Deck 9: Leadership

Question 1

In the redesign phase of a change management project the manager typically implements the support programs of the firm.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A manager establishing a call frequency patter for all customers in a salesperson's territory is an example of the telling leadership style.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Salespeople with a good self understanding are more open to receiving feedback than other professionals.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The transformational leadership style motivates salespeople by relying on rewards and punishment to maintain control.

Question 5

Reliance on financial rewards may not instill long-term commitment to an organization.

Question 6

A good leader does not necessarily possess good managerial skills.

Question 7

Legitimate power is based on a manager's position in the organization.

Question 8

A manager who is able to articulate a compelling vision for the organization which makes the sales force more accepting of organizational goals is using a transformational leadership style.

Question 9

A "delegating" leadership style involves high supportive behavior and low directive behavior.

Question 10

Leadership is the ability to influence and inspire actions of people to accomplish worthwhile goals.

Question 11

Intuition refers to a leader's ability to bring about change in sharing a vision.

Question 12

The assessment phase of a change management project is where sales managers engage in reexamining the customer operating environment.

Question 13

An example of a sales manager's expertise power is his/her product knowledge.

Question 14

The "delegating" leadership style should be used with salespeople who have a high degree of professional maturity.

Question 15

Each of the four leadership styles in the Situational Leadership Model results from a combination of high or low supportive and responsive behavior.

Question 16

Value congruence refers to the ability of a leader to equally distribute rewards among subordinates.

Question 17

Empowerment refers to a leader's ability to increase his or her influence in the organization.

Question 18

One method that has been proven effective to speed implementation of a change management project is a pilot test.

Question 19

Coercive power refers to an ability to convince a person to act in favor of your proposal.

Question 20

A sales manager's power is not absolute, but based on the willingness of salespeople to grant the manager power.

Question 21

Role modeling and coaching can overcome a lack of trust in the sales manager.

Question 22

Coaching is essentially a conversation about a specific event in order to get the salesperson to improve in a certain area.

Question 23

Coaching involves the use of positive feedback, role modeling and trust.

Question 24

When accompanying a salesperson on a sales call, a sales manager should control the sales call to provide an example of how it should be done.

Question 25

The best time for providing feedback to improve the selling skills of salespeople is just prior to and following a sales call.

Question 26

Effective selling teams are typically comprised of highly skilled salespeople who can close the sales.

Question 27

Centralized resort hotels are more popular as a site for sale meetings rather than company sites in order to save money.

Question 28

Telling a salesperson where he or she went wrong provide both information and motivation to the salesperson.

Question 29

A common complaint about sales meetings is that salespeople spend most of their time listening rather than participating.

Question 30

Sales meetings are typically organized around three factors: meeting objectives, budgets, and location/timing.

Question 31

Prior to a sales call, coaching should include a sales manager suggesting ways to close the sale.

Question 32

Coaching generally consists of specialized seminars training the sales force on new selling skills and techniques.

Question 33

Most research shows that it is easy to develop a highly effective selling team and that a majority of sales teams today are highly effective.

Question 34

Selling teams are most effective when there is a high level of trust among its members.

Question 35

The most popular (common) topic at sales meetings is "salesforce feedback" rather than "sales training" or "motivational talks."

Question 36

During a sales call the sales manager, instead of the salesperson, provides a response to a price objection by a customer is a good example of coaching.

Question 37

Perhaps the most commonly employed motivational device for salespeople is the national sales meeting.

Question 38

In most circumstances, the post-sales call phase of coaching for veteran salespeople may be best used to reinforce more positive aspects of a self-evaluation.

Question 39

A sales manager whose behavior is consistent with the both the values the sales manager upholds and the goals of the organization is providing the role-modeling dimension of coaching.

Question 40

Effective selling teams have the ability to work within their own company and champion new ideas for customized customer solutions.

Question 41

Recent studies have shown that the best leaders develop certain skills during their careers. Which of the following is not one of these skills?

A) empowerment
B) vision
C) self-understanding
D) analytical ability
E) value congruence

Question 42

Leadership involves a number of skills. However, you realize that there are certain skills that the best leaders develop. Which of the following is one of those skills?

A) rationally analyzing situations
B) coordinating employees
C) developing an overall vision in which people can believe
D) setting goals
E) selecting employees

Question 43

You have just been hired as the sales manager that is going to shake up a poor performing district. Within the first few weeks, you recognize that you are going to implement a change in direction. The first step you need to take is:

A) redesign the selling process.
B) implement a sales support program.
C) assess the customer environment(s) in which the company operates.
D) Redesign the sales force's customer orientation.
E) develop a better sales strategy.

Question 44

A sales manager who learns about a customer's sexual harassment behaviors toward one of his or her salespeople, but does nothing about it could be held personally liable for damages.

Question 45

When a manager senses a salesperson is plateauing, s/he should look for ways to enrich the salesperson's current sales position.

Question 46

Alcohol abuse is much more prevalent among salespeople than among people in other industries.

Question 47

Using a suggested closing technique because your sales manager was the top salesperson in the company, is an example of which kind of power?

A) legitimate
B) reward
C) referent
D) expertise
E) coercive

Question 48

Too much reliance on _________ power could lead to a mercenary attitude among salespeople rather than a commitment to the overall vision of the organization.

A) legitimate
B) reward
C) referent
D) coercive
E) expertise

Question 49

A salesperson complying with a sales manager's request because he likes the sales manager is an example of which kind of power?

A) reward
B) competence
C) referent
D) legitimate
E) expertise

Question 50

As a first-line sales manager, which of the following activities best describes your attempts to enhance your self-understanding?

A) Share power with others by involving them in setting objectives and planning.
B) Conduct an anonymous survey asking the sales force and upper management to rate your effectiveness.
C) Be more proactive in delegating authority to others.
D) Communicate your beliefs throughout the organization.
E) Seek information from your salespeople about their satisfaction levels with their customers.

Question 51

A sales manager who states the following is using what type of power: "Joe, as a favor for me, could you take over the new territory?"

A) legitimate
B) expertise
C) referent
D) coercive
E) reward

Question 52

A clear sign that a salesperson has plateaued is when the person's sales volume stops growing.

Question 53

An important step in dealing with sexual harassment is to have written procedures on how employees should deal with such behavior.

Question 54

A salesperson complying with a sales manager's request because the sales manager said "Don't ask me why, just do it please" is an example of which kind of power?

A) legitimate
B) expertise
C) referent
D) coercive
E) reward

Question 55

Any of the five power bases can lead to desired behavior by subordinates, but salespeople are generally more satisfied with a leader when he or she uses which types of power?

A) legitimate and coercive
B) expert and referent
C) expert and competent
D) competent and coercive
E) reward and coercive

Question 56

As a new sales manager, you realize that certain skills are needed to be effective in the job. One of your daily "to-do's" is to keep abreast of where your market is headed and what the competition is doing. You also communicate your beliefs throughout the organization. This activity is an attempt to develop which leadership skill?

A) empowerment
B) intuition
C) value congruence
D) vision
E) self-understanding

Question 57

Which of the following is a source of leadership power?

A) legitimate
B) expertise
C) referent
D) coercive
E) all of the above

Question 58

You are in the redesign phase of a change initiative. You have just finished learning how customers conduct business effectively. Based on the change initiative process discussed in the text, you now need to:

A) Develop a sales strategy that defines how the company deploys its sales resources.
B) Redesign the tactics used in selling the different type of customer base.
C) Implement the changes immediately.
D) Both a and b above.
E) All of the above.

Question 59

You have just implemented significant change initiatives in three areas: (a) customer orientation, (b) sales strategy, and (c) selling processes. Your next step in the change management process is:

A) Assess the customer environment(s) in which the company operates.
B) Measure indicators of successful change such as revenue growth in new strategic areas.
C) Immediately implement a number of supporting programs to energize and direct continued performance
D) Immediately roll out the change initiate to all sales people in the company.
E) None of the above. Nothing further needs to be done.

Question 60

You are contemplating a significant change in your business that will affect how the salespeople will do their job. Which of the following is true regarding people's basic tolerance for change?

A) All salespeople thrive on change.
B) All salespeople will resist change.
C) Salespeople with greater trust in his/her sales manager will be more accepting of change.
D) All salespeople have the same basic tolerance for change, regardless of trust in the sales manager.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 61

Which of the following is an effective way to deal with the personnel issues that can reduce the effectiveness of a sales team?

A) Ignore them until they go away.
B) Development of policies and procedures that empowers team members and provides shared leadership.
C) Develop policies and procedures that clearly rewards individual performance on specific tasks within the team.
D) Designate one person as the unquestionable team leader.
E) Make sure that you designate specific team duties with clear boundaries of responsibilities for dealing with customers.

Question 62

When salespeople are rather immature but are enthusiastic towards a task, this leadership style is most effective:

A) telling
B) supporting
C) selling
D) delegating
E) expert

Question 63

When salespeople lack competence in their ability to close a sale, this leadership style is most effective:

A) telling
B) delegating
C) supporting
D) selling
E) expertise

Question 64

Telling a salesperson that a customer call frequency schedule is needed, but letting them decide how to do it is an example of which leadership style?

A) telling
B) delegating
C) supporting
D) selling
E) authoritative

Question 65

In putting together a sales team with members from different branch offices, you are concerned that individual differences might pose a problem in the functioning of the team. Which of the following is a true statement about the sales team?

A) Research suggests that sales teams will always function if enough monetary incentives are provided.
B) Regardless of the different cultures from the branch offices, a team consisting of good closers will always get the job done.
C) Research suggests that, above all else, the manager should make sure each team member has a high level of trust with one another.
D) A sales team's approach to its customers will not be affected by changes in the competitive landscape in which it operates.
E) Effective selling teams should be externally focused with little or no expertise in dealing with different divisions or business units within their own company.

Question 66

"Before we go in to this account what is your objective for this call?" This question is primarily asked to observe a salesperson's development in which area?

A) planning
B) attitude
C) knowledge
D) selling skills
E) probing skills

Question 67

As a sales manager, you go out of your way to personally demonstrate proper selling technique to salespeople, show up on time to meetings and appointments and always presenting a professional image through appropriate dress and grooming. Your actions are likely seen by your sales staff as:

A) consistent with those behaviors from a boss.
B) a part of coaching called role modeling.
C) a part of feedback called mirroring.
D) a part of image management to get a promotion.
E) none of the above.

Question 68

You hired an outside consultant trainer to provide training on relationship selling. One of your salespeople is heckling and disrupting the training specialist during his presentation with comments such as: "I've been doing relationship selling for the past five years; tell me something new." The best situation for effective coaching in this situation would most likely to be:

A) during the sales meeting and in front of everybody.
B) within one of the smaller breakout groups later on.
C) one-on-one during a break.
D) with several other salespeople after the entire training session is over.
E) none of the above.

Question 69

You have just taken a job with a financial services company. You quickly realize that the sales manager provides direction in every aspect of the job, from what to say on the phone in prospecting to what to write in a thank you note. No deviations from these procedures are permitted. This manager is using the _____________ leadership style.

A) selling
B) authoritative
C) telling
D) supporting
E) delegating

Question 70

As a newly hired salesperson, you have been assigned to a territory where your manager basically communicates in a style that tells you when and how to close a sale, with little opportunity for feedback or questions from you. This is an example of which leadership style?

A) telling
B) delegating
C) supporting
D) selling
E) authoritative

Question 71

After getting a salesperson to agree that sales to a large customer must increase, the sales manager asks the salesperson to develop a plan of action for achieving this objective. This is an example of which leadership style?

A) telling
B) supporting
C) delegating
D) selling
E) authoritative

Question 72

You are well aware that your salespeople look up to you for advice and guidance. In a sense you are a constant role model. However, you also know that without _________, role modeling has no effect on salesperson job satisfaction or performance.

A) trust
B) humor
C) fear
D) personality
E) ego

Question 73

An important factor to consider when deciding on the type of feedback to give to a salesperson in the post-sales call phase of coaching is the salesperson's:

A) maturity level
B) relationship with the customer in question
C) listening ability
D) ability to close the sale
E) ability to read your nonverbal cues in the sales call

Question 74

Which of the following is not a leadership style of the Situational Leadership Model?

A) supporting
B) authoritative
C) telling
D) delegating
E) selling

Question 75

Which of the following is most representative of the transactional leadership style?

A) Transforming the salesperson to accept the goals of the organization.
B) The ability to get the sales force to focus on the short-term day-to-day operations.
C) Transforming the salesperson to appeal higher-order needs.
D) The ability to arouse strong emotions from others.
E) The ability to get the sales force to work toward a common goal.

Question 76

According to the text, which of the following is not commonly discussed during sales meetings?

A) new product information
B) advanced selling methods
C) explain new marketing programs
D) sales force feedback about field conditions
E) all of the above are considered common meeting topics or objectives

Question 77

Sales meetings are defined most often by which categories when referring to the size of its scope?

A) internal, external
B) local, regional, national
C) motivational, recognition
D) new or old products
E) beginning training or advanced training

Question 78

Because expenses are too high, you have decided that only orders above $50 in total will be accepted. You ask the salesperson if he felt there should be any exceptions to this rule. This is an example of which leadership style?

A) telling
B) supporting
C) delegating
D) selling
E) referent

Question 79

The transformational leadership style focuses the salesperson on:

A) the fairness of his/her compensation plan.
B) their day-to-day activities.
C) the importance of the sales transaction to their future reward.
D) awareness and acceptance of organizational goals. company operations.

Question 80

The most likely time for coaching to take place is:

A) before year-end quotas are required.
B) during a training session.
C) during a sales call.
D) following a sales call.
E) during quarterly reviews.