Question 1

Gina, a salesperson for ABC Corp., spends a lot of time "interviewing" her prospects so she can learn their names, interests, and job responsibilities. Gina should probably spend more time:

Accepted Answer

While it is important for Gina to build a relationship with her prospects by learning about their interests and job responsibilities, her primary goal should be to obtain precall information on the prospect. This information can help her tailor her pitch to the prospect's needs and interests and can ultimately lead to a more successful sale. Spending too much time talking about herself, her product, or her company may turn off the prospect and harm her chances of making a sale. Obtaining leads from better sources can also be helpful, but it is not a direct solution to Gina's problem of spending too much time on nonessential activities.

Question 2

Sales leads are also referred to as suspects.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Sales leads are often referred to as suspects because they are potential customers who have shown some interest in a product or service, but have not yet made a commitment to buy.

Question 3

A prospecting plan should include specific objectives for numbers of new prospects in specified time periods.

Accepted Answer

A prospecting plan should have clearly defined objectives and goals for acquiring new prospects within a specific timeframe. Without specific targets, it will be difficult to measure progress and success in the prospecting process.

Question 4

Prospects may be reluctant to see a salesperson if they've never heard of the salesperson's firm.

Accepted Answer

Prospects are more likely to see a salesperson if they have knowledge or have heard of the salesperson's firm. If they are unfamiliar with the firm, they may be hesitant to engage with the salesperson.

Question 5

Advertising inquiries are like inbound telemarketing in that the lead does some degree of self-qualifying.

Accepted Answer

Advertising inquiries often come from individuals who have actively sought out information about a product or service, indicating some level of interest or intent to purchase. This self-qualifying aspect can make these leads more valuable to sales teams than cold calls from outbound telemarketing.

Question 6

The primary objective of strategic prospecting is to identify leads.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The primary objective of strategic prospecting is...

Question 7

The primary objective of strategic prospecting is to identify qualified prospects.

Accepted Answer

Strategic prospecting is a process of identifying and targeting potential customers or clients who are most likely to be interested in the product or service being offered. The ultimate goal of strategic prospecting is to find qualified prospects who are most likely to become paying customers.

Question 8

Craig is a salesperson for an industrial equipment company. Craig calls on factories and spends most of his time talking with equipment operators who work on the factory floor. While Craig is able to get the equipment operators interested in his products, he is often unable to make a sale. Craig needs to work on:

Accepted Answer

Craig is able to generate interest among the equipment operators but is unable to make a sale, indicating that there might be other purchase decision influencers that he has not yet identified. By determining these influencers, he can cater his pitch to their needs and close more sales. Improving his products or cold canvassing ability, improving his attitude, or his record keeping may not necessarily address the root problem of why he is not making sales.

Question 9

Salespeople need to spend some time prospecting on a regular basis because there's typically a considerable time lag between the commencement of prospecting and the conversion of prospects to customer status.

Accepted Answer

Prospecting involves identifying and reaching out to potential customers who may be interested in purchasing the product or service that a salesperson is offering. However, not all prospects will become customers immediately. It takes time and effort to develop and establish relationships with prospects, understand their needs, and demonstrate how the product or service can meet those needs. Therefore, there is usually a time lag or delay between the initiation of prospecting and the conversion of prospects to customers. This is why salespeople need to spend some time prospecting on a regular basis to ensure a steady flow of potential customers in the pipeline, which can lead to future sales and revenue.

Question 10

Although prospecting is important, most salespeople will need to limit the amount of time they spend doing it.

Accepted Answer

While prospecting is important, salespeople also have other tasks such as following up with leads, conducting sales calls, and providing customer service. Therefore, they need to allocate their time effectively and limit the amount of time they spend on prospecting.

Question 11

Salespeople should incorporate a tracking system into their prospecting plans.

Accepted Answer

Incorporating a tracking system allows salespeople to keep track of their progress with each prospect and make strategic decisions based on that information. It can also help them prioritize their efforts and focus on the prospects most likely to convert into customers.

Question 12

Gatekeepers in any organizations screen their bosses' calls and are sometime curt and even rude.

Accepted Answer

Gatekeepers are tasked with screening calls and managing access to their bosses. They may sometimes be curt or even rude in order to protect their bosses' time and prioritize important calls.

Question 13

One of the reasons salespeople dislike prospecting is fear of rejection.

Accepted Answer

Salespeople often fear that reaching out to potential clients may result in rejection, which can be demotivating and discouraging.

Question 14

Tracking systems often make it difficult for salespeople to evaluate the effectiveness of their prospecting methods.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Tracking systems often make it difficult for...

Question 15

Salespeople need to set sales goals, but they don't need to set prospecting goals.

Accepted Answer

Salespeople not only need to set sales goals, but they also need to set prospecting goals to ensure they have a consistent pipeline of potential customers to convert into sales. Setting prospecting goals helps salespeople stay on track and ensure they are dedicating enough time to finding new leads.

Question 16

Suppose you are a salesperson working for a manufacturer of business machinery. While gathering precall information you learn that a prospect you're preparing to call on is actually a member of a buying team. Which of the following best represents what you should do next?

Accepted Answer

Identifying the roles and influence of each member of the buying team is important as it allows the salesperson to tailor their approach to address the concerns and needs of each individual. This approach is more effective in building consensus and leading to a successful sales outcome compared to just focusing on one decision maker or purchasing agent. Option D is not ideal as it's better to present the proposal in person and answer any questions or objections from the buying team members. Option E is not correct as the decision maker may not always be the purchasing agent, especially in larger organizations where there may be multiple decision makers involved in the buying process.

Question 17

Good salespeople don't need to prospect.

Accepted Answer

Even the most skilled salespeople will eventually run out of leads and opportunities if they don't continue to prospect and seek out new business. Prospecting helps to expand a salesperson's network and opportunities for sales.

Question 18

Although salespeople often dislike prospecting, it is the only way to increase revenue.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Although salespeople often dislike prospecting, it is...

Question 19

In general, most prospects are eager to meet with salespeople.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Many prospects may be hesitant to meet with salespeople or may prefer to gather information online before speaking with a salesperson. It is important for salespeople to be respectful of a prospect's time and preferences in order to build a positive relationship.

Question 20

Which of the following represents precall information about the prospective buyer that the salesperson may wish to obtain?

Accepted Answer

The salesperson may wish to obtain all of the precall information about the prospective buyer, including information about the prospect, their organization, and their target markets. This will enable the salesperson to tailor their approach and proposal to the specific needs and interests of the prospect, increasing their chances of making a sale.

Quiz 5: Strategic Prospecting and Preparing for Sales Dialogue