Deck 10: Responding to Objections

Question 1

A buyer saying,"You promised two-week delivery,but our last order took a month to arrive," is objecting to your product features.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Although the referral method of handling objections can be used for all personality types,it seems most appropriate for amiables and analyticals.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In dealing with prospects and clients,salespeople should indulge in occasional white lies and half-truths when they answer objections.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

It is better to have a prospect say,"No thanks," rather than voice his or her concerns during a presentation as this allows the salesperson to move on to other potential customers.

Question 5

The acknowledge method of responding to objections should not be used if a salesperson,through probing,can understand the buyer's thinking on the topic.

Question 6

Probing techniques can be either verbal or nonverbal.

Question 7

Buyers who object to get more information are usually least interested,and the possibility of obtaining commitment is not good.

Question 8

Direct denial should be used by salespeople when a prospect's objections are based on inaccurate information about the seller's firm.

Question 9

Objections during a presentation show the prospect is paying attention.

Question 10

If a prospect legitimately offers the "no money" objection,the salesperson should give up trying to sell to him or her.

Question 11

The worst type of objection is the one a buyer refuses to disclose because a hidden objection cannot be dealt with.

Question 12

Salespeople should do everything they can to encourage buyers to voice concerns or questions.

Question 13

The boomerang method of responding to objections is appropriate only when an objection is blatantly inaccurate and potentially devastating to the presentation.

Question 14

When using the revisit method of responding to objections,a salesperson responds to the buyer's objection at a later time during the presentation.

Question 15

Prospects never object to setting the appointment times or dates that salespeople request to introduce products,especially when the products are unfamiliar.

Question 16

The greatest evidence of sincerity comes from a salesperson's words.

Question 17

A turnover occasionally occurs because the salesperson is failing to practice adaptive selling behaviors.

Question 18

Salespeople should use the postponement method when a prospect is blowing off steam and does not have a valid objection.

Question 19

In pioneer selling,the salesperson has no difficulty establishing a need in the buyer's mind.

Question 20

No exact formula has been devised to separate excuses from real objections.

Question 21

Joe sells ergonomically designed office furniture.Joe would find it easier to sell to a customer who:

A) asks Joe if there are any financial benefits to buying the furniture.
B) sits quietly through the entire presentation.
C) spends time during the presentation looking at the fabric samples Joe had brought and does not ask questions.
D) stares out the window during the entire presentation.
E) keeps answering calls on his phone during the presentation.

Question 22

Sellers need to maintain a positive attitude,even with rude,hard-to-get-along-with prospects.

Question 23

Selling a new and different good,service,or idea is called:

A) ambush marketing.
B) pioneer selling.
C) advocacy marketing.
D) original selling.
E) guerrilla marketing.

Question 24

Which of the following would be best classified as an objection to the features of a good or service a salesperson is selling?

A) "Isn't your company new in this field?"
B) "I'm not sure I can trust what you're saying."
C) "We can't make a reasonable profit if we have to pay that much for merchandise."
D) "Sorry,we're all stocked up."
E) "I was looking for a darker shade of green."

Question 25

A product's value must be established after the salesperson has spent time discussing its price.

Question 26

Which of the following is an objection related to a product?

A) "I have never done it that way before."
B) "I do not understand how your company's system can remove water vapor from our gas pipelines."
C) "I recently heard that your company has declared bankruptcy."
D) "I do not believe the money we would earn from using your company's subsea oil production system would offset its costs."
E) "I need time to think about it."

Question 27

Kerry encounters far more objections in sales calls when she actually attempts to gain buyer commitment than at any other time.This pattern suggests that she:

A) should focus on providing better after-sale services.
B) may be omitting significant selling points in her presentation.
C) is asking too many questions during her presentation.
D) is doing a good job,since this is a normal pattern.
E) is creating an excessive level of interest in new prospects.

Question 28

When Anton tries to convince supermarket owners to stock his company's new tea-flavored popsicles,he receives many objections because most of the owners are of the opinion that the flavor will not sell.In this scenario,Anton is engaged in:

A) ambush marketing.
B) pioneer selling.
C) advocacy marketing.
D) original selling.
E) guerrilla marketing.

Question 29

Which of the following statements about objections is FALSE?

A) Objections present sales opportunities.
B) A prospect's objection indicates that he or she is showing some interest in the seller's presentation.
C) Salespeople should encourage buyers to voice their concerns or questions.
D) Salespeople should take every buyer's objections personally.
E) Real objections are logical to the prospect,no matter how they seem to the sales rep.

Question 30

After learning about the customer's perspective regarding a price objection,the next step is to sell value and quality rather than price.

Question 31

Price objections are best handled by lowering the price until the prospect is happy.

Question 32

The price objection is very rarely raised by buyers when a salesperson tries to obtain commitment.

Question 33

Which of the following is very important when a salesperson attempts to obtain commitment during a sales call?

A) Answering before evaluating objections
B) Skill in manipulating buyer's objections with half-truths
C) Skill in uncovering and responding to objections
D) Disparaging competitor's services during the presentation
E) Trying to sell products by making competitive products sound inferior

Question 34

Which of the following would be classified as an objection related to a source?

A) "Isn't your company new in this field? I'm not sure if I can take this risk."
B) "How do I know you'll meet that delivery schedule?"
C) "We can't make a reasonable profit if we have to pay that much for merchandise."
D) "Sorry,we're all stocked up."
E) "I was looking for a lighter shade of red."

Question 35

Customers value sales representatives who go out of their way to help with problems and promotions.

Question 36

A(n)_____ is a concern or a question raised by a buyer.

A) forestall
B) blitz
C) collusion
D) conspiracy
E) objection

Question 37

When selling to a group of buyers,if one of the buyers offers an objection,the seller should try to get a sense of whether the other buyers share the concern.

Question 38

If Augusta does not build the value of her product in her prospect's mind to the point where it is greater than the price asked,there will be no sale.

Question 39

Successful salespeople make sure they have the most current pricing information available to them.

Question 40

A salesperson responds to a buyer's objection by saying,"I understand your concern.You know,one of the things I always look for is how a product's quality stacks up against its cost.[Pause] Now,we were talking about…." In this scenario,the salesperson is employing the compensation method.

Question 41

Which of the following methods of handling a prospect's objection is only appropriate when the prospect's statement is blatantly untrue?

A) Direct denial
B) Compensation
C) Revisit
D) Acknowledge
E) Postpone

Question 42

Identify a true statement about the method of forestalling objections by a salesperson.

A) It is a method to obtain commitment in which the salesperson uses logical reasons to coerce the buyer.
B) Salespeople use this method to deal with aspects of their product offering that are not vulnerable to competition.
C) It is a method to resolve objections before buyers have a chance to raise them.
D) It is an objection response technique in which the salesperson asks permission to respond to an objection at a later time.
E) In this method,a salesperson turns an objection into a reason for buying a product or a service.

Question 43

Rhonda is suspicious about Adam's statement that his company cannot afford her product.Her latest research on the firm suggests that not only do they need the new piece of equipment but also that financing can be obtained from a local bank.In fact,something about the tone of his voice makes her believe that this was just a(n)_____ to hide his real objection to buying.

A) explanation
B) excuse
C) motive
D) thought
E) logic

Question 44

As Thomas described his firm's landscape maintenance program to a buyer for Allentown Medical Center,the buyer interrupted,"Your program sounds like a winner,but I'm not interested in doing business because start-up landscaping firms go in and out of business in just a few months." Thomas responded with,"I'm sorry,but that simply is not true of our firm.We have been in the business for over 15 years." Thomas's response illustrates the _____ method of responding to objections.

A) compensation
B) boomerang
C) direct denial
D) referral
E) postpone

Question 45

A buyer announces,"I will never buy that brand of knitting machine because it always knots my thread." The salesperson responds,"I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with our older model.Many of our other customers expressed similar frustrations,but I can assure you that the knotting problems do not exist in our latest model." The salesperson is using the _____ method for dealing with objections.

A) acknowledge
B) indirect denial
C) revisit
D) forestall
E) compensation

Question 46

Karla has just learned about the friendly silent questioning stare method (FSQS)of responding to objections.She uses it in a meeting with a prospect the next day.In this context,Karla is using a(n)_____ method of probing.

A) psychological manipulation
B) nonverbal
C) direct denial
D) revisit
E) acknowledge

Question 47

Which of the following is true of the direct denial method of responding to an objection?

A) It should never be used if the prospect is merely stating an opinion.
B) It should be used if the prospect has raised a valid point.
C) It should be used for all personality types.
D) It should never be used if the credibility and knowledge of the salesperson is unknown.
E) It should never be used if the objection is false.

Question 48

Your buyer has just said,"Your machines break down more often than most of your major competitors' machines." You decide to reply using the indirect denial method to handle this objection.Which of the following statements is the best example of this method?

A) "That's true.However,they are 30 percent less expensive.So they're still a better deal for you."
B) "That simply is not true.Studies show that our machines break down no more than our major competitors'."
C) "That may have been true at one time.In fact,before we introduced our new quality control management system,that statement would have been right on target.However,things have changed."
D) "I can see why you feel that way,but on the other side,we do have very good service centers where you could get your machine fixed."
E) "You know,I think everyone should be as concerned about quality as you are."

Question 49

Ever since Alain was chosen as the sales rep to deal with Premier Meat Packers,he had trouble with its purchasing agent who seemed to dislike Alain because Alain was born in France and spoke with a French accent.Alain lost a sale once because the purchasing agent complained that he couldn't understand Alain's accent.Alain had promised delivery in two weeks,but the agent said that he had needed the order to be filled in two days.Because of problems like this and other condescending remarks made by the agent,a _____ would be the best option for Alain's company.

A) pressure transfer
B) conversion
C) turnover
D) clean sweep
E) territory waiver

Question 50

In the _____ method of handling an objection,the salesperson tells the prospect the objection presented is not true but does so in a manner that softens the response.

A) acknowledge
B) referral
C) postpone
D) indirect denial
E) turndown

Question 51

Which of the following is an important feature of the indirect denial method of responding to objections?

A) Salespeople recognize the position of the customer who makes an objection and then continue by introducing substantial evidence.
B) In this method,the buyer's objection is used as a means of getting rid of the salesperson.
C) This method stimulates salespeople to base their sales presentations on an analysis of the customer.
D) Salespeople admit that every objection made by the buyer is valid and then proceed to show any compensating advantages of a product or a service.
E) Successful salespeople discuss only those objections that specifically address the needs of the prospect.

Question 52

Professor Donoho at Northern Arizona University teaches a method called the _____ that is used to encourage buyers to elaborate or explain more fully what their concerns are.

A) best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA)
B) benefit summary method
C) center-of-influence method
D) friendly silent questioning stare (FSQS)
E) good guy-bad guy routine

Question 53

April,a sales rep for Beta-Z Equipment,has recently been assigned to work with Leapheart construction.Typically,Leapheart purchases about $15,000 worth of materials per quarter from Beta-Z,but since April took over as the sales rep to work with Leapheart,the volume has dropped drastically.Sam,the inventory manager at Leapheart,often ends April's sales calls saying something like,"Look,little lady,I don't need someone like you in here telling me how to build houses.Why don't you just run along and bake some cookies or something." April has been professional in every way,but now her manager believes that the client should be assigned to Wayne.This change is called a:

A) pressure transfer.
B) conversion.
C) turnover.
D) clean sweep.
E) territory waiver.

Question 54

When dealing with an objection,successful salespeople:

A) anticipate the objection and prepare a helpful response.
B) make sure the objection is not just an excuse.
C) relax and listen and never interrupt the buyer.
D) forestall known concerns before they arise.
E) need to do all of these.

Question 55

The proactive method of anticipating objections and answering them before the customer has a chance to raise them is known as:

A) pulling.
B) predicting.
C) forestalling.
D) heading-off.
E) postponing.

Question 56

Which of the following is an example of an objection related to price?

A) "You are not an engineer;you cannot understand the difficulty of drilling for oil in subsea conditions at 15,000 psi of pressure."
B) "I do not like the service features of the oil drilling machines that you have delivered in the past."
C) "I need to take some time as I am not interested in the drilling machines manufactured by your company."
D) "I have always considered Nitrile Machines to be of superior quality and have never considered buying another brand."
E) "I do not believe the money we would earn from using your company's subsea oil drilling machine would offset its costs."

Question 57

When responding to a buyer's objection,a salesperson should:

A) listen as though he or she has never heard that objection before.
B) hand the buyer a testimonial or other visual aid refuting that point as soon as he or she recognizes the objection.
C) interrupt the buyer's objection with an answer as soon as the objection is apparent.
D) raise his or her hand and stop the buyer's objection as soon as it is recognized.
E) do none of these.

Question 58

Alex,an employee of a radio station in San Francisco,sells advertising time to interested clients.While talking to a local retailer,Alex is told,"Your station's advertising time costs three times as much as the other radio stations." Alex responds,"If you look carefully at our rate card,you will see that the costs you refer to are only for prime time advertising.The rest of our rates are just as reasonable as the other stations,and we have twice as many listeners." Alex is using the _____ method to respond to a buyer's objections.

A) direct denial
B) compensation
C) revisit
D) acknowledge
E) postpone

Question 59

Which of the following is an example of an objection related to time?

A) "I do not understand why you think I need to replace our reel and divider;no one has been injured because of the ones we currently have."
B) "I cannot buy the harvesting machine of your company because your company is too new to have any kind of reputation at all."
C) "I would like to talk it over with my partner before I purchase your company's harvesting machine."
D) "The quality of the harvest machines produced by your company is too low for such a high price."
E) "I do not think we need a harvesting machine;we have just always let some of the neighborhood boys to harvest crops manually."

Question 60

"You'll notice the trimming machine requires workers to pull two levers at the same time.Although this may appear inconvenient,it ensures that the workers' hands will not be caught in the blades." In this example,the salesperson is _____ an objection regarding the extra effort required to use the trimming machine.

A) revisiting
B) denying
C) predicting
D) forestalling
E) passing-up

Question 61

The use of a third-party testimonial letter strengthens the _____ method of responding to a prospect's objections.

A) compensation
B) indirect denial
C) boomerang
D) referral
E) acknowledge

Question 62

Gary objected to the high cost of the copier that Lynette was suggesting his office purchase.Lynette stated,"The initial price is one of the highest on the market,but this copier offers the fastest output rates available on the market and it has one of the best maintenance records in the industry.This will assist you in meeting those critical production deadlines you told me about." Lynette is using the _____ method to respond to Gary.

A) direct acceptance
B) pass-up
C) referral
D) revisit
E) compensation

Question 63

Dana sells a particular brand of ionomer resins,which are used in the packaging of meats.As she was making her sales presentation to the purchasing agent of a meat distributor,he said,"I sure do wish people would get over this idea that they only have to eat chicken.Good beef is getting harder and harder to find." Dana responded,"I enjoy a good steak myself." She paused briefly and then asked,"But,did you know that this product can cut your packaging rejects in half?" In this scenario,Dana used the _____ method to respond to the objection.

A) direct denial
B) acknowledge
C) postpone
D) referral
E) compensation

Question 64

With the _____ method of responding to objections,the salesperson turns the objection into a reason for buying the product or service.

A) submissive
B) bounce-back
C) revisit
D) postpone
E) backfire

Question 65

A salesperson using the _____ method of responding to objections acknowledges that an objection is valid and proceeds to offer some offsetting advantages of the good or service being sold.

A) consultative
B) compensation
C) revisit
D) acknowledge
E) indirect denial

Question 66

If a salesperson uses the postpone method of responding to an objection and the prospect obstinately insists on an answer right at the time,the salesperson should:

A) answer the objection.
B) repeat the request for permission to postpone the objection.
C) directly refuse and continue with the original presentation plan.
D) attempt to change the subject.
E) ask to reschedule the appointment to a better time.

Question 67

Identify the correct sequence that illustrates the referral method of responding to objections that is used by salespeople.

A) "I can see how you feel….others felt the same way….yet they found…."
B) "That is an interesting point….Before discussing it fully,I would like to cover just two things that I think will help you…."
C) "I can see how you feel….I felt that way in the past.… yet I found…."
D) "I can see how you feel.… others felt the same way.… and I have found…."
E) "I certainly understand your concern….If you do not mind,I would prefer to answer that question in a few minutes…."

Question 68

While a salesperson was trying to sell a new textbook,a professor began to complain about the rising cost of textbooks.The salesperson responded,"Yeah,it's not cheap to get quality education these days." Then,after a pause,the salesperson continued,"Say,did I tell you who wrote the test bank that comes with this book?" Which method did the salesperson use to deal with the objection?

A) Direct denial
B) Acknowledge
C) Postpone
D) Referral
E) Compensation

Question 69

The compensation method of responding to objections is often referred to as the superior benefit method because:

A) the advantage of one attribute overcomes a concern about a less important attribute.
B) selling firms determine which strategy to use for each customer based on such factors as the estimated value of the customer.
C) the salesperson knows where the buyers stand and if they are paying attention.
D) the information provided by the salesperson is usually perceived as more credible than information from paid communication sources.
E) the advantage of getting an immediate feedback from the buyer increases rapidly.

Question 70

When a buyer asked the price of a particular model of meat slicer,the company's salesperson said,"If you don't mind,we can discuss that later,after I show you how this slicer can handle everything from steaks to onions." In this scenario,the salesperson was using the _____ method to respond to the buyer's objection.

A) revisit
B) compensation
C) acknowledge
D) boomerang
E) postpone

Question 71

Which of the following is a danger posed by the postpone method of responding to objections?

A) It generally leads the salesperson to giving into the demands of the customer and lowering the price of the product.
B) The salesperson is not responsible for helping the buyer critically evaluate the solution offered.
C) Customers develop a dislike for the salesperson,and they feel that they cannot trust the salesperson.
D) The buyer is unable to focus on what a salesperson is saying until his or her concern is addressed.
E) It interrupts presentation because a price objection occurs early in the presentation.

Question 72

As Shirley responded to a personnel director's concerns about changing to the health-care plan her firm offered,she said,"I can see why you feel that way.We do have a lot of forms to fill out.Others felt the same way,but they found that it is not nearly as cumbersome as they expected.Here's a letter from…." Which method is Shirley using to respond to this objection?

A) Compensation
B) Revisit
C) Indirect denial
D) Direct denial
E) Referral

Question 73

Constance sells a multilingual information service.She has just encountered a price objection from a prospective client.For applying the two-step approach to this objection,Constance should try to look at the objection from the customer's viewpoint,asking questions to clarify the customer's perspective.Which of the following should be her next step?

A) Sell value and quality rather than price
B) Ensure that she has up-to-date information about the products being offered
C) Endorse the price of the products
D) Let the buyer control and adjust the presentation
E) Try to lower the price by eliminating certain services the prospect can perform in-house

Question 74

Brian is making a presentation to a group of buyers.He knows he will encounter objections.Which of the following is NOT one of the strategies he should use to address an objection when selling to the group?

A) He should try to get a sense of whether the other buyers share the concern.
B) He should respond to the objection by addressing all the buyers.
C) He should make sure that all the buyers are satisfied with his response before moving on in his presentation.
D) He should focus his attention solely on the individual offering the objection and use the direct denial method for most of the objections that are raised.
E) He should postpone all the objections even if the buyers are convinced that they need answers immediately.

Question 75

When a prospect asked how quickly the replacement part for a wood laminating machine could be delivered in the event of a part failure,the salesperson said,"Before we discuss replacement parts,let me explain to you how my company's machine reduces waste to a minimum and still produces beautiful laminations." What method for handling an objection was used in this example?

A) The revisit method
B) The compensation method
C) The acknowledge method
D) The boomerang method
E) The postpone method

Question 76

When a golfing club manager says,"I am concerned that our club members will find the low center of gravity in the Taylor clubs mess up their golf swings," the Taylor salesperson responds,"I understand how you feel about the clubs.Another buyer felt the same way as you do until he tried the clubs for a month.He found them easy to use and that they actually improved his average score." Which method of dealing with objections is the Taylor salesperson using?

A) Compensation
B) Indirect denial
C) Submissive
D) Referral
E) Direct denial

Question 77

"I realize that our barcode label printer is more expensive than others that you may be looking at,but the Zelton barcode label printer is designed for Microsyne operating systems.Your employees will be able to learn how to operate our machine much faster than the other brands because of their familiarity with Microsyne.You won't experience any loss in productivity as this printer is synced with your system.It takes up to two weeks for employees to become comfortable using some of the other barcode label printers on the market." Which method of dealing with objections is the Zelton Systems salesperson using in this example?

A) Direct acceptance
B) Pass-up
C) Referral
D) Revisit
E) Compensation

Question 78

"I agree,sir,that the valve buttons on this brand of aerosol paint are very difficult to remove,and you will be glad they are.They are made that way to prevent children,who might sneak into your garage to play,from painting everywhere,accidentally harming themselves,and so on." Which of the following methods for responding to objections has been used in this scenario to convince the customer?

A) Referral method
B) Acknowledge method
C) Compensation method
D) Indirect denial method
E) Revisit method

Question 79

At times,a buyer voices opinion or concern more to vent frustration than anything else.When this occurs,the best strategy to use would be the _____ method.

A) direct denial
B) acknowledge
C) postpone
D) referral
E) compensation

Question 80

Karen said to the sales executive of a holiday resort,"Your resort is miles away from the city and does not provide pickup and drop off facilities." The sales executive replies,"Yes,I know our resort facility is away from the city,but the serenity and beauty of this area is conducive for a very relaxed and peaceful holiday experience to our customers." Which of the following methods for responding to objections has been used by the sales executive to address Karen's objections?

A) The revisit method
B) The boomerang method
C) The compensation method
D) The indirect denial method
E) The acknowledge method