(for Expert_Researcher)

Course Textbook

 

Spiro, R. L., Rich, G. A., & Stanton, W. J. (2008). Management of a sales force (12th ed.). New York:

 

McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

 

Part 1

 

 

 

Question 1

 

Which of the following is not one of the eight steps of the sales process?

 

 

[removed]		Approach
[removed]		Meeting objections
[removed]		Needs assessment
[removed]		Networking

 

4 points

 

Question 2

 

When it rains in New York City, street vendors selling umbrellas suddenly appear out of nowhere. Which macroenvironmental force does this best represent?

 

 

 

[removed]		demography
[removed]		sociocultural factors
[removed]		physical environment
[removed]		competition

 

4 points

 

Question 3

 

Which of the following is true?

 

 

 

[removed]		When a company changes its strategies, it must also change its tactics.
[removed]		When a company changes its strategies, it should not change tactics.
[removed]		When a company changes its strategies, it doesn’t matter if it changes its tactics.
[removed]		The same tactics will always work.

 

4 points

 

Question 4

 

Sales should work closely with production because:

 

 

 

[removed]		today’s successful sales organizations have a production-orientation.
[removed]		sales forecasts guide materials requirements and production schedules.
[removed]		production develops the firm’s overall mission.
[removed]		most salespeople are hired from production.

 

4 points

 

Question 5

 

The fact that a person is an outstanding sales representative does not necessarily mean that he or she would make a good sales manager because:

 

 

 

[removed]		most sales executives come from non-selling backgrounds.
[removed]		salespeople have no experience in planning.
[removed]		personality traits needed to be a good salesperson are totally different from those needed to be a good manager.
[removed]		the art of administration is a distinct skill, separate from technical ability.

 

4 points

 

Question 6

 

Value added components are:

 

 

 

[removed]		sales promotion giveaways.
[removed]		things such as services which enhance the product.
[removed]		parts or equipment that are added to the product.
[removed]		usually include only insurance and delivery.

 

4 points

 

Question 7

 

When practicing relationship marketing, a selling firm typically:

 

 

 

[removed]		requires a sales force skilled in creatively solving customer problems.
[removed]		limits the authority of its salespeople.
[removed]		strives to negotiate the highest price possible for its products.
[removed]		solicits input from all customers before implementing its overall strategic plan.

 

4 points

 

Question 8

 

According to a recent survey, about ______ of all organizations have already deployed, or are in the process of implementing, a customer relationship management (CRM) program.

 

 

 

[removed]		10%
[removed]		33%
[removed]		50%
[removed]		67%

 

4 points

 

Question 9

 

Sales jobs differ from other jobs because salespeople:

 

 

 

[removed]		do not spend company funds.
[removed]		have small role sets.
[removed]		have greater role ambiguity.
[removed]		have a lot of supervision.

 

4 points

 

Question 10

 

Which of the following statements is wrong?

 

 

 

[removed]		Objectives should be measurable.
[removed]		Objectives should be specific.
[removed]		Objectives are the basis for tactical planning.
[removed]		Objectives should be in alignment with each other.

 

4 points

 

Question 11

 

Read Case 2-1 on page 61 of the text. What are the pros and cons of Mr. Evans’s e-commerce strategy? What is the best argument that Ms. Miko can make to keep her sales force intact? In your opinion, should Cardinal Connectors Inc. eliminate its sales force? Explain.

 

Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

 

Question 12

 

Assume your company, which sells paper products, has 60 percent of the business at your largest account. What factors would make it relatively easy for you to get a larger share of that customer’s business, and what factors would make it harder?

 

Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

 

 

 

Part 2

 

Question 1

 

Sales force selection is most closely related to the ________ stage of the management process.

 

 

 

[removed]		implementation
[removed]		evaluation
[removed]		planning
[removed]		auditing

 

4 points

 

Question 2

 

Which statement summarizes the general theory underlying the use of personal history analysis in sales force selection?

 

 

 

[removed]		They are easy and inexpensive to conduct.
[removed]		If a firm finds some traits present in good sales representatives and absent in poor ones, it is presumed that these are some of the traits required for success in the job.
[removed]		There are no other methods which can be used to determine desirable traits required for success in the job.
[removed]		Only the traits uncovered in these analyses are important in a sales job.

 

4 points

 

Question 3

 

The job description for a certain sales job is not likely to be used for:

 

 

 

[removed]		forecasting sales in a salesperson’s territory.
[removed]		determining the content of a sales training program.
[removed]		evaluating a sales representative’s performance.
[removed]		designing a sales compensation plan.

 

4 points

 

Question 4

 

With regard to the roles of the buying center, a purchasing agent is almost always the ____________.

 

 

 

[removed]		influencer
[removed]		buyer
[removed]		decider
[removed]		gatekeeper

 

4 points

 

Question 5

 

The Civil Rights legislation affecting sales forces is least likely to apply to:

 

 

 

[removed]		compensation for men and women.
[removed]		methods of supervising the sales force.
[removed]		hiring practices.
[removed]		promotions from sales jobs to manager’s positions.

 

4 points

 

Question 6

 

A line and staff sales organization will most likely be used when:

 

 

 

[removed]		management emphasizes sales planning activities.
[removed]		the firm sells a limited line of related products.
[removed]		the president is a strong executive.
[removed]		the company is a wholesaler of plumbing equipment and covers the city of St. Louis, Missouri.

 

4 points

 

Question 7

 

Some companies set up a separate division to deal with their strategic accounts. An advantage of this organizational arrangement is that:

 

 

 

[removed]		it does not duplicate other units in the firm.
[removed]		the seller can integrate its manufacturing, marketing, and selling activities as they are related to the major accounts.
[removed]		the seller normally uses the company’s regular sales force.
[removed]		sales executives do not have to spend their time selling to major accounts.

 

4 points

 

Question 8

 

An improvement in the sales representative’s selection process should lead to:

 

 

 

[removed]		a switch to on-the-job training programs.
[removed]		more salespeople being paid a straight commission.
[removed]		fewer sales jobs.
[removed]		a reduction in the rate of turnover on the sales force.

 

4 points

 

Question 9

 

Ethical considerations are most likely to arise when our recruiting source for salespeople is:

 

 

 

[removed]		plant or office workers in our firm.
[removed]		employment agencies.
[removed]		noncompetitive firms selling products related to ours.
[removed]		competitor’s sales forces.

 

4 points

 

Question 10

 

Which of the following is the greatest limitation of a geographical territory type of sales organization?

 

 

 

[removed]		It is difficult to set up sales territories.
[removed]		It is a high-cost type of organization.
[removed]		Sales reps may not have the necessary expertise in all the products they sell.
[removed]		Large customers cannot be serviced properly.

 

4 points

 

Question 11

 

A manufacturer of small aircraft, designed for executive transportation of large companies, has decided to implement the concept of a selling center. Which people in this company should be on the selling teams? What problems is this firm likely to encounter when it uses team selling? (Hint: Use an Internet search to learn more about these types of firms.)

 

Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

 

 

 

Question 12

 

One manufacturer of dictating machines recruits only experienced people and does not recruit among graduating college students. A competitor recruits extensively among colleges in its search for salespeople. How do you account for the difference in sources used by firms selling essentially the same products? Explain your analysis in detail.

 

 

 

Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

 

 

 

Question 13

 

Visit one or more of the following Web sites, or a specific company site, to find a sales position in which you think you might be interested. Name the company and describe the job and the application procedure. Describe what appeals to you about the position you have picked. (a) Jobtrack ( www.jobtrack.com ) (b) Monster.com ( www.monster.com ) (c) Yahoo! ( www.yahoo.com/business/employment ) (d) Sales and Marketing Executives ( www.smei.org )

 

 

 

Your response should be at least 200 words in length. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for your response. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.