Professional Selling Ch 1-9 Warm-Ups

Everyone displays characteristics of the four communication​ styles; however, one of the four styles is usually​ ________.

predominant and readily detectable

The best way to identify your​ customer's __________________ is the dominance and sociability indicator forms.

preferred communication style

​________________ is ranked as the​ number-one characteristic of salespeople who are able to build a​ customer's trust.

product knowledge

​____________________ helps manage digital assets.

Product Information Management

​________ is the lifeblood of selling

Prospect Identification

​________ is the type of information that goes beyond sales data such as the​ marketplace, a​ prospect's company, and even the prospects themselves.

Sales Intelligence

​________ are linked to a specific need and can be very effective.

Specific benefits

The primary reason for the shift to an information economy was caused by​ ________.

a shift from heavy industrial activity to an emphasis on information processing

​Today's workforce is made up of millions of knowledge workers who succeed only when they​ ____________.

add value information

The three prescriptions in the personal selling philosophy are​ ________.

adopting the marketing​ concept, valuing personal​ selling, and being a problem solver and partner

Salespersons and sales managers often conduct​ ________ analysis to help them effectively and efficiently manage the prospect or account database.

an account

Role​ influences, reference​ groups, social​ class, and culture and subculture describe groups that influence​ ________ decisions.

buying

Although top management personnel are usually far removed from​ day-to-day selling​ activities, they​ ________.

can have a major impact on​ salespeople's conduct

Professionalism in personal selling has been increasing. A type of training and education initiative that has been stimulated by this is​ ________.

certification programs

One of the major influences on building partnering relationships in personal selling is​ _______, composed of personal standards resulting in decisions made about​ what's right and wrong.

character

Personal​ standards, including​ honesty, integrity, and moral​ strength, which are highly valued in​ sales, describe​ ________.

character

Impressions others form about us are based on what they observe us saying and doing. The patterns of behavior that others observe us doing and saying can be called​ ________ style.

communication

Product information is available from a number of sources.​ However, the MOST important sources of product information include​ ________.

company​ websites, literature, and​ sales-training programs

The starting point in identifying your preferred communication style is​ ________.

completion of the dominance and sociability indicator forms

Of the three types of​ buyers, the​ ________ process buyer offers the greatest challenge to most salespeople.

consultative

Company policies and practices on the ethical conduct of salespeople should cover​ ________.

distributor​ relations, customer​ service, pricing, product​ development, and related areas

The two dimensions that assess major aspects of human behavior are​ ________.

dominance and sociability

The capacity for monitoring our own feelings and those of others is called​ ________.

emotional intelligence

There are several classic conversational strategies that help the salesperson​ ____________________. These​ are: express genuine​ interest, be a good​ listener, and encourage others to talk about themselves.

establish relationships

Key strategies related to​ competition, promotion,​ pricing, and other factors must be​ _____________________________ as the​ product's life cycle unfolds.

evaluated and possibly changed

Two major nonverbal ways we communicate to a potential customer are eye contact and​ ________.

facial expression

The primary rewards of a career in selling are​ ________.

financial rewards, recognition, security and chance for improvement.

The three types of consumer situations are​ ________.

habitual buying​ decisions, variety-seeking buying​ decisions, and complex buying decisions

Knowledge of the competition makes the salesperson better able to​ ________.

handle questions about competitors because he or she is more confident

Product development and quality improvement​ processes, performance data and​ specifications, maintenance and service​ contracts, and price and delivery describe importance product information categories that should be​ ________.

knowledge of a salesperson

Transactional selling tactics emphasizing​ ___________ are a basic strategy that is designed to meet competition.

low price

In addition to selling​ products, many outside salespeople offer other services to their customers​ including:

maintaining inventories and merchandising

The manner in which salespeople​ establish, build, and maintain relationships are​ ___________________.

major keys to success in personal selling

Developing a customer strategy is important because this type of planning can ensure​ ________.

maximum customer responsiveness

A salesperson whose product knowledge is complete and accurate is better able to​ ________.

meet and exceed customer expectations

Salespeople should possess product knowledge that​ ________.

meets or exceeds customer expectations

The typical stages in the buying decision process are​ ________.

needs​ awareness, evaluation of​ solutions, resolution of​ problems, purchase, and implementation

There are three types of business buying situations. These are straight​ rebuy, the modified​ rebuy, and​ ________________.

new-task

The image others have of us is shaped to a great extent by​ ________.

nonverbal communication

Strategic account management is the highest form of​ ___________.

partnering

​______________ emphasizes building strong relationships during every aspect of the sale and working hard to maintain a quality relationship with the customer after the sale.

partnering

​________ occurs when a company representative interacts directly with a customer or prospective customer to present information about a product or service.

personal selling

The stages of the evolution of the sales process are the​ ________.

persuader stage and then​ problem-solver stage

Salespersons are often tasked with determining which sales strategies to use. The two popular models of analysis they use are the​ ________.

portfolio model and the sales process model

Success in​ today's dynamic global economy requires the continuous​ ________ of products.

positioning and repositioning

A​ ________ plan emphasizes becoming a product​ expert, selling specific​ benefits, and configuring​ value-added solutions.

product strategy

The evaluation and qualifying process is normally the first opportunity salespeople have to consider​ ________.

prospect needs and how they match with your product characteristics

You​ identify, locate, and profile your​ ___________ by analyzing your product and current customers.

prospects

The role of the inside salesperson often includes​ ________.

providing ongoing customer support and​ service, meeting customer​ needs, and being alert for new sales opportunities

An understanding of the​ ________ provides a foundation for developing relationship strategies.

psychology and human behavior

The​ ___________ strategy is a​ well-thought-out plan for​ establishing, building, and maintaining quality relationships.

relationship

Many​ ________ are lost because salespeople fail to communicate effectively with the prospect.

sales

Common methods of collecting and organizing prospect and account information include​ ________.

sales force automation systems or customer relationship management systems​ (CRMs)

If a salesperson does not learn how the buyer plans to make the​ purchase, then there is the strong possibility that the​ ________.

selling process will be out of alignment with the​ customer's buying process

A conversational strategy for breaking the ice and speeding up rapport building includes​ ________.

small talk

Although every customer is​ unique, salespeople need an understanding of the important​ ________ influences that tend to shape customer buying decisions.

social and psychological

Partnering is a​ ________.

strategically​ developed, long-term relationship that solves the​ customer's problems

Personal selling is improved when salespersons have knowledge of their​ competitors' ________.

strengths and weaknesses

The salesperson can adjust his or her style to meet the needs of others. This process is called​ ________.

style flexing

Since the beginning of the information​ age, personal selling has evolved through three distinct developmental​ periods: ________.

the consultative selling​ era, the strategic selling​ era, and the partnering era

When a salesperson identifies and develops potential​ customers, it is an important part of​ ________.

the customer strategy

In​ ________, your knowledge of the​ product's features and your​ company's strengths must be presented in terms of the resulting benefits to the buyer.

the sales presentation and in preparing the written sales proposal

Setting the price can be a complex​ process, but the first step in establishing price is to determine​ ________.

the​ firm's pricing objectives

Unethical conduct might be attractive to one or more of the stakeholders. These challenges serve as a basis for destroying​ ________.

the​ long-term relationship,​ product, and customer and presentation strategies

Critical success factors for salespersons include​ ________.

time management, setting priorities, and executing successfully

Business ethics translate values into appropriate and effective foundational behaviors that​ ________.

ultimately build and strengthen partnering relationships

There is a common​ decision-making model that most consumers apply to their​ ______.

unique buying circumstances

A third dimension of human​ behavior, ________, is important in dealing with communication styles that are different from your own.

versatility

​________ are the four styles of communication in which everyone fits.

​Emotive, directive,​ reflective, and supportive

The four key sources of sales training are​ ________.

​corporate-sponsored training, training provided by commercial​ vendors, certification​ programs, and courses offered by colleges and universities

When a salesperson understands the 3D product solutions selling​ model, he or she is able to successfully​ ________.

​custom-fit a product solution that positions and differentiates

Cluster of satisfactions involves a​ customer's satisfaction with the​ ________.

​product, salesperson, and company

There are​ ________ major​ product-positioning strategies available to salespersons.

3

​______________________ becomes the foundation for creating value in a partnering style relationship.

A high level of ethical decision making

There are three​ value-creation selling approaches that appeal to certain types of customers. Those types of buyers are the transactional process​ buyer, the​ ________.

consultative process​ buyer, and the strategic alliance process buyer

The information economy rewards those salespeople who have the​ skills, the​ knowledge, and the motivation to​ ________ at every step of the sales process.

create value

The definition of​ value-added selling is a series of​ ________.

creative improvements that enhance the​ customer's experience

Under the marketing​ concept, ________ are the paths to sales and profits.

customer focus and value

Selling skills contribute in a major way to four groups of knowledge workers who usually do not consider themselves​ salespeople: ________.

customer service​ representatives, professionals,​ entrepreneurs, and managerial personnel

The most important precondition of partnering relationships that create value is​ ________.

fulfilling commitments

The four "possible" products of the​ Value-Added Product Selling Model include the

generic​ product, the expected​ product, the​ value-added product, and the potential product

It is necessary to​ _____________________ in order to create the most productive relationships.

get in sync with the communication style of the people you work with

​Often, the type of leads known as referrals result​ in________________.

higher close​ rates, larger​ sales, and shorter sales cycles

Salespeople use a variety of​ ________ to gather and process information of value to the customer.

information technology

Product positioning requires developing​ a(n)________ strategy aimed at influencing how a particular market segment perceives a product in comparison to the competition.

marketing and sales

Consultative selling is a natural extension of the​ ________.

marketing concept

The salesperson who​ ________ has learned how to sell products with a​ value-added strategy.

maximizes the​ customer's satisfaction by offering more than expected

Prospecting techniques produces a list of names that must be evaluated using criteria developed by each salesperson. The process of prospect evaluation is called​ ________.

qualifying

Partnerships can be strengthened when salespeople use​ value-added ________ strategies.

relationship

The​ ________ strategy is built on the​ win-win philosophy, empathy and ego​ drive, and character and integrity.

relationship

Strategic selling evolved in the 1980s and involves the preparation of a carefully conceived plan to accomplish​ ________.

sales objectives

A product strategy helps salespeople make the right decisions concerning the​ __________________ of products to meet identified customer needs.

selection and positioning

All​ self-improvement that a salesperson undertakes is​ ________.

self-initiated

Salespeople must develop a​ value-adding program for​ ________.

their own self-improvement