Question 1

Which of the following is NOT one of the key building blocks to starting a sales force?

Accepted Answer

All of the other options listed (A, B, D, and E) are key building blocks to starting a sales force. However, "Allows sales people to go find out what works" is not a specific action that contributes to building a successful sales force. In fact, it may even be counterproductive to let salespeople experiment without clear guidance and support.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about the selling responsibilities of the sales manager is true?

Accepted Answer

Sales managers often continue to engage in selling activities to maintain their skills, contribute to sales goals, and stay connected with customers and the sales process. This involvement also helps them understand the challenges their sales team faces.

Question 3

The span of control should usually be smaller at higher levels in the sales organization because:

Accepted Answer

At higher levels in the sales organization, top-level managers should have more time for analysis and decision making. They need to focus on strategy and leading the organization, which requires less time managing individual salespeople. Therefore, having a smaller span of control allows them to allocate their time more effectively and make decisions that will benefit the entire organization.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about decision making within the sales organization is true?

Accepted Answer

As a general rule of organization, the more important a decision is for the success of the firm, the higher the level of management that should make the decision. This means that significant decisions within the sales organization will likely be made by top sales executives or senior management, while routine decisions may be made by lower-level managers or even individual salespeople. Therefore, option C is the most accurate statement about decision making within the sales organization.

Question 5

Sales staff executives are commonly used to:

Accepted Answer

Sales staff executives are responsible for a variety of tasks including recruiting, analyzing sales trends, making forecasts, training new salespeople, and gathering environmental information necessary for decision making. Therefore, option E, which encompasses all of the above tasks, is the best choice.

Question 6

Fiona is creating a new sales force.To develop an effective sales force she will

Accepted Answer

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Question 7

Which of the following sales-related function is the least visible but most important?

Accepted Answer

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Question 8

_____ selling,a variation of team selling,uses an ad hoc arrangement where individuals at different organizational levels are responsible for maintaining a key relationship with the customer but not as part of an established team.

Accepted Answer

Multilevel selling involves individuals at different organizational levels working together in an ad hoc arrangement to maintain key customer relationships, without forming a permanent team. This approach allows for flexibility and the leveraging of various expertise and positions within the organization to support the customer.

Question 9

A sales manager who develops a team selling approach will

Accepted Answer

Developing communication links among all team members is the key factor in creating a team selling approach. This allows for collaboration and coordination between team members, which is essential in achieving team goals. Hiring salespeople motivated by personal achievement and compensating them based on their individual performance can lead to self-centered behavior and lack of cooperation within the team. Organizing the team into silos to encourage competition also creates a divide between team members and can hinder collaboration.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about logistical alliances is true?

Accepted Answer

Logistical alliances, which involve collaboration between companies to optimize the supply chain and distribution processes, can streamline operations to the extent that traditional sales roles may be significantly reduced or altered, potentially making some sales positions redundant.

Question 11

What is the primary advantage of organizing a sales force by product?

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

Span of control and management responsibility decisions are constantly changing primarily due to changes in

Accepted Answer

Technology is constantly evolving and affecting many aspects of business management, including span of control and management responsibility decisions. As new technologies are introduced, it may be possible for managers to oversee a larger span of control, or for certain tasks to be automated, leading to changes in management responsibility. Government regulation, sales force attitudes, integrative institutional supply chains, and transaction cost analysis may also impact management decisions, but they are not as directly linked to span of control and management responsibility.

Question 13

In some high tech industries,where customers buy systems made up of components manufactured by several suppliers,many suppliers are forming _________________ to develop and jointly market and sell integrated systems.

Accepted Answer

The formation of co-marketing alliances allows suppliers to work together to develop and jointly market integrated systems, which is a common strategy in high tech industries where customers want a complete solution rather than individual components from multiple suppliers. Matrix organizations involve multiple reporting lines and cross-functional teams, which may not be relevant to this situation. Multilevel systems and leveraged buyouts are not related to forming partnerships between suppliers. Span of control documentation systems are a management tool for determining the number of employees a manager can effectively oversee, which is also not relevant to this situation.

Question 14

What is transaction cost analysis? What does it imply for sales managers?

Accepted Answer

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Question 15

The span of control should be smaller and the number of levels of management should be larger when:

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

What are the advantages of geographic sales organization?

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

Why would buyers agree to a logistical alliance?

Accepted Answer

Buyers would agree to a logistical alliance because it is convenient and flexible, allowing them to streamline their supply chain and improve efficiency. This can lead to cost savings and better customer satisfaction. The other options (A, C, D, E) do not accurately describe the primary motivation for a buyer to agree to a logistical alliance.

Question 18

Generally,the employment of staff specialists is justified only when:

Accepted Answer

Staff specialists are typically employed when there is enough work to justify their positions, which often correlates with the size of the organization or a specific department like sales. A large sales organization would have the volume of work necessary to keep staff specialists busy, making their employment justified.

Question 19

What four sets of factors will sales managers consider when deciding whether to use independent agents or a company sales force?

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

What guidelines should a sales manager use in choosing an independent manufacturing sales rep?

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 4: Organizing the Sales Effort