Deck 8: Training

Question 1

Teaching selling skills is not important when trainees have had previous selling experience.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Sales managers should schedule periodic retraining sessions for even the most highly successful, experienced salespeople.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Training should really only focus on improving the performance of below average salespeople.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Time management is not a critical factor in managing the sales force.

Question 5

The ultimate objective of any training program is to increase the sales and/or profits of the firm.

Question 6

The purpose of training needs analysis is to identify shortcomings in sales force skills.

Question 7

According to purchasing agents, one of the most common problems they encounter is that salespeople are inadequately trained.

Question 8

The five major subjects included in training most often include product knowledge, market orientation, company orientation, teamwork and selling techniques.

Question 9

Cross-tabulations can involve examining salesperson performance data by certain sales force characteristics, such as years of experience.

Question 10

Trainees who understand their customers are in a better position to talk with them about how total business solutions that can solve the buyer's problems.

Question 11

The low success rate of training programs reinforces the old concept that good salespeople are born, not made.

Question 12

In general, new salesperson training is not designed primarily to improve the selling skills of sales representatives.

Question 13

Observing salespeople and comparing the actions of the superstars with the lower performing salespeople is especially useful in assessing sales training needs.

Question 14

Turnover in a sales force is the ratio of the number of people who leave to the average size of the sales team.

Question 15

Training salespeople seldom reduces turnover or role ambiguity.

Question 16

Most new salesperson training time is devoted to improving the salesperson's selling techniques.

Question 17

Customer input into sales training can offer interesting insights into advanced sales training programs.

Question 18

The first step in planning for sales training involves assessing sales training needs.

Question 19

Inadequate sales training is not viewed as a very significant problem by most sales executives and purchasing managers.

Question 20

A firm's strategic objectives rarely change and therefore and not included in an assessment of sales training needs.

Question 21

As the branch sales manager for a medium sized manufacturing firm you are solely responsible for the sales training for your 10 salespeople. When developing a training program, you would be responsible for all of the following training issues except:

A) where to train.
B) who should train.
C) what methods to use.
D) when to retrain.
E) none of the above -- all are involved in the training program.

Question 22

Line executives may not be as popular as staff specialists as sales trainers because they are less likely to take the time to do a good job with training.

Question 23

As a sales manager for a medium-sized e-commerce company, you realize that frequent training is important because of the dynamic nature of the industry. Fortunately, you know that the outcomes, intended or otherwise, of sales training could include:

A) improved customer relations
B) better morale and control
C) increased sales
D) reduced turnover
E) all of the above

Question 24

The main attraction of outside specialists is their variety, inspiration and excitement they can bring to a training program.

Question 25

You have just been promoted to sales manager at your insurance company and are in charge of 8 salespeople, three of which have been with the company less than a year. You know that most turnover occurs between 12 and 15 months of employment in your industry, so you decide to develop a high quality training program for your sales force. Which of the following is true with regard to the research on sales training and turnover?

A) There is no relationship between sales training and salesperson turnover.
B) Sales training increases salesperson turnover intentions because of the increased knowledge about the difficulties of the job.
C) Sales training reduces role ambiguity and increases salesperson job satisfaction.
D) Sales training will increase actual turnover rates, due to the boredom of sitting all day in class.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 26

A sales manager who is responsible for developing and implementing a sales training program should conduct a number of steps in sequence. According to the text, which of the following activities would you complete first in developing a new training program?

A) determine the content of the sales training program.
B) determine the training methods to be used.
C) evaluate the content of the sales training program.
D) assess training needs of the sales force.
E) determine were to conduct the training program.

Question 27

The three most popular sales trainers are regular line executives, staff personnel, and outside specialists.

Question 28

Internet training offers cost savings, flexibility and less distractions than any other training method.

Question 29

Regardless of management's philosophy towards training, it is always a mistake not to follow-up on the training after it is completed.

Question 30

The main attraction of outside training specialists is their complete familiarity with a company's selling situation.

Question 31

Individual sales training programs may be designed to accomplish which of these specific objectives?

A) time management
B) territory management
C) product knowledge
D) company orientation
E) all of the above

Question 32

As the sales manager of a Fortune 500 branch office, you understand there are different outcomes for different sales training programs. However, you know that the ultimate objective of any training program is to:

A) build enthusiasm and confidence.
B) reduce turnover.
C) increase sales and profits of the firm.
D) teach salespeople how to manage their time.
E) improve selling skills of sales representatives.

Question 33

Centralized training is relatively inexpensive.

Question 34

Sales managers whose income is based on a percentage of their salespeople's commission are apt to give training to new employees a low priority.

Question 35

Organizations are able to accurately and objectively measure the bottom-line effects of sales training.

Question 36

Research with industrial firms indicates that companies prefer to use either a centralized or decentralized training program, but rarely combine the two approaches.

Question 37

One of your first tasks as the new sales manager is to design a sales training program for the sales force. A complete training needs analysis includes all of the following except:

A) management observation of salespeople
B) review of the firm's strategic objectives
C) customer input into areas of needed training
D) salesperson performance records
E) a review of the state of the art in training facilities

Question 38

Effective sales managers know that development and training should be done only by professional trainers.

Question 39

If a firm can afford the cost, centralized sales training is always more effective than decentralized training.

Question 40

Training salespeople on a decentralized basis moves the learning process closer to the customer and introduces a higher measure of realism.

Question 41

A sales manager who wants to provide a market/industry orientation to new sales recruits would give information on all of the following except:

A) size (i.e., buying amounts) of present customers.
B) location of present customers.
C) buying patterns.
D) Management of accounts for long-term profitability.
E) All of the above would be provided in a market/industry orientation.

Question 42

Firms retrain experienced salespeople for all the following reasons except:

A) products change.
B) territories are reorganized.
C) reinforce current behaviors.
D) new environmental situations.
E) none of the above -- firms rarely find a need to retrain experienced salespeople.

Question 43

According to the text, Xerox uses which of the following types of sales training programs?

A) decentralized
B) centralized
C) no training program
D) a mix of decentralized and centralized training
E) none of the above

Question 44

All of the following sales training topics are discussed in your text except:

A) financial reporting.
B) body language.
C) eye movements.
D) identification of people's decision-making styles.
E) listening skills.

Question 45

Proctor & Gamble's management realized that their salespeople needed greater working knowledge of how to sell across functional areas to customers. As a result, Proctor & Gamble provided training for its salespeople on:

A) managing their time.
B) understanding teamwork.
C) industry knowledge.
D) general marketing knowledge.
E) understanding the importance of adapting their sales presentations to their customer personalities.

Question 46

Which of the following statements about sales training is true?

A) Generally, top management is the most supportive for any type of sales training program as compared to all other groups in an organization.
B) When revenues and profits are down, as compared to other periods, sales training programs are usually one of the last areas to find their funding reduced.
C) Writing down specific and measurable objectives increases credibility of a sales training program.
D) One thing that should never be used to determine the content of a sales training program is attitudinal information gathered from salespeople
E) When the human resources department determines sales training needs, only field sales managers need to be contacted for their input because they work in such close proximity with the sales force.

Question 47

With respect to using company records in analyzing training needs (and according to your text), companies typically use which of the following data analysis techniques to determine sales training needs:

A) Saturation analysis
B) Cross population analysis.
C) Cross tabulation analysis.
D) Cross association analysis.
E) None of the above.

Question 48

You are a big proponent of role-playing for trainee salespeople because one big advantage of role playing is:

A) to get trainees to apply knowledge/skills they have acquired in videos and lectures to a realistic encounter with the customer.
B) to build trainees emotional skills when dealing with customers.
C) to increase the trainees understanding of the product and its applications.
D) to encourage different functional units to work together to increase the effectiveness of their team selling efforts.
E) both b and c of the above.

Question 49

The main advantage of centralized training is that:

A) top level managers are available.
B) it has a relatively inexpensive cost.
C) the quality and consistency of training.
D) it moves the learning process closer to customers.
E) it reduces travel expenses.

Question 50

A disadvantage of decentralized sales training is:

A) increased travel expenses.
B) inconsistency in sales training.
C) instructional expenses.
D) lack of realism.
E) both b and d of the above.

Question 51

The main problem with on-the-job training is that:

A) it is opposed by people in other departments.
B) it cannot be used as a tax deduction.
C) consistency and quality of training.
D) trainees usually don't like it.
E) employers don't want to pay overtime.

Question 52

To enhance product knowledge and teamwork among its new sales recruits, Whirlpool developed a program where all of the recruits would live together in a house (prior to being deployed in the field) to learn about the company's products by actually using them on a daily basis. This type of training can be classified as:

A) centralized training.
B) decentralized training.
C) on-the-job training.
D) government training.
E) consultant training.

Question 53

A complete training needs analysis includes which of the following?

A) observation and questioning of salespeople
B) review of the firm's strategic objectives
C) customer input
D) review of company records
E) all of the above

Question 54

As the new sales manager of Dan-Dee Toys, you must decide whether to continue funding a centralized (in-house) training program or change to a decentralized one. Which of the following is/are NOT an advantage to decentralization?

A) Dan-Dee's sales managers will do the instruction, and trainees can pick up useful ideas on local selling conditions.
B) Dan-Dee's commission override system, which introduces a measure of realism for trainees.
C) Decentralization will move the learning process closer to Dan-Dee's customers.
D) New recruits get to observe top salespeople selling to customers similar to those they will encounter in their own nearby territories.
E) None of the above. That is, all are advantages.

Question 55

According to your text, which of the following is often cited as one of the major reasons why sales training fails to produce meaningful results?

A) Lack of top management commitment.
B) The attitudes toward training of some of the salespeople.
C) The inability to connect with salespeople by sales trainers.
D) The costs are always so exorbitant that training never pays for itself in the long run.
E) All of the above are reasons cited in the text.

Question 56

You have just completed a cross-tabulation analysis from the data you received on your sales force and customer base. The results suggest that the newest salespeople have the lowest closing ratio of your sales force and the senior salespeople with more than 7 years experience appear to have low new account numbers. From this analysis, you can confidently do the following:

A) Design a training program for senior salespeople.
B) Design a training program for junior salespeople on questioning, presentation style, and closing.
C) Conduct more needs analysis to identify the causes of the problems.
D) Do both a and b above.
E) From the data analysis described, I would do nothing to see if the problems fix themselves.

Question 57

The subjects covered in a formal sales training program depend on:

A) the products being sold.
B) the sales trainer.
C) the background of the people being hired.
D) all of the above.
E) both a and c of the above.

Question 58

On-the-job training refers to:

A) working with the union.
B) traveling with an experienced salesperson on visits to regular customers.
C) having two jobs at once.
D) receiving workman's compensation.
E) none of the above.

Question 59

With respect to companies training their salespeople, they usually devote the most time in the area of:

A) product knowledge.
B) marketing orientation.
C) company orientation.
D) selling techniques.
E) time management.

Question 60

You have just been promoted to sales manager at your sales consulting firm. One of your first tasks is to re-design the sales training program. You realize that a well-designed sales training program typically begins with:

A) determining the training objectives
B) an analysis of what the sales force needs
C) the development of a job description for the sales position
D) the development of an evaluation system that will provide feedback on the effectiveness of each step of the training process
E) establishing a control group that will not undergo training

Question 61

Training methods available for use include all of the following except:

A) lectures.
B) case discussions.
C) role playing.
D) practice trainee supervision.
E) demonstration.

Question 62

You would like to develop an Internet-based training program in order to cut down the time spent in traditional classroom training every year. You realize it is expensive to develop, so it needs to be effective. Which is the correct statement regarding the effectiveness of sales Internet training?

A) On-line courses offer a great way to deliver content in a distraction-free environment.
B) E-learning web sites are useful for teaching advanced sales skills.
C) Virtually all sales training can be successfully conducted on the Internet.
D) On-line delivery of product information is a very effective way to deliver timely content to a geographically diverse sales force.
E) All of the above are correct statements.

Question 63

Line executives are not as popular as staff trainers in industrial and consumer products companies because:

A) they are often unable to communicate information to others.
B) they are usually preoccupied with current sales problems.
C) they may not take the time to do a good job.
D) all of the above.
E) none of the above - the statement is false.

Question 64

As a veteran sales manager you recognize that one problem with using sales as a performance measure for evaluating a training program is that sales may change as a result of factors outside of salespeople's control. One method of evaluating sales training that may potentially overcome this problem is to:

A) compare the results of people who have gone through a training program with those of people who have not but who are in otherwise similar situations.
B) compare the results of high and low performing salespeople to see if anything has changed.
C) compare the before and after results of just high performers, because these are the people who will provide the best evaluation indicator.
D) compare the before and after results of just low performers, because these are the people who will provide the best evaluation indicator.
E) none of the above.

Question 65

Sales training may provide all of the following benefits to a salesperson except:

A) increases product knowledge.
B) improves selling skills.
C) builds self confidence and enthusiasm.
D) reduce role stress
E) all of the above.

Question 66

The effectiveness of outside consultants as training specialists is sometimes limited for all of the following reasons except:

A) they may be unfamiliar with specific company selling situations.
B) they may lack familiarity with a company's strategy.
C) they may not understand basic selling skills.
D) they may not be familiar with an industry.

Question 67

Which of the following is the most effective method for determining whether your sales training program affected sales force behaviors?

A) Conduct a study of the salespeople to determine satisfaction levels of the training content.
B) Have the salespeople take a test to determine retention rates of the topics covered.
C) Have the salespeople take a skills-based test to determine retention of the selling skills that were covered.
D) Observe salespeople in front of customers. All of the above are effect for determining whether the training affected behaviors.

Question 68

Using as sales trainers lends credibility to a sales training program because these people have successful sales backgrounds. They know how to sell, and they know what skills trainees need in order to perform well in the field.

A) staff specialists
B) line executives
C) outside specialists
D) sales specialists
E) none of the above

Question 69

The most common method of evaluating training programs is by:

A) subsequent sales performance.
B) field attitude and performance evaluations.
C) a written critique of its contents by group participants.
D) subsequent profit analysis.
E) customer reactions.

Question 70

As an outside sales training specialist, it is in your best interest to show a strong relationship between your program and subsequent performance. Which of the following factors would you suggest your clients measure to see if their investments have "paid off"?

A) salesperson morale
B) improved customer relations
C) salesperson turnover rates
D) all of the above
E) both b and c of the above

Question 71

Your company is moving toward a flatter organizational structure next year. You want to keep all of your salespeople productive and happy, but you realize that this will become more difficult because of fewer advancement opportunities. You decide to meet with your salespeople to let them know of the changes because this is an excellent time to provide:

A) centralized sales training to reinforce current behaviors.
B) individualized career planning.
C) more reporting requirements to make sure the salespeople are doing their job.
D) a more challenging quota to focus their efforts on their current job.
E) because this decision was made without your input, there is nothing you can do.

Question 72

Training methods available for use include all of the following except:

A) lectures.
B) case discussions.
C) role playing.
D) practice trainee supervision.
E) demonstration.