Deck 10: Supervising,managing,and Leading Salespeople

Question 1

A supervisor's goal is:

A)to observe salespeople and help them improve the way they do their jobs
B)to observe salespeople and penalize them for mistakes they make on the job
C)to observe the sales department and make suggestions to upper management for ways processes should be changed to be more efficient
D)to lead the sales department by determining what sales strategy should be for the different types of accounts
E)to lead the sales department in sales each month so salespeople have a model to follow

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A leader with a high level of emotional intelligence will create an environment of:

A)intensity,discipline,and conservation
B)risk-taking,danger,and adrenaline
C)discipline,responsibility,and stability
D)trust-building,risk-taking,and high productivity
E)low productivity,danger,and anxiety

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Time spent with employees to help them with the day-to-day responsibilities of their jobs is:

A)management
B)supervision
C)discipline
D)leadership
E)shadowing

Answer 3

B

Question 4

All of the following are vital activities of managers EXCEPT:

A)setting objectives
B)organizing and staffing the sales force
C)motivating the sales force
D)guiding the careers of salespeople
E)problem solving

Question 5

All of the following are characteristics of emotional intelligence EXCEPT:

A)self-awareness
B)motivation
C)empathy
D)self-regulation
E)organization

Question 6

Formal power refers to power that comes from:

A)the knowledge the person has
B)the skills the person has
C)personal qualities of the person
D)the position the person holds in an organization
E)the loyalty the salespeople have for the manager

Question 7

How has the role of a manager changed over time?

A)Managers have gone from being harsh dictators to being friends and confidantes of their employees.
B)Managers have gone from being top salespeople to being coaches and developers of their employees.
C)Managers have gone from entertaining clients and networking to working long hours in the office and focusing on profits.
D)Managers have gone from focusing on people to focusing on technology.
E)Managers have gone from holding prestigious titles to being on an even level with the employees they manage.

Question 8

The two sources of power,as defined by French and Raven,are:

A)transactional and transformational
B)management and leadership
C)reward and coercive
D)internal and external
E)formal and informal

Question 9

A sales manager notices that all the accounts in one particular geographic territory have reduced their orders by 15%.She researches the issue and discovers that government funding in that state has been cut by 15%.When the manager begins to look for a way to increase sales despite the funding cuts,she is engaging in which managerial activity?

A)setting objectives
B)organizing
C)staffing
D)motivating
E)problem solving

Question 10

Many of the behaviors that are typical of good managers:

A)involve community-building so employees can relax and enjoy their jobs
B)involve setting definite boundaries so employees know what to expect and what is expected of them
C)require learning new patterns that will take practice
D)require employees to accept that the manager has ultimate power over their job functions
E)require referent power to work effectively

Question 11

All of the following are pairs of traits of a bad leader EXCEPT:

A)insular and flexible
B)incompetent and evil
C)rigid and intemperate
D)callous and intemperate
E)corrupt and rigid

Question 12

Informal power,power that results from an individuals personal qualities or skills,includes:

A)expert power,reward power,and charismatic power
B)expert power,referent power,and charismatic power
C)expert power,referent power,and informational power
D)informational power,referent power,and reward power
E)informational power,reward power,and charismatic power

Question 13

Legitimate power differs from reward power in that:

A)legitimate power flows from character and personality,while reward power is given by someone higher up in the organization
B)legitimate power can never be rescinded,while reward power is temporary
C)legitimate power is solely from the position in the hierarchy,while reward power is the power to give praise and rewards
D)legitimate power is the power to promote another person to a higher position in the organization,while reward power is the power to compensate another person with financial or material rewards
E)legitimate power is rare,while reward power occurs in every organization

Question 14

Experienced salespeople do not require:

A)supervision
B)supervision,but they provide supervision to others
C)supervision,but they do require management
D)management,unless they are inside sales representatives
E)management or leadership

Question 15

The skills required to be a good manager are:

A)similar to the skills required to be a good supervisor and leader
B)similar to the skills required to be a good salesperson
C)different across different industries
D)difficult to learn,but some people are born with them
E)the same now as they were a century ago

Question 16

From a salesperson's perspective,the characteristics of a good manager:

A)include friendship and loyalty
B)conflict with the characteristics managers list as being traits of a good manager
C)vary from manager to manager
D)include flexibility and a team orientation
E)are a rarity in modern sales organizations

Question 17

The role of a leader has evolved over the past 50 years.Leaders are now asked to practice:

A)transactional leadership in addition to transformational leadership
B)transactional leadership instead of transformational leadership
C)transformational leadership instead of transactional leadership
D)managerial and supervisory functions,in addition to leadership roles
E)managerial functions,aided by those they are mentoring

Question 18

The best way for a new manager to enter the position is:

A)with a meeting on the first day to tell the employees what the manager's philosophy is
B)by becoming friends with all the employees
C)as unobtrusively as possible,so the employees do not know they are being observed
D)strongly,so there is no doubt that the manager has formal power
E)in a low-key way that indicates that the manager is interested in leading,not ruling

Question 19

The job of a manager mainly involves:

A)conducting meetings and performance reviews
B)implementing their own organizational ideas
C)working together with employees and combining everyone's ideas
D)communicating with the managers a level above him or her
E)tracking commissions and salesperson input

Question 20

A manager with charismatic power can induce followers to accomplish the most.However,this is only positive if:

A)the followers can pace themselves so they avoid job burnout
B)the followers do not become insular and compete against other teams or departments
C)the manager has followers who are competent themselves
D)the manager acts in an ethical manner and encourages followers to do the same
E)the manager has strong ambitions and a vision for the company

Question 21

All of the following are recurring themes involved in developing global leaders EXCEPT:

A)teamwork
B)communication
C)alignment across borders
D)developing people
E)hierarchies

Question 22

A new way of thinking about leadership is emerging that involves a shift from thinking in terms of:

A)strong leaders to figurehead leaders
B)strong leaders to hands-off leaders
C)individual leaders to developing the capacity of group members
D)individual leaders to team co-leaders
E)individual leaders to equality of team members

Question 23

A best practice for managing a virtual team is for a manager to:

A)travel to meet with each team member in person once a month
B)make direct one-to-one personal contact weekly on the phone with each team member
C)require that all team members meet in person for two yearly team-building retreats
D)monitor all the communications that flow between and among team members
E)quickly make a decision if two members disagree,before disagreements become larger

Question 24

A team will succeed only if the members take their responsibilities seriously.Which of the following is NOT an expectation of behavior from a good team member?

A)mediating disputes
B)generating ideas
C)taking leadership roles
D)developing other people
E)anticipating market changes

Question 25

Leaders who want to develop others as they develop themselves need to have:

A)training in coaching methods
B)training in ethics and game theory
C)good moral character and concern for others
D)well-developed reputations that will give them credibility with those they mentor
E)strong leadership styles that their followers can model

Question 26

The hallmark of coaching in a professional setting is:

A)having the coach be between two and four levels above the person being coached in the company hierarchy
B)daily email check-ins
C)one-on-one personal interaction on a weekly basis
D)a formal,structured relationship between coach and salesperson
E)an informal,flexible relationship between coach and salesperson

Question 27

By definition,a team must:

A)interact using the same verbal and written styles
B)work together for a common goal
C)have job functions that do not overlap
D)be located in the same office
E)be managed by someone with experience managing groups

Question 28

Leaders need to be able to demonstrate that the activities and initiatives they do:

A)are making full use of recent technology
B)have the full support of their followers
C)do not conflict with the activities and initiatives of other leaders in their organization
D)have a strong ROI
E)are in line with the most recent Six Sigma guidelines

Question 29

All of the following are examples of problems coaching cannot fix EXCEPT:

A)poor time management skills
B)health problems
C)family or relationship problems
D)financial pressures
E)substance abuse

Question 30

One great challenge for managers of sales teams is:

A)dealing with more than one salesperson at a time
B)transitioning from a sales role to a managerial role
C)organizing with all the email that results from a team situation
D)finding time to sell to the manager's own accounts
E)determining how to compensate the different members of the team equitably

Question 31

An option for sales teams with members in different geographic locations is:

A)to work in virtual teams
B)to relocate to one office
C)to redistribute the teams so the members come from the same location
D)to spread leadership duties equally so no one is "in charge" of the team
E)to request a team manager with global experience

Question 32

A team will function better if the manager takes the time initially to:

A)listen to each member of the team make a case for why they should be the leader
B)shadow each member of the team for several days to find out what that member's job function involves
C)promote salespeople the manager prefers to the teams with higher-profile accounts
D)structure the team and organize it,so each member's duties and roles are clear
E)request the personnel files of all the team members so the manager can learn personal information about each one

Question 33

The advantages of mentoring to the salesperson being mentored are varied.The advantage to a company of having a formal mentoring program is:

A)shifting some of the supervisory duties from a paid supervisor to an unpaid mentor
B)strengthening cross-departmental bonds
C)shifting the focus of older management from promoting outdated systems to mentoring younger employees
D)the knowledge the mentors have of those they mentor,that will factor in to performance reviews
E)the ability to attract high-quality new sales representatives who understand the benefits of mentoring

Question 34

A set of managerial skills that has become more important for sales managers to develop in recent years is:

A)managing and organizing teams of salespeople
B)disciplining and firing underperforming salespeople
C)counseling and befriending salespeople with personal problems
D)processing and calculating more complicated financial equations
E)training and testing new salespeople

Question 35

Sales managers who are mentored by someone inside the company:

A)do not need as much supervision as other managers do
B)do not get promoted to higher-level management positions as rapidly as sales managers with mentors outside the company do
C)perform as well as their mentors do
D)perform better and are less likely to leave the company
E)perform better and move on to higher-paying jobs at other companies

Question 36

A virtual team will run more smoothly if the group chooses:

A)to meet in person occasionally
B)to run all communication through one central administrator
C)a wiki as their communication method of choice
D)the same mobile communication device and carrier
E)a form of communication that works well for all the members

Question 37

Which of the following is a key predictor of the success an organization will achieve?

A)the amount of coaching and feedback managers give salespeople
B)the amount of money,proportionally,that an organization invests in training programs
C)the number of meetings held on a weekly basis,proportional to the population of the company
D)the number of salespeople who meet their quotas monthly,proportional to the size of the sales force
E)the number of awards the company's product or service wins

Question 38

A long-term relationship in which a senior supports the personal and professional development of a junior person is called:

A)coaching
B)mentoring
C)team-building
D)modeling
E)transforming

Question 39

While sales representatives have traditionally worked alone,they now work more and more in teams because:

A)teams save money for companies over individual sales representatives
B)companies cannot manage technology efficiently for individual sales representatives
C)products and services are more complex,and customers need complete solutions instead of isolated purchases
D)managers have limited time and resources,and can manage teams more efficiently than individuals
E)customers like to feel that they have multiple points of contact at a vendor company

Question 40

All of the following are ways that virtual teams members can communicate with each other EXCEPT:

A)email
B)daily face-to-face meetings
C)phone calls
D)instant messaging
E)intranet team websites

Question 41

Leadership has changed from being an example for salespeople to follow of a super salesperson to being a coach for salespeople to help them develop their own skills.

Question 42

Discuss the myths that new managers may have and what the realities are of becoming a new manager.

Question 43

Some of the traits of a bad leader include incompetence,insularity,and corruptness.

Question 44

What are the four activities of a manager?

Question 45

Sales representatives feel that it is important for their managers to be flexible.

Question 46

What are some of the characteristics sales managers should have,from the point of the view of the salespeople they manage?

Question 47

Managing people is largely about requiring your employees to do what you plan for them to do.

Question 48

Supervising means providing guidance and inspiration to employees to keep them focused on a collective goal.

Question 49

Explain the concept and practice of coaching.How does it benefit employees?

Question 50

Describe the two sources of power,and give examples of each.Which is least effective? Which is most effective,if used well?

Question 51

Discuss the costs of bad leadership to a company.Should companies promote excellent salespeople to management? Why or why not?

Question 52

Define mentoring.How do coaching and mentoring differ?

Question 53

Mentoring is the process of forming teams of salespeople and specialists from different departments to work together with key accounts.

Question 54

Managing focuses on setting objectives,organizing tasks,motivating the sales force,and problem solving.

Question 55

Explain the duties of a supervisor.Do supervisors ever do coaching?

Question 56

Explain the shift in thought about roles of managers and leaders in recent years? What was important? What things are important now?

Question 57

Discuss the traits of a bad leader.Give an example of bad leadership stemming from one of these traits.

Question 58

Once a manager forms a team his or her job is to walk away and let the team find its own way of working together.

Question 59

An organization needs supervisors,managers,and leaders working together to keep the sales force functioning

Question 60

The two sources of power for a manager are internal power and external power.

Question 61

Why is determining the reward system used to compensate the various members of a sales team such an important issue?

Question 62

What are the five challenges future leaders will face?

Question 63

What are the challenges of managing a virtual team?

Question 64

What are themes that are becoming increasingly important in developing and managing global leaders?

Question 65

Explain why sales representatives are working in teams more now than they did in the past.What issues does this raise for sales managers?