Question 1

Which salesforce structure is the simplest form of organization?

Accepted Answer

The geographical salesforce structure is the simplest form of organization as it divides the sales team based on specific geographic areas or territories.

Question 2

Which of the following tasks are involved in the sales plan formulation stage of the sales management process?

Accepted Answer

The tasks involved in the sales plan formulation stage of the sales management process include setting sales objectives, organizing the salesforce, and developing account management policies. Option A pertains to the salesforce recruitment and management stage, option B pertains to the account management stage, and options D and E pertain to the salesforce management and evaluation stage.

Question 3

A disadvantage of a customer sales organization is

Accepted Answer

A disadvantage of a customer sales organization is higher administrative costs and some duplication of selling effort. This is because customer sales organizations typically have separate sales teams for different product lines or regions, which can lead to some overlap in sales efforts and administrative costs associated with managing multiple teams.

Question 4

An advantage of a geographical sales organization is

Accepted Answer

A geographical sales organization minimizes travel time, expenses, and duplication of selling effort by assigning salespeople to specific regions, allowing them to focus on local customers and reducing the need for extensive travel.

Question 5

The sales manager instructed the salesperson to "make five hundred customer contacts between January 1st and July 1st." The sales manager used a(n) __________ sales objective.

Accepted Answer

The sales manager's instruction to make 500 customer contacts between January 1st and July 1st is an input-related sales objective since it focuses on the salesperson's effort (i.e., the number of customer contacts) rather than the outcome (i.e., the number of sales made or revenue generated).

Question 6

The sales manager told the salesperson, "Your goal is to increase sales volume for the second quarter 5 percent over the sales volume of the first quarter." The sales manager used a __________ sales objective.

Accepted Answer

The sales manager's goal is focused on increasing the sales volume, which is a measure of output. Therefore, this objective is output-related.

Question 7

The practice of using team selling to focus on important customers so as to build mutually beneficial, long-term, cooperative relationships is called

Accepted Answer

The practice described is specifically focused on major accounts, making choice D - major account management - the most appropriate answer. Choices A and C have similar wording, but do not specify the importance of the customer. Choice B is not a common term in sales or management. Choice E does not accurately reflect the concept of using a team to manage a customer relationship.

Question 8

A __________ is the simplest structure, where the United States, or indeed the globe, is first divided into regions and each region is divided into districts or territories.

Accepted Answer

A geographical sales organization is the simplest structure where the United States or the globe is divided into regions and further into territories or districts for sales purposes. This type of sales organization is most suitable for companies with a geographically dispersed customer base.

Question 9

The office memo read, "Sales representatives from Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri will report directly to the regional manager." From this information, it would appear the company that issued the memo uses a ___________ organization for its salesforce.

Accepted Answer

The memo states the sales representatives from four states will report directly to the regional manager, indicating that the salesforce is organized geographically.

Question 10

A sales organization practice whereby a different salesforce calls on each separate type of buyer or market channel, is referred to as __________.

Accepted Answer

This sales organization practice is known as a customer sales organization where salesforce is divided based on the type of customers or market channel. Each salesforce is specialized in dealing with a particular type of buyer, resulting in better coverage and service to the customers.

Question 11

When different types of buyers have different needs, a __________ structure is used.

Accepted Answer

A customer sales organization is structured to address the different needs of various types of buyers. This means that different groups of salespeople specifically cater to individual customers or types of customers. The sales team can better understand customer needs and tailor their sales approach accordingly. A territorial districting organization is based on geography, a geographical sales organization focuses on selling products in specific geographic areas, a multi-tiered sales organization involves multiple levels of sales representatives selling to different markets, and a diversification sales organization is focused on selling different products or services to a wide range of customers.

Question 12

A sales plan refers to a(n)

Accepted Answer

A sales plan is a statement that describes what is to be achieved and where and how the selling effort of salespeople is to be deployed. It outlines the sales goals, target market, sales strategies, and tactics to be used to achieve the objectives. A sales plan is essential in guiding the salesforce towards achieving its objectives and ensuring that everyone is working towards the same goal. Therefore, option D is the best answer.

Question 13

developing account management policies.

Accepted Answer

Setting objectives is a key part of developing account management policies as it helps define the goals and expectations for managing accounts effectively.

Question 14

Selling objectives can be __________ related and focus on dollar or unit sales volume, number of new customers added, and profit.Alternatively, they can be __________ related and emphasize the number of sales calls and selling expenses.

Accepted Answer

Selling objectives can be categorized as either output objectives or input objectives. Output objectives are related to sales and revenue, while input objectives are related to the selling activities that contribute to those sales and revenue goals. Output objectives can focus on dollar or unit sales volume, number of new customers added, and profit. Input objectives can emphasize the number of sales calls made or the selling expenses incurred. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Question 15

A third type of selling objective that is __________ related is typically specific for each salesperson and includes his or her product knowledge, customer service, and selling and communication skills.

Accepted Answer

This type of selling objective is behaviorally related and is focused on the individual salesperson's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This type of objective is often specific to each salesperson and helps them improve in areas where they need to grow professionally. It is not related to output, input, or profit, although these objectives may ultimately be impacted by the salesperson's improvement in their selling and communication skills.

Question 16

A statement describing what is to be achieved and where and how the selling effort of salespeople is to be deployed is known as a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

A sales plan outlines the goals and objectives of the sales team, as well as strategies for achieving them, including where and how to deploy the selling effort of salespeople. Sales protocols, workload plans, sales assessments, and salesforce evaluations may be components of a sales plan, but they do not fully represent the scope and purpose of a sales plan.

Question 17

Which salesforce organizational structure is best when there are many different consumers with many different or specialized needs?

Accepted Answer

When there are many different consumers with many different or specialized needs, organizing salesforce according to customer is the best option. This allows the sales team to focus on the unique needs of each customer and provide customized solutions. This structure helps in building long-lasting relationships with customers and helps in identifying new opportunities to serve them better.

Question 18

If a company chooses to employ its own salesforce, there are three basic organizational salesforce structures from which to choose-by

Accepted Answer

The three basic organizational salesforce structures are geography, customer, and product. Geography-based salesforce structures are common in industries where customer locations are clustered together. Customer-based structures are common in industries where individual customers have unique needs or require specialized knowledge. Product-based structures are common in industries where a company produces a large number of different products, each of which requires its own specialized sales team. By using a combination of these three structures, a company can create a salesforce that is well-equipped to handle its specific market and customer needs.

Question 19

An effective sales plan objective should be

Accepted Answer

An effective sales plan objective should be precise, measurable, and time-specific. These qualities will help to ensure that the goal can be clearly tracked and achieved within a specific period. General or subjective objectives may lead to ambiguous outcomes, while inflexibility may hinder the ability to adapt to changes in the market. Profitability is important but is not the only factor that should be considered when setting a sales plan objective.

Question 20

A geographical sales organization would not be the best structure if

Accepted Answer

The answer of A geographical sales organization would not be...

Quiz 17: Personal Selling and Sales Management