mark ch 19
Several personal traits are listed in the text as being important for successful sales careers. Harvey is a go-getter. He gets up early every morning to check his schedule and arrives at appointments early so he can get in the right mental frame of mind. Which of the traits listed in the text does Harvey exhibit?
self motivation
As marketing manager for a newly created software company, Katrina is deciding whether or not to hire a company sales force. To make this decision, Katrina needs to consider whether or not
having a sales force is worth more than it costs
Mohinder sells small-business health insurance programs, working on straight commission. Closing the sale is an extremely stressful point in the selling process for him. If he does not close the sale, the most likely outcome will be
he will generate no income
The process of salespeople creating blogs to draw customers in and generate leads is a process known as
inbound marketing
Independent Publisher's Group is a distributor of books for small publishers. It doesn't have its own sales force, but uses ________ on a contract basis to sell its product on commission.
independent agents
To maintain trustworthy customer relationships, companies must take care that they respect customer privacy and respect the ________—that is, the amount of information a customer feels comfortable providing.
information comfort zone
One reason B2B salespeople spend considerable time qualifying potential customers is that
it can be costly to prepare and make a presentation to a business customer
One of the disadvantages associated with personal selling is
it is expensive
The best way for sales managers to instill ethical behavior in the sales force is to
lead by example
Studies have found that customers are typically ready to make a purchase decision well before salespeople attempt to close the sale. Salespeople can learn when to close the sale by
listening to customers and paying attention to their body language
When a plumbing contractor drove up to Bill's house in a brand-new Mercedes, Bill decided this person would be too high-priced even before the plumbing contractor offered his bid. Bill made the mistake of
making the assumption of cost based on appearances
Katerina is told by her sales manager, "Do whatever you need to do to get the sale," yet the company has ethical selling standards. Katerina faces the ethical problem of
mixed signals from her sales manager
Fred sells health insurance packages for small businesses. He has been given the names of 10 new businesses in his town. During the qualifying leads stage of the selling process, Fred will likely try to assess which of the 10 businesses
need health insurance packages and can afford them
Naven knows that he needs to ask a series of questions early in his sales presentation, but he also knows that he
needs to listen carefully to the answers
Galena is a new agent for a financial services company. She decides to join the local chamber of commerce, the local association of businesswomen, and the local chapter of the United Way organization. Galena is attempting to use __________ to generate leads.
networking
Each time an employee at an audio store makes a sale of $500 or more, the department manager awards a chocolate gold coin in recognition of the employee's accomplishment. This reward is known as a
nonfinancial reward
Sales, profits, orders, and sales ratios are all _________ measures that can be used to evaluate sales representatives.
objective
________ training is excellent for communicating selling and negotiation skills, because managers can observe the sales trainees in real selling situations and provide instant feedback.
on the job
Miles worked selling products to industrial users, and he spent most of his time working on customers' new buy and modified new buy situations. Miles was primarily a(n)
order getter
A small office supply company may have a person whose primary responsibility is to process routine orders, reorders, or rebuys of products for clients. This employee is known as a(n)
order taker
Most beverage distributors have their delivery people act as the firm's sales representatives. The delivery people primarily function as
order takers
Sue spends much of her time checking inventories, processing straight rebuys, and making sure that everything is going smoothly. Sue is primarily a(n)
order takers
When Pat was talking with his customer about the new accounting system, his customer mentioned that she thought the new system was not going to fit into their budget. Pat explained that once her people were trained on it, it would require less time to process orders, and therefore save her money in payroll. Which part of the sales presentation is demonstrated in this example?
overcoming reservations
Trade shows are a particularly good source of B2B sales leads because
people who attend are interested in the products and services being offered
Kathleen has found out everything she can about a newly qualified lead. She has practiced making her sales presentation and has determined what goals she has for the first meeting. Kathleen has finished the ___________ stage of the selling process.
preapproach
The __________ stage occurs prior to meeting the customer for the first time and extends the qualification of leads.
preapproach
The preapproach stage occurs __________ and extends the qualification of leads procedure.
prior to the sales presentation
Kyle is preparing for an important sales presentation. He knows that customers are more likely to ___________ during his presentation than during other stages of the selling process.
raise objections
Sales representatives add value for customers by doing all of the following except
reducing the firms marketing costs
Tara made sure that her customers felt comfortable contacting her when they needed something, and she focused on the long term in her dealings with them. Tara is a ________-oriented salesperson.
relationship
For salespeople who practice __________, an unsuccessful close one day may lay the groundwork for a successful close during the next meeting.
relationship selling
__________ is a sales philosophy and process that emphasizes a commitment to maintaining and investing in long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships.
relationship selling
The attitudes that Ryan's customers develop after they have purchased his yearly lawn care service will become the basis for determining whether they renew each year. He needs to convey _______, delivering the right services the right way.
reliability
Which of the following is not one of the steps in the B2C personal selling process?
request for proposal
The attitudes that Ryan's customers develop after they have purchased his yearly lawn care service will become the basis for determining whether they renew each year. He needs to be ____________, quickly addressing any problems that occur.
responsive
Hiro sells building materials to local contractors. He wants to build long-term relationships with his contractors through effective follow-up. After delivering the materials ordered, Hiro can demonstrate __________ by checking with his contractors right after the delivery and addressing any problems promptly.
responsiveness and empathy
Boris tells a colleague about a major prospect he plans to call on in the next few days and asks the colleague to pretend to be a customer while he makes his sales presentation. Boris and his colleague are engaged in
role playing
Regina has made the same sales presentation twice a day for almost a month. At first, the presentation seemed to flow nicely but lately it has not seemed as effortless as it initially was. Regina might ask another sales rep to participate in __________ and critique her presentation.
role playing
Every Monday during the month of December, salespeople who had the highest sales the previous week participated in a package surprise, where each would receive a package containing either a $50 or a $100 bill. This short-term incentive is known as a
sales contest
__________ involves the planning, direction, and control of personal selling activities, including recruitment, selection, training, motivation, compensation, and evaluation of members of the sales force.
sales management
Bridgette went to the Gap ready to buy a new shirt, but was not sure which color or style she wanted. The sales representative, sensing Bridgette's buying mode, most likely began with the __________ stage of the selling process.
sales presentation
When Barbara realized she didn't have all of the technical information she needed to answer the customer's questions, she made a call to her office. Who would be most likely to provide appropriate assistance?
sales support personnel
One of the advantages of personal selling over other types of marketing communication is that
salespeople can build strong relationships with customers
While ethical and legal issues are associated with all aspects of marketing, personal selling presents unique issues because
salespeople interact directly with customers and are, therefore, more visible
Sally has been having a difficult time working with a particular buyer while using the personal selling process, and she has asked her manager, Chris, for some ideas about how to close the sale effectively. Chris asks her a number of questions to help sort out the difficulties. Which of the following questions would Chris be least likely to ask?
"Have you completed the follow up to ease the buyers mind?"
Retail salespeople should not __________ and assume that a person in the store cannot afford to purchase the store's products based on appearances.
"judge a book by its cover"
Experts estimate that the average cost of a single B2B sales call is about
$600
Which of the following best describes a company sales force?
a company sales force is composed of people who are employees of the selling company
When Motorola first entered the Mexican marketplace, the company wanted direct control of salespeople in major urban markets but was not as concerned about control in less populated areas of the country. Motorola probably used _____________ in major urban areas and ______________ in less populated areas of Mexico.
a company's sales force; manufacturer reps
Evelyn knows that prospective customers are likely to raise reservations about price and quality. She needs to convince customers that her products represent
a good value
Von told the sales rep he wasn't buying his product because it cost too much. In terms of the personal selling process this is called
a reservation
Several months ago, Veronica took over the sales territory managed by a very successful salesperson. Veronica should use __________ as a first source of leads.
current customers
Like any effective salesperson, Tiffany walks into a customer's office, shakes hands, looks the customer in the eye, and smiles. After exchanging pleasantries, Tiffany will try to create interest in her company's product. Tiffany will likely __________ to adapt or customize her presentation to match the customer's needs.
ask a series of questions
Often the best way to handle customers' reservations is to relax, listen, and
ask questions to clarify the issues
Since Al's Auto Parts had trouble with its windshield wiper manufacturer in the past, it is requesting a guarantee from the company before it will place another order. Which of the service quality dimensions is being addressed in this scenario?
assurance
The attitudes that Ryan's customers develop after they have purchased his yearly lawn care service will become the basis for determining whether they renew each year. He needs to convey ____________ by guaranteeing his work in writing.
assurance
Managers and sales experts agree that certain personal traits are necessary to be a successful salesperson. Which of the following is not one of these traits?
being stubborn
When her salespeople bring in five new customers, Marissa gives them a $1,000 payment. This is an example of a
bonus
A salesperson's compensation can be made up of some combination of salary, commission, and __________, which are payments made at a manager's discretion when the salesperson achieves certain goals.
bonuses
Tasha was selling siding and her boss told her that she could hide an extra charge for trim in the total, even though the customer was told he would not be charged for trim. Tasha was told this was standard practice for the siding company. If the customer takes legal action for this, who is most likely liable?
both Tasha and the siding company, because both intentionally misled the customer
Gwen recognizes that one of her roles as a company sales rep is to be the firm's frontline emissary. As such, she strives to
buiild long term relationships with customers
Effective salespeople anticipate and handle
buyers reservations about the product
Getting a commitment from the customer to purchase your product is also known as
closing the sale
Although a sales representative may skip a step in the personal selling process or might sometimes have to go back and repeat steps, there is logic in the sequence. Which of the following would not be appropriate in the personal selling process?
closing the sale--is the most final-- and satisfying part of the process
__________ is a method of prospecting in which salespeople telephone or visit potential customers without appointments.
cold calling
Johnny works at an electronics store. In addition to his salary, he receives 2 percent of the sales dollars he brings in each month. This extra 2 percent is called a
commission
Sales representatives are often compensated, at least in part, on a percentage of the sales revenue. This percentage is known as a
commission
For salespeople, __________ provide(s) a major contact point with customers in the follow-up stage of the selling process and an opportunity to build and improve relationships.
complaints
After exchanging greetings and getting to know the customer a bit in an initial sales call, the first goal of a sales presentation is to
create interest
Bhakti was recently promoted to a sales management position. She had been an effective representative, but her strengths and educational background were in management. She was about to begin her first salesperson recruitment campaign. The most important thing Bhakti can do to ensure that she recruits the right people is to
determine exactly what the salesperson will be doing and what traits and abilities job candidates will need to succeed
During the preapproach stage, a salesperson usually conducts additional research about prospects and
develops plans for meeting with the customer
Often, inexperienced salespeople mistakenly believe that during the sales call, they should
do all the talking
Yara has identified an attractive potential customer for her biodiesel home power system. She knows the customer is concerned about the environment and has considerable financial resources. The customer is also a respected leader among wealthy environmentalists in the area. Next Yara will
establish goals for meeting with the customer
All of the following are service quality dimensions related to follow-up except
ethics
Which of the following is not considered typical financial compensation for sales representatives?
extra vacation days
Salespeople should be evaluated and rewarded only for those activities and outcomes that
fall under their control
Taylor loves the lifestyle associated with being a salesperson, allowing her to take a day off during the week and making it up on the weekend. She most likely values the __________ associated with creating her own schedule.
flexibility
In the selling process, the saying "It ain't over till it's over," refers to the _______ stage of the process.
follow up
The __________ stage of the selling process offers a prime opportunity for salespeople to solidify customer relationships through great service quality.
follow up
Chesnee works in the office of a building materials company. One of her jobs is to identify new building projects and to determine who will make the building materials purchase decisions. Chesnee is involved in the _______________ step of the selling process.
generate leads
Monica works as a salesperson in a retail clothing store. Of the five stages in the selling process, Monica is least likely to engage in
generating and qualifying leads
David has been a star representative and has personally serviced and developed all his accounts. Recently, however, David's firm has grown steadily and the company's products and systems have become more and more complicated. In the past year or so, David and his sales colleagues have been changing their approach due to the sales growth and increasing product complexity. Customer relationships are now being handled more and more by __________, which is typical of firms experiencing this kind of growth.
selling teams
The attitudes that Ryan's customers develop after they have purchased his yearly lawn care service will become the basis for determining whether they renew each year. He needs to demonstrate the ____________ dimension of service quality by showing consistently well-maintained yards with neat, professional personnel.
tangibles
If your company hired you to make sales calls via the telephone, it hired you to perform
telemarketing
Whether or not a salesperson will go through all five steps of the selling process depends on the sales situation and
the buyer's readiness to purchase
As noted in your text, in Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, Willie Loman portrays
the loneliness of a traveling salesman
Telemarketing and cold calls have become less popular as sales tools because of all of the following reasons except
they require appointments, which takes time away from the actual selling of the product
Personal selling can take place in all of the following situations except
through newspaper ads
The International Consumer Electronics Show is an example of a(n)
trade show
Before approaching a potentially major B2B customer, a salesperson will usually
try to find out everything possible about the firm and its needs
Thanh is starting a career in selling, but he eventually wants to become a senior manager. A selling career may help Thanh achieve that goal by providing
visibility in management
The most important activity in recruiting salespeople is determining what the salesperson will be doing and
what personal traits and abilities a salesperson should have to do the job well
Like any effective salesperson, Frazer walks into a customer's office, shakes hands, looks the customer in the eye, and smiles. After exchanging pleasantries, Frazer will immediately try to create interest in his company's product and establish
where the customer is in the buying process
The beginning of the sales presentation may be the most important part of the selling process, because this is where the salesperson establishes
where the customer is in the buying process
Brandon is in the process of qualifying leads he received from corporate headquarters. Brandon will assess
whether or not it is worthwhile to pursue these potential customers