One student plays the role of the sales representative, who accuses Ashley of providing a cost estimate too high to clinch the deal with the pharmaceutical warehouse

One student plays the role of the sales representative, who accuses Ashley of providing a cost estimate too high to clinch the deal with the pharmaceutical warehouse. Another student plays the role of Ashley, who lashes back at the sales rep. The goal of the sales representative is to be treated in a more civil manner by Ashley. The rep also wants to get Ashley more into a problem-solving mode. Ashley, in turn, thinks that the rep is more interested in bagging a sale than making money for the company. Observers rate the role-players on two dimensions, using a 1 to 5 scale from very poor (1) to very good (5). One dimension is “effective use of human relations techniques.” Focus on the rep’s ability to effectively deal with Ashley’s anger and hostility. The second dimension is “acting ability.” A few observers might voluntarily provide feedback to the role players in terms of sharing their ratings and observations. The course instructor might also provide feedback.