Deck 1: The Life, Times, and Career of the Professional Salesperson

Question 1

Professional selling refers to the holistic business system required to effectively develop, manage, enable, and execute a mutually beneficial, interpersonal exchange of goods and/or services for equitable value.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Today's salespeople make a contribution to the welfare of others through service.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Today's salesperson needs personal characteristics that allow for true caring for customers.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Financial rewards for professional salespeople are commonly solely based on performance.

Question 5

Even experienced sales representatives in outside sales typically receive intensive direct supervision.

Question 6

Creative selling is an important part of what an order-getter does.

Question 7

To be a successful salesperson, a salesperson must love to sell.

Question 8

A sales engineer works for a manufacturer and sells the benefits of intangible products.

Question 9

Given that sales jobs offer higher nonfinancial rewards than most other areas of corporate America, the compensation of salespeople is typically lower than that of workers in areas like production and personnel who are at a comparable level in the organization.

Question 10

A salesperson needs physical, spiritual, and mental stamina to succeed.

Question 11

A wholesale salesperson would sell designer clothing to a department store which in turn would resell the items to individual customers.

Question 12

The Core Principles of Professional Selling refer to: 1) unselfishly serving the buyer or buying organization and 2) professionally representing the selling organization.

Question 13

Students graduating from a sales program learn faster in their sales position than students without a sales education.

Question 14

Selling and marketing are not synonymous.

Question 15

The marketing mix consists of three components: price, product, and promotion.

Question 16

Maintaining a professional sales force accounts for major expenditures by most companies. Thus, professional selling presents a large number of career opportunities.

Question 17

One of the reasons to choose a sales career is the wide variety of sales jobs available.

Question 18

The marketing concept is a business philosophy that says the customers' want- satisfaction is the economic and social justification for a firm's existence.

Question 19

A salesperson's career path is the upward sequence of job movements during a sales career.

Question 20

There are no differences between what a service salesperson sells and what an industrial products salesperson sells.

Question 21

To be viewed as professionals and respected by customers, salespeople join organizations such as, The Lions Club, the Chamber of Commerce and other local service organizations.

Question 22

Self-control refers to the discipline needed to rise early, work late, and prepare for the next day in the evening.

Question 23

To develop a reputation as a professional, you must be willing to ignore your conscience and get the sale no matter what it takes.

Question 24

The acronym ABCS represents the tools needed for creating a successful marketing mix.

Question 25

Selling is considered by many as both an art and a science.

Question 26

As a profession, salespeople need no more tact than those in any other profession.

Question 27

Conceptual skill is the seller's ability to work with and through other people.

Question 28

Salespeople need not increase sales in old accounts if they are generating a sufficient number of new customers.

Question 29

A professional salesperson should abstain from blaming the competition in front of the customer.

Question 30

Relationship selling is the creation of customer loyalty.

Question 31

According to the text, wasting time during the sales call by involving in small talks is a deadly sin of business selling.

Question 32

It is inappropriate for a salesperson to provide information to his/her company on such topics as competitors' activities and market opportunities since doing so would exceed his/her authority and violate customer confidence.

Question 33

Emotional self-control is difficult for many salespeople to develop because of personal and financial investments in making sales to customers.

Question 34

As manager of a sales territory, a salesperson is responsible for providing solutions to customers' problems.

Question 35

Many selling skills cannot be learned from a textbook, but must be developed through practice, just like tennis.

Question 36

While salespeople typically provide many services for their customers, returning damaged merchandise is not one of them.

Question 37

Many of today's salespeople are considered professionals due to their product knowledge and customer service.

Question 38

According to the text, one of "The Seven Deadly Sins of Business Selling" is a lack of pushiness.

Question 39

A good salesperson should abstain from remaining active in community affairs due to conflicts of interest.

Question 40

A salesperson should entertain both prospects and current customers regularly to ensure customer satisfaction.

Question 41

According to the text, the traditional definition of selling includes all of the following components EXCEPT:

A) providing customers with information.
B) communication between buyer and seller.
C) providing after-the-sale service.
D) persuading a prospective customer to buy.
E) explaining how to appear unselfish to customers.

Question 42

Technical skill is the cognitive ability to see the selling process as a whole and the relationship among its parts.

Question 43

Which of the following terms describes a bundle of tangible and intangible attributes, including packaging, color, brand and even the reputation of the seller?

A) Price
B) Good
C) Product
D) Service
E) Distribution

Question 44

All of the following fall under the term "product" in the marketing mix EXCEPT:

A) brand name.
B) services.
C) inventory.
D) returns.
E) image.

Question 45

Which of the following statements about products, goods, and services is true?

A) Products and goods are synonymous terms
B) Services and products are tangibles
C) Goods and products are tangibles
D) Salespeople do not sell services
E) Goods and services are tangibles

Question 46

The Small Business Administration classifies approximately 50 percent of all business in the United States as small businesses.

Question 47

Which of the following is defined as the personal communication of information to persuade a prospective customer to buy something that satisfies his/her needs?

A) marketing
B) personal selling
C) promotion
D) public relations
E) advertising

Question 48

Conceptual skills are especially important for the creative order-takers.

Question 49

The last step in the sales process is the close.

Question 50

The ________ is a business philosophy that says the customers' want-satisfaction is the economic and social justification for a firm's existence.

A) Six Sigma concept
B) TQM concept
C) scientific approach to business
D) marketing concept
E) sales heuristic

Question 51

According to a Gallup poll, what do people assume is the priority of traditional salespeople?

A) Self-interests
B) Legal duties
C) Recognition
D) Personal pride
E) Customer satisfaction

Question 52

The sales process refers to the checklist salespeople use to prepare themselves for dealing with prospects' objections.

Question 53

The modern concept of professional selling is best defined as the:

A) personal communication of information to persuade a prospective customer to buy something which satisfies that individual's needs.
B) mass communication of information to persuade a prospective customer to buy something which satisfies that individual's needs.
C) process during which someone is persuaded to buy something which they may not want or need.
D) the holistic business system required to effectively develop, manage, enable, and execute a mutually beneficial, interpersonal exchange of goods and/or services for equitable value.
E) sales made only to individuals in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.

Question 54

Promotional allowances are an element of this marketing mix component.

A) Product
B) Place
C) Promotion
D) Distribution
E) Price

Question 55

Which of the following falls within the definition of "place"?

A) Promotional allowances
B) Returns
C) Image
D) Inventory
E) Customer service

Question 56

Which of the following falls in the category, "place" in the marketing mix?

A) Wholesalers
B) Brand name
C) Promotional allowances
D) Trade shows
E) Features

Question 57

Identify the correct statement about the importance of salespeople and selling.

A) Salespeople are responsible for the success of new products, but have little to do with keeping existing products in the marketplace.
B) Salespeople are responsible for keeping existing products in the marketplace, but have little to do with the success of new products.
C) Only the medical profession generates more revenue in our economy than the selling profession.
D) Salespeople have a direct impact on the opening of new businesses and whether that business is successful.
E) Only the legal profession generates more revenue in our economy than the selling profession.

Question 58

Which element of the marketing mix is being discussed when the salesperson participates in a trade show?

A) Pricing
B) Distribution
C) Direct sales
D) Product
E) Promotion

Question 59

Technology use is limited to sales made through the use of Web sites.

Question 60

One key human skill is the ability to adapt to the customer.

Question 61

According to the ________, salespeople should unselfishly treat others as they would like to be treated.

A) Pareto Principle of Selling
B) Principle of Reciprocity
C) Fairplay Rule of Selling
D) Core Principles of Professional Selling
E) Equity Theory of Selling

Question 62

Which of the following does NOT create sales through presentations and probably never attempts to close a sale?

A) Account representative
B) Detail salesperson
C) Sales engineer
D) Order-taker
E) Industrial products salesperson

Question 63

The person who phoned Howard last night to ask him if he might be interested in adding HBO and Cinemax to his current television cable system would be classified as a(n):

A) detail salesperson.
B) retail salesperson.
C) order-taker.
D) account representative.
E) sales engineer.

Question 64

Ted works for T & J Textiles and spends his day visiting the firm's established retail customers to see how much fabric they need to order. Which type of manufacturer's sales representative best describes Ted?

A) Detail salesperson
B) Sales engineer
C) Account representative
D) Direct seller
E) Service salesperson

Question 65

According to the Core Principles of Professional Selling, an effective salesperson:

A) has the Midas touch.
B) owes greater allegiance to his/her employer than to customers.
C) unselfishly treats others as they would like to be treated.
D) can use manipulation if needed to make the sale.
E) creates customer loyalty through discipline, persistence and optimism.

Question 66

In which of the following situations is the individual not actively engaged in selling?

A) Steve is trying to convince his professor that he deserves an "A."
B) Brendan is persuading Meryl to loan him $10 so he can order a pizza.
C) Chad is trying to convince his biology lab partner to sketch the internal organs of the frog they dissected in lab.
D) Anna is trying to persuade her husband to attend her family reunion.
E) Daniel is creating a logo for his home-based Web services company.

Question 67

A person may choose a sales career because he/she desires:

A) a job that is unchanging and requires mastery of a minimal number of skills.
B) the rewards offered by a career in sales.
C) the freedom of being self-employed.
D) the limited hours of work.
E) the minimal challenges it offers.

Question 68

Nancy Henderson is a salesperson for a manufacturer of small kitchen appliances. She does not directly solicit orders. Her primary duties involve promotional activities and introducing new products to her employer's indirect customers. She spends much of her time demonstrating appliances at various retail stores. Nancy would be classified as a(n):

A) retail salesperson.
B) detail salesperson.
C) sales engineer.
D) service salesperson.
E) account representative.

Question 69

Which of the following is most likely characteristic of traditional salespeople?

A) building long-term relationships with customers
B) making legal and ethical decisions
C) focusing exclusively on customer service
D) finding others' interests more important than their own
E) seeking recognition for their efforts

Question 70

Sales jobs are classified according to the type of product sold and:

A) how the salesperson is compensated.
B) the type of customers the salesperson calls on.
C) jobs performed by the salesperson.
D) the salesperson's type of employer.
E) territory size.

Question 71

A salesperson who adheres to the Core Principles of Professional Selling:

A) is primarily motivated by money.
B) is ego-driven.
C) does what he/she is legally required to do.
D) enjoys personal recognition.
E) attributes his/her success to others.

Question 72

Which of the following statements about selling is most likely true?

A) You are not involved in sales when you go to an interview with a potential employer.
B) Unlike other professions, journalists do not engage in selling activities.
C) Everyone sells at their place of work, but not when at home with their families.
D) You are involved in selling when you ask someone to accompany you on a shopping trip.
E) Only trained salespeople ever engage in selling activities.

Question 73

Another name for a salesperson is a(n):

A) transaction manager.
B) exchange coordinator.
C) counter trader.
D) stakeholder supervisor.
E) customer contact person.

Question 74

The person behind the counter at the movie theater who asks you what movie you wish to see, takes your money, and hands you your ticket would be classified as a(n):

A) retail salesperson.
B) sales engineer.
C) order-getter.
D) service salesperson.
E) account representative.

Question 75

According to the text, the core principles of professional selling:

A) relates to transactional marketing.
B) excludes e-selling.
C) includes the word "unselfishly."
D) excludes telemarketing activities.
E) substitutes the word "relationship marketing" for "personal selling."

Question 76

Joseph is a salesperson for a wholesale meat company. It would NOT be part of his job to sell meat to:

A) a final consumer.
B) the United States government.
C) a restaurant like McDonald's.
D) an assisted-living facility that is hosting a family cookout.
E) a hospital cafeteria.

Question 77

Donna Carter goes from house-to-house in her neighborhood taking orders for Pampered Chef kitchen products. Donna's face-to-face sales with consumers are an example of:

A) direct selling.
B) wholesale selling.
C) account representation.
D) detail selling.
E) sales engineering.

Question 78

________ refers to the holistic business system required to effectively develop, manage, enable, and execute a mutually beneficial, interpersonal exchange of goods and/or services for equitable value.

A) integrated marketing communications
B) dyadic communications
C) professional selling
D) transactional marketing
E) relationship marketing

Question 79

Eugene is a salesperson for APM Industries. He sells machines for molding plastic furniture. APM has developed a machine that is 50 percent smaller than what is currently on the market and costs 25 percent more. It is Eugene's job to show potential customers how the new machine will save them money in the long run. He must be able to address each customer's needs with technical know-how and an ability to communicate his knowledge. Ephraim is an example of a(n):

A) retail salesperson.
B) detail salesperson.
C) sales engineer.
D) service salesperson.
E) account representative.

Question 80

In which of the following industries are you most likely to find a sales engineer?

A) Apparel
B) Heavy equipment
C) Pharmaceuticals
D) Pet supplies
E) Food