In specifying channel alternatives, which of the following issues is(are) involved?
a. determining the levels to be included in the channel
b. determining the number of channel intermediaries at each level of the channel
c. determining the types of intermediaries to employ
d. all of the above
e. (a) and (b) only
The _____ of the Balanced Scorecard describes the human capital, information capital,
and organizational capital that must be aligned with strategy.
a. financial perspective
b. customer perspective
c. internal perspective
d. learning and growth perspective
Responsibility for recruiting salespersons may lie with:
a. the first-line supervisor.
b. the Human Resources department.
c. executives at the headquarters level.
d. all of the above.
e. (a) and (b) only.
To be successful, successful business marketing managers:
a. must assume an active role in the marketing strategy center.
b. must negotiate with other functions.
c. must get advanced secondary education.
d. All of the above.
e. Only (a) and (b).
Which of the following are forms of differentiation that can be used by business
marketers when developing a value proposition?
a. Lowest total cost.
b. Complete customer solutions.
c. Product innovation.
d. All of the above.
e. Only a and c.
_____ involves a partner’s belief that an ongoing relationship is so important that it
deserves maximum efforts to maintain it.
a. Trust
b. Relationship commitment
c. Relationship marketing
d. A strategic alliance
In the marketing of business services, items such as uniforms, logos, guarantees, written
contracts, and color schemes are examples of:
a. determinant attributes.
b. the service concept.
c. the actual service offer.
d. physical evidence of the actual service.
e. the system used to create and deliver the service.
In following a ‘solutions” strategy” for B2B services, solution effectiveness can be
enhanced by the supplier by
a. Laying out a blueprint to guide employees on creating a solution
b. Documenting the history of prior customer solution engagements
c. Developing complimentary incentives for all of the staff that may be involved
d. Only a and c
e. All of the above
Which of the following is NOT a personal characteristic used in microlevel
segmentation?
a. Demographics.
b. Risk.
c. Confidence.
d. Job responsibility.
e. Importance of purchase.
The best practices of high-performing salespeople can provide
a. relational adaptiveness to a sales effort
b. Improved role definition to the sales job
c. the opportunity to create relationship congruity
d. relationship quality to the sales team
e. a template for improving the client management process.
The _____ provides managers with a comprehensive system for converting a company’s
vision and strategy into a tightly connected set of performance measures.
a. value network
b. balanced scorecard
c. customer interface
d. financial audit
e. core business strategy
Which of the following could assume a role in the marketing strategy center?
a. technical service managers
b. physical distribution managers
c. research & development executives
d. manufacturing executives
e. all of the above
For a salesperson trying to determine the impact of group forces on the organizational
buying process, which of the following questions are appropriate?
a. Which organizational members take part in the buying process?
b. What is each member’s relative influence in the decision?
c. What criteria are important to each member in evaluating prospective suppliers?
d. All of the above questions are appropriate.
e. Only (a) and (b) are appropriate.
The use of faster modes of transportation within the logistical network results in:
a. lower variable costs for product movement.
b. higher customer service levels.
c. higher investments in inventory.
d. all of the above
e. (a) and (c) only
Advanced Technologies, Inc. faces a forecasting dilemma. They wish to evaluate the
level of sales that a new technology might enjoy in 2014. Historical data is limited and
of little value since the new product is not well defined and the product concept is
unique. Which forecasting approach would appear to be most appropriate?
a. time series analysis
b. input/output analysis
c. the sales force composite
d. regression analysis
e. the Delphi method
The purpose of annual plan control is to:
a. examine the general direction the company is pursuing.
b. examine how well resources have been utilized in each element of the marketing
strategy.
c. examine where the company is making or losing money.
d. examine whether the planned performance standards are being achieved.
e. examine the general directions of industry demand.
In choosing a new piece of manufacturing equipment, the buying organization is
uncertain of the model or brand to choose, the suitable level of quality, and the
appropriate price to pay. This represents which type of buying situation?
a. complex modified rebuy decision
b. strategic modified rebuy decision
c. judgmental new task decision
d. strategic new task decision
e. lost-for-good decision
By organizing its sales force around retailing, financial services, and the petroleum
industry, Hewlett-Packard is employing the _____ approach in structuring the sales
force.
a. geographical
b. product
c. market-centered
d. territory
e. national accounts
Mead Paper Company recently purchased a new high-speed paper machine for one of
their plants. The new machine is used in manufacturing a special grade of paper at a
rate of over 1500 feet per minute. This product would be classified as:
a. a facilitating good.
b. an entering good.
c. accessory equipment.
d. an installation.
e. none of the above.
Channel length decreases:
a. when the purchase becomes more significant.
b. when market or industry concentration increases.
c. when customer potential increases.
d. All of the above.
e. Only a and b.
When a firm seeks competitive advantage with strategic choices that are highly
integrated across countries (for example, a standardized core product that requires
minimal local adaptation across country-markets), this describes:
a. a multidomestic strategy.
b. a differentiated strategy.
c. a global strategy.
d. an export-based strategy.
e. a coordinated strategy.
Manufacturers’ reps:
a. possess expert product knowledge.
b. sell non-competing but complementary products.
c. take title to the goods handled.
d. all of the above
e. (a) and (b) only
A business concept or model consists of the following major components except:
a. core strategy.
b. strategic resources.
c. customer interface.
d. value network
e. negotiated outcomes.
The balanced scorecard measures the performance of a business unit from:
a. a customer perspective.
b. a financial perspective.
c. a learning and growth perspective.
d. all of the above.
e. (a) and (b) only.
The open exchange of information is a characteristic of ____ relationships.
a. close
b. distant
c. transactional
d. all of the above
e. (b) and (c) only.
When moving to a RDE, suppliers must adjust their operating models to:
a. Maintain quality levels
b. Counter local suppliers offerings
c. To fully capture the cost advantages.
d. Consider the increased transportation costs involved
e. Consider market research data on procurement preferences
The level of marketing control that examines how well resources have been utilized in
each element of the marketing strategy is:
a. strategic control.
b. annual plan control.
c. efficiency and effectiveness control.
d. profitability control.
e. incremental control.
Benefits and sacrifices are both considered when assessing customer value. Sacrifices
include:
a. the purchase price.
b. acquisition costs.
c. operations costs.
d. All of the above.
e. Only a and b.
The sales resource grid indicates that a particular territory (planning and control unit)
possesses high PCU opportunity but low sales organization strength. This suggests
which of the following sales resource assignments?
a. Invest a high level of sales resources to take advantage of opportunity.
b. Invest a minimal level of sales resources; selectively eliminate resource coverage;
possible elimination of PCU.
c. Either direct a high level of sales resources to improve position and take advantage of
opportunity or shift resources to other planning and control units.
d. Invest a moderate level of sales resources to maintain current position.
Rapid product development offers a number of competitive advantages. Research
indicates that the _____ strategy increased the speed of product development for
products that had predictable designs and that were targeted for stable and mature
markets.
a. induced
b. experiential
c. autonomous
d. compressed
e. funnel
____________________ is a unique approach to forecasting demand in that it involves
combined efforts of many functions within the firm as well as with supply chain
partners.
Business-to-business advertising objectives are usually stated in terms of a specific
sales goal.
The value customers assign to a firm’s offering can vary by market segment because of
how the product will be used.
If the business marketer can offer a buyer more consistent delivery performance from
the logistical system, the buyer would have the opportunity to cut the level of safety
stock maintained.
The Delphi method constitutes a highly sophisticated quantitative approach to sales
forecasting.
____________________costs include financing, storage, inspection, taxes, insurance,
and other internal handling costs.
Customer interface, core strategy, strategic resources and the value network constitute
the ____________________or model.
The faster modes of transportation result in higher levels of customer service, but also
higher investments in inventory.
With the balanced scorecard, executives can now measure how their business units
create value for current and future customers and how they must enhance internal
capabilities and the investment in people, systems, and procedures necessary to improve
future performance. Describe the four perspectives of organizational performance that
are considered in the balanced scorecard approach.
Answer:
n/a
Strategic components of sales force management include methods for organizing the
sales force and key account management.
Gartner Group, a research firm for information technology users, reports that 55 percent
of all customer relationship management software projects fail to produce results.
Worse yet, one in every five companies report that their CRM initiatives not only had
failed to deliver profitable growth but also had damaged long-standing customer
relationships. Experts suggest that these problems tend to occur when executives
mistake CRM technology for a customer strategy. First, define customer relationship
management (the cross-functional process) and describe how CRM technology (the
software) allows a firm to provide customized treatment of key customers. Second,
describe the central components of a customer relationship management strategy and
the way in which CRM technology can support each strategy component.
Answer:
n/a
The service offer refers to the detailed service elements that will make up the total
services package.
Strategy experts suggest that a company’s product or service is competitively superior
if, at a price equal to the price of competing products, customers always choose it. With
this in mind, consider the spectacular growth of Dell Computera firm that sells direct to
organizations and individuals who can place orders by phone or through the Internet.
Using the value-in-use concept, describe the costs and benefits a customer faces in
buying a computer directly from Dell. On what dimensions would local computer
dealers and retailers enjoy an edge over Dell? Overall, what are the critical factors that
shape the product strategy followed by Dell?
Answer:
n/a
Perishability of services may necessitate equating capacity with peak demand.
Industrial goods are classified on the basis of how organizational buyers shop for
particular products and services.
Frequent contact between the salesperson and sales manager is instrumental to the job
satisfaction of the salesperson.
A business marketer confronting a new-task buying situation can gain a differential
advantage by participating actively in the initial stages of the procurement process.
The longer the delivery time in the logistical system, the more inventory customers
must maintain to service their needs.