The Sales Director of a Medium-Sized Company Selling Chemicals to the Lumber

The sales director of a medium-sized company selling chemicals to the lumber industry has analyzed sales and found serious problems with sales representatives close rate relative to the number of prospects in the pipeline.The sales director commissioned a research company to come in and analyze the numbers in the CRM system and conduct interviews with prospects who became customers as well as with prospects who did not buy from the company.He also hires a sales training consultant with whom he has worked before to analyze the sales representatives and the training they receive.
-The training consultant feels that the sales representatives need to understand the entire market to put their customers' needs and buying motives in context.To understand the entire industry market,she recommends that the sales representatives learn more about:

A) customers' business plans
B) competitor companies' products and pricing
C) management's five-year plan
D) the history of the lumber industry
E) the close rates of other sales reps in their company