Vintage, one of the largest companies in the United States, produces a vast range of goods which includes cameras, home appliances, and personal-care products

The company also competes vigorously in the services market by managing a number of hotels and hospitals. Vintage entered the real-estate industry in the last decade and proved to be a success in that field too. Considering the vast range of products and services Vintage sells, which sales-force structure would you consider appropriate for the company? Explain the reasons for your answer.

(Students' answers may vary. The answer given below is indicative.)
If a company has numerous and complex products, it can adopt a product sales-force structure, in which the sales force specializes along product lines. Vintage should employ different sales forces within different product and service divisions of its major businesses. Within Vintage, for instance, the company should have separate sales forces for energy, transportation, and water processing products and technologies. As no single salesperson can become an expert in all of these product categories managed by Vintage, product specialization is required. In all, it is best if a company as large and complex as Vintage has dozens of separate sales forces serving its diverse product and service portfolio.