Deck 4: Using Communication Principles to Build Relationships

Question 1

Salespeople can collect information by observing their customers' body language.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The 80-20 listening rule suggests salespeople should speak 80 percent of the time and listen 20 percent of the time.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In general,salespeople should begin customer interactions at the public zone.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

A salesperson notices that a customer looks puzzled,so she asks what needs clarification.The customer replies,"I'd like to know more about how you calculated the estimated cost to use this machine." The salesperson then provides the details.This scenario illustrates two-way communication.

Question 5

Hand gestures presented at about the height of the navel help the salesperson come across as truthful.

Question 6

Customers can get irritated if a salesperson overuses the active listening suggestion of repeating information.

Question 7

Slicing hand movements and pointing a finger are mild gestures that should be used frequently during sales presentations.

Question 8

A contemplative posture during a sales presentation is a negative nonverbal signal.

Question 9

At critical spots in a sales presentation,a salesperson should present his or her mentally prepared summary.

Question 10

Many consumers have an image of salespeople as loud,fast-talking people,which are standard active listening characteristics of salespeople.

Question 11

The speaking-listening differential can be used to predict how many moments of silence will likely occur in the sales presentation.

Question 12

When making her sales presentation to an important customer,Sarah is frequently interrupted by announcements coming through the company's speaker system.Sarah is experiencing noise.

Question 13

During face-to-face communication,voice characteristics account for 90 percent of the message received.

Question 14

Broader and more vigorous movement indicates that the customer is more emphatic about the point being communicated verbally.

Question 15

The muscles around the eyes reveal whether a smile is real or polite.

Question 16

A buyer can spot nongenuine nonverbal signals from salespeople.

Question 17

Mirroring is the act of practicing one's own nonverbal signals in front of a mirror.

Question 18

Feedback in sales communication can be either verbal or nonverbal.

Question 19

Body movements directed toward a person indicate boredom,apprehension,or possibly anger.

Question 20

During a sales presentation,if a customer's eyes are cast down,it is a strong indication that the customer wants to end the meeting.

Question 21

Proper voice mail etiquette involves leaving a clear,concise message that includes a suggested time for a return call.

Question 22

When leaving a voice mail message for a prospect,one should avoid asking for a callback.

Question 23

When the speaker attempts to draw a parallel between one thing and another,he or she is using a(n)_____.

A) analogy
B) inflection
C) exaggeration
D) puffer
E) summary

Question 24

During phone conversations with prospects,salespeople should avoid silences.

Question 25

The intimate zone is reserved for a salesperson's supervisors.

Question 26

The translation of thoughts into words is called _____.

A) decoding
B) interpreting
C) encoding
D) deciphering
E) evaluating

Question 27

A salesperson says,"For the money,you will find no better water reclamation system anywhere!" The customer thinks the salesperson has just told him that his product is cheaply made and only fairly successful at cleaning the water so it can be reused.Part of the miscommunication is caused by the customer's secretary who comes in during the presentation and asks the customer to sign a letter.In terms of the communication process,the salesperson is ____,the customer is _____,and the secretary creates ____.

A) decoding; encoding; feedback
B) decoding; creating feedback; noise
C) encoding; decoding; feedback
D) encoding; decoding; noise
E) decoding; encoding; noise

Question 28

Physical appearance,specifically dress style,is an aspect of nonverbal communication that affects a customer's evaluation of a salesperson.

Question 29

Salespeople should not send long e-mail messages or large attachments unless the buyer is expecting them.

Question 30

It is best to deliver bad news to customers via e-mail.

Question 31

A primary advantage of e-mail communication is that it makes it easy for salespeople to develop rapport with their customers.

Question 32

Virginia sees Carl,with whom she attended high school 15 years ago,driving near her in rush hour traffic.She honks and waves to say "hello." Carl,who does not recognize Virginia,thinks the stranger is honking because of the way he changed his lane.Obviously,there is a problem in the way Carl is _____ the message.

A) controlling
B) nonverbalizing
C) sending
D) decoding
E) verbalizing

Question 33

The 80-20 _____ suggests that salespeople should listen 80 percent of the time and talk no more than 20 percent of the time.

A) talking model
B) personal-interpersonal differential
C) body language agreement model
D) listening rule
E) word picture-loudness zone

Question 34

Concerning workplace attire,an old rule is to dress one level below your position.

Question 35

Clara has to meet Sandy,her prospect,for a business presentation.Sandy suggests that they meet at a café near her office.As soon as the meeting begins,the café gets very crowded and noisy.They are unable to concentrate on their discussion.Which of the following should Clara do in order to prevent a communication breakdown with the prospect?

A) Continue with the presentation at the café as it has been suggested by the prospect
B) Suggest to the prospect that they move to a quieter place
C) Speak loudly so that her voice can be heard
D) Focus on the use of nonverbal communication to make her presentation
E) None of the above

Question 36

Salespeople should vary the loudness of their speech:

A) to produce recognizable images.
B) according to the gatekeeper's instructions.
C) to determine their constant inflection point.
D) to avoid monotony.
E) all of the above.

Question 37

Active listening is as important when conversing over the phone as when conversing in person.

Question 38

According to the communication process,when a salesperson develops a sales presentation,he or she is actively involved in:

A) encoding.
B) affective stimulation.
C) perceptualization.
D) decoding.
E) selling.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT part of a salesman's voice characteristics?

A) His hand gestures
B) The speed with which he speaks
C) How loudly he speaks
D) How he articulates his words
E) His use of inflections at the end of his sentences

Question 40

Robert,a salesperson with a friendly personality,always smiles while delivering presentations to prospective buyers of his product.He says he uses smiling to communicate the idea that he is a friendly,helpful salesperson.In terms of the communication process,translating this idea into a smile is his way of:

A) decoding.
B) deceiving.
C) encoding.
D) encroaching.
E) deciding.

Question 41

Michael notices that his prospect begins moving back and forth near the end of his sales presentation.How should Michael interpret this body language?

A) As a sign of doubt
B) As a positive sign of interest
C) As a sign of boredom
D) As a sign that the prospect is agitated
E) None of the above

Question 42

Which of the following is a suggestion for active listening?

A) Avoid repeating the same information.
B) Never summarize information already provided.
C) Do not embarrass the customer by rephrasing his or her comments.
D) Do not allow any moments of silence during the sales pitch.
E) None of the above.

Question 43

Teresa notices her customer shifting position in his chair.Teresa concludes that her customer:

A) is ready to end the interview.
B) wants to place an order.
C) strongly agrees with what she has said.
D) strongly disagrees with what she has said.
E) any of the above.

Question 44

Ursula is in the middle of a serious negotiation with her customer.She is not sure what the customer meant by his last statement.Ursula should _____ in order to verify her customer's intent.

A) start her presentation over from the beginning
B) quickly move to a trial close
C) restate the customer's comment
D) call her sales manager
E) all of the above

Question 45

Which of the following statements about body language is true in the United States?

A) Self-touching gestures typically indicate the listener is very comfortable with what he or she is hearing.
B) Individuals use increased arm movement when they are expressing an opinion.
C) Open and relaxed hands are a good indicator of boredom.
D) The meaning of hand gestures is consistent from one culture to another.
E) Individuals sitting with their legs crossed are sending a message of cooperation and confidence.

Question 46

Hand gestures can convey significant information to salespeople.When selling in an international environment,salespeople should remember that hand gestures mean:

A) the prospect is ready to end the interview.
B) the same thing in all cultures.
C) the prospect strongly agrees with what the salesperson has said.
D) different things in different cultures.
E) the prospect strongly disagrees with what has been said.

Question 47

Andrea is a technical assistant for a computer company.After listening to a customer,she asks,"What is it the software will not do?" Andrea is practicing the active listening skill of:

A) summarizing to provide an overview of what has been said.
B) listening to the customer's words from the customer's point of view.
C) asking questions to gain a more complete understanding of what the customer is trying to communicate.
D) tolerating silence to give the customer time to think.
E) none of the above.

Question 48

Which of the following is a suggestion for active listening?

A) Echo what the prospect has said.
B) Summarize the conversation.
C) Be quiet while the prospect thinks.
D) Concentrate on ideas rather than just words.
E) All of the above.

Question 49

During a sales presentation,why would a salesperson repeat word for word the negative comment a customer made about his product's service contract?

A) To engage in passive listening
B) To provide feedback to the customer
C) To avoid having any lulls in the conversation
D) To verify that he decoded the customer's message correctly
E) To summarize the customer's concerns

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT one of the forms of nonverbal communication?

A) Body language
B) Appearance
C) Inflection
D) Space
E) Body angle

Question 51

Tayler pays careful attention to what Jack (her prospect)is saying and sorts out relevant facts from all the statements.With eye contact and nods of her head,she tells Jack that she's interested in what Jack is saying.Tayler is engaged in:

A) focused learning.
B) presentation protocol.
C) active listening.
D) dynamic hearing.
E) passive listening.

Question 52

Instead of describing the product,a salesperson was listening to a customer speak,while nodding her head and using expressions like,"Really?" "Uh-huh," and "That's interesting" in order to encourage the customer to keep talking.The salesperson is:

A) trying to find the appropriate time to close the sale.
B) engaging in passive listening.
C) engaging in active listening.
D) encouraging active speaking.
E) none of the above.

Question 53

One way to define the speaking-listening differential is to say:

A) active listening makes better speakers.
B) customers can listen to words at a rate five times faster than the rate at which salespersons can speak.
C) salespeople should speak 80 percent of the time and listen no more than 20 percent of the time.
D) speaking divided by listening equals communication.
E) articulation equals listening divided by speech rate.

Question 54

Jennifer walks in to her customer's office,and immediately the customer begins talking about his problems both at work and at home.Jennifer had a sales presentation prepared for the customer but,instead listens quietly,asking questions where appropriate and offering support when appropriate.Jennifer is practicing:

A) paraphrasing the customer.
B) active listening.
C) the body language agreement method.
D) the tolerating silence presentation format.
E) the low-context-high-context differential.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about active listening is FALSE?

A) Paraphrasing what a prospect says is fine, but never repeat things word for word.
B) A salesperson should listen to a customer's words from the customer's point of view.
C) Additional questions can give a salesperson a more complete understanding of what a prospect is trying to communicate.
D) Tolerating silence gives a customer time to think.
E) Summarizing provides both a salesperson and a customer with an overview of what has been said.

Question 56

One way to define _____ is to say Ned can speak at a rate of only 120 to 160 words per minute,but he can listen to more than 800 words per minute.

A) active listening
B) speaking-listening differential
C) lazy tongue syndrome
D) the need for indirect questioning
E) the need for open-ended questions

Question 57

Which of the following statements about body language is true?

A) One's voice characteristics carry more of the message than body language in face-to-face communication.
B) Customers may look away from the salesperson while they actively consider information in the sales presentation.
C) Hand gestures have the same meanings in all cultures.
D) A person rocking from side-to-side is conveying a positive outlook.
E) Broad, vigorous arm gestures indicate a lack of interest in the verbal portion of the communication process.

Question 58

As Betty progresses through her sales presentation,she notices that the customer begins to blink his eyes rapidly,almost once per second.Betty:

A) becomes excited since that is a sign of interest by the customer.
B) becomes concerned because that is a sign the customer is stressed.
C) becomes excited because it indicates the customer is ready to close the deal.
D) becomes concerned because it indicates the customer is bored.
E) all of the above.

Question 59

Which of the following statements describes a problem the speaking-listening differential may cause?

A) The quality of the salesperson's handshake becomes more important.
B) The customer may accuse the salesperson of backdoor selling.
C) The buying center will have multiple gatekeepers.
D) Salespeople often become lazy listeners.
E) Salespeople will have trouble making appointments with prospects.

Question 60

Sabrina needs to refrain from speaking after asking a prospect a difficult question.Tolerating silence is often important to allow the customer:

A) time to think.
B) an opportunity to end the meeting.
C) to shift from the intimate to the social zone.
D) to reveal underlying tension.
E) to show his or her anxiety.

Question 61

Which of the following statements about appearance as a nonverbal communicator is true?

A) A salesperson should always wear professional attire.
B) It is much better to under dress than to overdress.
C) Salespeople should attempt to match their style of dress to that of their customers.
D) In today's business world, ties are an unnecessary bother and do nothing to add to a salesperson's potential for success.
E) Successful salespeople always wear high-fashion clothing.

Question 62

When we consider the distance involved,it is correct to say that most students in a classroom are seated in the professor's _____.

A) progressive zone
B) personal zone
C) public zone
D) outreach zone
E) intimate zone

Question 63

Which of the following statements about response time is true?

A) Response time is the time between when the salesperson sends a message and the prospect responds to it.
B) E-mail messages have a greater degree of interactivity and thus faster response time than telephone conversations.
C) A salesperson should use fax rather than telephone communications because it has a shorter response time.
D) Because of nonverbal communications, face-to-face communications have the slowest response time of all communications methods.
E) Response time is the time when the prospect is most receptive of the sales message due to the absence of noise.

Question 64

The face is one source of nonverbal communication.Which of the following statements about reading the messages communicated by someone's face is true?

A) The lips are the most important area of the face to watch to determine if the person is really listening.
B) When someone stares at you, it indicates a strong desire to please.
C) Cultural differences exist concerning eye contact between individuals.
D) The tightening of the facial muscles indicates a strong interest in what is being said.
E) Eyes cast down indicate that the listener is bored.

Question 65

Which of the following statements is good advice for salespeople concerned about proper use of hand gestures in the United States?

A) Avoid dropping your hands down by your sides while presenting and keeping them there.
B) Do not expose your palm to your prospect because that gesture sends negative or "stop" signals.
C) When making a presentation before a group, keep hand gestures to a minimum so you'll appear confident about your topic.
D) Using the hand in a slicing motion signals the other person to cut their comments short.
E) All of the above.

Question 66

Shaking hands should:

A) be the prospect's choice.
B) be the first thing a salesperson does.
C) only happen the first time a salesperson meets a prospect.
D) always take place with the prospect seated.
E) all of the above.

Question 67

When salespeople communicate in a high-technology environment,they should:

A) never deliver bad news via e-mail.
B) avoid "techno overkill."
C) make sure the communication is meaningful.
D) customize their messages.
E) all of the above.

Question 68

_____ is the use of Web tools that allow users to share content,interact,and develop communities around similar interests.

A) Electronic speaking-listening differential
B) Decoding
C) Word picturing
D) Social networking
E) International communication

Question 69

When salespeople communicate in a high-technology environment,they should:

A) always deliver bad news via e-mail.
B) send daily e-mails to each customer.
C) use their own style and not try to mimic the style of their customers.
D) use e-mail to send duplicate messages to all customers.
E) none of the above.

Question 70

In the United States,which of the following body language signals is most positive?

A) Prospect has arms and legs uncrossed.
B) Prospect is leaning away from the salesperson.
C) Prospect's left hand is clenched in a fist.
D) Prospect is looking directly in to the salesperson's eyes for 15 to 20 seconds each time they make eye contact.
E) Prospect is fidgeting.

Question 71

Jennifer is a salesperson making her first call on a buyer at a new business.The buyer asks her to take a seat across the desk from him.In terms of the physical distance between Jennifer and the buyer,Jennifer is currently in the _____.

A) social zone
B) personal zone
C) public zone
D) distant zone
E) intimate zone

Question 72

Which of the following would be the WORST advice for a new salesperson for an office machine manufacturer?

A) Take note of how top executives in your firm dress.
B) Adjust to the geographic region in which you work.
C) Attempt to match the clothing choices of your typical customers.
D) If you look well dressed, you'll feel more confident.
E) Be a leader and wear the latest fashions.

Question 73

Which of the following statements is good advice for salespeople concerned about using proper facial expressions as nonverbal communicators?

A) Nothing creates rapport like a smile.
B) Refrain from blushing during the presentation.
C) Try pointing fingers to add emphasis to statements.
D) Facial reactions are typically easy to manage.
E) Staring fixedly at customers is a great way to communicate confidence.

Question 74

People can be said to fall into two categories when it comes to touching-contact and noncontact.Noncontact people tend to view contact people as:

A) cold.
B) obtrusive.
C) impersonal.
D) glacial.
E) unfriendly.

Question 75

Which of the following statements about the effectiveness of the various methods of communications is true?

A) E-mail has a high level of response time.
B) Both telephone and face-to-face communications have a fast response time.
C) Response time does not determine the effectiveness of communications.
D) A hand-written letter has a greater level of response time than a telephone conversation.
E) Response time is unaffected by nonverbal communications.

Question 76

It is late in the day when Reginald calls on his favorite customer from Dallas.The customer is tired but invites him in and sits back with his hands and legs uncrossed.Reginald interprets this body language as:

A) exhaustion.
B) positive.
C) boredom.
D) indifference.
E) None of the above.

Question 77

In the United States,which of the following nonverbal communications indicates that the customer is reacting positively to a salesperson's presentation?

A) Leaning backwards
B) Lack of eye contact
C) Furrowed brow and pursed lips
D) Playing with items on the table or desk
E) Leaning forward

Question 78

The physical space between two people who are interacting can be divided into four zones.The zone closest to a person (two feet or less)is called the _____

A) social zone
B) personal zone
C) public zone
D) receptive zone
E) intimate zone

Question 79

Negotiations in international sales often take place in English because it is the only language known both by the seller and the prospect.Which of the following is good advice for a native English speaker,when talking with a prospect for whom English is a second language?

A) Use precise words like "cease" and "pizzazz."
B) Use words with alternative meanings like "right."
C) Use descriptive expressions like "to put all the eggs in one basket."
D) Use action-specific verbs like "press that button."
E) Any of the above.

Question 80

In the United States,which of the following nonverbal communications is positive and indicates that the listener is interested in the message being communicated?

A) Contemplative posture
B) Avoidance of eye contact
C) Playing with items on the desk
D) Shaking head
E) Pursed lips and furrowed brow