According to recent Gallup surveys, most Americans believe that traditional
salespeople are overly interested in the needs of customers.
During a sales presentation, it is best to begin with the FAB sequence, then present the
business proposition, and next the marketing plan.
The personal computer is a valuable tool for increasing a salesperson’s productivity and
improving customer relationships.
If management decides to increase the number of territories in a state, there is a
possibility the earnings of the salespeople working that state will decrease.
Top salespeople speak the other person’s language, both in verbal and nonverbal
communication.
The “S” in the SELL Sequence reminds the salesperson to show the benefits first.
The management function of directing is concerned with establishing a broad outline of
goals; policies; and procedures that will result in accomplishing the firm’s objectives.
Before the Great Depression, few firms had either sales or marketing departments.
Caring for people is the beginning of sales wisdom.
A straight salary plan can increase sales expenses because the salary does not vary
directly with the sales.
The beginning of the sales presentation is called the preapproach.
Hearing is the process of deriving meaning from sounds.
The most often misused company assets are automobiles, expense accounts, samples,
and damaged-merchandise credits.
When Bruce Compton selects the features and advantages of a product that he will
present to a prospect, Bruce is working on step three of a customer benefit plan.
In the SELL Sequence, the final step involves asking for feedback from the prospect
and conducting a trial close.
A salesperson says to a prospect, “Just imagine how this equipment will look and
operate in your store. Your employees will perform much better, and they will thank
you.” This statement is an example of a suggestive proposition.
Many companies concentrate on improving the way their salespeople manage their
time and territories because:
A. the cost of direct selling is rapidly decreasing.
B. the time available for face-to-face customer contact is increasing.
C. there is reduced emphasis on profitability.
D. time is always limited.
E. they want to increase the salesperson’s responsibilities.
The basic competencies of selling that are required of top professional salespeople are
selling skills and _________.
A. accounting knowledge
B. product knowledge
C. ethical social responsibility
D. interpersonal communication
E. computer expertise
Since salespeople help their prospects make the choice to buy or not buy a product, it is
important for salespeople to understand:
A. the various factors that can influence a buyer’s decision.
B. how to encourage customers to experience purchase dissonance.
C. the material taught in advanced business psychology classes.
D. all that is involved in the psychological processes a buyer goes through in making a
decision.
E. that selling to strangers is far easier than selling to known customers.
When an objection turns into a condition of sale, it most likely means that:
A. the prospect does not like the guarantee provided with the product.
B. the prospect does not have decision-making authority.
C. if the salesperson meets the prospect’s request, the prospect will buy.
D. the prospect does not like the payment terms offered.
E. the objection is true and cannot be overcome by the salesperson.
Donna is planning her first Pampered Chef party during which she will try to sell the
company’s cooking utensils and gadgets. Donna is new to sales and feels nervous about
the sales presentation. Which of the following methods would be best for Donna?
A. Formula
B. Memorized
C. Customized
D. Problem-solution
E. Need-satisfaction
Unlike the traditional definition of personal selling, the new definition:
A. relates personal selling more closely to transactional marketing.
B. identifies electronic selling as the most effective channel.
C. stresses the importance of being unselfish in selling.
D. excludes telemarketing activities due to ethical concerns.
E. substitutes the word “relationship marketing” for “personal selling.”
Establishing a travel pattern to be used in working a territory is called:
A. account grouping.
B. account time allocation.
C. customer sales planning.
D. routing.
E. scheduling.
Clearwater Hampers
Clearwater Hampers is a small British company that sells luxury food and drink in
various combinations in picnic hampers. Food and wine are seen as classic, fail-safe
gifts in a market where present-buying is increasingly tricky. Corporate customers, both
in the United Kingdom and abroad, are important to the business. Clearwater has had
several orders for more than a quarter of a million dollars. The company’s leading
salesperson, Peter Austin, is preparing the approach he will use during his first sales call
on the CEO of Diamonite, a company that specializes in designing, manufacturing, and
installing aircraft interiors for executives and heads of state.
Austin would most likely use creative imagery to:
A. establish seller empathy.
B. cope with pre-call stress.
C. incorporate dramatic visual aids.
D. facilitate two-way communication.
E. develop synergy with the prospect.
The three categories into which approach techniques can be grouped are:
A. participative, standard, and benefit.
B. compliment, referral, and participative.
C. question, participative, and controlled.
D. statement, demonstration, and question.
E. question, compliment, and benefit.
If a video game manufacturer required its resellers to stock a line of games based on
the financially-disappointing movie War of the Worlds in order to carry games based on
the popular TV show Survivor, it would be an example of:
A. misrepresentation.
B. a tie-in sale.
C. reciprocal selling.
D. a Green River dealership.
E. discriminatory selling.
Which of the following statements is true about a nondirective question?
A. Most nondirective questions are closed ended.
B. A nondirective question usually begins with do or are.
C. Nondirective questions are used to find points of agreement
D. A nondirective question clarifies a prospect’s previous statement.
E. One word questions can sometimes be used as nondirective questions.
Which of the following is an advantage of the straight commission plan?
A. Typically, loyalty towards the company among the sales force is very high.
B. The plan provides a maximum incentive and the opportunity to earn top money.
C. It provides a sense of security and certainty of earning to salespeople.
D. Salespeople are discouraged from using high-pressure selling tactics.
E. Turnover in the sales force tends to be low with this plan.
When compared to other types of sales presentations, memorized selling is the:
A. least structured.
B. most interactive.
C. least used in telemarketing.
D. most used in technical sales.
E. most structured.
By definition, the _____ clearly and completely explains all aspects of a salesperson’s
proposition as it relates to a buyer’s needs.
A. preapproach
B. display premise
C. sales presentation
D. trial close
E. benefit close
Because they are so busy, many executives have filtration systems to protect their time.
In order to get through this system, you, as a professional salesperson, should do all of
the following EXCEPT:
A. not waste time waiting.
B. develop friends in the prospect’s firm.
C. call at the right time on the right person.
D. believe in yourself.
E. follow the prospect.
Which of the following statements describes an advantage associated with the formula
sales presentation?
A. It reduces anxiety and nervousness for new salespeople.
B. It requires little prospect participation or interaction.
C. It is best for selling technical products that require prospect input.
D. It ensures that all sales information is presented logically.
E. It is effective when the selling time is very brief.
Which of the following measures is NOT used to determine how well a salesperson has
penetrated an account?
A. Number of referrals earned from the account
B. Product distribution within the account
C. Sales growth in the account
D. Advertising activity
E. Allotted shelf space
A company decides to split one of its high-performing territories into two. The
company has also decided to retain the existing salesperson for working in one of the
territories and to appoint a new salesperson for the other. This decision would most
likely result in the unethical treatment of:
A. the existing salesperson in the territory.
B. the new salesperson appointed to the territory.
C. the key accounts in the territory.
D. the customers in the sales territory.
E. the wholesalers in the territory.