North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Inc.

North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Inc.

    Originally named North Delta Economic Development District Council, Inc., North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Inc. was incorporated in 1969.  The company name was changed in 1972 to the current name, and one year later in 1973 North Delta Regional Planning became one of Louisiana’s eight regional planning and development districts.  North Delta Regional Planning provides a variety of programs ranging from planning reapportionments and Federal Highway Administration, elderly assistance through an Ombudsman program and Area Agencies on Aging, and economic development programs such as revolving loans and grant writing. 

    North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Inc. serves Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Union, and West Carroll Parishes.  These parishes are collectively known as Region 8 to the Louisiana Association of Planning and Development Districts (LAPDD).

    The current planning programs at North Delta Regional Planning help provide the area with a Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) that includes local projects for inclusion in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).   North Delta Regional Planning also helps various local organizations such as Police Juries to rezone school districts and other municipal districts.  These rezoning plans and transportation projects are always accompanied by large scale, detailed maps of the area and also a detailed legal description of the boundaries of the districts.  North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Inc. currently uses geographic information software to create all maps and travels to a print center to acquire a hardcopy of the maps they create.

    North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Inc. would greatly benefit their planning programs by purchasing a large format printer to use for the large maps which North Delta needs printed so often. HP offers a Designjet that fits perfectly into North Delta Regional Planning’s needs, the T1300.

    Weighing in at 189 pounds, the HP Designjet T1300 printer is a 44 inch printer that prints with a high resolution of 2400 x 1200 dpi (dots per inch). The Designjet T1300 offers two automatic roll feeds with automated switching and also automated cutting. The maximum print length of a document from the Designjet T1300 is an impressive 300 feet. The Designjet T1300 prints at a rate of 103 prints per hour for both A1 and D prints. Users can print wireless from their PC or directly from a USB drive using the touchscreen menu.

    The HP Designjet T1300 will benefit North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Inc. by reducing the cost of printing at the local print center, by saving them time by having a speedy printer available in house, and potentially by allowing neighboring regions and businesses to use the printer.

Sales Script:  

Referral Approach

Salesperson:  “Good Morning, Mr. Loyd, I’m Jon Akers from Printing Solutions.  How are you doing today?”
Prospect: “Doing well, thanks.”
Salesperson:  “Glad to hear that.  Thank you for your time.  I spoke with Ms. Urena from Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning & Development District a few days ago, she informed me that you are looking for a large document printer.”
Prospect: “That is correct; I am currently looking for a printer to fit our program.”
Presentation
Salesperson: “First, I’d like to tell you a little about our company and our product.  Our company Tough Shoes Inc. was founded in 1958 and has sold shoes to companies around the world.  We’re a leader in making durable shoes for use on construction sites and in plants.  All our shoes include non-slip rubber and are made of durable leather.  In fact, our shoes already meet “non-slip” certification for use in government research and construction facilities.  Mr. Smith, does your company normally supply its workers with shoes?”
Prospect: “No, but we have considered it in the past.” 
Salesperson: “What stopped you from buying?”
Prospect: “The benefits we would receive from the shoes did not seem worth the cost.  We haven’t had a worker slip on our factory floor in over 20 years.”
Salesperson: “While I’m sure that’s true, many insurers offer company discounts if workers are assigned non-slip shoes.  You might check with your insurer.  And, over the next several years, our shoes would likely pay for themselves in saved insurance premiums.  Also, I’m sure you know that federal regulators will soon be making non-slip shoes mandatory in factory environments similar to yours.  Our shoes have the advantage of being already qualified as “non-slip” according to the proposed standards.  It might be a good idea to get ahead of federal regulatory standards before they become law.”
Prospect:  “I see your point.  I could check with our insurer.  And new regulations are always a constant concern.” 
Salesperson: “Also, Mr. Smith, if you would like to see the shoes, I have brought a pair for your inspection.  Do you mind if I put them here on your desk?”
Prospect: “Yes, that will be fine.  I’d like to take a look at them.”
Salesperson: “You’ll notice that the shoelaces are a bit short.  That’s intentional.  If the shoes come untied, it decreases the chance that someone will step on their shoelaces and trip.  These shoes are designed for safety.” 
Prospect:  “I see.” 

NOTE: I will end the presentation section now, because I have written enough of it to show an example, but it could easily continue.  Now, I will move on to the trial close.   Notice that the conversation showed how the features (non-slip), advantages (already qualified to meet potential federal regulations), and benefits (saving money) were discussed.  If you are selling to a reseller, you would likely present the FAB’s along with the marketing and business plans.  See the handout from Moodle for more information.

Trial Close #1
Salesperson:  “So, how are you feeling about our product?”
Prospect: “Well, I like what I’ve heard so far.  Saving money on insurance and meeting government regulations ahead of schedule sounds good, but I’m still a little concerned about costs.” 
Salesperson:  “As we discussed, these shoes will likely pay for themselves in insurance savings.  Also, the shoes themselves are sold at a 10% discount when more than 200 pairs are sold.  This would even further reduce costs.  Your company employs over 1,000 people, so you should easily qualify for the discount.” 

Trial Close #2: 
Salesperson:  “Do you have another other concerns?” 
Prospect: “What is the life expectancy of your product?  Will we be replacing it every season or every few months?  Or does it need replacing every few years?”
Salesperson:  “Our shoes are made of genuine leather, and can last for years, but they may wear out sooner if your company wears them in damp or wet conditions.  Of course, most clothing products wear out faster if worn in watery environments.  I only mention this because some factory environments have high humidity and moisture as byproducts of production processes.  Generally, in a dry factory environment, our shoes last 12 to 18 months before we recommend replacement.  While they have plenty of wear left in them at 18 months, the non-slip soles can wear from use, and we only recommend replacement for safety reasons.  Like a pair of basketball shoes whose soles wear down throughout a season, our shoes also wear over time.”
Prospect: “That’s understandable.” 

Trial Close #3
Salesperson: “And, just to double check, do you have any other concerns?”
Prospect:  “If I order these shoes, I would like to have them in time for our annual equipment upgrade.  Once every two or three years, we buy new hardhats, cleaning equipment, machinery, and other equipment.  This year, we are trying to have our upgrades done by February, which is in two weeks.  Could you arrange for delivery within two weeks?  I know that’s a short time span.”
Salesperson:  “That would be no problem.  We have a 10 day turn-around from when an order is given and when an order is received.  So long as I put the order in today or tomorrow, having the shoes arrive on time will be no problem.”
Close

Closes:

Salesperson:  “So, when would you the printer to be delivered?”
Prospect:  (Their response will be dictated by a coin flip in-class.  The prospect either will or will not buy.)
"Sales Presentation North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, Inc." Jon Akers