Deck 15: Personal Selling and Sales Promotion

Question 1

Which of the following statements BEST describes the three types of basic sales tasks?

A) All three selling tasks are basically alike.
B) Most salespeople perform a combination of all three tasks over time.
C) A sales representative typically performs all three tasks with equal effort.
D) Most salespeople pursue only a single category of selling effort.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What type of selling involves meeting customer needs by listening to them, understanding their problems, paying attention to details, and following through after the sale?

A) consultative
B) transaction
C) missionary
D) cross

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is the personal-selling approach that finds a customer coming to the seller's location and buying desired items largely on his own initiative?

A) order processing
B) site selling
C) over-the-counter selling
D) relationship selling

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What is the MOST expensive sales method overall?

A) over-the-counter sales because of the high overhead in retail operations
B) telemarketing because of the technology costs
C) telemarketing because of the high rejection rate from customers who avoid telemarketers
D) field selling, largely because of the travel costs of sales personnel

Question 5

Mountainview Solvents has a field sales staff, a customer service department, and two individuals who manage the "tech hotline." These individuals not only answer technical questions from customers, but also identify customer needs and recommend products that can fill those needs.They have the ability to initiate and close sales on the spot.What are these individuals essentially participating in?

A) market analysis
B) inside selling
C) telemarketing
D) outside sales

Question 6

When visiting one of his major accounts, Matt is accompanied by finance and product specialists.These specialists are able to answer specific questions so that a customer can make a purchase decision.What type of selling is this an example of?

A) transaction
B) team
C) cross
D) missionary

Question 7

What is usually the BEST sales method when products require extensive explanation and interaction?

A) field selling
B) telemarketing
C) over-the-counter selling
D) indirect selling

Question 8

What is likely to be a primary component of a firm's promotional mix when consumers are geographically concentrated?

A) advertising
B) publicity
C) public relations
D) personal selling

Question 9

Which of the following products would often require a high degree of creative selling?

A) flat-screen TVs
B) gasoline
C) laundry detergents
D) ballpoint pens

Question 10

What does a customer-focused firm want its sales representatives to do?

A) work on a commission-based incentive plan because it is a more motivating form of compensation
B) form long-lasting relationships with buyers by providing high levels of customer service
C) become an expert in computer technologies
D) maximize the number of new customer contacts per month

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a function of relationship selling?

A) meeting buyer expectations
B) attaining a high level of customer service
C) building a mutually beneficial relationship over time
D) focusing on meeting the customer's short-term needs

Question 12

What type of telemarketing is it when personal-selling efforts use telephone technology in a sales approach in which the sales representative initiates the calls?

A) outward
B) proactive
C) network
D) outbound

Question 13

Which of the following examples would likely have personal selling as the dominant promotional element?

A) toothpaste to consumers
B) beer to a foreign populations
C) truck tires to General Motors
D) convenience goods in general

Question 14

A university recently purchased a new supercomputer.Which of the following is NOT a reason that personal selling was likely involved in the purchase?

A) It is an expensive product.
B) It is a technically complex product.
C) It needs a long distribution channel.
D) It requires complicated installation.

Question 15

Jamie works for a credit union.Whenever a new customer opens a chequing account, Jamie makes sure to mention some of the other financial services the credit union offers.What is Jamie engaged in?

A) cross-selling
B) team selling
C) transaction selling
D) relationship selling

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT part of the consultative selling process?

A) understanding customer problems
B) following through after the sale
C) applying pressure to close the sale
D) listening to customers

Question 17

What are telemarketers involved in when they combine field selling with a strong customer orientation using both inbound and outbound communications?

A) market analysis
B) inside selling
C) relationship marketing
D) outside sales

Question 18

How can personal selling be broadly defined?

A) as selling consumer products
B) as a promotional presentation conducted person-to-person with the buyer
C) as personalized advertising
D) as the use of various promotional material sent directly to the prospective buyer

Question 19

The IKEA catalogue provides a toll-free number for customers to call and place orders.The staff is pleasant and knowledgeable and will place orders and answer questions.What is this an example of?

A) a marketing communications element
B) a promotional mix component
C) inbound telemarketing
D) customer-driven technology

Question 20

What has the role of a sales representative in the promotion process been changed to from that of persuader?

A) consultant and problem solver
B) process designer
C) technician and expert on product repair
D) close friend and confidant

Question 21

What is required of a presentation as a result of each purchase decision possessing unique circumstances?

A) flexibility throughout
B) minor preparation ahead of time
C) disorganized to leave room for improvising
D) usually brief on the details

Question 22

What is the stage in the sales process in which the salesperson relates product features to customer needs?

A) the approach
B) the recall
C) the demonstration
D) the presentation

Question 23

Which of the following would NOT be included in the information collected in the precall phase?

A) common interests or experiences to discuss in the first approach
B) buyer's employment history and trade affiliations
C) competitive products and offerings
D) details about the industry

Question 24

Which of the following pieces of information would NOT be relevant to the precall planning process when selling to an organization?

A) financial health of the organization
B) identities of the buyers and their jobs
C) previous employment history of the buyers
D) knowledge base of the members of the staff

Question 25

What should a salesperson do prior to making an approach to a potential customer?

A) outline objections and effective responses
B) break down product features and detail benefits by category
C) participate in sales training exercises
D) collect and analyze information about the potential customer

Question 26

What is the process of qualifying a sales prospect?

A) it is the task of ensuring that the prospect really is a potential customer.
B) it involves gathering information about the prospect to make initial contact proceed more smoothly.
C) it is used more frequently by retail salespersons than it is by wholesalers' and manufacturers' sales representatives.
D) it involves making the initial contact with the prospect.

Question 27

In the context of the analysis of sales tasks, what are technical support personnel engaged in when they help to install, set up, and maintain equipment for one of their customers?

A) the activity of qualifying prospects
B) missionary sales activities
C) the activity of order processing
D) creative selling

Question 28

What do salespeople usually have the MOST difficulty with?

A) approaching potential buyers
B) handling objections
C) closing the sale
D) following up after the sale

Question 29

After determining that a prospective customer is a good candidate to actually make a purchase, the salesperson will want to gather as much information about the customer as possible.What is this step in the sales process known as?

A) presales research
B) preliminary planning
C) precall planning
D) background checking

Question 30

Emily spends much of her time assisting customers with the products her firm sells.While she doesn't sell the products directly, her efforts are considered vital to the company's sales effort.What is Emily engaging in?

A) missionary selling
B) creative selling
C) team selling
D) publicity

Question 31

Who holds the overall direction and control of the personal-selling effort?

A) marketing managers
B) sales analysts
C) the customer
D) sales managers

Question 32

What is the salesperson's initial contact with the prospective customer called?

A) the precall
B) the prospecting step
C) the approach
D) the client-qualifying stage

Question 33

What is the part of the sales process consisting of identifying potential customers called?

A) screening
B) prospecting
C) classifying
D) exploring

Question 34

What type of selling will a salesperson probably use when a considerable amount of analytical decision making by the customer is involved in purchasing a product or service?

A) missionary selling
B) order processing
C) creative selling
D) over-the-counter selling

Question 35

What are the post-sale activities employed by salespeople that are critical to strengthening customer relationships known as?

A) sales maintenance
B) post-closing
C) dissonance reduction
D) follow-up

Question 36

What type of selling do pharmaceutical companies frequently use to market their product?

A) missionary selling
B) consultant selling
C) creative selling
D) order processing

Question 37

What does a salesperson need to handle in a professional and informative manner when a potential customer expresses doubt or disagreement with the sales presentation?

A) the question
B) the conflict
C) the objection
D) the opposition

Question 38

What is one important advantage of personal selling over MOST advertising?

A) the cost factor, since personal selling is much cheaper
B) the ability to actually demonstrate the good or service
C) presentations are easier to write than advertisements
D) A strict script makes each presentation the same

Question 39

In the sales process, who is a person that not only needs a product, but also has the resources and authority to purchase it?

A) a qualified prospect
B) a qualified candidate
C) a potential customer
D) an interested customer

Question 40

What is the first step in the sales process?

A) presenting the product or service
B) prospecting and qualifying
C) demonstrating the product
D) approaching the potential customer

Question 41

There are three general questions a manager should ask when evaluating sales personnel.Which of the following is NOT one of the three questions?

A) What are the employee's weak points?
B) Where does the employee rank relative to the predetermined standards?
C) How does the employee compare to other sales personnel in the industry?
D) What are the employee's strong points?

Question 42

A cake mix marketer offers consumers the chance to win a Caribbean vacation if their recipe is chosen as the winner of a baking contest.What is this type of promotion called?

A) industry promotion
B) contest
C) sweepstake
D) spiff

Question 43

How can sales managers BEST foster an ethical work environment?

A) by closely monitoring sales representatives by recording phone calls
B) by sending sales people to sensitivity training
C) by making sure that all employees know what is expected of them
D) by monitoring the competition's ethical dilemmas

Question 44

What skills do sales managers at higher organizational levels need?

A) training
B) operational
C) managerial
D) technical

Question 45

What form of sales promotion is MOST widely used?

A) a coupon
B) a sample
C) a premium
D) a specialty item

Question 46

What is the number of salespeople who report to a first-level sales manager called?

A) span of control
B) locust of control
C) expectancy theory
D) national accounts organization

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a corporate culture that encourages ethical behaviour?

A) Employees understand what is expected of them.
B) Management focuses only on sales and profits.
C) Open communication exists between employees and managers.
D) Managers lead by example.

Question 48

What were sales promotion techniques originally intended as?

A) integral parts of the marketing plan
B) replacements for other elements of the promotional mix
C) international promotions designed to replace advertising
D) short-term incentives to produce immediate buying

Question 49

Julia noticed that her favourite shampoo is being packaged in a slightly larger bottle for the same price as the regular size bottle.What is this an example of?

A) bonus pack
B) premium
C) sample
D) de facto rebate

Question 50

Which of the following sales promotions has the highest response rate?

A) sweepstakes
B) rebates
C) sampling
D) coupons

Question 51

What concept explains that motivation depends on the expectations people have of their ability to perform a job, and how performance relates to attaining rewards they desire?

A) marketing theory
B) Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory
C) performance theory
D) expectancy theory

Question 52

What is the sales promotion method that aggressively promotes the company's name, product brand, or product message?

A) sampling
B) point-of-purchase displays
C) trade shows
D) specialty advertising

Question 53

Which of the following is usually NOT considered to be a sales promotion tool?

A) point-of-purchase advertising
B) specialty advertising
C) trade shows
D) direct mail advertising

Question 54

The criteria for sales evaluations have changed to include customer satisfaction, profit contribution, and customer retention as measures of success.What was this change motivated by?

A) complaints from upper-level management about the cost of commission-based compensation programs
B) difficulty recruiting competent employees because of the variability of sales personnel's compensation
C) reluctance to encourage sales personnel to develop new accounts
D) an increasingly long-term orientation that focuses on building customer relationships

Question 55

What compensation plan for sales personnel gives management more control over how sales personnel allocate their efforts, yet reduces the incentive to expand sales?

A) straight salary plan
B) salary-plus-bonus system
C) pure commission program
D) salary-plus-commission system

Question 56

What is the sales promotion technique that rewards consumers with an item either for free or at reduced cost when they purchase another product called?

A) sampling
B) a prize
C) a premium
D) specialty advertising

Question 57

How do firms that market similar products throughout large areas often organize their sales forces?

A) geographically
B) on a product basis
C) by types of customers
D) by specific accounts

Question 58

When are sales promotions MOST effective?

A) when there is no timeframe that needs to be considered
B) when they are used with other forms of advertising
C) when the product is new to the market
D) when there is a monetary reward or savings

Question 59

Which of the following is among the sales manager's greatest challenges?

A) training
B) recruitment and selection
C) compensation
D) evaluation

Question 60

What is a growing trend among firms using a customer-oriented organizational structure of the sales function?

A) centralization
B) decentralization
C) a vertical structure
D) a national accounts organization

Question 61

A customer shopping at SportChek for new running gear is assisted by a salesperson in the shoe department.This type of sales channel is called inside sales.

Question 62

Personal selling is likely to be a less important component in the promotional mix when consumers are geographically dispersed.

Question 63

What is the trade-oriented promotion that consists of a display or other promotion located near the site of the actual buying decision?

A) a buying allowance
B) trade-showing products
C) push-on-premises display
D) point-of-purchase advertising

Question 64

When an individual order produces large amounts of revenue, it is easier to justify the expenses of personal selling.

Question 65

Dr.Fox is an eye doctor and has just moved to a new office.She knows that her patients are more likely to take home a toothbrush inscribed with her name, new address and phone number instead of an ordinary business card.The toothbrush Dr.Fox chooses to purchase for her practice is BEST described by which of the following types of promotion?.

A) bonus pack
B) specialty advertising
C) premium
D) sample

Question 66

Over-the-counter selling can occur only face to face and does NOT apply to online selling.

Question 67

Relationship selling, in which salespeople build mutually beneficial relationships with customers over an extended period of time, is being phased out as a result of mounting competitive pressures.

Question 68

You are a well-established and profitable manufacturer of furniture.You have developed a completely novel modular furniture series for the business office.Which of the following is the MOST effective promotional method to introduce your product at this time?

A) rebate
B) coupons
C) trade show
D) contest

Question 69

Which of the following is NOT an example of a type of trade allowance?

A) rebate
B) buying
C) slotting
D) promotional

Question 70

What consumer promotion technique has a weakness of high cost?

A) samples
B) refunds
C) bonus pack
D) coupons

Question 71

Sales promotions can MOST effectively overcome which of the following?

A) bland brand images
B) limited training for the salespeople
C) product deficiencies
D) waning interest in mature products

Question 72

Domestic and foreign competition has reduced the importance of personal selling.

Question 73

Over-the-counter selling usually requires the customer to take the initiative and travel to the seller's place of business.

Question 74

What promotion is intended to capture the impulse purchase?

A) trade allowances
B) trade shows
C) point-of-purchase displays
D) push money

Question 75

How do manufacturers motivate sales personnel?

A) through trade allowances
B) through push money
C) through trade shows
D) through sales training

Question 76

What is the sales promotion that appeals to marketing intermediaries rather than consumers?

A) industry promotion
B) trade promotion
C) publicity
D) public relations

Question 77

If a product or service being sold requires relatively little special handling, marketers typically emphasize personal selling in their promotional mix.

Question 78

Which of the following response rates does sampling produce when compared to other consumer promotion techniques?

A) slightly lower
B) slightly higher
C) significantly lower
D) significantly higher

Question 79

Personal-selling expenses average 10 to 15 percent of a firm's total sales and are often the single largest marketing expense.

Question 80

Over-the-counter selling describes the kind of trading that takes place only in the financial securities market.