Deck 1: Introduction to Sales Force Management and Its Evolving Roles

Question 1

Which of the following sales management titles represents the highest?level sales executive?

A) regional, division, or zone sales manager
B) vice president of sales
C) national sales manager
D) district, branch, or field sales manager

Answer 1

vice president of sales

Question 2

Which of the following is not a macro-environmental factor that sales managers must continuously monitor?

A) technological
B) competitive
C) economic
D) geography

Answer 2

geography

Question 3

A company's stakeholders include:

A) employees
B) suppliers
C) financial community
D) all of the above

Answer 3

all of the above

Question 4

Which of the statements below is least accurate?

A) a sales budget is a forecast of needed expenditures to attain the projected sales revenues.
B) a sales territory is a geographic area of equal size and population density assigned to each member of the sales force.
C) a sales quota is a motivational target assigned to the salesperson.
D) a sales forecast is the starting point for all sales planning, budgeting, and territorial assignments.

Question 5

Which of the following factors can sales managers use to determine the best way to structure the sales force?

A) geographically
B) by product
C) by customer type
D) all of the above can be used

Question 6

Determining the appropriate number of salespeople and how to organize them affects several sales management decision areas, including, budgets, territory assignments, supervision, motivation, and evaluation of sales force performance.

A) job descriptions
B) compensation methods
C) sales forecasts
D) all of the above

Question 7

Determining the appropriate number of salespeople and how to organize them affects several sales management decision areas, including:

A) sales force management
B) sales force motivation
C) sales force evaluation
D) all of the above

Question 8

A __________ is a market segment or group of present and potential customers who usually share some common characteristics relevant to purchasing behavior.

A) sales territory
B) sales budget
C) routing pattern
D) sales quota

Question 9

Recruiting the sales force includes all of the following activities except:

A) identifying sources of potential sales recruits
B) identifying methods of reaching sales recruits
C) training sales recruits
D) all the above

Question 10

The purpose of the assimilation process is to help the new salesperson as he or she adjusts socially and psychologically to the organization by:

A) explaining job responsibilities
B) explaining managerial expectations
C) introducing the salesperson to coworkers
D) all the above

Question 11

In designing a training program, which of the following questions should the sales manager address? Where, when, and how should the training be accomplished? What should be taught?

A) who should receive the training?
B) who should do the training?
C) where should the training be held?
D) all the above

Question 12

Which of the following is not true about sales training programs?

A) sales training programs help salespeople continually grow in knowledge
B) sales training programs help salespeople grow in stature
C) sales training programs help salespeople reinforce good attitudes about themselves and their jobs, companies, and customers
D) sales training programs help salespeople increase their selling skills

Question 13

Which of the following statements are not true about supervision, management, and leadership?

A) supervision, management, and leadership are all related but quite different concepts.
B) supervision entails performing tasks that deal with monitoring the daily work activities of subordinates.
C) management is primarily a learned process whereby subordinates are guided by formally prescribed duties toward achieving organizational objectives, not personal goals.
D) leadership is more of an emotional process seeks to inspire salespeople to greater achievements by providing a positive vision for the future.

Question 14

______________ deals with the set of dynamic interpersonal processes that stimulate the initiation, direction, intensity, and persistence of work-related behaviors of salespeople toward attaining organizational goals and objectives.

A) sales force leadership
B) sales force motivation
C) sales force compensation
D) sales force selection

Question 15

_____________ may be thought of as the emotional process of exercising psychological, social, and inspirational influence on individual salespeople and the sales force collectively toward the achievement of organizational objectives, goals, and values.

A) sales force compensation
B) sales force motivation
C) sales force leadership
D) sales force selection

Question 16

_____________ entails performing tasks that deal with monitoring the daily work activities of subordinates.

A) sales force supervision
B) sales force management
C) sales force leadership
D) sales force compensation

Question 17

_____________ is primarily a learned process whereby subordinates are guided by formally prescribed duties toward achieving organizational objectives and goals.

A) sales force supervision
B) sales force management
C) sales force leadership
D) sales force compensation

Question 18

_____________ is more of an emotional process seeks to inspire salespeople to greater achievements by providing a positive vision for the future.

A) sales force supervision
B) sales force management
C) sales force leadership
D) sales force compensation

Question 19

While there are a variety of ways to compensate salespeople, most companies use three main methods, which include:

A) straight salary
B) straight commission
C) combination-a mix of salary and commission
D) all the above

Question 20

Sales managers are usually more responsible for all of the following, except:

A) preparing sales plans and budgets
B) selling products to potential customers
C) designing sales territories
D) evaluating sales force performance

Question 21

Which of the following activities does a sales manager usually not undertake in order to plan, lead, and control the sales management function of an organization?

A) reduce organizational employee turnover
B) estimate demand and forecast sales
C) determine the size and structure of the sales force organization
D) set sales force goals and objectives

Question 22

Sales managers need to analyze sales volume, costs, and profit relationships to assure the organization's bottom?line goal of improving profitability. This can be achieved by the analysis of:

A) product lines
B) territories
C) customers and salespersons
D) all the above

Question 23

Sales force performance must be measured and evaluated for all the following reasons except:

A) to determine commissions for salespeople
B) to determine changing in the corporate mission
C) to determine promotion decisions for salespeople
D) to determine bonuses for salespeople

Question 24

For effective managerial control and evaluation, which of the following actions are unnecessary:

A) standards of performance must be established
B) actual performance compared to the predetermined standards
C) compare individual salesperson performance to organizational performance
D) appropriate corrective action taken to improve performance

Question 25

Which of the following statements about marketing is false?

A) The old AMA definition views marketing largely from the seller perspective by emphasizing management of the marketing mix and creating exchanges, but the new definition shifts the perspective more to the customer side by focusing on delivering value and managing customer relationships
B) marketing is moving from a customer-relationship-building orientation to a transaction-orientation
C) today's business-to-business salespeople are moving away from merely "selling" toward "serving" customers by becoming more like customer consultants and business partners
D) successful salespeople negotiate "win-win" agreements, and build profitable long-term relationships based on customer satisfaction and loyalty

Question 26

_________ is based on the idea that developing closer relationships with customers is the best way to earn purchasing loyalty, and that loyal customers are more profitable than non-loyal customers.

A) marketing management
B) motivation management
C) customer relationship management
D) compensation management

Question 27

Customer relationship management usually includes a mixture of strategies, technologies, and activities to collect data and analyze customer-company interactions across multiple contact points (e.g., website, e-mail, podcast, telephone, face-to-face, direct mail, and social media) in order to:

A) increase customer satisfaction
B) customer loyalty
C) lead to repeat purchases
D) all the above are true

Question 28

Which of the following is the definition of customer relationship management (CRM)?

A) CRM refers to "the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives."
B) CRM refers to the "dynamic interpersonal processes that stimulate the initiation, direction, intensity, and persistence of work-related behaviors of salespeople toward attaining organizational goals and objectives"
C) CRM refers to "the emotional process of exercising psychological, social, and inspirational influence on individual salespeople and the sales force collectively toward the achievement of organizational objectives, goals, and values"
D) CRM refers to "the idea that developing closer relationships with customers is the best way to satisfy customers and achieve purchasing loyalty, and that loyal customers are more profitable than non-loyal."

Question 29

Sales managers need the assistance of an in-house marketing support group, which generally provides which of the services below?

A) advertising
B) sales promotion brochures, catalogs, direct mail pieces, etc.
C) marketing research
D) all of the above

Question 30

On which of the following services indicated below do sales managers need the assistance of an in-house marketing support group?

A) trade shows
B) forecasting
C) market development
D) all of the above

Question 31

As __________ is the most important and highest-cost component of the promotional mix for business-to-business selling, progressive sales managers should work closely with other promotional mix areas in integrating the firm's message for its target customers.

A) advertising
B) personal selling
C) sales promotion
D) direct marketing

Question 32

All of the following are megatrends facing sales managers except for:

A) technological forces
B) managerial forces
C) behavioral forces
D) internal forces

Question 33

Which of the following is not one of the major factors affecting sales management?

A) rising customer expectations
B) more expert and demanding buyers
C) rapidly increasing numbers of salespeople selling products directly to consumers
D) microsegmentation of domestic markets

Question 34

The technological megatrends that sales managers must be knowledgeable about include:

A) sales force automation
B) mobile virtual sales offices
C) electronic commerce
D) all of the above

Question 35

The managerial forces that sales managers must be knowledgeable about include:

A) selling cost reduction efforts
B) shift to direct marketing alternatives
C) shortage of business-to-business salespeople
D) all of the above

Question 36

Which of the following is not a major reason why sales managers fail to perform at higher levels?

A) illogical selection of sales managers
B) inadequate sales management training programs
C) initiative and drive to succeed
D) lack of a long-run customer relationship orientation in handling sales operations

Question 37

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) does not include the following factor:

A) sales promotion
B) pricing
C) personal selling
D) advertising

Question 38

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) include all except the following factor:

A) direct marketing
B) public relations
C) product development
D) sales promotion

Question 39

New data collection, analysis and information management tools that are helping sales managers to respond to the domestic and global megatrends affecting the operation of their sales organizations include all except:

A) radio-frequency identification tags
B) database marketing
C) data warehousing, and data mining
D) push technology

Question 40

The shift to direct marketing alternatives include:

A) telemarketing
B) direct mail (catalogs, brochures, and sales letters)
C) kiosks
D) all of the above

Question 41

Some sales force automation tools include:

A) electronic data interchange
B) portable computers (notebook, hand-held, and pocket pcs)
C) videoconferencing (via desktop, laptop, or hand-held computers)
D) all of the above

Question 42

Direct marketing techniques include all of the following except

A) teleselling
B) facsimile
C) radio advertising
D) electronic mail

Question 43

As millions of immigrants enter the United States bringing a rich diversity of cultures, tastes, and preferences, domestic markets will

A) become less important
B) require microsegmentation
C) not be significantly affected
D) become unprofitable

Question 44

Which one of the following is not one of the managerial forces affecting selling and sales management?

A) shift toward efforts to reduce costs
B) decreased emphasis on contacting prospects and customers
C) shift toward direct marketing efforts
D) increased use of sales force certification

Question 45

Which one of the following is not one of the technological forces affecting selling and sales management?

A) increased use of sales force automation
B) greater emphasis on use of electronic data interchange
C) less emphasis on videoconferencing owing to its cost
D) increased attention to use of virtual sales offices

Question 46

Which of the following is not one of the major trends in information management in personal selling and sales management?

A) database marketing
B) data mining
C) pull technology
D) data warehousing

Question 47

Regarding technological innovations that are affecting selling and sales management,

A) the use of laptops and software allows salespeople to be much more efficient in their use of time
B) notebook computers, although valuable, do not aid in developing improved buyer-seller relationships
C) because customers receive so much junk e-mail, e-mail messages are not an effective means to manage an account
D) cell phones and pagers allow sales managers and customers to intrude on salespeople's personal time and thus are ineffective in field selling

Question 48

Which of the following statements about the use of the Internet in selling is false?

A) the internet allows salespeople to quickly communicate with customers, sales managers, and other company personnel
B) it can be the most expensive means of conducting the sales job, especially prospecting
C) it can enhance salesperson productivity
D) chat groups and online forums can be very beneficial internet tools for salespeople

Question 49

Salespeople who use computers know that they

A) can provide customers with the latest product information, calculate prices, compare products with competing products, and write up an order
B) have not been perfected to the point where they can place or write up the order
C) sharply increase the cost of doing business
D) are ineffective because they are too impersonal and customers don't like them

Question 50

The major reason that salesperson certification is increasing in importance is

A) because salespeople do not receive adequate academic training
B) because the image of salespeople and selling in general is low.
C) to justify the trust that the public feels that salespeople already possess.
D) to enhance the selling tools available to salespeople

Question 51

The megatrends that salespeople and sales managers are facing are

A) forces that are relatively insignificant and thus have little impact on most salespeople.
B) major forces that are likely to have little impact on salespeople.
C) forces that are significant and will continue to have a major influence on sales management
D) forces that will affect the customers but not the salespeople.

Question 52

Microsegmentation of domestic markets

A) requires salespeople to understand different cultures, languages, tastes, and preferences for products
B) results in marketers creating smaller and smaller market segments that may become unprofitable.
C) allows marketers to use a universal marketing program within the U.S. domestic market
D) has introduced very little competition from foreign producers

Question 53

With respect to the major megatrends that are occurring in the selling environment

A) human selling skills will still be required to design and carry out major parts of the sales and customer service process
B) some telecommunications and computer innovations will totally substitute for salespeople in carrying out all parts of the selling process.
C) they will likely hamper the efficiency and effectiveness of salespeople
D) they will have minimal impact on how the selling job is performed

Question 54

The major information management tools

A) are too complex for the average sales manager to utilize
B) can significantly influence how successfully sales managers perform their jobs.
C) can increase sales manager effectiveness but decrease sales manager efficiency
D) will likely have an impact on sales managers, but not on their salespeople

Question 55

Which of the following reasons explain why sales managers need management training?

A) many newly promoted sales managers have never had any managerial training
B) many sales managers become the chief executive officers in their organizations..
C) many sales managers come from academic majors outside of business and have insufficient blending of sales, marketing, and financial knowledge
D) all of the above

Question 56

To succeed in the years ahead, sales managers will need to learn fresh roles and reinvent some old ones, such as

A) developing closer relationships with customers, both domestically and internationally, and more in-depth understanding of their different businesses and organizational cultures
B) treating salespeople as newly empowered equals and partnering with them in achieving sales, profitability, and customer satisfaction/loyalty goals
C) applying flexible motivational skills in working with a multicultural, hybrid sales force of telemarketers, telesellers, missionary salespeople, direct marketers, manufacturers' agents, field salespeople, international salespeople, and others
D) All of the above

Question 57

To succeed in the years ahead, sales managers will need to learn fresh roles and reinvent some old ones, except

A) continually seeking ways to exceed customer expectations and bring added value profitably to the ongoing buyer-seller relationships
B) creating a flexible, learning, and adapting environment for all members of the sales team
C) be short term customer and profit oriented
D) applying flexible motivational skills in working with a multicultural, hybrid sales force of telemarketers, telesellers, missionary salespeople, direct marketers, manufacturers' agents, field salespeople, international salespeople

Question 58

To succeed in the years ahead, sales managers will need to learn fresh roles and reinvent some old ones, such as

A) keeping up-to-date on the latest technologies affecting buyer-seller relationships
B) learning marketing and financial skills in order to identify potential business opportunities and recommend competitive strategies
C) working closely with other internal departments as a member of the total corporate team dedicated to satisfying customers profitably
D) all of the above

Question 59

In developing sales managers for tomorrow, which of the following is NOT recommended?

A) sales managers should be selected on the basis of appropriate managerial criteria.
B) newly promoted sales managers should be taught basic marketing concepts/strategies
C) sales managers should be given absolute authority over sales reps
D) sales activities should be integrated with overall marketing programs

Question 60

All of the following are major reasons for the failures of sales managers, except

A) poor selection criteria for promotion
B) inadequate compensation policies
C) inadequate sales management training programs
D) lack of marketing orientations in handling sales operations

Question 61

A virtual sales office can

A) improve efficiency
B) lower costs
C) distribute information
D) all of the above

Question 62

In today's highly competitive markets, sales managers are trying all kinds of new ideas, sales channels, and technologies to develop mutually profitable short-term-run relationships with customers.

Question 63

Because of the diverse jobs they do, sales managers have given themselves various titles, including account manager, problem solver, channel manager, business manager, team leader, group psychologist, resource coordinator, sales department administrator, change manager, director of income, contact manager, staff development specialist, trainer/coach, and customer relationship manager.

Question 64

Selling and sales management concepts and techniques apply to non-commercial as well as to commercial organizations.

Question 65

Sales managers are paid to plan, lead, and control the personal selling activities of their organizations, but they do not carry out these responsibilities and duties within the larger framework of organizational objectives, marketing strategies, and target markets.

Question 66

After estimating a sales forecast on which to base operational planning and budgeting for their sales force, sales managers then estimate the market potential for their industry and sales potential for their company.

Question 67

The purpose of the sales budget is to ensure that organizational resources are allocated in the most efficient and effective way over the period of the plan.

Question 68

The overriding purpose in selecting a particular sales organizational structure and size should be to optimize the achievement of sales objectives and goals

Question 69

The purpose of time and territory management strategies is to help sales managers determine which accounts their salespeople should call on, when, and how often.

Question 70

A sales territory comprises of a market segment or group of present and potential customers who usually share very different characteristics relevant to purchasing behavior.

Question 71

After sales territories have been determined, management may design a formal routing pattern for salespeople to follow in calling on customers.

Question 72

After applicants have been recruited, the sales manager must devise a system for measuring applicants against predetermined job requirements.

Question 73

The assimilation process is to help the new salesperson as he or she adjusts socially and psychologically to the organization.

Question 74

In today's intensely competitive markets, organizations have become flatter and leaner, thus leadership skills are unnecessary at all organizational levels.

Question 75

Sales force compensation is widely recognized as the most important and least ambiguous way to motivate salesperson performance.

Question 76

Sales force compensation does not include non-financial incentives such as the use of a company car, office space, secretarial help, and special company benefits such as life insurance, a retirement plan, and health care.

Question 77

The overall purpose of performance evaluation, however, is to improve organizational profitability by improving sales force productivity.

Question 78

How well ethical guidelines and standards of social responsibility are being met by salespeople is not necessary in evaluating sales force performance.

Question 79

Contemporary sales managers are training salespeople to think longer term by striving to build ongoing relationships and mutually profitable partnerships with customers.

Question 80

In companies that stress the value of customer relationship management, salespeople are being asked not to focus on selling, but serving their clients only as a customer consultant and business partner.