Quiz 

Topic: The Role of the Sales Force

1. Please place to the RIGHTof each specific sales force driver the letter of the category designation

A. Definers

B. Shapers

C. Enlighteners

D. Exciters

E. Controllers

a. Culture g. Customer research and targeting

b. Leadership h. Sales force size, structure, and roles

c. Sales management team i. Compensation and incentives

d. Motivational programs j. Coaching

e. Goal setting and forecasting k. CRM

f. Territory design l. Recruiting

2. TRUE FALSE The real force behind an effective sales organization is the front-line sales representative.

3. TRUE FALSE B2B selling is a strongly transaction-based process.

4. TRUE FALSEContract sales organizations (CSOs) are used by companies to lower selling costs, temporarily increase sales force effort when needed, and act as a risk-reduction strategy relative to hiring permanent sales reps.

5. TRUE FALSE Instituting a GtM strategy approach using direct sales forces will always be preferred over mass advertising, direct mail, or digital channels because sales forces have the greatest effectiveness per exposure.

6. TRUE FALSE Introducing specialization of direct sales forces is one way to increase sales force effectiveness.

7. TRUE FALSE The sales force is an outward symbol of the company's culture.

8. TRUE FALSE The sales organization affects only an isolated part of a company.

9. TRUE FALSE Declining access to customers and declining effectiveness of sales calls requires company leadership to rethink their sales force model and Go-to-Market (GtM) Strategy using this channel.

10. TRUE FALSE The use of direct sales forces is a very efficient and effective way to generate sales.

11. TRUE FALSE Many companies require employees to spend time during their company career in the sales organization as a necessary step for advancement within the company.

12. TRUE FALSE Sales reps face low levels of rejection from customers and work with much day-to-day oversight.

13. TRUE FALSE The sales reps of today generally must have the same skillsthan sales reps of the past.

Topic: Brand Segmentation & Sales Force Assessment and Strategy (2 points each)

14. TRUE FALSE Two important applications of brand segmentation are product focus and what messages to deliver to which customers.

15. TRUE FALSEA natural sales force decision sequence involves first solving "tactical" problems before solving "strategic" problems.

16. TRUE FALSE The existence of "carryover" is critical for the longer-term profitability of sales calls.

17. TRUE FALSE Customer overlap will impact the sales force structure (design) of the sales team.

18. TRUE FALSE The "80-20 rule"means that 80% of the product messages delivered to customers will result in sales 20% of the time.

19. TRUE FALSE Generally speaking, broadening your reach to more customers by reducing frequency per customer, will generate more sales than, targeted focused selling to only the more valuable customers with higher frequency.

20. TRUE FALSE Segmentation influences key sales force performance measures such as financial outcomes, sales force efficiency, sales force effectiveness, and brand vs. portfolio goals.

Essay-20 points (no more than ½ page below): Provide a current (within last 2 years) example of a company that had to change the structure of their sales force. Why did they do it? What did they do? What was the result of the change?