill Down Questions:
a. What do you think the long-‐term effects will be for Dairy Queen if you continue to struggle with__________ (barrier of prospect)?
b. How concerned are you about the lasting effect those challenges you described to me could have on the future of your position and the business?
c. How much money do you think you are losing each year due to the ________ (one of the barriers) that is standing in your way?
d. What kind of problems and frustration will it cause you and the company if ______ (the breakthrough barrier) you are seeking to solve stays out of your reach?
Consequence/Need Payoff Questions: a. How would you react if __________ (breakthrough barrier) was instantly available to
you?
b. How much additional profit do you think you could bring in each year if you were able to overcome your concern of ____________ (barrier)?
c. What would it mean to you in terms of convenience and stress-‐reduction if you could
focus your local marketing efforts with a one-‐stop shop rather than having to spread it out over a variety of marketing venues and tactics?
d. What effect would it have on your business if you were able to permanently resolve that
greatest challenge you are facing?
5. Practice: I practiced 3 times with my wife!