Reference no: EM132205148

A large technology company is going to market with a new software application (product) that tracks college students’ progress through their academic careers. The customer base for this company is higher education. Focus groups were conducted with students, staff, faculty, and company representatives to test and name the product. The marketing department decided not to take the feedback they received from these focus groups with respect to naming the product, and they named the product Pilot. In higher education, as in most industries, the term “pilot” means a test or trial phase. The salespeople are struggling with calling the product Pilot, and are making up their own names for it as they discuss it with customers. The Director of Sales tried unsuccessfully to discuss the situation with the Director of Marketing to negotiate a new name for the product that is more in line with the company’s target market. The meeting turned into a yelling match. Currently, the two directors are at an impasse. Evaluate where the communication breakdown occurred in this negotiation, using terminology and knowledge from this module, and propose at least two communication strategies that might have allowed the negotiation process to be more successful.