Question 1

There is little educational merit in delayed sales training.

Accepted Answer

Delayed sales training can be beneficial as it allows individuals to first build a foundational understanding of the product, market, and customer needs, which can lead to more effective and strategic sales approaches.

Question 2

Selecting recruits is an important part of developing a training program.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 3

A good sales training program should not waste time covering the company's organizational hierarchy and procedures.

Accepted Answer

Understanding the company's organizational hierarchy and procedures is crucial for sales staff to navigate internal processes, understand their role within the company, and effectively communicate with other departments, which can significantly impact their sales success.

Question 4

Training the top third of a sales force provides the best return on investment.

Accepted Answer

Training across all levels of a sales force, not just the top third, tends to provide a more comprehensive return on investment by improving the overall performance and addressing weaknesses throughout the team, not just enhancing the skills of the top performers.

Question 5

Relationship building skills are often an important aspect of sales training.

Accepted Answer

Relationship building skills are essential in sales as they help build trust and cultivate long-term relationships with clients. Sales training often includes teaching salespeople how to communicate effectively, actively listen, ask probing questions, and understand the needs and perspectives of their clients.

Question 6

In order to determine the training a sales force needs,it will be necessary to do some field investigation.

Accepted Answer

Field investigation involves gathering data and observing the sales force in action in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This information is then used to design a training program that addresses the specific needs of the sales force. Therefore, it is necessary to do field investigation in order to determine the training that sales force needs.

Question 7

One result that can be expected from a good training program is a lower turnover rate among the sales force.

Accepted Answer

A good training program can improve the skills and knowledge of the salesforce, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and better performance, reducing the chances of employees leaving their jobs. Therefore, a lower turnover rate can be expected as a positive result of the training program.

Question 8

The use of line sales executives as trainers should be avoided since sales representatives tend to resent them.

Accepted Answer

Using line sales executives as trainers can be beneficial because they possess practical, firsthand experience and insights that can be directly relevant and valuable to sales representatives. Resentment is not a given and depends more on the approach and relationship between the executives and the representatives.

Question 9

Training may lead to greater effort.

Accepted Answer

Training can increase knowledge, skills, and confidence, which can lead to employees putting in more effort and performing better.

Question 10

Approximately thirty percent of businesses do not provide any sales training.

Accepted Answer

According to research by the Sales Management Association, approximately 30% of businesses do not provide any sales training.

Question 11

Companies whose sales plan requires repeated calls on the same customers usually use delayed training.

Accepted Answer

Companies whose sales plan requires repeated calls on the same customers typically use immediate, comprehensive training to ensure their sales force is well-prepared and knowledgeable from the start, enhancing customer relationships and trust.

Question 12

In trying to lower training costs,most firms have gone to central training facilities.

Accepted Answer

Most firms have shifted towards online and decentralized training methods to reduce costs, rather than relying on central training facilities.

Question 13

Centralized training is usually more expensive to conduct than decentralized programs.

Accepted Answer

Centralized training usually involves bringing employees from different locations to a central location and providing them with training, which can be more expensive due to travel expenses, accommodation, and facility rental costs. Decentralized training, on the other hand, can be conducted at different locations, which reduces these costs.

Question 14

During the training assessment phase of developing a training program,the content of the training program is determined.

Accepted Answer

During the training assessment phase, the needs and objectives of the training program are identified, not the content. The content is developed later, based on these identified needs and objectives.

Question 15

Training for experienced reps should generally be standardized.

Accepted Answer

Training for experienced reps should be tailored to their individual needs and skill sets. A standardized approach may not address their specific areas of growth and could be seen as repetitive or redundant. Experienced reps may benefit more from advanced training or coaching sessions that focus on refining their existing skills rather than introducing new concepts.

Question 16

Most sales managers do not need training.

Accepted Answer

While some sales managers may have natural talents and experience in sales, training can still help refine their skills and keep them up-to-date with the latest techniques and technologies. Additionally, new sales managers may benefit greatly from training to learn the foundational concepts and strategies of effective sales management.

Question 17

Many companies spend over $100,000 per rep for training.

Accepted Answer

Many companies invest heavily in training their sales representatives and can spend upwards of $100,000 per rep on training programs and resources.

Question 18

Sales training programs which include needs analyses are able to utilize the analysis to identify weaknesses in selling skills and design alternative sales methods to eliminate these weaknesses.

Accepted Answer

By identifying needs and weaknesses in the selling process through a needs analysis, sales training programs can adapt and improve their methods to eliminate those weaknesses and improve overall sales skills.

Question 19

A lack of reinforcement is one reason why training programs are not effective.

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement is an important factor in making training programs effective. Without reinforcement, learners may not retain the information or skills they have learned during the training. Positive reinforcement, such as praise or rewards, can help increase motivation and learning outcomes.

Question 20

Business principles are an important content area for sales training programs.

Accepted Answer

Understanding business principles is necessary for sales professionals to effectively communicate with and understand the needs of their clients. Training in this area can help salespeople to better understand the business goals and objectives of their clients, and to position products or services as solutions to those goals.

Quiz 7: Developing, Delivering, and Reinforcing a Sales Training Program