Q and A

While you don't always have a choice, where you sit during a customer meeting may very well determine how you are perceived and to what degree the other person opens up. What are the guidelines for Western countries?

Do you pay attention to proxemics �" honoring the amount of space that people feel it necessary to set between themselves and others?

At the highest level, what are the three strategies for segmenting your market?

The main cultures involved In the semiconductor industry are the U.S., German, French, Japanese and various countries with a Chinese-based culture. In terms of how trust is developed, which of these cultures is closest to the U.S.?

Where can I find out useful information about a current or potential customer?

As a technical member of an account team, what are the important non-technical rules I should follow?

What are the three conditions that are crucial for success when defining a new product?

When looking at an industry life cycle there are several sequential stages �" embryonic growth, shake-out, mature and declining. In what stage is the semiconductor equipment and materials industry currently in and what are the characteristics?

How would you define the purpose of strategic marketing?

Under what circumstances is it best to use reps/distributors as opposed to a captive salesforce?

The Robinson-Patman Act makes "price discrimination" illegal. What does this mean?

What is the difference between a Key Account, Strategic Account, and a Global Account Manager?

What is the evolving role of Product Marketing in the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials space?

How are people from different Asian countries alike and different?

We find that many technology sales team members are not familiar with the "Elevator Pitch" and don't see it as useful for them. What can the "Elevator Pitch" do for you?

What is the breadth of Product Marketing/Management responsibilities?

What is the best way to push back a good customer's unrealistic product request?

In negotiations the customer often doesn't care if it ends in a "win-lose" situation as long as they are the winner. How can we also be a winner in those situations?

Our product is actually a commodity. There is not substantial differentiated customer benefits from what our product offers and what our competitors offer. How do we get an edge up?

Purchasing refuses to discuss or even let me talk about the values our product offer their company. They focus only on price and insist both we and the competition are completely interchangeable. What do I do?

There seems to be a disconnect between our engineering staff and our customers. How do I remedy that?

You have developed a Market Requirement Document (MRD) for a new/modified product with full input from a key customer. After the engineering project has begun that customer introduces new "unrealistic" requirements. What should you do?

What is market segmentation and why would you employ it?

Why has equipment marketing to semiconductor device makers and foundries shifted from a focus on "market" to a focus on "customer segments"?

When negotiating with a customer, what should I do when their expectation for settlement of an issue is quite different from mine?

In a technical industry how do you best communicate new/updated product requirements internally?

Should the product price for a particular customer ultimately be determined by sales or product marketing/management?

What is product marketing/management's primary responsibility in regard to interfacing with the internal technology and engineering organizations?

Corruption when making sales in many foreign countries in common and against the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Is an American company relieved of liability if a non-employee, representing your company, uses a bribe, etc. to conclude the sale?

In a complex technical sale is it advisable to react to a request for SPECIALS?

Our segment of the industry has become commoditized and aggressive (PICOS) supply chain management year-over-year price reductions are taking away most of our margins. What do I do?

Why should you not let the customer dictate the specifications for your proposal?

How can you differentiate yourself when your product and competitive products are truly commodities?

What is a good definition of a Value Proposiiton?

When trying to determine the appropriate price for a product, why would you NOT use standard manufacturing costs provided by Accounting in your calculations?

What does Customerization Market Segmentation mean?

Most of us know you are supposed to keep your promotion message simple, but how do you handle a hard to believe truth about your product?

A strong way to increase your profits is by looking for ways to segment your market differently. What do we mean when we use the word segmentation?

When account team members are new to an account, or the account is new to the company, how do you quickly find out crucial information about the account?

What are the three most important responsibilities of a Key or Strategic Account Manager?

Normally sales and marketing professionals should be proactive in addressing a conflict with a customer. Is there any time when this is not appropriate and when would that be?

How do you succeed with highly controlling, domineering and demanding customer personnel?

How do you get team members who do not report to you, but are important to your success, to respond to your needs?

You may have noticed that time proven approaches to selling your customers are not working as well as they used to. How is industrial sales changing?

What is the purpose and use of Value Propositions?

In the semiconductor industry what does "More than Moore" mean?

Under the guise of partnering, customers are increasingly asking suppliers for gross profit numbers and to see financials on individual products and services. How should you handle such a request?

Who, on your team, is the best source of information about existing customers?

As a marketing or account manager why should you not respond to what your customer says they want?

What is the top competency a marketing professional can exhibit?

You have been asked by your customer to provide year over year price reductions as far out as six and seven years in the future. What is behind this and what is the danger in complying.

Is PICOS alive and well?

What does GAMING have to do with our company employees . . . with our customers?

How would Key Performance Indicators (KPI) help my sales team efforts?

What is the value of the Marketing/Sales Team Forecast approach?

When is the appropriate time to solidify your negotiation strategy during a long-term process sale?

What do we mean when we say "all marketing is local"?

In communication with customers it is important to surface their true needs. When probing for those needs, what is the best technique to use?

Technical account team members are invaluable in conveying the detail aspects of your company's products, and in steering customer personnel away from pitfalls. However, sometimes they create pitfalls. In what way does that happen?

When encountering an obviously risk-averse, reserved and conservative customer or prospect the supplier personnel are often stymied on how to move forward. This type of customer typically over-analyzes, rather than make decisions on, recommendations or requests for commitment. How do you best proceed to cause some positive action?

Multi-disciplinary customer committees have increasingly become prevalent in choosing the vendor in a strategic purchase. What type of committee is easiest to deal with?

How do you maximize the payoff from your customer base?

Over the course of a supplier/customer relationship conflict is almost inevitable. To begin to resolve it what do you need to find and how should you go about it?

The term "Account Penetration" is widely used. What does it mean and how is it achieved?

We are living in a world where technological discoveries take less and less time to surface. How can the use of customer segmentation help you capitalize on this?

What is the most unappreciated question in marketing?

The account team should have "many ears and few voices". What does this mean?

What is meant by the term "Value-Based Pricing"?

In the context of being on a customer/supplier team focused on cost reduction, what do you do when you are asked to disclose your product's gross profit numbers?

Conflicts with customers often develop during product installations, acceptance and support. Why is "compromise" generally not a good resolution strategy and when is it useful?

For team members to respect a product marketing manager, that manager must have an articulated marketing strategy. What does that mean?

Customer-Supplier conflicts are always a challenge. Some are devised to achieve an objective such as in supply chain management. Others, however, are real. Where should you start to resolve a real conflict?

Each Asian culture is different and should be treated as such. However, there are several common foundational elements to all the major Asian cultures. What are they?

With major accounts which is more important: Building broad and deep relationships or gaining a deep understanding of the account's business and pushing their thinking to innovative solutions to challenges?

When a supplier is providing any kind of support to a customer there is an opportunity for conflict to arise. Often the supplier tries to either smooth things over or compromise with the customer. Sometimes either of these approaches work, but they are not usually the best. Why not?

As a supplier to an OEM or end-user, the technical aspects of your product and how well it uniquely satisfies your customer's needs is of key importance. To gain and maintain the business, however, what other major factor has strongly come into play in the last couple of years?

How do you know if your company or product line is a strong brand image?

Determining the right price for your product involves many factors. Why should considering what product price you need to cover your cost and profit not be one of them?

You receive an RFP (Request for Proposal) for an expensive purchase. It instructs you to only talk to purchasing, not the users of your products, or you will be disqualified. What should you do?

One input in determining product pricing is the cost of producing the product. Why is cost not a firm, fixed number?

In negotiations with customers there is something called the "Bogey". What is it and how do you use it?

Often a major objective for a product is to "gain market share". Why is this frequently the wrong focus?

Why is reading the financial statements of a customer important to a supplier account team?

Why should you engage in market segmentation?

Intimidation and negotiation by customers is endemic in today's business-to-business selling situations. What is likely to cause a decrease in such activities?

In marketing we often talk about the "Brand Promise". What is it?

What do we mean by "Customer Based Marketing"?

What type of forecasting, done right, provides you with the highest accuracy?

What is "concentrated market segmentation"?

What is the biggest threat today to the profit margin of your company's products or services?

In reference of technical sales, what is a "White Paper"?

When someone says you need to "Differentiate" your product what do they mean and why is it important?

How would you define marketing?

What is market segmentation?

Product marketing managers have to be aware of the broader market and customer requirements, but also have another key contact responsibility. What is it?

A mistake that many foreigners make is to treat all Asians alike. Each Asian culture has its unique characteristics and its own national pride, but there are some similarities. What are they?

It is often said that the supplier should control the specifications, rather than let the customer do it. What do we mean by this?

How do you get above the "noise level" of messages in your customer's environment so your message resonates?

As part of "partnering" program, your customer may ask for your "gross profit" numbers and to see your costs of producing individual products. What should you do?

What should I do if I have insufficient resources to support all designated key accounts?

When speaking of pricing models, what is a "Market Penetration Model" and why would you use it?

How should you position your product if you are not number one in the market?

A salesperson's object language often makes the initial and most lasting impression upon customer personnel. What is it?

Having a good Strategic Marketing Plan may not result in the execution of good marketing strategy. What is essential to link the two?

When, as part of a supply chain management program, your customer sets cost reduction goals for you to meet as you progress into the future what should you do?

It is often said that post-exposition or tradeshow activity is most important. What should sales do after the show is over?

What is the purpose of a technical product brochure what should it contain?

As the seller in a negotiation what should you do when you hit an impasse, an issue that cannot be solved because the two parties are so far apart?

Suppliers are more frequently being asked, by their customers, to bid in Reverse Auctions. What is a reverse auction?

How detailed should product marketing make the price book in order for sales to utilize it effectively?

If you are not recognized as #1 in a market or segment, what is the cardinal rule for positioning your product or company?

"Cloud Computing" is a rapidly growing trend that will have a big impact upon sales and marketing. What is it?

Committees are becoming more and more influential in the decisions about supplier products in the semiconductor industry. What is the driving force behind this?

A tactic often used in negotiations is called a "Trial Balloon" or "Trial Offer". What does that mean?

In the United States what is illegal about selling your products in an "exclusive deal"?

There are three elements that are crucial to the probable success of a new product and should be considered early in defining the product. What are they?

A "Value Proposition," properly constructed, should be directed to which of the following: a market, a prospective customer, or individual customer personnel?

How can you, the vendor, best use appointments at expositions (trade shows)?

For any salesperson that does not have a strong territorial customer base, prospecting becomes an important function. How should he or she go about it?

When evaluating the price to charge for a product, we often pose the question, "What price is the customer willing to pay?". Why is this question a wrong one?

In the Life Cycle of products there is a "Declining Stage" where demand drops from its peak. What should your strategy be during this stage?

In the context of advertising and promotion, what does the phrase "less is more" mean?

In product marketing the term "common language" is often used. What does this mean?

In the United States, the Robinson-Patman Act prohibits selling at a different price to different customers. How is this interpreted and what are the exceptions?

Handling customer objections ihas been turned into a science. There are 5 steps to effectively handling an objection. What are they?

How do you handle price objections?

What is DFM (Design for Manufacturability)?

What is the "team forecast" and what is its advantage?

Foundries and fabless semiconductor companies are producing an increasing share of the world's semiconductor devices. What is the implication for semiconductor equipment companies?

The American salesperson often falls short of success when faced with selling to the Japanese customer. What are the key reasons?

Many members of a Key/Strategic/Global Account Team are often matrixed to the team. In other words they don't report directly to the Key/Strategic/Global Account Manager. What are the most frequent problems encountered with matrixing?

In selling big-ticket products and services, where does negotiation begin--before the sales cycle starts, after the sales cycle has been completed, or somewhere in the sales cycle?

Benchmarking is a very useful technique for auditing your current product performance or for determining what is required to create a 'best of breed' product. What is the ttechnique for benchmarking?

If you are not the market leader with your product, what is the most important rule that must be followed in regard to the market leader?

There are six (6) major pieces of legislation covering commercial selling and buying transactions in the United States or by US companies. If you are involved in sales or marketing you need to be familiar with their major concepts. What are these laws?

With a technical product the customer often asks for a special configuration. Should the Price Book, prepared by product marketing, attempt to cover these specials?

With a technical product the customer often asks for a special configuration. Should the Price Book, prepared by product marketing, attempt to cover these specials?

A prominent reference point in the semiconductor industry is the ITRS. It is an acronym for what and to what does it relate?

A prominent reference point in the semiconductor industry is the ITRS. It is an acronym for what and to what does it relate?

Many suppliers are finding their customers using PICOS or similar strategies against them. What is PICOS?

Today, many suppliers to the semiconductor industry are finding their customers using PICOS, and other similar, program strategies and tactics against them. What is PICOS?

How many 300mm fabs were operating world-wide at the end of 2005?

How many 300mm fabs were operating world-wide at the end of 2005?

What is the key driving force of decisions in the semiconductor industry?

What is the key driving force of decisions in the semiconductor industry?

What is the most important pre-exposition (trade show) activity, relative to customers, that a supplier should undertake?

What is the most important pre-exposition (trade show) activity, relative to customers, that a supplier should undertake?

The proposal (previously known as a quotation) should be used as a selling document. How do you ensure this?

The "proposal" (previously known as a "quotation") should be used as a selling document. How do you ensure this?

What are the top two sales tools that should be made available to the sales force?

What would be considered the top two sales tools that should be made available to the sales force?

When negotiating, what is an impasse? How should you deal with it?

When negotiating, what is an "impasse" and how should you deal with it?

Having recently introduced the 300mm wafer, when is the next change in wafer diameter and what size might it be?

Having recently introduced the 300mm wafer, when is the next change in wafer diameter and what size might it be?

In the mid-2000’s what percentage of the IC revenue do the top 25 non-foundry device manufacturing companies capture?

In the mid-2000's what percentage of the IC revenue do the top 25 device manufacturing (non-foundry) companies capture?

In a conference room meeting with customers in Western cultures, where should the person considered the expert on your team sit?

In a conference room meeting with customers in Western cultures, where should the person considered the expert on your team sit?

One way of differentiating companies is to separate them into Product-Driven, Order-Driven, or Market-Driven enterprises. What is the difference between these groups?

One way of identifying companies and their interaction with their markets is to separate them into "Product-Driven Enterprises," or "Order-Driven Enterprises," or "Market-Driven Enterprises" groups. What is the difference between these groups?

What do I do when a customer's purchasing department sends me a purchase order with a set of fine print terms and conditions that are unfavorable to us and they insist I have to acknowledge them by sending back a signed acceptance copy?

What do I do when a customer's purchasing department sends me a purchase order with a set of fine print terms and conditions that are unfavorable to us and they insist I have to acknowledge them by sending back a signed acceptance copy?

There is one mandatory requirement that a product must meet, and an account team must emphasize, for a profitable sale to result. What is it?

There is one mandatory requirement that a product must meet, and an account team must emphasize, for a profitable sale to result. What is it?

What is the compound annual growth rate (GAGR) for semiconductor equipment over the ten-year period from 1998 to 2008?

What is the compound annual growth rate (GAGR) for semiconductor equipment over the ten-year period from 1998 to 2008?

Japan plus the PacRim (Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and China) are forecast to dominate device production after 2010. What percent of the world's IC production will China likely have at the time?

The People's Republic of China is a rapidly emerging market for semiconductor equipment, materials, components and software. At its current stage most suppliers are finding the push for low prices to overwhelming be the buyer's major consideration. What is the single most important strategy a supplier should pursue to counter this?

The sale of devices for use in electronic products ultimately drives the need for equipment and materials in the semiconductor industry. How much will those sales go up or down between 2004 and 2006 and which world regions will purchase the most?

What are the biggest reasons for bad product introductions?

When we are trying to get commitments from customers, they indirectly tell us when they are ready to commit by their use of "verbs" and "pronouns" in sentences. What are the commitment verbs and pronouns that transmit that message?

In the semiconductor industry what is the biggest reason for a supplier to establish a local presence in a particular region of the world?

The semiconductor equipment industry has in the past had a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) in the 15%-25% range. What will the CAGR be over the period of 1998-2008, which we are half-way through?

It is not uncommon to find organizations in the SEM industry to be "Order-Driven" Enterprises. What do we mean by this?

What is a "Pitchpak?"

When quoting delivery terms to a customer, what do ARO and AAO mean?

Knowing the demographics of your market is important. What percent of market share did the top 50 integrated device companies (non-foundry) capture in 2000-2003 period?

In the semiconductor equipment and materials industry is the sales function become bigger or smaller?

In the semiconductor industry IDMs (Integrated Device Manufacturers) tend to change strategic direction periodically. Which IDM currently has the following stated strategy-"To be the preeminent building block supplier to the worldwide internet economy"?

Inside today's IDMs (Integrated Device Manufacturers) vendors typically encounter committees. There are two types of committees that are prevalent. Name them.

PRC (mainland China) has made a major commitment to become a dominant semiconductor manufacturer. Which Chinese company is the country's first foundry and currently constructing a state-of-the-art fab, scheduled to open in late 2004?

If you sell to IDMs (integrated Device Manufacturers) and want to identify the largest likely consumers of your products, tracking which of the following would be most beneficial: chip sales in dollars or chip sales in units?

300mm wafers just recently went into production. The next increase in size is likely to be what? When is it likely to be introduced?

When we speak of collateral material in reference to selling, what are referring to?

What are the most important things that should be contained in the cover letter to a proposal (quotation)?

Since the 1960s, Integrated Device Manufacturers have maintained a continuous revolution in productivity by changing device and production technology. For the decade of the '60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's what were the wafer diameter and feature sizes?

Who, by title, in a vendor company should be used in helping to sell inside a prospective customer?

Customers in the semiconductor industry are typically large organizations, operate globally, and require a central contact in a supplier organization who is usually known as a GAM (Global Account Manager), SAM (Strategic Account Manager), or KAM (Key Account Manager). In reference to dealing with that customer, at what point in the hierarchy of the supplier organization should the GAM/SAM/KAM have to defer to the wishes of a senior manager?

The semiconductor industry is very volatile. What years has the industry hit its peaks and valleys between 1969 and 2003?

What is the capital cost of constructing a new 300mm fabs running 130, 90, and <90nm technology, and how might it impact the industry?

The semiconductor business can be divided into four key segments. What are they?

What is a "Value Proposition"?

When we talk of "positioning" a company, product or product line, what do we mean?

What is a White paper?

In market research we often talk about ";hard"; data and ";soft"; data. What is the difference?

What is a Bookings/Billings/Backlog Report?

In negotiation there is something called the "Concept of Authority." What does that mean?

Broadly speaking the Asia Pacific region for the semiconductor equipment and materials industry would include Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and PRC. Gaining information about customers in that region is easiest in which country?

Until recently, the test and assembly area of the fab was called "Back End." A few years ago a new term was coined for that part of the fab. Recently, it has been renamed again. What are the two latest names for the "Back End?"

When we talk about the semiconductor industry we often talk about three different types of manufacturing entities: IDM, Foundry, and Captive. What do we mean by those terms?

What do we mean when we use the term "Factory Demand Forecast"?

In the semiconductor industry, most sales involve negotiation. Are selling and negotiation the same thing? If they are not, do they operate concurrently or is there a demarcation point when one starts and the other begins?

Much of selling technique has evolved to a science. When probing a customer to try and identify needs, what type of questions, and in what sequence, is best?

Which of the integrated device design and manufacturing companies in the world are likely to make the greatest volume of materials purchases?

The market for semiconductor devices can be segmented into Computers, Consumer, Communications, Industrial, Auto and Military. Which are the three largest?

When we talk about the "World-wide Electronics Food Chain" what do we mean?

How many 300mm fabs are planned or probable by the end of 2001?

What does is the difference between a company that is said to be "technology driven" as opposed to one that is said to be "market driven"?

The Robinson-Patman Act makes "price discrimination" illegal. What does this mean?

If two products are relatively equal in price, quality and after sales service, what is most likely to influence the buying decision?

When speaking of manufacturing wafers, what is meant by a "Supplier Driven Facility"?

How close did the mid-90s forecast of 300mm conversion meet reality?

What is the most important post-exposition/tradeshow activity in which sales people need to engage?

What is the primary law of "positioning strategy" when competing with a company that is number one in your market/segment?

What is an MRS (Market Requirement Statement) and who is responsible for preparing it?

In technical, or any type, of sales the customer often objects to the "price". What is he or she actually questioning?

What is Moore's Law?

It is generally more difficult for a woman executive or company representative to be accepted in Asia than it is in the United States. In what two Asian countries are women accepted in business situations more readily?

What do we mean when we use the term Global Pricing Model?

What is the difference between a Strategic Account Program and a Global Account Program?

How are product differentiation and product performance related?

In the semiconductor industry, what is a "Budgetary Quote" and why is it used?

One of the characteristics that separates the semiconductor market from other markets and dictates "how" vendors sell into it, is its size in customers. How many world-wide semiconductor customers and fabs are there?

In the semiconductor industry what do the terms "COO" and "OEE" mean?

What is the "Annual Event" often used by companies in conjunction with trade expositions and why is it useful?

In the semiconductor industry, what is the difference between a "data sheet" and an "application note"?

According to United States law, does a warranty have to be explicitly stated in writing to be in force?

Where did the terms front-end and back-end come from and what do they mean?

The declining of the rate of sales growth is an indication that your product has reached the "Maturity" stage in its life cycle. At this point, what are appropriate strategies?

An interesting metric of the materials market is the silicon dollar revenue divided by the square inches of silicon produced. From the 1960s through 1989 that ratio was about $1.00/square inch. What is it in the late 90s?

The top ten semiconductor equipment companies combined represent what percent of market revenues?