sales management 2
By pointing out both the attractive and unattractive aspects of a sales job and spelling out the qualifications and likely compensation, recruiters can (A) Maximize self-selection among prospective employees (B) Minimize competition with alternative employers (C) Prevent discriminatory outsourcing (D) Attract the maximum pool of candidates (E) All of the above
A
Competent sales training (A) Delivers specific skills and techniques designed to enhance the salesperson's success (B) Focuses on motivating salespeople (C) Lowers the apathy threshold common among beginning salespeople (D) Increases the self-evaluative program monitoring function (E) All of the above
A
During the _____ stage of the sales career path, the salesperson is likely to have lower expectancy estimates that are often inaccurate as well as inaccurate instrumentality perceptions. (A) Exploration (B) Maintenance (C) Plateauing (D) Disengagement (E) Establishment
A
Most compensation plans credit a salesperson with a sale: (A) When the order is accepted by the company, less any returns and allowances (B) After payment is received from the customer (C) Only after the goods have been shipped (D) In a combined manner, where one-half of the sale is assigned when the order is received and the other half when the customer pays (E) In a variety of ways with no one way being more popular than any other
A
The accuracy of a salesperson's expectancy perceptions indicates: (A) How clearly the salesperson understands the relationship between the effort expended and the resulting achievement (B) The ranking of rewards attained as a result of improved performance (C) The degree to which that individual believes expending effort on job activities will influence ultimate job performance (D) The difficulty assigned to a task in comparison to the reward offered for performing the task (E) The degree to which an individual wants extrinsic rewards
A
Valerie wants her salespeople to focus on customer relationships not short-run sales volume. She will likely use a ________________ compensation plan. (A) Straight salary (B) Draws (C) Combination (D) Benefits (E) Commission
A
Which of the following selection tools is most commonly used by both small and large companies as they look for new salespeople? (A) Personal interview (B) Experience (C) Reference checks (D) Biographical information from application forms (E) Intelligence, personality and aptitude tests
A
Which of the following statements about the personal variables that produce successful salespeople is true? (A) Factors that reflect a person's emotional maturity and cooperative behavior also tend to be good predictors of sales performance (B) Matching salespeople with customers on the basis of personality similarities is the most preferred method for assigning accounts (C) Salespeople with equal motivation, role perceptions and training will invariably perform equally well since these are the factors that management can influence (D) Sales managers should hire salespeople with relatively similar personality traits, aptitudes and skills to minimize the differences within the sales force (E) The more similar the salespeople are to their customers, the higher the probability of success
A
Which of the following statements does NOT describe an advantage inherent in the straight salary compensation plan? (A) It directly relates selling expenses to sales resources (B) It provides sales reps with the maximum amount of security (C) It is easy to administer (D) It yields more predictable selling expenses (E) It gives sales managers a large amount of control over sales reps
A
Which of the following is an example of an account development and servicing ratio that a sales manager might use to evaluate a sales representative? Sales expense ratio Account penetration ratio Calls per account ratio The hit ratio Planned call ratio
Account penetration ratio
Petra is trying to increase the sense of job satisfaction among her salespeople. She will likely consider which of the following dimensions of job satisfaction? Promotion and advancement opportunities Supervision Customers Coworkers All of the above
All of the above
The essence of marketing cost analysis is to ___________ cost data. Gather Classify Compare Study All of the above
All of the above
Which of the following is a good external source for finding job recruits? Customers Current salespeople Educational institutions Employment agencies All of the above
All of the above
Which of the following statements describes a disadvantage associated with marketing cost analyses? The financial data need to be available in great detail Some of the data needed for the analysis is costly to generate Marketing cost analysis requires a sophisticated information system There is sometimes great difficulty involved with allocating expenses to the satisfaction of all concerned All of the above describe disadvantages associated with marketing cost analyses
All of the above describe disadvantages associated with marketing cost analyses
One of the variables affecting sales performance is skill levels. What can a sales manager do to incorporate skill levels in his/her sales force? (A) Carefully design recruitment and selection policies (B) Improve training and supervision (C) Reduce supervisory pressure (D) Institute competitive rewards systems (E) Organize logical and effective territory designs
B
The five keys for effective on-the-job informal training include: (A) Teaming, lecturing, customer interaction, mentoring, peer-to-peer communication (B) Teaming, meetings, customer interaction, mentoring, peer-to-peer communication (C) Lecturing, coaching, customer interaction, mentoring, peer-to-peer communication (D) Teaming, coaching, customer interaction, mentoring, peer-to-peer communication (E) Teaming, meetings, customer interaction, mentoring, electronic training
B
Which of the following is one of the major causes of plateauing? (A) A too rapid promotion to upper hierarchical levels (B) Boredom (C) Job enrichment (D) A too detailed job description (E) A request to mentor new, inexperienced salespeople
B
Which of the following is the BEST way for a sales manager to deal with a plateaued salesperson? (A) Encourage the salesperson to find creative solutions to his or her boredom (B) Provide opportunities for frequent changes in job duties and responsibilities to increase job variety (C) Use bonus plans (D) Assign the salesperson to a different sales manager (E) Give the salesperson time off to consider his or her options
B
Which of the following statements about a straight salary compensation plan is true? (A) Straight salary compensation is more commonly used with experienced salespeople than with new sales recruits (B) The major limitation of straight salary compensation is that financial rewards are not tied directly to any specific aspect of job performance (C) Straight salary compensation plans do not give sales managers the flexibility they have with commission plans (D) Straight salary compensation plans are most useful when management wants to motivate its salespeople to achieve short-run sales volume increases (E) Straight salary compensation is inappropriate for industries where missionary selling is commonplace
B
Which of the following statements about the stages in the sales career path is true? (A) Salespeople in the exploration stage would typically have high valences for higher-order rewards and higher expectancies than salespeople at other stages (B) Salespeople in the establishment stage have the highest valence for promotion and recognition (C) The point at which a salesperson would be resigned to remaining in sales would be in the establishment stage (D) Job performance is typically poor in the establishment stage (E) Personal commitment to the job is usually highest in the exploration stage
B
Most sales managers recognize that with regard to experienced sales personnel (A) Little effort is needed since they are experienced (B) Market dynamics allow these salespeople opportunities to control their sale techniques (C) Training is a never-ending (D) Product lines rarely change so experienced salespeople rarely need to change (E) Continually train each other minimizing the need for formal training
C
The conceptual framework for studying motivation is called (A) The peak plateau model (B) Valence theory (C) Expectancy theory (D) Alternative choice theory (E) Accuracy and magnitude theory
C
The three primary methods of compensating salespeople are (A) Commissions, bonuses and draws (B) Draws, prerequisites and contests (C) Straight salary, straight commission and combination plans (D) Straight nonfinancial incentives, bonuses and contests (E) Straight commissions, straight contests and variable benefits
C
Which of the following describes a disadvantage associated with classroom training? (A) Interaction with other salespeople (B) The ability to use audiovisual materials (C) The cost and time requirements (D) Standardization of the training materials (E) Use of executive time
C
Which of the following is NOT a commonly evaluated subjective attribute used in merit rating forms? (A) Customer and company relations (B) Job knowledge (C) Sales results (D) Dependability (E) Resourcefulness
C
Which of the following statements about the combination compensation plan is true? (A) Combination compensation plans are found more frequently in large firms than smaller ones (B) When the salesperson's selling skill is the key to sales success, the incentive portion of his or her compensation should be relatively small (C) The most popular combination compensation plan offers a base salary plus some proportion of incentive pay (D) Commission rates are more often found in companies that use combination plans than in a company that simply uses a straight commission plan (E) Combination compensation plans have all the limitations associated with straight salary and straight commission plans
C
_________________ are management actions that primarily attempt to influence aptitude and personal characteristics. (A) Interviews and testing (B) Aptitude and skill levels (C) Recruitment and selection policies (D) Aptitude and motivation (E) Training and supervision
C
What is the most popular motivator for salespeople? Time off from the job Discounts on company merchandise Cash awards Debit cards Free merchandise
Cash awards
Which of the following aptitudes is most relevant to the success of a person who is hired for a sales position? Personal skills Math ability Cognitive abilities Sales aptitude Verbal intelligence
Cognitive abilities
One negative outcome of complex compensation and incentive programs is they may lead to ____________ among salespeople. Reduced benefits Confusion Increased perks Vertical salary compression Alternative contest complaints
Confusion
Because of the cost and time involved in recruiting and evaluating candidates for sales positions, the goal should be to (A) Maximize the number of candidates (B) Attract only external candidates (C) Attract only internal candidates (D) Attract a few good candidates (E) Choose only candidates who live near the home office
D
The more skill a salesperson has (A) The easier it is to become a sales manager (B) The lower his or her creativity is likely to be (C) The greater his or her need for extrinsic rewards (D) The better his or her performance is likely to be (E) The greater his or her sense of responsibility
D
The most useful approach to defining sales aptitude and evaluating a person's potential is to: (A) Gain all the demographic information possible about the job candidate (B) Establish the person's aptitude and if and where any training is needed for a general sales position (C) Match the salesperson in terms of demographics, personality and attitude with the customers he or she will be calling on (D) First determine the kinds of tasks involved in a specific sales job (E) Rely on managerial opinion and experience in the selection process
D
The primary objective of a sales contest is to: (A) Encourage the development of a long-term emphasis on non-selling activities (B) Adjust differences in territory potential (C) Satisfy salespeople's security needs (D) Stimulate additional effort targeted at achieving specific short-term goals (E) Reward experience and competence
D
Which of the following is a characteristic of a highly motivated salesperson? (A) Takes initiative (B) Expends effort (C) Is persistent (D) All of the above (E) None of the above
D
The four steps in the decision process for recruiting and selecting salespeople include each of the following EXCEPT Find and attract a pool of applicants Develop a mission statement Develop and apply selection procedures to evaluate applicants Establish policy concerning responsibility for recruitment and selection Analyze the job and determine selection criteria
Develop a Mission Statement
To avoid or at least minimize, potential problems associated with using intelligence, aptitude and personality tests as selection criteria, sales managers should: Only test applicants on the abilities and traits that have been determined relevant for the specific job Conduct empirical studies to ensure that the tests are valid predictors of the applicant's future performance Use built-in consistency checks Assume that test scores are only one input in the selection decision Do all of the above
Do all of the above
Sales managers can reduce the amount of role ambiguity and conflict the sales force experiences by: Giving them an input in determining the standards by which they are evaluated Providing them with sales training opportunities Giving salespeople a greater voice in what they do and how they do it Altering the organization's span of control Doing any or all of the above
Doing any or all of the above
The four stages that make up the sales career path are: (A) Exploration, establishment, plateauing and disenfranchisement (B) Entry-level, growth, plateauing and termination (C) Exploration, growth, maintenance and attrition (D) Exploration, growth, maturity and disengagement (E) Exploration, establishment, maintenance and disengagement
E
Usually commissions are based on ___________ but it is becoming more popular to base commissions on ______________. (A) Straight salary; profit (B) Expenses; volume (C) Sales volume; expense account draws (D) Contests; volume (E) Sales volume; profitability
E
Which of the following background and experience variables is the best predictor of a candidate's potential for sales success? (A) Educational attainment (B) Educational content (C) Sales experience (D) General work experience (E) Personal history and family background
E
Which of the following sales activities would NOT be enhanced through the implementation of a straight salary compensation plan by a company that sells customized retail stock display units? (A) Cold calling (B) Designing a product demonstration (C) Keeping current with technical developments in the inventory management field (D) Training on a new type of database software (E) Selling the inventory system
E
Which of the following statements is based on research that has been done about the characteristics needed for a successful salesperson? (A) Research has shown that a candidate's aptitude for sales is unimportant because aptitude can be taught (B) On average, factors that sales managers cannot control account for the largest proportion of the variance in performance across salespeople (C) Personal characteristics do not explain and cannot be used to explain individual differences in performances (D) The performance of a given salesperson is a function of organizational variables and unrelated to personal traits (E) Successful salespeople are both born and made
E
Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics identified as prevalent among salespeople who fail? Recently divorced Unexplained gaps in their employment record Instability of residence Excess savings Failure in business
Excess savings
Cost and sales analyses for evaluating salespeople: Usually give the most representative indication of performance Ignore many contributions that a salesperson might make Inject bias into the evaluation process Are the most common methods used by Fortune 1000 companies Are accurately described by none of the above
Ignore many contributions that a salesperson might make
In small doses, role conflict and ambiguity provide the salesperson and the organization with some stress. This stress: Is the normal state of affairs for everyday existence and businesses could not operate without it Produces an unhappy situation because stress reduces productivity Can be eliminated by more training and closer supervision Is a healthy situation since low levels of stress lead to adaptation and change Prevents salespeople from taking on any innovative roles
Is a healthy situation since low levels of stress lead to adaptation and change
Which of the following statements describes an advantage inherent in the straight commission compensation plan? It gives sales reps little financial security It provides sales managers with minimal control over their sales forces It allows sales managers to relate selling expenses directly to sales resources It makes selling expenses less predictable All of the above statements describe disadvantages inherent in the straight commission compensation plans
It allows sales managers to relate selling expenses direct to sales resources
Jackie is developing the classroom training program for her new company. She knows classroom training has all of the following advantages EXCEPT Each trainee receives a standard briefing Group training reduces executive time involved in formal training Classrooms permit the use of audiovisual materials Classrooms provide the opportunity for interaction Learning by doing
Learning by doing
A characteristic that is important for a salesperson engaged in new business selling is: The ability to set up long-term relationships with customers Persistence Youthful stamina and energy Customer Empathy High-ego involvement in selling
Persistence
Vicon Pharmaceuticals spends considerable effort testing and interviewing candidates for their sales positions, determining which candidates have the traits and characteristics needed for success. Vicon has developed ________________ to use in choosing sales reps. Corporate visions Selection criteria Character references Performance indicators Industry guidelines
Selection Criteria
The text defines motivations as: -The amount of effort the salesperson desires to expend on each activity or task associated with the sales job -A constraint on a person's ability to perform a job -The factor that determines whether a salesperson has the necessary native abilities to sell -The individual's learned proficiencies -The rewards that are the result of each additional level of effort
The amount of effort the salesperson desires to expend on each activity or task associated with the sales job
Which of the following describes a disadvantage associated with classroom training? Interaction with other salespeople The ability to use audiovisual materials The cost and time requirements Standardization of the training materials Use of executive time
The cost and time requirements
Valences are the salesperson's perception of: How difficult a task will be to perform in his or her working environment The linkage between job effort and performance What rewards he or she is likely to receive as a result of expending effort The desirability of receiving more of a particular reward The relationship between improved job performance and the attainment of increased rewards
The desirability of receiving more of a particular reward
The real benefit of a marketing cost analysis is: -The way it highlights all inefficiency within a company -As a planning tool -As an evaluation tool -As a decision-making tool for sales managers when they are contemplating terminations or product deletions -The opportunity it provides managers to isolate segments of the business that are most profitable as well as those that generate losses
The opportunity it provides managers to isolate segments of the business that are the most profitable as well as those that generate losses
A key factor in determining the overall profitability of each customer is The cost of goods produced The pricing authority of salespeople Competitiveness of the derived demand Returns on assets managed Full-cost accounting
The pricing authority of salespeople
Which of the following personal characteristics is the best predictor of sales success? The salesperson's sex The salesperson's ethnic background The result of the salesperson's intelligence test The salesperson's personal history and family background Results of sales aptitude tests
The salespersons personal history and family background
Which of the following is NOT typically included in a job description for a sales job? The mental and physical demands of the job The nature of the products to be sold and the type of customers to be called on The specific tasks and responsibilities to be carried out The size of the sales force and existing salary structure The environmental pressures and constraints the might influence how the job is performed
The size of the sales force and existing salary structure