An Association of Marketing Students®

OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY
Retail Merchandising 
Associate Level

INSTRUCTIONAL AREA
Selling

PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS

PROCEDURES

1.	The event will be presented to you through your reading of these instructions, including the Performance Indicators and Event Situation. You will have up to 10 minutes to review this information to determine how you will handle the role-play situation and demonstrate the performance indicators of this event. During the preparation period, you may make notes to use during the role-play situation.

2.	You will give an ID label to your adult assistant during the preparation time.

3.	You will have up to 10 minutes to role-play your situation with a judge (you may have more than one judge).

4.	You will be evaluated on how well you meet the performance indicators of this event.

5.	Turn in all your notes and event materials when you have completed the role-play.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

1.	Explain the role of customer service as a component of selling relationships.

2.	Explain the nature and scope of the selling function.

3.	Explain the selling process.

4.	Prepare for the sales presentation.

5.	Identify customer’s buying motives for use in selling.

EVENT SITUATION

You are to assume the role of lead sales associate at Right On!, a discount department store. You will explain to a new employee (judge) about the Right On! charge card.
	
	The corporate headquarters of Right On! encourages all of its locations to become active in their communities, and your location is no exception. Last year, corporate announced that 1% of all Right On! charge card purchases would be donated to any school that the customer chooses. Each designated school can use the donation money in any way. Right On! introduced this new community service program through an extensive campaign using broadcast, print and direct mail media.
	
	Of course, Right On! management is also hoping that this service will encourage use of the Right On! charge card and attract new cardholders. All sales associates are to introduce the service to all potential charge card customers they assist. If a customer uses the Right On! card, the associate is to ask if the customer has designated a school. New customers will receive 10% off their entire purchase the day they apply for the charge card, but this promotion will last for only three months. The customer needs only to fill out a short application; credit approval is done while the customer is shopping in the store.
	
	A new employee (judge) has been assigned to your shift, and you have been asked to explain to this employee all about the Right On! charge card and how to sell the service to customers. You will speak to the new employee (judge) in a role-play to take place on the sales floor. The new employee (judge) will open the discussion by greeting you and asking for more information about the Right On! charge card. Once you have made your presentation and have answered the new employee’s (judge’s) questions, the new employee (judge) will conclude the role-play by thanking you for the information.

JUDGE’S INSTRUCTIONS

DIRECTIONS, PROCEDURES AND JUDGE’S ROLE

In preparation for this event, you should review the following information with your event manager and other judges:

1.	Procedures

2.	Performance Indicators 

3.	Event Situation

4.	Judge Role-Play Characterization
Participants may conduct a slightly different type of meeting and/or discussion with you each time; however, it is important that the information you provide and the questions you ask be uniform for every participant.

5.	Judge’s Evaluation Instructions

6.	Judge’s Evaluation Form
Please use a critical and consistent eye in rating each participant.

JUDGE ROLE-PLAY CHARACTERIZATION

You are to assume the role of a new employee at Right On!, a discount department store. The lead sales associate (participant) on your shift will explain to you a program involving the Right On! charge card.

The corporate headquarters of Right On! encourages all of its locations to become active in their communities, and your location is no exception. Last year, corporate announced that 1% of all Right On! charge card purchases would be donated to any school that a customer chooses. Each designated school can use the donation money in any way. Right On! introduced this new community service program through an extensive campaign using broadcast, print and direct mail media.

Of course, Right On! management is also hoping that this service will encourage use of the Right On!  charge card and attract new cardholders. Each sales associate is to introduce the service to all potential charge card customers they assist. If a customer uses the Right On! card, the associate is to ask if the customer has designated a school. New customers will receive 10% off their entire purchase the day they apply for the charge card, but this promotion will last for only three months. The customer needs only to fill out a short application; credit approval is done while the customer is shopping in the store.

You are a new employee on this shift and the lead sales associate (participant) is to explain to you all about the Right On! charge card and how to sell the service to customers. The discussion will take place in a role-play to be held on the sales floor. You will begin the discussion by greeting the sales associate (participant) and asking for information about the Right On! charge card. 

During the course of the role-play you are to ask the following questions of each participant:

1.	It seems to me that we are just giving money away. How can this possibly be profitable for the store?

2.	How do I know if a customer is a likely candidate to become a cardholder?

3.	What’s in it for me if I sell a lot of cards?

Once the sales associate (participant) has made his/her presentation and has answered your questions, you will conclude the role-play by thanking the sales associate (participant) for the information.

You are not to make any comments once the role-play is over except to thank the participant.

JUDGE’S EVALUATION INSTRUCTIONS

Evaluation Form Information

The participants are to be evaluated on their ability to perform the specific performance indicators stated on the cover sheet of this event and restated on the Judge’s Evaluation Form. Although you may see other performance indicators being demonstrated by the participants, those listed in the Performance Indicators section are the critical ones you are measuring for this particular event.

Evaluation Form Interpretation

The evaluation levels listed below and the evaluation rating procedures should be discussed thoroughly with your event chairperson and the other judges to ensure complete and common understanding for judging consistency.

Level of Evaluation	Interpretation Level	
		
Excellent	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator in an extremely professional manner; greatly exceeds business standards; would rank in the top 10% of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Good	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator in an acceptable and effective manner; meets at least minimal business standards; there would be no need for additional formalized training at this time; would rank in the 70-89th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Fair	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator with limited effectiveness; performance generally fell below minimal business standards; additional training would be required to improve knowledge, attitude and/or skills; would rank in the 50-69th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Poor	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator with little or no effectiveness; a great deal of formal training would be needed immediately; perhaps this person should seek other employment; would rank in the 0-49th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	

JUDGE’S EVALUATION FORM
RMAL-01
State Event 4 
DID THE PARTICIPANT:

1.	Explain the role of customer service as a component of selling relationships?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at explaining the role customer service as a component of selling relationships were inadequate or unclear.	Adequately explained the role of customer service as a component of selling relationships.	Effectively explained the role of customer service as a component of selling relationships.	Very effectively and 
thoroughly explained the role of customer service as a 
component of selling relationships.	
	
2.	Explain the nature and scope of the selling function?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at explaining the nature and scope of the selling function were inadequate or unclear.	Adequately explained the nature and scope of the selling function.	Effectively explained the nature and scope of the selling function.	Very effectively and
thoroughly explained the 
nature and scope of the selling function.	
	
3.	Explain the selling process?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at explaining the selling process were inadequate or unclear.	Adequately explained the selling process.	Effectively explained the selling process.	Very effectively and thoroughly explained the selling process.	
	
4.	Prepare for the sales presentation?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at preparing for the sales presentation were incomplete or inadequate.	Adequately prepared for the sales presentation.	Effectively prepared for the sales presentation.	Very effectively and thoroughly prepared for the sales presentation.	
	
5.	Identify customer’s buying motives for use in selling?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at identifying customer’s buying motives for use in selling were inadequate .	Adequately identified customer’s buying motives for use in selling. 	Effectively identified customer’s buying motives for use in selling.	Very effectively identified customer’s buying motives for use in selling.	
	
6.   Overall impression of the participant’s skills and performance?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 1	2, 3, 4	5, 6, 7	8, 9, 10	
Demonstrated few skills with little or no effectiveness.	Demonstrated limited ability to link some skills effectively.	Effectively demonstrated specified skills.	Demonstrated skills in a confident, articulate and integrated manner that meets the highest professional business standards.	

Judge’s  Initials 		TOTAL SCORE