Selling Today: Partnering to Create Value, 14e (Manning/Ahearne/Reece)
Chapter 17 Management of the Sales Force
1) Leadership is:
A) a series of skills that can be acquired through study and practice
B) a cluster of innate qualities that some people possess from birth
C) malleable, so a leader in one situation may not be capable of leading in others
D) synonymous with management
E) more important in American culture than it is in other cultures
2) The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the personal selling function is called:
A) leadership
B) sales management
C) comptrolling
D) organizational strategy
E) motivation
3) Consideration, in the context of sales management, is a term that describes:
A) one of the dimensions a sales manager is rated on during an annual performance review
B) the salary plus commission and bonus a sales manager makes on team production
C) the policies and procedures a sales manager establishes for the sales team
D) the way a sales manager relates to the sales team
E) an indicator of the progress the sales team is making toward sales goals
4) The functions performed by sales managers include planning, recruiting, training, budgeting,
developing compensation plans, and assessing sales force productivity.
5) ________ leadership is based on the theory that the most successful leadership occurs when
the leader‘s style matches the specific circumstances.
6) Rosalinda Goldstein, a sales manager, is rated very low in the quality described as “structure.”
What steps should she take to incorporate more structure into her leadership style?
7) List the behaviors that are evidence of consideration.
8) Scheduling a special luncheon to celebrate the closing of a large sale is a technique most
likely characteristic of a supervisor who displays:
A) high structure and high consideration
B) high structure and low consideration
C) low structure and low consideration
D) self–expression tendencies
E) high task orientation
9) The supervisor who holds monthly sales force meetings to explain specific goals for the future
and changes in policy and procedure is exhibiting:
A) consideration
B) structure
C) performance analysis
D) recognition
E) strategy
10) Paolo dos Santos, a sales manager for Paronille Corporation, provides all of his salespeople
with scheduled performance appraisals. This behavior indicates that he is attempting to
incorporate the dimension of:
A) feedback
B) structure
C) empowerment
D) consideration
E) responsibility
11) Which of the following characteristics of a sales manager provides evidence of structure?
A) Policies and procedures are clearly defined.
B) Each salesperson is treated as an individual.
C) Efficient communication is given a high priority.
D) Members of the sales force receive regular recognition.
E) Salespeople are encouraged to solve their own problems
12) Situational leadership occurs when:
A) the leader passes the character test
B) good performance is properly rewarded
C) the leader’s style matches the situation
D) the coach helps the salesperson recognize the need for performance improvement
E) the leader guides the team through a changing situation
13) The Leadership Grid portrays dimensions of:
A) leadership and management
B) motivation and skills
C) consideration and structure
D) empathy and direction
E) recruitment and training
14) Consideration is most likely characterized by:
A) prioritizing the group over the individual
B) caring more about the welfare of employees than about self
C) becoming personal friends with employees and their family members
D) establishing a climate of good two-way communication between a leader and team members
E) ensuring close supervision of each salesperson to make sure they adhere to company policies
15) Coaching focuses on helping the salesperson recognize the need to improve his or her
performance and:
A) using specially–sequenced exercises
B) tracking performance improvements carefully
C) encouraging salespeople to focus on primary tasks
D) creating space for salespeople to develop professionally
E) developing the salesperson’s commitment to improve performance
16) Ken Blanchard says that the key to developing people is to:
A) focus on catching them doing something right
B) give them a clear path to follow for their careers
C) mentor them closely for many years
D) make sure they’re in jobs that fit their skill sets
E) use both internal and external rewards
17) The CEO suggests that Victor attend a training program for sales managers. If the program is
like most others, which of the following topics will most likely be covered?
A) motivating salespeople
B) forecasting short–term sales
C) managing sales territories
D) handling office politics
E) calculating ROI
18) Since Victor spends part of his time on the road meeting with customers, which of the
following would most likely help Victor manage his sales staff?
A) active listening principles
B) videoconferencing tools
C) territory management skills
D) stress relief activities
E) blogging capabilities
19) One sales representative complains that she never knows where she stands with Victor
because he rarely provides feedback. The sales representative also indicates that Victor fails to
communicate his expectations to sales team members. Victor most likely needs to work on the
leadership dimension of:
A) mentoring
B) motivation
C) organization
D) structure
E) consideration
20) Several sales representatives complain that Victor shows a lack of consideration for their
ideas and feelings and treats them all like cogs. Which of the following would most likely help
Victor improve his consideration skills?
A) Make blanket policies to treat employees equally and consistently.
B) Take a communication skills class to learn how to read nonverbal clues.
C) Schedule face–to–face meetings with sales representatives on a regular basis.
D) Make decisions quickly and firmly to ensure the success of the entire sales team.
E) Make specific goals to improve sales results and increase long–term organizational profits.
21) Management sends Victor to a workshop about coaching employees to success. At the
workshop, Victor learns that the first step in the coaching process is to:
A) appeal to the salesperson’s emotions by sharing personal experiences
B) allow the salesperson to suggest ideas for improving performance
C) enable a salesperson to admit that a performance problem exists
D) create and implement a new presentation style for the salesperson
E) observe and assess employee performance during actual sales calls
22) The sales manager who makes decisions promptly and firmly is displaying the dimension of
leadership described as “structure.”
23) Effective sales managers set a good example and possess characteristics of both structure and
consideration.
24) According to the text, if you fail the character test, you fail as a sales manager.
25) The sales manager who treats each member of the sales force as an individual is displaying
the dimension of leadership described as “consideration.”
26) The sales manager who appraises the performance of sales personnel regularly is displaying
the leadership quality known as “consideration.”
27) Most successful supervisory management personnel display two important dimensions of
effective leadership: ________ and ________.
28) ________ is an interpersonal process between the sales manager and the salesperson in
which the manager helps the salesperson improve performance in a specific area.
29) The first step toward identifying the type of applicant to be recruited for a sales job is to:
A) determine the compensation plan
B) consult the sales staff for recommendations
C) determine the actual duties of the position
D) develop personality and skills assessments
E) search for applicants from traditional sources
30) Some organizations are using ability or aptitude assessment instruments to determine future
performance in certain types of sales jobs. Experts in the field of employment testing say that test
scores:
A) can be very misleading to the employer, so they should not be used
B) should not be considered because of possible legal problems
C) are not helpful for most firms because of validity issues
D) can be helpful when used in conjunction with other criteria
E) are excellent measures to determine future performance
31) Newly hired salespeople are more likely to become productive staff members if they
participate in a job orientation and a(n):
A) training program
B) college recruitment session
C) tour of the production facilities
D) introduction to corporate personnel
E) induction ceremony
32) All of the following are good sources for recruiting quality candidates for sales jobs
EXCEPT:
A) Internet job sites
B) mediation agencies
C) newspaper advertisements
D) employment agencies
E) candidates within the company
33) Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant when developing a job description for a
sales position?
A) Will the person be developing a new sales territory?
B) Is the product well established in the marketplace?
C) What is the average rate of employee turnover?
D) Will the salesperson work independently?
E) What amount of travel will be required?
34) What is the primary benefit of seeking job candidates within your own company?
A) Job descriptions are unnecessary.
B) Mentors are more willing to provide assistance.
C) Hiring requirements can be lowered for cost savings.
D) Current employees are familiar with company policies.
E) Private employment agencies charge fees for recruitment.
35) What should Johan do first to begin the process of hiring new team members?
A) Place job ads on Internet job search sites like Monster.com.
B) Write a detailed description of job duties and requirements.
C) Engage an employment agency to find qualified candidates.
D) Draft a training schedule of what skills employees need.
E) Sort through resumes to decide who should be interviewed first.
36) Soon after receiving the promotion, Johan is approached by the administrative assistant of
his former sales unit. She tells him that she wants to join his team as a sales representative. She
points out that she has solid knowledge of the products and company procedures already, and
that he knows that she is a hard worker. What other benefit would there be to Johan in hiring her
as a sales representative?
A) He knows that she fits into the company culture and understands its mission.
B) He knows that he can pay her less than someone hired from outside the company.
C) He has a personal friendship with her, which means he will be able to manage her better.
D) He knows that she is outgoing, which is the primary characteristic of a good salesperson.
E) He has never had a disagreement with her, so there is no reason not to hire her.
37) Johan crafts a descriptive ad and receives hundreds of resumes in response. He reads through
them and chooses the 20 best candidates. To further screen candidates, he invites those 20 to take
a test that profiles their skills. What is the best advice to give Johan about testing?
A) Rely solely on predictive assessment instruments which are more reliable than quantitative
interviews.
B) Conduct testing online to ensure that candidates possess the technical skills needed for the
position.
C) Use test scores to predict a candidate’s verbal and nonverbal communication skills which are
necessary in sales.
D) Provide candidates with multiple tests to ensure that results are both valid and reliable
predictors of sales success.
E) Use test results in conjunction with information obtained from the personal interview and
reference checks.
38) During the interviewing process, Johan needs to determine if candidates have certain
qualities that are necessary for sales success. Which of the following characteristics is most
important for a sales job?
A) spatial skills
B) physical stamina
C) compliance
D) self–motivation
E) cognitive ability
39) Today, selecting effective salespeople is more of a science and less of an art.
40) According to the authors of How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer, about half
of the people working in sales should be doing something else.
41) Newspaper advertisements can attract well–qualified sales job applicants.
42) A(n) ________ is an explanation of what the salesperson will do and under what conditions
the work will be performed.
43) The training programs of both small and large marketing firms should incorporate three
dimensions. One of them is knowledge of the product line, company marketing strategies,
territory information, and business trends. What are the other two?
A) knowledge of personal selling skills; in–field sales training with supervision
B) knowledge of personal selling skills; knowledge of self and others
C) knowledge of company policies, procedures and benefits; stress management
D) explanation of compensation methods; in-field sales training with supervision
E) attitudes toward the company, its products, and its customers; application of personal selling
principles and practices
44) What is the first step in developing an effective sales training program?
A) measuring sales training interest levels
B) conducting a training needs assessment
C) establishing a sales training budget
D) setting sales training goals
E) selecting a training provider
45) A new employee should be given an orientation to the company:
A) before the employee begins working
B) on the employee’s first day at work
C) within the employee’s first week of work
D) at the six–week review
E) at the 90–day mark
46) Smaller companies with small sales forces can reduce training costs while meeting the needs
of their salespeople by:
A) hiring salespeople who have already been trained at other companies
B) using online training courses instead of live training courses
C) refining specific closing techniques instead of focusing on the basics of sales
D) reallocating employees from the marketing department to the sales department
E) creating informal training programs instead of formal training programs
47) Johan needs to determine the personal character and ethics of candidates. Which of the
following interview questions would be LEAST relevant for this task?
A) “What are your three core values?”
B) “What does integrity mean to you?”
C) “How do you handle negotiations?”
D) “Who are your role models and why?”
E) “How would your previous manager describe you?”
48) After a year of managing his new team, Johan reviews the team‘s performance and discovers
that, despite being treated equitably by him, sales representatives he hired from outside the
company are vastly underperforming compared to sales representatives he hired from inside the
company. What is a change Johan could make to help these underperforming sales
representatives perform at the level of the other team members?
A) Provide incentives for high performance that are not dependent on loyalty to the company.
B) Require the sales representatives from outside the company to rotate through at least three
other departments in the company before they can begin selling.
C) Add in more psychometric testing in the hiring stage to guarantee that he is only hiring sales
representatives with the temperament to meet goals.
D) Ask everyone in the department to log their time in ten–minute intervals so they are held
accountable for their actions.
E) Include training on the company, company culture, and product knowledge along with the
training he gives incoming sales representatives on basic sales skills.
49) The size of the firm should dictate the scope of the sales training program.
50) A training program should have two dimensions: product knowledge and sales techniques.
51) ________ represents the first step in helping a newly hired salesperson become a productive
member of your staff.
52) A sales manager screening applicants for a sales position should most likely seek an
individual who:
A) will close sales no matter what it takes
B) is familiar with other employees at the firm
C) can bring large accounts from a competitor
D) has entrepreneurial ideas
E) is self–motivated
53) What is the best motivation suggestion for sales managers?
A) Use external motivation methods exclusively because of their success.
B) Recognize that internal motives are consistent throughout a sales career.
C) Recognize that external motivation has almost no impact on performance.
D) Attempt to motivate with a mix of external rewards and internal satisfaction.
E) Employees who do not respond to external motivation will never perform well.
54) Networks of personal connections and relationships, or guanxi, are important in which of the
following countries?
A) Italy
B) Saudi Arabia
C) Mexico
D) Hong Kong
E) France
55) Managers using rewards to motivate employees should most likely bear in mind that:
A) short-term motivation contests should be used frequently due to their success
B) motivational goals should be impractical to ensure that employees work hard
C) rewards should be balanced out by long-term disciplinary actions
D) employees prefer financial rewards over non–financial rewards
E) not all employees value the same rewards
56) Managers who use rewards as external motivators for salespeople should most likely:
A) set goals that are realistic
B) set goals based only on final sales numbers
C) give rewards at regular intervals
D) give primarily financial rewards
E) give the same rewards to all salespeople
57) The biggest factor in motivation for sales representatives is enjoying sales as a career. This
means that the best way for Aspen to build a motivated sales team is to:
A) teach employees to cold–call more efficiently
B) implement a straight commission compensation plan
C) offer cash bonuses for the top sellers each month
D) provide all employees with the same benefits
E) provide a mix of external and internal rewards
58) Aspen manages a team of sales representatives who have all chosen careers in sales because
it allows them to make a living interacting with and helping people. One of the biggest sources of
internal motivation for her sales team is most likely the ability to:
A) convince people to buy products they don’t need
B) solve their customers’ problems
C) ask people to spend money on sports equipment
D) discount prices when they need to make a sale
E) explore sports they would otherwise not have tried
59) To provide external motivation, Aspen is considering a sales contest. What is the best advice
to give Aspen as she designs the contest?
A) Keep contest time frames short to increase the number of winners.
B) Use contests frequently to ensure long-term motivation.
C) Expand territory sizes to ensure the contest motivates all salespeople.
D) Utilize the same reward for every sales contest to ensure equity.
E) Provide cash bonuses to all contest winners to ensure full participation.
60) In many cases, intrinsic motivators have a more lasting effect on the attitudes of salespeople
than extrinsic motivators do.
61) Incentive programs that focus on cash bonuses produce the greatest motivation for
salespeople.
62) ________ is an intrinsic reward that occurs when a duty or task is performed.
63) A compensation plan which will likely produce the greatest degree of loyalty to the company
and financial security for the employee is:
A) straight commission plan
B) guaranteed salary
C) straight salary
D) guaranteed salary plus a bonus
E) straight commission plus a bonus
64) Which compensation plan would appeal to a salesperson who likes the idea of being paid
more for performing well, but also likes some job security?
A) guaranteed salary
B) straight salary
C) fixed salary plus bonus
D) straight commission plan
E) commission plan with a draw provision
65) Which of the following would LEAST likely be an objective of a compensation plan
developed for sales team members?
A) identifying sources for hiring new salespeople
B) increasing sales by a specific percentage
C) increasing the number of sales calls
D) establishing new accounts
E) selling specific products
66) Each year, Aspen and the other sales managers meet with the director of sales to reevaluate
the compensation plan for sales representatives. Last year they decided that the current
compensation plan was tempting the sales representatives to compete too hard with each other
and cross ethical lines. To maintain some healthy competition, provide employees with direct
financial security, and encourage the sales representatives to act in the company spirit, a
________ compensation plan would be most appropriate.
A) straight commission
B) commission with a guaranteed salary
C) fixed salary
D) bonus with a straight commission
E) straight salary
67) The straight commission plan encourages salespeople to engage in long-term customer
development.
68) The sales manager should not change the compensation plan, even if conditions in the
marketplace warrant a change.
69) It is a good idea to test compensation plans with a small group before full implementation.
70) Many companies are experimenting with some variation of their basic compensation plans
such as awards in the form of cash or points that can be used to purchase prizes. Award programs
can be styled to suit a variety of sales objectives. List and describe four possible objectives.
71) What is the best suggestion for assessing sales force productivity?
A) Recognize that frequency of sales calls is the best indicator of success.
B) Realize that sales call frequency must be compared to the profit earned on each account.
C) Recognize that assessing sales force productivity is more “art” than “science.”
D) Compare salespeople with others on the sales force who have similarly–sized territories.
E) Compare a salesperson’s current productivity with past productivity.
72) The primary purpose of measuring sales force productivity is to:
A) calculate the number of calls each salesperson makes every quarter
B) compare the number of sales presentations each salesperson makes
C) calculate the firm’s total sales volume for a specific period of time
D) analyze the profitability of each salesperson‘s sales volume
E) assess the ratio of profits to sales for the sales force
73) The number of calls made on an account should most likely:
A) equate to the maturity of the product
B) correspond to the seniority of the salesperson
C) be the same for all accounts in the territory
D) vary from salesperson to salesperson
E) relate to the sales potential of the account
74) The sales managers and director of sales need to evaluate sales production levels. The
company’s policy has been to compare each sales representative’s sales to their sales the previous
year. Which of the following is the strongest argument for changing this method of evaluation?
A) Sales representatives do not always sell the same amount each year.
B) Sales representatives should not be evaluated by the amount that they sell.
C) Changes in products or prices can change sales amounts, so yearly figures are not
comparable.
D) Because of the product life cycle, amounts should be compared quarter to quarter, not year to
year.
E) Comparisons should be made to the group as a whole, not to individuals themselves.
75) A salesperson’s performance evaluation is typically based entirely on qualitative items of
measurement because quantitative criteria are viewed as unfair and subjective.