Deck 9: Training and Developing the Sales Force

Question 1

What things need to be taught at the task level in a training course for salespeople?

A)kindness,skills,and abilities
B)kindness,sales,and abilities
C)knowledge,sales,and assessment
D)knowledge,skills,and assessment
E)knowledge,skills,and abilities

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Once it is determined that an employee needs some kind of training,the manager should write:

A)to the training department to request it
B)up a disciplinary notice because the employee was not adequately prepared
C)back to the human resources department to follow up with them
D)a new job description for the employee's position
E)an individualized training plan for the employee

Answer 2

E

Question 3

In order to develop an effective training program for sales employees,companies must first determine:

A)what is the actual need for training
B)who will receive the training
C)who will conduct the training
D)how the training will be delivered
E)how much the training will cost

Answer 3

A

Question 4

When salespeople give new technology an honest try but ultimately reject it,it is usually because:

A)they are too old to learn to use computers
B)they are afraid of things they don't understand
C)they will not be penalized for refusing the technology
D)the technology is a poor fit for what the salespeople actually need
E)the technology is from a vendor with poor product ratings

Question 5

What are the three levels of information that need to be considered when determining training objectives?

A)organizational,ability,and assessment
B)organizational,sales,and ability
C)organizational,task,and individual
D)knowledge,task,and skills
E)knowledge,skills,and abilities

Question 6

Many different kinds of problems can result when training programs do not take into account the differences in customs of different countries.All of the following are examples of problems that are most likely to occur with training programs in foreign countries EXCEPT:

A)teaching salespeople to try to close deals before a relationship is established
B)finding translators for the training sessions
C)differing in reaction to trainers and their training styles
D)being disrespectful in language and tone
E)not understanding job titles and levels of respect and authority

Question 7

A company that wants to prevent experienced salespeople from leaving the company at key career transition times can:

A)offer a higher commissions than any other salesperson receives
B)redistribute sales territories to give the salespeople key accounts
C)have individual meetings with each salesperson to try to convince them to stay
D)institute an employee loyalty program that plans parties and outings to encourage employee morale
E)provide upper-level sales training for the salespeople right at those transition times to encourage them to stay

Question 8

All of the following are types of training EXCEPT:

A)being given feedback and support during the sale process
B)going to a training center and listening to a live trainer
C)calling customers with no supervision
D)discussing new product features at weekly sales meetings
E)watching video sessions on the internet

Question 9

All of the following are necessary for a trainer to do when training salespeople on technology EXCEPT:

A)explain the concepts of networking within the office
B)make sure the salespeople know the benefits for them of using the technology
C)train the salespeople to use the technology
D)give them good tech support on the technology
E)provide follow-up training when they need it

Question 10

In the past,managers did not spend much time training new salespeople on ethics.Now,training in ethics:

A)takes longer than training on basic sales techniques
B)is more extensive than training on what the product is
C)teaches salespeople to promote the ethical practices of the company to customers
D)exposes the questionable side of proper sales behavior
E)is done by external trainers

Question 11

The best source of information about what knowledge,skills,and abilities a salesperson needs to have is:

A)the salesperson's job description
B)the company's human resources department
C)the employee handbook
D)the industry guide for salespeople
E)the Dale Carnegie Institute website

Question 12

At what time would an entire salesforce,including both new hires and long-term employees,need training?

A)at the beginning of the fiscal year
B)at the end of a quarter with decreased sales
C)when a new product is rolled out
D)when a new sales manager is hired
E)when sales territories are divided

Question 13

All of the following are ways of discovering if an employee needs training EXCEPT:

A)anonymous reports from other employees
B)performance appraisal data
C)CRM data
D)surveys taken by managers
E)surveys taken by salespeople

Question 14

The lists of "best companies to sell for" compiled by Selling Power magazine show that companies that are the best to sell for are also companies that:

A)are the best to buy from
B)are located on the West Coast
C)are in the manufacturing industry
D)invest in training for salespeople
E)invest in technology

Question 15

A training assessment determines:

A)how well the training was conducted
B)how well the attendees retained what they learned in the training
C)how things could be improved for the next time
D)what topics need to be covered in a training program
E)what can be expected from the next training

Question 16

All of the following are the ongoing steps to developing an effective training program EXCEPT:

A)identify the firm's training needs
B)assign ownership of the training program
C)develop the training program
D)deliver the training
E)assess the training effort

Question 17

Training cannot fix all problems in the workplace,but it can fix some of them.Which of the following is a sales force problem that can be fixed by training?

A)poor job satisfaction
B)poor product knowledge
C)low morale
D)low motivation
E)low levels of compensation

Question 18

What things need to be taught at the organizational level in a training course for salespeople?

A)managing email
B)communicating with customers
C)best practices for filing purchase paperwork
D)alignment with the company's goals
E)free market theory

Question 19

Ultimately,adequate training for salespeople leads to all of the following EXCEPT:

A)higher incomes for salespeople
B)deeper relationships between the company and the customers
C)better job satisfaction for the salespeople
D)more revenue for the company
E)more rapid product development

Question 20

Companies that ask new hires to do on-the-job training,or shadowing current sales reps,intend for the new hires to:

A)skip traditional training classes
B)model the behavior of the experienced salespeople
C)memorize everything the current sale rep does to replicate it perfectly
D)critique the current rep's performance as part of a two-way training assessment
E)ramp up more quickly than they would if they spent time learning about product specifications before going into the field

Question 21

All of the following factors complicate the scheduling of live training sessions EXCEPT:

A)planning the sessions
B)the locations of the employees to be trained
C)the location of the training facility
D)the time in the sales cycle
E)the schedule of the trainers

Question 22

What is a good training method for teaching complex skills in a face-to-face format?

A)the Socratic method
B)role-playing exercises
C)online self-paced sessions
D)instructor-led lectures
E)webinars

Question 23

If a company does not have the time,human capital,or resources to develop its own training,it can:

A)ask employees to read books and watch videos at home on the weekends
B)make sales managers spend part of every weekly sales meeting going over sales techniques and software systems
C)send its employees to be trained at a competing company
D)use vendor-provided training,either on vendor products (like software)or on sales techniques
E)relax,as most companies do not provide adequate training for their salespeople

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT one of the four types of feedback measure used to assess the success of a training program?

A)reaction
B)learning
C)behaviors
D)results
E)appraisal

Question 25

An outside trainer will have more credibility with trainees when:

A)the trainer uses PowerPoint slides and other technology as part of the program
B)the training is done in a small class size
C)the trainer has an advanced degree in Instructional Design and Training
D)the training is on in-house products and services
E)the training is on a product or service the trainer works for

Question 26

It may make more sense to develop training programs in-house if the training needs to be conducted:

A)yearly
B)once only
C)repeatedly
D)with vendor software
E)adaptively

Question 27

Sales managers need training,too,on some of the processes and skills that they need for their jobs.Which of the following is NOT something a sales manager would need to be trained on?

A)using the company's CRM system
B)installation of software on the computers in the sales department
C)management and coaching of salespeople
D)recruiting and interviewing new employees
E)giving performance reviews to the salespeople they manage

Question 28

All of the following are training methods that use the internet EXCEPT:

A)wikis
B)webinars
C)video live on demand
D)podcasts
E)webcasts

Question 29

An in-house trainer will have more credibility with trainees when:

A)the company's sales process and/or products are so unique that only a fellow employee understands them
B)the training is done in a small class size
C)the trainer has an advanced degree in Instructional Design and Training
D)the subject to be trained is software from an outside vendor
E)the subject to be trained is universal sales technique

Question 30

What does "learning transfer" mean?

A)Learning transfer is another phrase for learning objective.
B)Learning transfer means that what is learned in a training program is retained and then applied in the field.
C)Learning transfer means that the trainer is able to effectively transfer what is in his or head into the minds of the salespeople in the training.
D)A learning transfer is a center staffed with trainers and all the equipment needed to run a company's software and train salespeople on it.
E)A learning transfer is the proof some companies require that their salespeople have taken sales methods courses from outside vendors.

Question 31

Utility analysis is a method of examining the effectiveness of a training program that is:

A)constantly evolving to yield better statistical models
B)not useful in and of itself
C)an extension of the results-based measures of assessment
D)under further study
E)being used by most sales experts across the country

Question 32

In the past,self-paced training might have consisted of printed material,audio tapes,or video tapes.Now self-paced training can be delivered:

A)by sound file
B)at a convention or professional development session
C)by paid trainers in the local area
D)on the internet
E)via fax

Question 33

Some of the objectives of the training course should include:

A)memorization
B)computerized testing
C)teaching upper-level skills as well as lower level skills from the cognitive/knowledge and affective/attitude categories
D)"hot-seating," or asking students questions in class to test their knowledge of the material
E)teaching answers to technical questions about installation and trouble-shooting the product

Question 34

What is a major problem that trainers encounter with sales managers?

A)Managers force their salespeople to go to training sessions.
B)Managers want their salespeople to learn everything they can about the product the company sells.
C)Some managers would like more training themselves on management topics.
D)Many managers see training as an expense that does not add value.
E)All managers wish their salespeople would sell more product.

Question 35

Instructor-led,in-person training can be flexible and a good way for trainees to network,but it can also be:

A)delivered on the internet
B)condensed into podcasts or streaming video
C)the least expensive option for similar multiple trainings
D)repetitive and rigid
E)boring and expensive to attend

Question 36

The skills taught in Bloom's affective/attitude categories could also be described as being:

A)preferences
B)intellectual options
C)analytical skills
D)social and communicative skills
E)product knowledge

Question 37

In order to be able to develop,execute,and evaluate the training program,what has to be developed first?

A)the learning objectives for the training
B)the budget for the training
C)the list of trainers who will perform the training
D)the list of attendees who will attend the training
E)the training center facilities

Question 38

A consideration when deciding whether to develop training in-house or to outsource it to another company is to figure out:

A)whether the trainers will have rapport with the attendees
B)the costs of each kind of training
C)what sales quarter the new hires will begin in
D)whether the outsourced trainer has internet access
E)how computer-savvy the salespeople are

Question 39

Bloom's cognitive/knowledge categories teach skills that all have to do with dealing with and processing:

A)sensation
B)analysis
C)intelligence
D)emotions
E)information

Question 40

What is the most likely reason that companies run training programs that do not succeed?

A)The company did not set specific objectives for the programs,so the programs weren't targeted correctly.
B)The company could not convince new salespeople to attend the trainings.
C)The company did not budget enough time and human capital for the training programs.
D)The company did not budget enough money for the training programs.
E)The company did not hire the right salespeople initially.

Question 41

Discuss the different methods of delivering training.

Question 42

Adequate and complete training for salespeople contributes to financial success for the entire company.

Question 43

Discuss the challenges of training a global sales force.What are some miscommunications that can occur?

Question 44

In-person,instructor-led training is still the best form of training for salespeople.

Question 45

How does a company decide whether to use internal trainers or external trainers? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Question 46

Before a training program can be developed,the learning objectives for the training must be established.

Question 47

Learning transfer is the process of taking what was learned in the classroom and recalling it and applying it to real-life situations in the field.

Question 48

Explain how Bloom's categories of intellectual behavior correspond to KSAs.

Question 49

KSAs (knowledge,skills,and abilities)need to be taught at the task level of training,and can be pulled directly from the job description of the salesperson.

Question 50

Are all training programs held for new hires only? Explain.

Question 51

The main problem with the utility analysis method of feedback is that it's merely a repeat of the behaviors-based feedback method.

Question 52

What is the first step in developing an effective training plan? Can training be used to fix all employee problems?

Question 53

Training developers need to make sure that at the organizational level the training aligns with the company's overall goals.

Question 54

What are KSAs? Where can training developers find the specific KSAs a salesperson should be trained in?

Question 55

When determining learning objectives for training,developers need to consider organizational,task,and individual levels of information.

Question 56

When a salesperson is given good training,what are the results?

Question 57

After determining that an employee needs training,a manager should write an individual training plan for the employee.

Question 58

What things does a training assessment measure?

Question 59

During the planning stage of training,what three levels of information should developers consider? What information does each level need to contain?

Question 60

The problems salespeople encounter on the job can all be solved by receiving additional training.

Question 61

How can training developers and managers decide which methods of training delivery are right for their situation?

Question 62

What is the problem with using ROI or utlity analysis as an indicator of the success of a training program?

Question 63

What are the difficulties with using reaction methods to assess training? Why are reaction methods so widely used?

Question 64

Why do training programs fail?

Question 65

Explain the concept of learning transfer.How can trainers promote it?