Mike was preparing to introduce his newest line of athletic shoes ...

[Tirant22]

Mike was preparing to introduce his newest line of athletic shoes to Joan, the buyer for the Active Gear Shoe Company. Before he could get started, however, Joan interrupted.
 
  Your competitor Ryan was just in here yesterday, and he said the new shock-absorbent system on these athletic shoes of yours is defective. According to Ryan, it was a sloppy job of engineering, and the shoes were not properly tested before they were put on the market..
 
  Shocked, Mike replied . . .
 
  Do you think Ryan's claims are legitimate?

Question 2

Mike was preparing to introduce his newest line of athletic shoes to Joan, the buyer for the Active Gear Shoe Company. Before he could get started, however, Joan interrupted.
 
  Your competitor Ryan was just in here yesterday, and he said the new shock-absorbent system on these athletic shoes of yours is defective. According to Ryan, it was a sloppy job of engineering, and the shoes were not properly tested before they were put on the market..
 
  Shocked, Mike replied . . .
 
  What should Mike say?

[kristenb95]

Answer to Question 1

It is impossible to tell from the information provided. If the firm utilized the marketing concept and integrated marketing throughout the various functions in the company, Mike and/or his associates or supervisor should be knowledgeable about the design process used in this particular shoe. Mike needs to have reliable and accurate information about the design process.

If Mike is fairly certain that the shoe was well designed and these statements are stemming from a competitor trying to make a quick sale, Mike has a different issue to address: how to deal with a lying competitor. It might be best to refute the competitor's claims with facts and data; thus leaving the customer (as opposed to Mike) to question the competitor's integrity. In addition, assuming Mike has built good relationships within, as well as outside, the company, Mike could offer to bring the design engineer to a sales meeting or provide a tour of his company's R&D facilities to vividly confirm the planning that goes into each shoe. No matter how tempting, Mike should restrain from any negative comments about his competitor; if Mike presents compelling evidence, the customer will draw his/her own conclusions and come to trust Mike even more.

Answer to Question 2

Maybe a better question is to ask what should Mike not say? Although it would be tempting to discredit Ryan and even engage in trash talk, this is probably a time for Mike to exercise self-restraint. Mike needs to remain calm. Perhaps the best approach would be to probe Joan for a little more information. What exactly did Ryan say? Did he say where he received that information? What shoe was Ryan trying to sell when he made these claims? Not only will the questions help Mike stay calm, but they may provide valuable information as well.

Hopefully, Mike has built a good rapport with the engineering and product development department so that he would know if there were any problems or short cuts taken with this particular shoe. If Mike wasn't involved with the development of this shoe, now is the time to get involved and address the customer's concerns.

[Tirant22]

TYSM

[amit]

Great answer, keep it coming