Answer – Personal Selling

Pre-approach: research the buyer’s store, past supplier problems and stock needs before the meeting.

Presentation: tailor the pitch around this specific buyer’s needs rather than a generic script, matching the bike’s features (spare factory capacity, in-house build, direct manufacturer relationship) to her actual concerns (Kotler & Armstrong, 2018).

Handling objections: when reliability comes up, Rackham’s (1988) SPIN approach is useful here – ask disciplined questions about what exactly went wrong with previous small suppliers, rather than dismissing the concern, so the rep can address the real underlying worry (usually delivery timing or after-sales response speed) with a specific, checkable commitment.

Closing and follow-up: Weitz, Castleberry and Tanner (2004) note that a range of closing techniques are all legitimate, but that the follow-up call after delivery is what actually builds the long-term relationship – particularly important here, since this buyer is evaluating whether Colorado Ricardo can be trusted for repeat orders, not just a single sale.

Kotler and Armstrong (2018) frame personal selling as building a relationship, not just closing a single transaction. With a buyer who has been burned by unreliable suppliers before, addressing the objection honestly and following up after delivery matters more to the long-term account than any closing technique used in the room.