CHAPTER 19 Personal Selling and Sales Promotion

16. Paid personal communication that attempts to inform and persuade customers to purchase products in an exchange situation is called

a) advertising.

b) sales promotion.

c) personal selling.

d) target marketing.

e) public relations.

17. A major disadvantage of personal selling is that it

a) is not remembered as well by consumers as advertising messages are.

b) cannot easily adjust the message to satisfy a customer's information needs.

c) is very expensive per contact.

d) does not provide immediate feedback.

e) is not compatible with other promotional activities.

18. A sales career can offer all of the following except a

a) structured, inflexible workday.

b) high income.

c) great deal of freedom.

d) high level of training.

e) high level of job satisfaction.

19. Personal selling goals include finding prospects, convincing prospects to buy, and

a) monitoring new products being developed.

b) being aware of competitors' sales activities.

c) seeking one-sale customers.

d) avoiding repeat transactions.

e) keeping customers satisfied.

20. The greatest amount of responsibility for providing customer satisfaction falls on the shoulders of

a) chief executive officers.

b) salespeople.

c) sales managers.

d) quality control experts.

e) marketing directors.

21. Jennifer Clarkson, a sales representative for a publisher of college textbooks, had the southern half of the state as a sales territory. Last year, the director of marketing for the publishing company told Jennifer's sales manager to increase her territory to the entire state. Now Jennifer's customers are less satisfied with the company. They are most likely to blame ___________ for their reduced level of customer satisfaction.

a) the textbook authors

b) the company's chief executive officer

c) the marketing manager

d) the sales manager

e) Jennifer

22. Sayyid’s company has launched a new product line, and he is put in charge of sales. He decides his first step will be to find potential customers in the company’s sales records. Sayyid is

a) prospecting.

b) screening.

c) researching.

d) pre-approaching.

e) surveying.

23. The final stage of the selling process is

a) closing.

b) trial close.

c) presentation.

d) follow-up.

e) overcoming objections.

24. Developing a list of potential customers is called

a) preapproaching.

b) surveying.

c) scouting.

d) prospecting.

e) screening.

25. Scott Bartello, a salesperson for Xerox, develops a list of potential customers and evaluates them on the basis of their ability, willingness, and authority to purchase copy machines. This process is called

a) customer search.

b) preapproach.

c) approaching the customer.

d) audience selection.

e) prospecting.e

26. Company sales records, commercial databases, newspaper announcements, telephone directories, and public records are all sources used for

a) surveying.

b) screening.

c) researching.

d) preapproaching.

e) prospecting.

27. Advertising that encourages customers to send in reply cards for additional information aids salespeople in achieving which goal of personal selling?

a) Convincing prospects to buy

b) Finding prospects

c) Keeping customers satisfied

d) Making the presentation

e) Following up the sale

28. Carlos generally makes cold calls on businesses to look for new prospects. He has many satisfied customers, but like many salespeople, he does not frequently utilize one of the best ways to find new prospects, which is through

a) telephone directories.

b) customer referrals.

c) trade shows.

d) local restaurants.

e) other employees.

29. After compiling a list of potential customers, a salesperson must

a) evaluate whether each prospect is able, willing, and authorized to buy the product.

b) determine whether or not each prospect is really in his target market.

c) find and analyze information about each prospect's specific needs and current brand choices.

d) develop a presentation for each of the potential customers on his list.

e) contact each of the prospects to get an initial feel for how likely they are to purchase his products.

30. Janetta Light tells her sales manager that she will be devoting more effort to ___________ in the coming weeks, as her list of potential customers has dwindled below the level of 30 firms recommended by the selling plan.

a) approaching customers

b) preapproaching

c) closing the sale

d) following up

e) prospecting

31. Tim has just finished compiling a list of potential customers and evaluating their ability, willingness, and authority to buy. He knows his next step in the personal selling process is to

a) approach.

b) preapproach.

c) make the presentation.

d) prospect.

e) overcome objections.

32. Before contacting prospects, a salesperson for an industrial cleaning equipment company analyzes information about the prospects' product needs, feelings about brands, and personal characteristics. This process is called

a) prospecting.

b) preapproach.

c) approaching the customer.

d) sales training.

e) sales planning.

33. A salesperson finds and analyzes information about each prospect's specific product needs, current use of and feeling about brands, and personal characteristics during

a) prospecting.

b) the approach.

c) presentation preparation.

d) overcoming objections.

e) the preapproach.

34. Garrett Almar tells a fellow buyer at Robins Wholesale Parts that the last salesperson who called on him before lunch was a real loser: “He has done a poor job of ___________. He didn't even know what brands we carry or what types of retailers we service!”

a) prospecting

b) preapproach

c) follow-up

d) presenting

e) approach

35. Rick has reviewed a prospect's account and credit history, identified product needs, and gathered the appropriate literature. He feels he is ready for the ____ step of the personal selling process.

a) prospecting

b) presentation

c) approach

d) preapproach

e) closing

36. The step of the personal selling process in which a salesperson contacts a potential customer is called

a) making the presentation.

b) cold calling.

c) the preapproach.

d) the approach.

e) prospecting.

37. Creating a favorable impression and developing rapport with prospective customers is a critical part of the ______ step of personal selling.

a) following up

b) making the presentation

c) approach

d) prospecting

e) preapproach

38. Stacey's client group has been gradually shrinking and she is looking for new prospective clients. She has decided to spend a couple of days approaching potential customers without any prior consent. Stacey's method of approach is known as

a) referral approach.

b) ambulance chasing.

c) door-to-door selling.

d) cold canvass.

e) repeat contact.

39. The stage of the personal selling process in which the salesperson attempts to make a favorable impression, gather information about the customer's needs and objectives, and build a rapport with the prospective customers is called

a) prospecting.

b) preapproach.

c) approach.

d) making the presentation.

e) overcoming objections.

40. The salesperson must attract and hold the prospect's attention, stimulate interest, and spark a desire for the product during the

a) prospecting.

b) preapproach.

c) follow up.

d) approach.

e) sales presentation.

41. Sherry Sullivan, Kevin Miller's sales manager, points out to him that his last shopper in the housewares department didn't seem involved as he explained the new food processor to her. She suggests that he use a ___________ as part of his presentation next time.

a) video

b) referral

c) demonstration

d) trial close

e) qualification

42. Which of the following is not true when making the sales presentation?

a) The salesperson should focus on anticipating questions and answering them before they're asked.

b) The salesperson must spark interest in the product.

c) The salesperson should not only talk but also listen to the customer.

d) The salesperson should involve the customer by having him or her hold, touch, or use the product.

e) A salesperson should not sound like he or she is just reading a script (i.e., he or she should be flexible and respond to the customers' comments).

43. A salesperson will be better able to determine the prospect's specific needs by

a) listening carefully to questions and comments and watching reactions during the sales presentation.

b) waiting until after the sale to see how the client is enjoying the use of the product.

c) doing extensive research before the approach and making the sales presentation without adjustment.

d) using trial closings throughout the sales presentation.

e) making a very thorough and detailed sales presentation about the products and services being offered.

44. Tony tells his wife, Camilla, that his last sales call of the day at DuPont was a disaster. He explains that he never really figured out what the purchasing agent was looking for. Camilla, a sales trainer for another firm, hands Tony a book on

a) listening skills.

b) overcoming objections.

c) prospect evaluation.

d) product demonstrations.

e) closing.

45. While anticipating objections and countering them before they are asked is a good idea, one negative consequence of doing so is that the salesperson may

a) annoy the customer.

b) mention objections the customer had not thought of.

c) take too long in trying to sell the product, and the customer may stop listening.

d) not emphasize its features and benefits enough.

e) begin to lie about the product.

46. During the personal selling process, a salesperson, if possible, should handle objections when

a) they arise.

b) the salesperson begins the trial close.

c) the sales presentation is approximately half completed.

d) when the customer appears to be unhappy or agitated.

e) when the salesperson begins the sales presentation.

47. The _____ stage of the personal selling process is when the salesperson asks the prospect to buy the product.

a) proposal

b) closing

c) overcoming objections

d) approach

e) trial

48. When a salesperson asks the customer to buy the product several times throughout the sales presentation in an effort to uncover hidden objections, it is called

a) order taking.

b) new-business selling.

c) trial closing.

d) order getting.

e) overcoming objections.

49. “Mrs. Brucker, you would agree that this is the most attractive car interior in this price range, wouldn't you?” Cliff Davis, a salesperson at Midtown Ford, was using a(n) ___________ when he made this statement.

a) referral

b) objective

c) bandwagon approach

d) follow-up

e) trial close

50. During his presentation to Mrs. French about a high-end gourmet oven, Brian asks, “Would you prefer black or stainless steel?” This is an example of a

a) referral.

b) recommendation.

c) follow up.

d) trial close.

e) closing argument.

51. A salesperson should try to close the sale

a) at the end of the sales presentation.

b) during the preapproach.

c) about halfway through the sales presentation.

d) after overcoming the biggest objection.

e) several times during the sales presentation.

52. The purpose of the ___________ stage in personal selling is to determine customers' problems and questions about using the product.

a) prospecting

b) approach

c) overcoming-objections

d) follow-up

e) closing

53. Cheyenne calls to see if her customer's new hardwood floors were installed correctly

a) during the follow-up step.

b) immediately after the closing.

c) near the end of the sales presentation.

d) the next time she makes a sales call to that customer.

e) after she receives cash payment from that customer.

54. Creative selling, which requires that salespeople recognize a potential buyer's needs and then provide the prospect with the necessary information, is performed by

a) order takers.

b) order getters.

c) missionary salespeople.

d) trade salespeople.

e) technical salespeople.

55. Yolanda's job is to find new customers for her company's telecommunication services. She encourages existing customers to add more services and finds customers who are completely new to the company. Yolanda would best be classified as a(n)

a) order taker.

b) order generator.

c) missionary salesperson.

d) technical salesperson.

e) order getter.

56. Order-getting activities are divided into two categories:

a) missionary sales and technical sales.

b) current-customer sales and new-business sales.

c) order takers and trade sales.

d) current sales and support sales.

e) inside order sales and field order sales.

57. A person who primarily seeks repeat sales is called a(n)

a) current customer order getter.

b) order recorder.

c) order taker.

d) follow-up salesperson.

e) missionary salesperson.

58. The two groups of order takers in personal selling are

a) current customer salespeople and new-business salespeople.

b) missionary salespeople and trade salespeople.

c) inside order takers and field order takers.

d) trade salespeople and technical salespeople.

e) advisory order takers and support order takers.

59. Retail salespeople are classified as

a) order getters.

b) support personnel.

c) trade salespeople.

d) inside order takers.

e) field order takers.

60. Michelle works for a company that sells rotisseries for chicken and other foods. She answers phone calls from customers who see infomercials on TV and call to order the product. Michelle is considered a(n)

a) order getter.

b) inside order taker.

c) support person.

d) field order taker.

e) trade salesperson.

61. A sales representative for Coca-Cola travels to various restaurants to determine how much syrup the customer needs for the coming period. This sales representative would be classified as a(n)

a) order getter.

b) inside order taker.

c) field order taker.

d) missionary salesperson.

e) trade salesperson.

62. Doug Browton travels around to various established customers to see what new office supplies they need. His customers have come to depend on him to check their supplies. Doug is a(n)

a) field order taker.

b) current customer order getter.

c) missionary salesperson.

d) inside order taker.

e) trade salesperson.

63. A missionary salesperson is usually employed by

a) a retailer.

b) a wholesaler.

c) either a retailer or a producer.

d) a manufacturer.

e) an independent intermediary.

64. Which of the following is least likely to be directly involved in actually making sales?

a) Order taker

b) Current-customer salesperson

c) Order getter

d) Field order taker

e) Support sales personnel

65. Assisting the producer's customers in selling to those customers is the major purpose of which type of salesperson?

a) Trade salesperson

b) Technical salesperson

c) Missionary salesperson

d) Order getter

e) Order taker

66. Jin Xiao, a trained engineer, is a salesperson for a chemical manufacturer. He provides current customers with advice about a product's characteristics and applications. He is a(n)

a) missionary salesperson.

b) trade salesperson.

c) field order taker.

d) inside order taker.

e) technical salesperson.

67. Daphne King of Cleborn Pharmaceuticals tells a sales management class at the state university that her job is to call on doctors and explain the benefits of new prescription drugs that her firm develops. Daphne would call herself a(n)

a) technical salesperson.

b) missionary salesperson.

c) order taker.

d) order getter.

e) trade salesperson.

68. Maria Martinez works for a cosmetics manufacturer and is responsible for ensuring that retailers have adequate quantities of products when they need them. However, she is directing much of her effort toward helping the retailers promote the products. She would be characterized as belonging to which group of salespeople?

a) Trade salespeople

b) Field order takers

c) Advisory salespeople

d) Technical salespeople

e) Order getters

69. Jana works for Hormel Foods and she frequently sets up special displays and distributes samples of Hormel products to customers in supermarkets. Jana would best be classified as a(n)

a) trade salesperson.

b) technical salesperson.

c) inside order taker.

d) field order taker.

e) missionary salesperson.

70. The type of salesperson that usually requires training in physical science or engineering is the

a) trade salesperson.

b) missionary salesperson.

c) technical salesperson.

d) order taker.

e) order getter.

71. A support salesperson who usually advises customers on product characteristics and application, system design, and installation procedures is a(n)

a) trade salesperson.

b) inside order taker.

c) tech support worker.

d) missionary salesperson.

e) technical salesperson.

72. Ryan Amerson leads his company's clients through the installation procedure of their new industrial equipment. He also helps answer their questions about product characteristics and system design both before and after their purchases. Ryan is a

a) trade salesperson.

b) missionary salesperson.

c) technical salesperson.

d) systems engineer.

e) field order taker.

73. In which of the following does the salesperson join with people from the firm's financial, engineering, and other functional areas to engage in the personal selling process?

a) Trade selling

b) Missionary selling

c) Relationship selling

d) Team selling

e) Technical selling

74. Which of the following is particularly appropriate for pricey high-tech business products, such as jet aircraft and medical equipment?

a) Team selling

b) Relationship selling

c) Trade selling

d) Technical selling

e) Missionary selling

75. Which of the following involves building mutually beneficial long-term associations with a customer—usually a business customer—through regular communications over prolonged periods of time.

a) CRM selling

b) Missionary selling

c) Exclusive selling

d) Team selling

e) Relationship selling

76. All of the following are key areas of sales force management except

a) compensating salespeople.

b) coordinating sales promotion efforts.

c) recruiting salespeople.

d) training sales personnel.

e) motivating sales personnel.

77. Sales objectives can do all of the following except

a) serve as a deterrent both to salespeople and their clients.

b) give the sales force direction and purpose.

c) serve as a standard for evaluating salesperson performance.

d) let the sales force know what is expected of them.

e) help to control the sales force.

78. Sales force objectives are generally established for

a) the organization as a whole only.

b) the total sales force and for each salesperson.

c) just each salesperson but not the whole sales force.

d) for each department or division of the company.

e) long-term but not short-term salespeople.

79. Which of the following is the best example of a well-stated sales objective?

a) Companywide sales should increase by 25 percent.

b) Each salesperson should increase his or her client group by 10 percent.

c) Each salesperson should bring in $25,000 in new sales by November 15.

d) The sales force should increase the market share in all markets by December 1.

e) Each salesperson should increase the number of calls they make by 20 percent.

80. Sales objectives for individual salespeople can be stated in several ways. Which of the following would least likely be used for stating an individual salesperson's goal?

a) Dollar volume sales

b) Unit volume sales

c) Average order size

d) Ratio of profits relative to number of sales calls

e) Average number of calls per time period

81. A company may determine how many sales calls per year it needs to serve customers effectively and divide that by the average number of sales calls made by one salesperson in order to

a) recruit appropriate salespeople.

b) set sales force calling objectives.

c) compensate salespeople fairly.

d) train its salespeople.

e) determine sales force size.

82. When better market conditions prevail or when company growth occurs, a company may suffer if it

a) lowered its sales force objectives.

b) recruited additional salespeople.

c) decided to use a combination compensation plan.

d) provided additional training for its sales force.

e) cut back the size of its sales force.83. Recruiting and selection of salespeople should include enough steps to yield the information needed to make accurate selection decisions. However, the stages of the process should be sequenced so that the more expensive steps are

a) near the beginning.

b) always completed before anything else.

c) near the end.

d) paid by the prospects rather than the company.

e) never reached.

84. The best advice for recruiting and selecting salespeople for one's organization would be

a) follow a clear set of generally accepted job characteristics when determining an applicant's qualifications.

b) keep the expensive stages near the beginning of the recruiting process.

c) find out how long the applicant plans to stay with the company.

d) make recruitment a continuous activity aimed at seeking out the best applicants.

e) recruit primarily from educational institutions.

85. Which of the following best characterizes the function of recruiting and selecting a sales force?

a) It should be a continuous, systematic attempt to match applicants' characteristics to the firm's needs.

b) It is a process that should be set up that incorporates at least two steps: an interview and a written application.

c) Sources of applicants should be limited, since the recruitment process is expensive and more applicants mean greater expense.

d) After interviewing applicants, the manager should attempt to find a position that can be tailored to fit applicants' qualifications.

e) It should not be made from personnel in other departments in the firm, as this would necessitate training two people rather than one.

86. Zack Freedman is an experienced salesperson who has worked for the same company for 20 years. When he is informed that he must attend a training seminar the following Tuesday, he believes it will most likely be about

a) the company.

b) his customers' companies.

c) basic selling methods.

d) new-product information.

e) prospecting.

87. Which of the sales force compensation methods is easy to administer, yields more predictable selling expenses, and provides sales managers with a large degree of control over salespeople?

a) Straight commission

b) Salary plus bonus

c) Salary and commission

d) Straight commission and combination

e) Straight salary

88. Jose Suarez has been hired as sales manager at a new firm and is trying to come up with a sales force compensation method. He would like to have selling expenses relate directly to sales resources, an aggressive sales force, and minimization of nonselling tasks. What compensation method(s) would best fulfill his requirements?

a) Combination

b) Straight salary

c) Straight salary plus generous fringe benefits

d) Straight commission

e) Salary plus a bonus89. Salespeople receive a set salary plus a commission based on sales with a

a) straight salary compensation plan.

b) combination compensation plan.

c) cafeteria plan.

d) straight commission compensation plan.

e) salary plus bonus program.90. Effective motivation of a sales force is best achieved through

a) annual retreats at resort locations open to families.

b) emphasizing sales force objectives and their connection to compensation.

c) an organized set of activities performed continuously.

d) motivation meetings when sales have declined.

e) daily pep talks before the sales force makes sales calls.

91. In designing sales territories, a sales manager considers several major factors. The territories must be constructed so that sales potential can be measured; the shape of the territories should facilitate salespeople's activities to provide the best possible coverage of customers; and

a) territories should be designed to minimize selling costs.

b) all territories should be of similar size.

c) the territorial pattern should consist of concentric circles.

d) the density of potential customers should be minimized.

e) the distribution of customers should be relatively equal.

92. If a manager tries to form territories with equal sales potential, the territories will usually be unequal in geographic size; this will cause the salespeople with larger territories to

a) develop larger income potentials.

b) have to work longer and harder to generate a certain sales volume.

c) work about the same amount, since potential is the same.

d) have much larger sales than those salespeople with smaller territories.

e) be limited to a smaller income potential.

93. Customer density and distribution are important factors in

a) prospecting.

b) motivating salespeople.

c) creating sales territories.

d) compensating salespeople.

e) establishing sales force objectives.

94. A primary goal of routing and scheduling decisions in personal selling is to

a) determine the sequence in which customers will be called on.

b) use existing transportation facilities.

c) minimize nonselling time.

d) determine duration of sales calls.

e) provide salespeople with an opportunity to plan their own routes and schedules.

]95. ___________ are designed to identify the customers called on and to present detailed information about interaction with those clients.

a) Invoices

b) Feedback notices

c) Work schedules

d) Call reports

e) Recall files

96. The most common sales force evaluation practices are for sales managers to compare a salesperson's performance with other salespeople operating under similar selling conditions, or to compare

a) the size of sales territories.

b) selling expenses by various members of the sales force.

c) the amount of new business generated.

d) current performance with past performance.

e) the ratio of costs to profits.

97. Ray Singh is preparing to evaluate one of his sales representatives, Julie Hill. His evaluation of her performance for the prior year led to his conclusion that she lacked key product information. At their upcoming session, he will most likely do which of the following?

a) Decrease the size of her territory.

b) Increase her sales quotas.

c) Terminate her.

d) Recommend that she attend a training program.

e) Ignore this problem given that her sales results were good.

98. Dorothy won a hot-air balloon ride and dinner for two for being the top revenue-producing mortgage loan officer at her company for the month of October. This contest exemplifies a company’s efforts at

a) motivating salespeople.

b) compensating salespeople.

c) providing training for the sales force.

d) managing sales territories.

e) selecting salespeople.99. In establishing sales promotion objectives, a marketer should always

a) concentrate on activities that will increase consumer demand.

b) focus on consumers.

c) focus on resellers.

d) be defensive in the methods used.

e) align objectives with the organization's overall objectives.

100. When deciding on sales promotion methods to employ, marketers take several factors into consideration. Which factor below is unlikely to affect decisions regarding sales promotion methods?

a) Type of package

b) Product characteristics

c) Target market characteristics

d) Types of resellers

e) Competitive forces in the environment