The statement, “I’ll place that order for six pallets of potting soil right now,” is an
example of an unethical close.
A T-account close is suitable if the buyer has a predetermined belief that the
competitor’s product is needed.
According to the LOCATE acronym, it is helpful for a salesperson to ask co-workers or
subordinates about a prospect’s needs.
A prospect says “I’ll think it over.” This can be treated as a no-need objection.
Generally, the more knowledgeable the customer, the greater the chances the court will
interpret an incorrect statement by a salesperson as an actionable misrepresentation
rather than as sales puffery.
The number one asset of a strong negotiator is preparation.
The difference between cost of goods sold and sales is called the gross profit on sales
revenue.
The move from salesperson to manager involves several predictable stages, including
mobilization, which is when they feel motivated to move more quickly than is
sometimes good for them and the company.
According to surveys, there has been a shift in recent years from collaborative
relationships between sellers and buyers to more adversarial arrangements.
Sales objections should be welcomed.
Before developing your presentation, you need to determine the prospect to call on and
make an appointment.
A prospect’s initial impression about a salesperson is primarily based on the
salesperson’s appearance and attitude.
From a salesperson’s point of view, which of the following describes an advantage
inherent in a straight salary compensation plan?
A. The plan facilitates team selling.
B. The plan gives salespeople financial security.
C. The plan minimizes the financial burden on employers.
D. The plan clearly links high performance with compensation.
E. The plan typically increases work norms within the sales group.
A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from
a constellation of satellites circling the earth and their ground stations.
Which term refers to an employer’s effort to provide the opportunity for salespeople to
learn about the job-related skills, knowledge, and attitudes that lead to sales success?
A. Negotiation training
B. Sales training
C. Market positioning
D. Contact management
E. Job development
Which marketing mix activity is being used when the salesperson participates in a
trade show or uses telemarketing?
A. Pricing
B. Distribution
C. Direct sales
D. Product
E. Promotion
A psychological objection is considered as a(n) _____ objection.
A. covert
B. hidden
C. superficial
D. physiological
E. overt
During a(n) salesperson’s ____, the salesperson’s actual performance is compared with
the preset performance standards for the sales territory.
A. territorial evaluation
B. MBO review
C. break-even analysis
D. ELMS review
E. market audit
Why is it important for a salesperson to be aware of caution signals?
A. They indicate blocked communication.
B. They usually lead to the next step, which is buyer acceptance.
C. They signal the salesperson to speed up the sales presentation.
D. They warn the salesperson to close the deal quickly before a competitor does.
E. They tell the salesperson to respond with similar signals to proceed on an equal
footing with the buyer.
Stage Technologies
Stage Technologies is a London-based company that supplies engineering solutions for
the entertainment industry. It has helped the boy-band Westlife make a flying entrance
onto stage and provided stage-rigging packages for the Princess cruise line. The
company was established in 1994 after a couple of production designers decided that
the automation of theater productions could be done more safely and more efficiently
by using modular production rather than the old “build-as-needed” formula. The
company installs wenches, stage lifts, and other equipment commonly used in stage
productions. The equipment is designed so it can be operated from a single console
without heavy lifting. Both opera companies and theaters see the benefit of such a
system, but many are reluctant to buy because of perceived costs.
Joseph Harris is the company’s best salesperson. Harris is making a sales call on the
manager of a theater that is planning to perform three plays this season that include
complicated lifting, flying, and a working trapdoor. The manager is aware of the time,
labor, and monetary costs involved in staging these productions and wishes there was
an easier way to produce the three plays.
During the sales presentation to the theater manager, Harris makes a strong selling point
about the benefits of the Stage Technologies system. At that point, Harris should most
likely:
A. request a short break.
B. re-address a negative objection.
C. immediately move to close the sale.
D. ask the manager his opinion about the system.
E. continue moving forward with the presentation.
Which of the following is an example of a topic discussed in the business proposition
segment of a sales presentation for a reseller?
A. Demonstrations
B. Guarantees
C. Maintenance/service
D. Value analysis
E. Discounts
Suzanne, a sales representative at MedEx, a pharmaceutical firm, was being sexually
harassed by her manager, Phil. After Suzanne refused to submit to Phil’s advances, he
threatened to fire her. Suzanne can most likely sue MedEx based on which type of
sexual harassment?
A. Hostile environment
B. Cooperative acceptance
C. De facto termination
D. Quid pro quo
E. Employment-at-will
“Our product is the only one on the market that will remove 99 percent of all bacteria
from the air” is an example of a(n):
A. product feature.
B. economic need.
C. product advantage.
D. achievement.
E. product benefit.
The _____ approach is considered weak because it fails to capture the prospect’s
attention and interest.
A. referral
B. introductory
C. premium
D. complimentary
E. product
The equipment salesperson asked the professional landscaper, “Did you know the Red
Max brand backpack blower can save you time and money because it is the most
powerful blower on the market and because it features an extra-large fuel tank?” What
kind of an approach was the salesperson using?
A. Product
B. Customer benefit
C. Premium
D. Demonstration
E. Complimentary
Sales performance is rewarded in three fundamental ways. They are:
A. drawing accounts, bonuses, and fixed salaries.
B. commission, salaries, and nonfinancial awards.
C. financial compensation, bonuses, and national awards.
D. extrinsic rewards, intrinsic rewards, and special group memberships.
E. direct financial rewards, career advancement, and nonfinancial compensation.
Which of the following prospecting methods is most similar to telephone prospecting
in terms of its objective?
A. Cold canvassing
B. Endless chain of referrals
C. Networking
D. Direct-mail prospecting
E. Observation
The underlying component of a successful sales presentation is:
A. differentiating between wants and needs.
B. utilizing statistical information as support.
C. identifying important product advantages.
D. explaining product features clearly.
E. determining the customer’s needs.
Prospects who ask trivial, unimportant questions or conceal their feelings beneath a
veil of silence most likely have _____ objections.
A. product
B. hidden
C. hopeless
D. superficial
E. source
A qualified person or organization that has the potential to buy your goods or services
is a:
A. suspect.
B. volunteer.
C. lead.
D. partner.
E. prospect.
The prospect tells the realtor, “I like the ranch-style house a lot, but I can get more
space in the one the other real estate agent showed me and the price is $2,000 less.” The
salesperson replies, “Yes, but this house is about ten years newer, has more modern
appliances, and is better insulated.” What method is being used to handle this
objection?
A. Direct denial
B. Anticipation
C. Boomerang
D. Forestalling
E. Indirect denial
The marketing manager of NevaFlat Tire Company must make the firm’s products
available to customers in convenient locations. This activity is associated with the
_____ element of the marketing mix.
A. facility
B. availability
C. direction
D. distribution
E. promotion
Salespeople use geographic information systems to:
A. increase their sales quotas.
B. acquire instant knowledge.
C. create more efficient routing patterns.
D. send text messages to customers and prospects
E. stay in constant contact with their sales managers.
When a salesperson refers to her key accounts, she is talking about her _____
accounts.
A. orphaned
B. homogeneous
C. extra-large
D. governmental
E. undifferentiated
An ethics committee is typically:
A. composed of employees from all functional areas and managerial levels.
B. a nonessential organization in multinational corporations.
C. assigned the task of writing employee handbooks.
D. responsible for disciplining wrongdoers.
E. charged with eliminating ethical dilemmas.
Nordstrom, the fashion retailer, is installing software in its 137 stores that will help the
company gather customer preferences and product information. The software will assist
the store’s salespeople to understand each customer as a person with unique wants and
needs. Nordstrom is helping its salespeople create _____ with the store’s customers.
A. transactional relationships
B. exchange-oriented dependency
C. symbiotic relationships
D. strategic customer relationships
E. joint decision-making alliances
What procedures can be used to solve customer complaints?
How can a geographic information system make a salesperson more efficient?
List and explain the two general approaches to account analysis.
According to the text, what are the basic reasons that salespeople face difficulties in
closing sales?
Why is the product not mentioned in the SPIN approach?
What are three reasons for using visuals aids, dramatics, and demonstrations during
sales presentations?
What are the five stages of the consumer buying decision process? What forces and
factors are influential to the buyer in each stage?