Regardless of what product a salesperson sells, prospecting techniques are basically the
same.
Lauren can be described as assertive because she has strongly held convictions, and she
is very vocal about her opinions.
Part of being honest as a salesperson is showing disappointment you feel if your
prospect does not commit to do business with you.
One of the most effective methods of appealing to a buyer’s senses is through product
demonstrations or performance tests.
The relative value of each lead that is qualified is analyzed by the lead management
system.
Most interviewers think candidates who take notes during a one-on-one job interview
are excessively insecure.
When closing a sale, there should be no surprises for the buyer.
A greeter at the office where your interview will be conducted may well be part of a
disguised interview strategy.
Goals without deadlines create a sense of urgency in the salesperson and provide
guidance to achieve those goals.
To a large degree, customers base their initial expectations on sales presentations.
When conflicts arise between a salesperson and an internal employee, personalizing the
conflict will make it easier to resolve.
Successful salespeople routinely avoid small talk because this can waste valuable time
during a sales call.
The Marine Corps’ 70 percent solution lays down that one must act as soon as they have
70 percent of the required information.
Normally, missionary salespeople and local distributor salespeople for the same firm
are intensively competitive with each other as each strives to take business away from
the other.
Your supervisor directs you to investigate alternatives to regular postal service delivery.
Your supervisor is acting as the gatekeeper in the buying process.
The keys to being successful and happy lie in finding a good match between what you
need and desire in a position and the positions companies offer.
Active listening is as important when conversing over the phone as when conversing in
person.
Performance goals are behavioral objectives.
Statements such as, “The performance of this product is top-notch,” can be classified as
expressed warranties.
A trial order is no commitment.
One difference between sales calls and job interviews is that in job interviews both
parties have needs that will have to be individually defined before the meeting.
The standard industrial classification code is useful for salespeople researching using
secondary sources.
It is best to deliver bad news to customers via e-mail.
Feedback in sales communication can be either verbal or nonverbal.
Salespeople selling original equipment manufacturer (OEM) products need to
demonstrate that their products help customers produce products which will offer
superior value.
Negotiators in a compromising mode of resolving conflict are less assertive and less
cooperative than those in an avoiding mode.
To establish credibility early in the sales call, a salesperson should clearly delineate the
amount of time he or she will need and complete the presentation within the stated time
frame.
Proper voice mail etiquette involves leaving a clear, concise message that includes a
suggested time for a return call.
If a prospect has been to a competitor’s product demonstration, then a salesperson
should strategically include a demonstration of features the buyer liked about the
competitor’s product.
In seminars, salespeople should take the opportunity to especially invite prospects who
are not willing to meet them face-to-face.
When a sales representative makes a presentation, he or she should discuss product
information right in the beginning before the buyer brings his needs and opinions into
the picture.
Most purchase decisions involving capital equipment or the initial purchase of original
equipment manufacturer (OEM) products are _____.
A. irrational purchases
B. new tasks
C. end user emotional needs
D. straight rebuys
E. modified MROs
Naomi is waiting in a prospect’s office. She wants to make a good first impression.
When she is called into the prospect’s office Naomi should do all of the following
EXCEPT:
A. smile warmly at the prospect.
B. sit down immediately to discuss the deal.
C. begin describing her product’s features.
D. enter the prospect’s room confidently.
E. begin by saying “Thanks for seeing me.”
A salesperson who routinely accomplishes his or her _____ objectives most likely sets
his or her objectives too low.
A. strategic
B. optimum call
C. minimum call
D. primary call
E. secondary call
To make its world famous barbecue, the Smoking Steak restaurant needs a steady
supply of good quality hickory wood. Because the Old Smoke House’s owner believes
in _____, she has used the same wood supplier who has proved satisfactory in the past,
for almost fifteen years.
A. value loyalty
B. reciprocity
C. a tying agreement
D. price discrimination
E. vendor loyalty
Experienced negotiators typically prefer to begin negotiations:
A. at the beginning of the workweek.
B. immediately after lunch on a Monday or a Tuesday.
C. on Thursday evenings.
D. on a morning in the middle of the workweek.
E. during the weekend.
Rashid has been asked to target an affluent neighborhood in Toledo to sell his
company’s vacuum cleaners. With a sample, he goes from door to door to see if he can
find someone who is interested in buying a vacuum cleaner or to watch a demonstration
at least. Rashid is engaging in _____ in this scenario.
A. cold calling
B. data mining
C. personalized telemarketing
D. seeding
E. deep selling
Which of the following members of the buying center would typically be involved in a
value analysis?
A. A representative from the engineering department
B. Members of the purchasing department
C. Technical experts from the production department
D. Technical experts from the quality control department
E. All of the above
Joe sells ergonomically-designed office furniture. Joe would find it easier to sell to a
customer who:
A. asked Joe if there were any financial benefits to buying the furniture.
B. sat quietly through the entire presentation.
C. spent time during the presentation looking at the fabric samples Joe had brought and
did not ask questions.
D. stared out the window during the entire presentation.
E. kept answering calls on his phone during the presentation.
Tyler maintains a calendar in which he notes various tasks he is required to perform in
the future and when they are due to be done. He also keeps information about call backs
he is supposed to make. In addition, he has information about many of his customer’s
birthdays (so he can send a card). This calendar helps him prepare his to-do lists to get
things done in a timely manner. Which of the following terms best describes this
calendar?
A. Duty box
B. Engagement file
C. Activity index
D. Organizer box
E. Tickler file
Katherine is developing a forecast for next year’s sales of organic fertilizer by her
company to the nation’s retail gardening nurseries. She is assembling the sales estimates
for her company’s products by adding together the territory estimates provided by her
salespeople. She is engaging in _____ forecasting.
A. cumulative
B. geographic
C. gross margin quota
D. profit quota
E. bottom-up
Sales can be a stressful occupation although different sales jobs have different stress
levels. As you seek a job in sales, which of the following questions is one you should
ask yourself to help you determine your acceptable level of stress?
A. Do I prefer to set my own deadlines, or do I need deadlines set by others?
B. Am I propelled more by financial incentives, personal recognition, or the satisfaction
of just getting a task completed?
C. Am I a risk taker, or do I prefer more secure activities?
D. Do I prefer mechanical and technical topics, or am I more disposed to art, fashion,
and merchandising?
E. Can I work well when assignments are ambiguous, or do I need a lot of instruction?
Which of the following statements is true about negotiation preliminaries?
A. Negotiation preliminaries are more important in U.S. business meetings than in
international ones.
B. The room temperature should be set colder than normal to speed up the actual
negotiation process.
C. Time should be spent just prior to the negotiation to develop negotiation skills, not
for engaging in friendly conversations.
D. An agenda that states what will be discussed and in what sequence should be created.
E. Key issues should always be placed first in the agenda so that it will be very
advantageous.
With _____, the emphasis is on helping the buyer realize the synergy of carrying all
associated products of the same brand or manufacturer.
A. solo exchange transactions
B. insight selling
C. cross-selling
D. upgrading
E. full-line selling
To speed up the opening of a new factory in a Middle Eastern country, Micah gifted a
pen and pencil set that he had purchased for $10 to an assistant of a local government.
Micah hoped this gift would remove some of the red tape that was slowing down the
building process. This type of gift is referred to as:
A. collusion.
B. subordination.
C. capitulation.
D. indemnification.
E. lubrication.
Hurricane Mitch was the most devastating storm to ever hit Central America. Roger
Conrado, a salesperson for Dempko Chemical in that area, knew that a major client in
the hurricane-affected area would suffer huge losses unless it restarted its operations
soon. To keep the customer supplied with the chemicals it needed, Conrado proactively
arranged transportation facilities to deliver the chemicals to the manufacturer’s factory.
Which of the following stages of partnership development does this example describe?
A. Culmination
B. Dissolution
C. Commitment
D. Awareness
E. Covenant
Harold asks his prospects several questions to understand the reasons for their
hesitation in buying his product. He tries to identify all the issues and tries to solve
them immediately. From this scenario, it is evident that he uses the _____ method of
obtaining commitment.
A. alternative choice
B. benefit summary
C. direct request
D. minor point
E. probing
Which of the following stages of the relationship development process may NOT occur
in a strategic partnership?
A. Awareness
B. Exploration
C. Commitment
D. Dissolution
E. Expansion
Which of the following constitutes no-cost communication among buyers about the
selling firm?
A. Sales promotion
B. Print advertising
C. Word of mouth
D. Broadcast advertising
E. Personal selling
Moira and Mariah are sisters. Both of them are risk avoiders. They speak slowly and
softly in a monotone voice, exhibit deliberate and stiff movements, and use few
gestures. Both of them dislike people who tend to be slow, late, and inconsistent. They
don’t like the idea of dressing casually to work, and they appreciate lectures that include
lots of facts and figures. According to the social style matrix, Moira and Mariah would
be classified as:
A. analyticals.
B. drivers.
C. expressives.
D. amiables.
E. amicables.
Ryan is trying to dispel the myth that the role of salespeople is to ‘sell refrigerators to
Eskimos.” He tells his salespeople that their organization needs to be a customer-centric
organization that helps customers:
A. by identifying problems.
B. by finding information about potential solutions.
C. by providing after-sale service.
D. by making the customer the center of their efforts.
E. all of the above.
Indirect denial should:
A. never be used if the prospect has raised a valid point.
B. be used only if the buyer’s objection is used as a means of getting rid of the
salesperson.
C. be used if the buyer is expressing his or her opinion.
D. be used to inform the prospect that the objection is unimportant.
E. be used if the buyer is accustomed to conducting trade-off analyses.
Luke and his wife, Coreen, supply cut flowers to florists in Dallas. They have been
approached by a salesperson for a horticultural firm that wants to sell them a product
that keeps flowers fresh for a long time. Unfortunately, the owner of the horticultural
company was once very rude to Coreen and she harbors some resentment toward the
owner. While Luke may want to buy the product, his wife will act as a(n) _____ in this
situation.
A. influential adversary
B. actual competitor
C. potential competitor
D. sales bulwark
E. opposing implement
Ivan sells customized computer software and hardware to small businesses. To make a
sale to Anastasia, he has offered to discount $100 if she buys the product immediately.
He initially quotes $100 more than his company’s list price; his bargain price is the list
price. Ivan has:
A. acted within a typical salesperson’s ethical boundaries.
B. incurred a loss for his company.
C. tried to use backdoor selling.
D. used deception in trying to make a sale.
E. none of the above.
Andrew, who works for TeaTree, is going for his first sales call to Dynamo Motors.
TeaTree leads the market in the vending machine industry for beverages. Andrew hopes
to meet the members of the buying center first so he can estimate the demand for
beverages and engage them in a presentation regarding his products. Additionally, he
would also like to get permission to give a demonstration at the MNC so its employees
can taste TeaTree’s beverages and provide their feedback. Obtaining the permission to
provide a demonstration of his vending machine is a(n) _____ for Andrew’s sales call.
A. minimum call objective
B. strategic mission
C. sales quota
D. primary call objective
E. optimistic call objective
_____ sell to firms that resell the products rather than using them within the firm.
A. Distributor salespeople
B. Trade salespeople
C. Runners
D. Manufacturers’ customer service representatives
E. Retail salespeople
Aaron, a safety equipment salesperson, was making his second sales call on a
prospective client. Aaron wanted to have a meeting with the focus of _____ because
this individual would be able to explain how the company was not adequately
protecting its employees from potential injuries.
A. receptivity
B. reciprocity
C. power
D. expertise
E. dissatisfaction
Teresa notices her customer shifting position in his chair. Teresa concludes that her
customer:
A. is ready to end the interview.
B. wants to place an order.
C. strongly agrees with what she has said.
D. strongly disagrees with what she has said.
E. any of the above.
The two types of partnerships between buyers and sellers are called _____.
A. functional and mutual
B. tactical and strategic
C. cognitive and affective
D. relational and strategic
E. tactical and functional
Which of the following statements about the standard memorized sales presentation is
FALSE?
A. It ensures that the salesperson will provide complete and accurate information about
the company’s products and policies.
B. It is very effective in telemarketing.
C. A salesperson who is a beginner can quickly gain confidence during such a
presentation.
D. It is based on a detailed analysis of an individual customer’s situation and needs.
E. It combines the best elements of the presentations used by a firm’s best salespeople.
When making a telephone call to a new client, salespeople must:
A. contact the top management of the company directly.
B. prepare themselves for any objections that may come up in the conversation.
C. avoid answering any queries raised by the prospect about their products or services.
D. attempt to finalize the deal during the first call itself.
E. prepare to aggressively market their product over the telephone.
Kevin works for Irish Pub Company, a design and construction outfit that sells
completely finished, made-in-Ireland pubs-complete with everything from beer taps to
mosaic floors to decorative pieces like antique whiskey bottles-to American
entrepreneurs. Kevin is trying to sell the Irish pub concept to a retired New York City
business executive who wants to run his own business, but is not an experienced pub
owner and is reluctant to invest $300,000 in the project. Kevin should consider this to
be a _____ buying situation.
A. new-task
B. straight-rebuy
C. derived-demand
D. value-added
E. modified rebuy
Ramiro, a supermarket owner, decides to keep relatively high levels of inventory even
though it costs him more. Ramiro most likely thinks that the cost of _____ is greater
than the benefits of increasing his turnover rate.
A. collaterals
B. portfolios
C. stockouts
D. asset management systems
E. floor space
Assuming proper expectations have been set, what are the three major sources of
customer complaints?
Discuss the most common explanation for why salespeople lose long-term customers.
Why do salespeople use open questions?
Adam is a new sales representative for Harris Pillow Company, a manufacturer of
pillows. In addition to his sales responsibilities, what areas of the company are likely to
be important to him and how?
Other than reducing the chances that a product demonstration will fail, what other
considerations should a salesperson take into account when developing a
demonstration?
What should your cover letter for a response to a job posting contain?
How does global competitiveness affect organizational buying?
What is a simple definition of a salesperson’s portfolio?
How should you begin a cover letter when you write in response to employment ads?
Discuss some of the strategies salespeople can use to handle unethical requests from
superiors.
The sales manager for Arunden Industries has been told to cut costs. So, he decided to
offer a bonus to salespeople who spend less than his or her expense account allocation.
What are the possible disadvantages of using this tactic?
What is automatic replenishment?
What is the best way to respond to a negotiator who has just thrown his pen across the
room and screamed, “We can’t pay anymore for what you are willing to offer! You are
being inconsiderate”?
The Casket Royale salesperson walked into the florist retailer’s office and said, “Funeral
directors sell flowers. Why shouldn’t you sell caskets?” What kind of opening is the
salesperson using?
How does calculating the conversion rate help salespeople in performing productivity
analyses?
One common method for dealing with a prospect’s objections is the acknowledge
method. When should this method NOT be used?
Alex has just returned from an unsuccessful sales presentation. Everything went well
but he was unable to obtain a commitment from the prospect. What should Alex do
next?
What is a new-task buying situation?