Management of a Sales Force 12th Edition Rosan Spiro - Test Bank

Management of a Sales Force 12th Edition Rosan Spiro – Test Bank

 

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Sample Questions Are Posted Below

 

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Student: ___________________________________________________________________________

1. Recruiting is difficult because only 1 in 100 candidates qualified.
   True    False

 

2. The sales force selection process should be easier in the 2000s because there is a much greater supply of qualified applicants than has been available in the past.
   True    False

 

3. A good selection process can improve the company’s profitability by reducing turnover cost.
   True    False

 

4. The laws and guidelines regarding affirmative action require employers to make additional efforts to recruit, employ, and promote qualified members of groups formerly excluded.
   True    False

 

5. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations regarding hiring salespeople apply only to firms with 25 or more employees.’
   True    False

 

6. Regarding the law and sales force selection, the burden of proof generally rests with the company to show that it is complying with the regulations.
   True    False

 

7. When a sales executive designs a good program for screening and selecting people, that executive has fulfilled his or her responsibility for staffing the sales force.
   True    False

 

8. Discrimnation charges can be based primarily on the sources that are used to recruit salespeople.
   True    False

 

9. The easiest way a firm can protect itself against discrimination charges with regard to the sources fir its recruiting is to recruit from the same source all of the time.
   True    False

 

10. Not all companies should use team-building as part of their recruiting criteria.
    True    False

 

11. It is a good policy for a company to hire significantly more sales reps than is needed, with the intent of weeding out the poor performers as time goes by.
    True    False

 

12. Planned decreases in marketing expenditures may indirectly affect the number of salespeople need.
    True    False

 

13. The hiring process should not require that a hiring agent convince the applicant that the company offers good opportunities because the applicant should already know this.
    True    False

 

14. The job description is only useful for companies which are recruiting continuously.
    True    False

 

15. A job description is probably the most important single tool used in operating a sales force.
    True    False

 

16. A job description is critically important as part of the selection process, but normally it is not used in other areas of running a sales force.
    True    False

 

17. A well prepared description will usually include “job demands” such as the amount of travel, autonomy and stress, and the duties and responsibilities related to the job.
    True    False

 

18. When preparing a job analysis for sales positions, a company should include its sales reps among those being interviewed.
    True    False

 

19. Determining the qualifications needed to fill a sales job is one of the easier parts of the selection function.
    True    False

 

20. A personal history analysis usually is better adapted for use by a firm with a large sales force that has been in business for several years rather than for newer companies with small sales forces.
    True    False

 

21. Emotional intelligence is primarily related to the ability of salespeople to solve problems.
    True    False

 

22. Willingness to take risks is related to the salesperson’s ability to be innovative.
    True    False

 

23. Recruiting applicants for sales jobs is not as important an activity as it used to be, because today there are so many more qualified applicants than has been the case in the past.
    True    False

 

24. A recruiter should try to limit the number of qualified applicants to two or three for each job opening in order to maximize the chances of finding the right person.
    True    False

 

25. A good recruiting policy to follow is to continue looking for applicants even when there are no current openings on the sales force.
    True    False

 

26. A company’s present sales force is a good source for leads to new recruits.
    True    False

 

27. It is a mistake to try to get good production or office workers to move into a company’s sales force.
    True    False

 

28. It is generally recognized that a company should not recruit sales applicants from competitors’ sales forces.
    True    False

 

29. Regarding recruiting people for sales jobs, the sales reps working for non-competing companies often are a good source of recruits, particularly if they are selling products related to those sold by the recruiting firm.
    True    False

 

30. Graduates of high schools or vocational schools are not good prospects for career selling jobs.
    True    False

 

31. Colleges and universities are especially good recruiting sources for lifetime career sales jobs that are not likely to lead to management positions.
    True    False

 

32. Companies without sales training programs generally should not consider graduating college seniors as a major source of recruits for sales jobs.
    True    False

 

33. The quality of sales-job applicants recruited by advertisements may be raised by careful selection of advertising media and by proper information placed in the advertising copy.
    True    False

 

34. A company should not advertise in trade journals if it is looking for high-caliber salespeople.
    True    False

 

35. Referrals are an infrequently used source of sales recruits.
    True    False

 

36. A primary reason for a company to use web-based recruiting is the low cost.
    True    False

 

37. Companies that are looking for high-caliber salespeople should not use employment agencies as a recruiting source.
    True    False

 

38. Companies should avoid using part-time workers as salespeople.
    True    False

 

39. The percentage of women and minorities in outside sales jobs is far below the percentage in the total population.
    True    False

 

40. A company should not recruit salespeople who are presently employed by its customers.
    True    False

 

41. Sales force selection is most closely related to the _______ stage of the management process.
    A. Implementation.
    B. Evaluation.
    C. Planning.
    D. Auditing.
    E. Company mission.

 

42. Some of the demographic changes that will impact the sales force of the future include all of the following except:
    A. The number of Hispanic workers will increase.
    B. The average age of the working group will decrease.
    C. The number of workers Asian orgin will grow.
    D. The number of white, non-Hispanic will grow.
    E. All of these will impact the sales force of the future.

 

43. Which of the following best illustrates the strategic integration of sales force selection with other aspects of sales force management?
    A. For standardization purposes the company uses the same supervisory techniques on all newly hired reps, regardless of their experience.
    B. Management motivates older salespeople in the same way it motivates newly hired, younger people.
    C. If a company has no sales training program, it should not hire inexperienced students who just graduated from college.
    D. Management furnishes company-owned cars for all of its sales reps.
    E. If a company promotes from within, it should hire older, experienced salespeople.

 

44. According to a survey of a class of marketing students, most students typified selling as:
    A. A career opportunity with ever-increasing opportunities.
    B. Comprised of helpful and informative individuals.
    C. Populated by pushy or obnoxious door-to-door salesman types.
    D. A highly prestigious job for the next century.
    E. An area of marketing they would most like to target for their professional lives.

 

45. The laws and guidelines regarding nondiscrimination emphasize:
    A. Elimination of all existing discriminatory conditions, whether intentional or inadvertent.
    B. Elimination of discriminatory conditions which are only considered intentional.
    C. Only discriminatory conditions pertaining to Afro-Americans.
    D. That the spirit of the law but not the letter of the law be enforced.
    E. None of these.

 

46. The best way for a firm to protect itself from charges of discrimination in its use of recruiting sources is:
    A. To recruit from only one tried and true source.
    B. To recruit from primarily from within the firm.
    C. To recruit from multiple sources.
    D. To recruit primarily experienced reps.
    E. None of these.

 

47. All except one of the following points are reasons why a good program for selecting salespeople is important. Which is the exception?
    A. Good salespeople are hard to find.
    B. A sales manager is no better than his salespeople.
    C. Turnover rates will be lower.
    D. Training and supervision are not needed if sales representatives are well selected.
    E. Well-selected salespeople should be more productive.

 

48. It is important to have a good program for selecting salespeople because:
    A. There is a limited variety of sales jobs.
    B. A good selection job makes it easier to train, supervise, and motivate these salespeople.
    C. Job descriptions are then easier to prepare.
    D. Good sales jobs are scarce.
    E. A lot of qualified people are seeking sales jobs.

 

49. Which of the following is not a cost of doing a poor job of recruiting salespeople:
    A. Commissions paid to an employment agency.
    B. Training costs.
    C. Advertising costs.
    D. Lost sales.
    E. All of these are costs of doing a poor recruiting job.

 

50. An improvement in the sales rep’s selection process should lead to:
    A. A switch to on-the-job training programs.
    B. More salespeople being paid a straight commission.
    C. Fewer sales jobs.
    D. Smaller territories, but better quota systems.
    E. A reduction in the rate of turnover on the sales force.

 

51. With one exception, all of the following are reasons why good sales force selection is important. Which one is the exception?
    A. There is a scarcity of qualified salespeople.
    B. Good selection reduces the dollar volume of lost sales caused by poor salespeople.
    C. Good sales managers can overcome any weaknesses or problems caused by poor sales force selection.
    D. Good selection reduces the direct costs of sales force turnover.
    E. Good selection eases the job of training and supervising a sales force.

 

52. Which of the following is least likely to be the reason that qualified salespeople are in such short supply?
    A. Sales jobs typically don’t pay as well as other jobs.
    B. Selling jobs are hard work.
    C. Many students view selling in a negative way.
    D. Selling does not have as much prestige as do some other careers.
    E. Many people are not aware of the opportunities provided by sales jobs.

 

53. The Civil Rights legislation affecting sales forces is least likely to apply to:
    A. Compensation for men and women.
    B. Methods of supervising the sales force.
    C. Hiring practices.
    D. Promotions from sales jobs to manager’s positions.
    E. Hiring handicapped workers.

 

54. It is critical that a sales manager fully understand the scope of sales force selection activities as stipulated by the EEOC and the OFCC because:
    A. If caught in a discrimination suit, only the sales manager will bear the sole responsibility for the organization and will lose his job.
    B. The burden of proof in a discrimination suit usually rests with the company.
    C. No one but the hiring agent is responsible; therefore it is not critical that the sales manager understand these regulations.
    D. The issue of discrimination has been long debated and resolved.
    E. Discrimination issues are only of concern in the hiring of legal aliens.

 

55. The essence of the legal concept of “affirmative action” in the sales selection process is:
    A. Management must make certain that there is no discrimination in the company’s hiring practices.
    B. A company no longer has to validate its selection processes.
    C. Management must make special, additional efforts to hire and promote women and minority groups who formerly were excluded in the hiring process.
    D. A company cannot use psychological testing in its selection process.
    E. A company must hire a certain quota of blacks and women in the sales force.

 

56. Regarding the legal aspects of sales force selection:
    A. The EEOC hiring requirements apply to all companies regardless of their size.
    B. If the government calls for it, a company has the burden of validating any of its hiring qualifications or selection tools.
    C. Civil-rights legislation does not affect a company’s choice of selection tools.
    D. All of these are true statements.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

57. A good program for selecting salespeople usually excludes:
    A. Determining the hiring qualifications.
    B. Recruiting a group of applicants.
    C. Preparing a job description.
    D. Determining which applicants meet the hiring qualifications.
    E. None of these.

 

58. The process for staffing a sales force include:
    A. Planning for recruiting and selection process.
    B. Recruiting a large number of applications and selecting those most qualified.
    C. Assimilating new hires into the company’s culture.
    D. A and B only.
    E. All of these.

 

59. A good program for selecting salespeople normally will exclude:
    A. Checking applicants’ references by telephone.
    B. Analyzing personal histories of past salespeople.
    C. Interviewing an applicant’s spouse.
    D. Interviewing present salespeople as a step in preparing a job description.
    E. None of these.

 

60. Regarding the number of sales reps that a company needs to hire:
    A. Management should hire many more than are needed with the intent of weeding out poor performers as time goes by.
    B. Changing the channels-of-distribution structure in a region does not affect the number of reps needed in that region.
    C. Substituting a telemarketing program for 50 percent of the in-person sales calls has no affect on the size of the sales force.
    D. A company should hire only the number needed.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

61. All of the following issues should be considered when determining how many sales reps is needed in the sales organization except:
    A. The status of the different channels of distribution.
    B. Planned territorial expansions and reductions.
    C. Promotions out of the sales force.
    D. Expected retirements, terminations, and resignations.
    E. All of these.

 

62. If a company plans to increase the extent to which it practices relationship marketing versus transaction marketing with its current customers, this is likely to:
    A. Decrease the number of reps it will need.
    B. Have no impact on the number of reps it will need.
    C. Increase the number of telemarketers it will need.
    D. Increase the number of reps it will need.
    E. Increase the number of calls a rep can make in a day.

 

63. The most important single tool used in operating a sales force is a:
    A. Sales forecast.
    B. Job description for a sales job.
    C. Series of employment interviews.
    D. Sales force organizational structure.
    E. Battery of psychological tests.

 

64. In determining what constitutes a given job (a job analysis):
    A. Only someone from the sales organization should compile the information.
    B. The individual conducting this analysis should spend time traveling with several salespeople as they make their sales call.
    C. The experienced sales manager who has already hired many sales reps does not require a written job analysis.
    D. Rarely will observation or multiple interviews be necessary because sales job descriptions are standard text book material.
    E. It is recommended that customers and other executives not be included in the process because it will suggest that the sales organization does not know how to do its job properly.

 

65. With respect to job descriptions for sales jobs:
    A. Don’t put it in writing because that tends to make it inflexible.
    B. They don’t have much relevance beyond the selection function in sales force management.
    C. The shorter it is, the better it is.
    D. A separate description should be prepared for each type of sales job in a firm.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

66. A good job description usually explains:
    A. The steps to take in preparing a job analysis.
    B. To whom the salesperson reports.
    C. The tasks to be performed by the rep in the job.
    D. All of these.
    E. Only two of A-B-C are correct.

 

67. The job description for a certain sales job is not likely to be used for:
    A. Forecasting sales in a salesperson’s territory.
    B. Determining the content of a sales training program.
    C. Evaluating a sales representative’s performance.
    D. Designing a sales compensation plan.
    E. Setting quotas for a salesperson.

 

68. A job description for salespeople is least likely to be used when:
    A. Establishing a territorial structure for the sales force.
    B. Determining the company’s sales potential in new markets.
    C. Establishing a sales training program.
    D. Deciding on the method of supervising the salespeople.
    E. Designing an expense-payment plan for salespeople.

 

69. The appropriate hiring criteria can:
    A. Help design the job analysis.
    B. Help avoid misplacement.
    C. Be derived from selection tools.
    D. Be easily determined.
    E. All of these.

 

70. According to the text, future selection criteria for salespeople are likely to include the following.
    A. Great team-player and high computer literacy.
    B. Multi-media skills and highly independent.
    C. Great closer and works well under pressure.
    D. All of these.
    E. None of these.

 

71. According to the text, the most difficult part of the sales force selection function is:
    A. Determining how many salespeople are needed.
    B. Preparing a job description.
    C. Deciding on which recruiting sources to use.
    D. Determining the qualifications needed to fill the job.
    E. Developing a guided interview form.

 

72. Regarding the difficulty of determining hiring qualifications for a sales job:
    A. A rep who fails in one territory is not likely to do well in another area.
    B. Traits that make for success in selling are easy to identify, but difficult to measure.
    C. Desirable hiring qualifications for sales jobs, once identified, usually are easy to measure.
    D. None of these is correct.

 

73. Regarding the selection of salespeople and their past experience:
    A. A sales rep who fails in one sales territory will more than likely fail in a different sales territory.
    B. A sales rep who fails in one company will often succeed in a sales position with another company.
    C. A salesperson who was fired from a sales position with another company should never be hired.
    D. None of these are true.

 

74. Which of the following areas of hiring qualifications may pose legal problems for a company?
    A. Age or appearance.
    B. Educational level attained.
    C. Personality traits.
    D. Membership in organizations or home ownership.
    E. Any or all of these may have legal pitfalls.

 

75. The following traits/ability relationships are true except:
    A. Sense of skepticism – ability to be innovative
    B. Ego strength – ability to handle rejection
    C. Sociable – ability to build relationships
    D. Sense of urgency – ability to complete the sale
    E. Assertiveness – ability to be firm in negotiations

 

76. One useful method for determining the qualifications needed in a sales job is to:
    A. Hire only experienced salespeople.
    B. Use a merit-rating sheet.
    C. Let the field sales managers do the bulk of the interviewing.
    D. Give the applicants a battery of psychological tests.
    E. Analyze conditions existing in the backgrounds of people who were unsuccessful in their sales jobs with your company.

 

77. A company seeking a set of qualifications for new salespeople would use which of the following?
    A. Average qualifications of all current salespeople.
    B. A minimum of a B.S. degree.
    C. Qualifications related to successful salespeople’s qualifications at the time of hiring.
    D. Qualification of the middle one-third of the sales force.
    E. A minimum of five year’s sales experience.

 

78. The general theory underlying the use of personal history analyses in sales force selection is that:
    A. They are easy and inexpensive to conduct.
    B. If a firm finds some traits present in good sales reps and absent in poor ones, it is presumed that these are some of the traits required for success in the job.
    C. There are no other methods which can be used to determine desirable traits required for success in the job.
    D. Only the traits uncovered in these analyses are important in a sales job.
    E. All of these are correct.

 

79. To determine the qualifications needed to fill a sales job, management is least likely to use an analysis of:
    A. Organizational structure used in the sales department.
    B. The job description.
    C. Personal histories of past and present sales representatives.
    D. Exit interviews.
    E. What factors caused salespeople to fail.

 

80. All of the following are used to develop a profile of the successful salesperson except:
    A. Marital status and number of children living at home which measures personal flexibility.
    B. Employment selection records which register application blanks and interview results.
    C. Progress of sales ability which could include criteria such as sales volume percent of sales quota attained, gross margin, and missionary selling activities.
    D. General appearance ratings of neatness and appropriate dress for use in measuring personality traits.
    E. Differences between good and poor performances in such qualifications as age at time of hiring, previous sales experience, or level of education.

 

81. Which one of the following statements is true?
    A. The candidate recruited for team selling should have the same characteristics as those for any other sales position.
    B. Candidates for team selling must be very independent.
    C. Sales team are formulated with several current salespeople, so recruiting is not an issue.
    D. Candidates for sales teams need some characteristics that are different than those for solo sales positions.
    E. Candidates for team selling should the same characteristics as those recruited for solo same positions as well as some additional characteristics.

 

82. A trait that is considered important to be successful in a team selling situation is:
    A. Self-sufficiency
    B. Need to control
    C. Willingness to share
    D. Independence
    E. Need for autonomy.

 

83. Which of the following best represents the recruiting process in sales force selection?
    A. Determining traits possessed by successful salespeople in the firm.
    B. Securing individuals who will apply for a sales job.
    C. Assimilating applicants into the sales force.
    D. Multiple interviewing of applicants.
    E. Promoting people from within the company.

 

84. As defined in the book, recruiting would include all of the following activities, except for:
    A. Deciding what recruiting methods to use.
    B. Designing an application blank and interviewing forms.
    C. Deciding what recruiting sources will be used.
    D. Selecting the schools to visit in college recruiting.
    E. Analyzing past recruiting efforts to determine where we found our successful salespeople.

 

85. Regarding the relationship between sales force recruiting and strategic planning:
    A. The statement of a company’s mission usually is an indication of what recruiting sources will be used by that firm.
    B. Recruiting activities can be an important element in implementing the strategic planning.
    C. Recruiting should guide the planning process.
    D. Strategic marketing planning and sales force recruiting are not related.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

86. Which of the following best describes the relationship between sales force recruiting and strategic planning?
    A. The sales and marketing strategies in a firm should be a significant influence on that company’s choice of recruiting sources.
    B. The recruiting sources determine what the marketing strategies will be.
    C. The recruiting sources determine what the sales force strategies will be.
    D. If the strategic planning calls for using experienced salespeople, then the company should recruit graduating college seniors.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

87. Sales force recruiting in a company becomes more important as:
    A. There is an increase in the number of salespeople needed in that company.
    B. The rate of turnover declines in the sales force.
    C. The company lowers the prices on its products.
    D. There is a decline in the quality level of sales representatives needed.
    E. A firm cuts back on the size of its sales force, and uses more wholesaling middlemen.

 

88. Recruiting, which includes all activities involved in securing individuals who will apply for a particular sales job includes:
    A. Actual selection process by exclusive means of interviews.
    B. The development of a list of potential recruits the instant a new position becomes available and not before.
    C. Programs aimed at reducing the cost of the recruiting activity as the number of better quality applicants become available.
    D. Becoming proactive in the recruiting efforts as the costs of selecting and maintaining good salespeople increases.
    E. Discarding files on all potential recruits once a selection has been made because of the rapid placement of salespeople.

 

89. The importance of a well-planned program for recruiting salespeople is increasing because:
    A. It is difficult to attract good people into the sales field.
    B. Firms are tending to rely more on middlemen to reach the markets.
    C. Interviewing is becoming more expensive.
    D. Selection tools have a low level of predictability.
    E. Improvements in electronic data processing equipment are providing executives with better tools for managerial control.

 

90. The probability of hiring ineffective salespeople increases when a company selects from:
    A. A very large group of applicants.
    B. People working within the firm.
    C. Competitors’ sales forces.
    D. A very small group of applicants.
    E. Older people who have been selling for many years.

 

91. What are the common mistake(s) made by firms recruiting salespeople at universities?
    A. Failure to identify selection criteria.
    B. Attending job fairs instead of recruiting.
    C. Emphasizing job specifications which are not important to the students.
    D. Providing internships.
    E. All of these.

 

92. A good philosophy to follow in recruiting salespeople is:
    A. Use as few sources as possible to save time and money.
    B. Contact your recruiting sources only when you need new sales representatives.
    C. The greater the number of qualified applicants you put through the selection process, the greater is your chance of finding the right person.
    D. If you have a good job description and a good set of hiring qualifications, it doesn’t much matter what recruiting sources you use.
    E. Avoid recruiting inexperienced people.

 

93. Management should recruit many more applicants than it has sales jobs to fill because:
    A. Turnover rates are increasing.
    B. Costs of training of supervision are increasing.
    C. This reduces the number of applicants available for competitors to hire.
    D. This will maximize the chances of finding the best people for the jobs.
    E. None of these, because the original statement is incorrect.

 

94. Which of the following is the most accurate generalization regarding the recruitment and selection of a sales force?
    A. The process involves two major steps – recruit a group of applicants and then decide for which sales jobs they’re best suited.
    B. A good recruiting system operates continuously, and not just when vacancies occur.
    C. Recruiting should be limited to one or two good sources.
    D. You should not recruit more applicants than there are jobs to fill.
    E. Top management should be involved in all stages of the process.

 

95. An advantage of using a company’s present salespeople as a source of leads to new recruits is that the present sales force:
    A. Will not recommend friends or business associates.
    B. Will use impartial, objective evaluation of the prospect’s qualifications.
    C. Are likely to know what sort of person our firm is seeking.
    D. Will not recommend unqualified people.
    E. Will not be bothered if management weeds out these recruits later in the selection process.

 

96. With respect to sales force recruiting activities, the present salespeople:
    A. Should not be involved in recruiting.
    B. Should not be told that the company is hiring new people because this information might make the present sales reps worry about their job.
    C. Can be an excellent source of leads to new recruits.
    D. Should be encouraged to spend more time on recruiting and less time on selling, for the long-run benefit of the company.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

97. Regarding referrals as a source of sales recruits, all of the following are true except:
    A. Referrals usually come from someone who works for the company.
    B. Companies usually get too many of them.
    C. Current salespeople are a good source of referrals.
    D. Recruits who come from referrals usually have the necessary qualifications.
    E. All the above are correct.

 

98. Regarding referrals as a source of sales recruits:
    A. Some companies incentivize their employees for making qualified referrals.
    B. Most companies get more than enough referrals.
    C. Most referrals come from non-employees.
    D. Most referrals are not qualified.
    E. None of these are true.

 

99. When a company has a policy of “promoting from within” probably the best source of sales recruits for that firm is:
    A. Colleges and universities.
    B. Competitors.
    C. Companies marketing related products.
    D. Employment agencies.
    E. Production or office employees in that firm.

 

100. One advantage of recruiting sales representatives from within the company is that these people:
     A. Are likely to be technically acquainted with the product, and are familiar with the company’s policies and philosophies.
     B. Will not require any further training.
     C. Can be paid less money than recruits from outside.
     D. Can go immediately into the field and sell.
     E. Know the market better than do recruits from other sources.

 

101. With respect to recruiting our salespeople from other companies:
     A. It is unethical to hire a competitor’s sales rep.
     B. Experienced salespeople from other companies will not require training by our firm.
     C. This assures us of getting top quality recruits.
     D. These people may have acquired some bad habits while selling for other companies.
     E. These people are excellent sources only if you can offer them an opportunity to eventually move into a management position.

 

102. One feature of recruiting sales reps from non-competing firms is that:
     A. Presumably they have demonstrated their sales ability.
     B. This source will not antagonize other firms.
     C. It is unethical to use this source.
     D. This source does not involve any recruiting expense.
     E. These people will not require any training.

 

103. The recruiting source that provides people who are most ready to sell your products is:
     A. Production workers in your firm.
     B. Graduating college seniors.
     C. Your customers.
     D. Noncompeting companies.
     E. Your competitors.

 

104. An advantage of hiring competitors’ sales representatives is that these people:
     A. Do not entail any recruiting expense.
     B. Are likely to be well acquainted with the product and the market.
     C. Will not require any training.
     D. Will have a high degree of loyalty to your firm.
     E. Will bring their old customers to the new employer.

 

105. Ethical considerations are most likely to arise when our recruiting source for salespeople is:
     A. Plant or office workers in our firm.
     B. Employment agencies.
     C. Noncompetitive firms selling products related to ours.
     D. Colleges and universities.
     E. Competitor’s sales forces.

 

106. Regarding web-based recruiting:
     A. It results in a higher quality candidate than most other methods.
     B. The cost of obtaining resumes is very low.
     C. The cost of qualifying the applicants is very low
     D. The candidate usually doesn’t know anything about the company
     E. It produces a lower number of applicants than most other methods.

 

107. Regarding Internet recruiting sites:
     A. These are very expensive for companies to use.
     B. These sites contain lots of resumes, but not many job listings.
     C. These sites are non-profit human resource databases.
     D. Large, well-known companies do not post jobs on these sites.
     E. All of these are true.

 

108. If a company has no sales training program, its major source of sales recruits is least likely to be:
     A. Within the company.
     B. Competitors.
     C. Customers.
     D. College graduating classes.
     E. Other companies selling related products.

 

109. Which of the following conditions is most likely to attract the largest number of qualified graduating college students into a sales job?
     A. The job provides advancement opportunities.
     B. The salary offered.
     C. The product being sold is in the growth stage of its life cycle.
     D. The company’s training program.
     E. The recruiter is very personable.

 

110. Regarding colleges and universities, they are a good recruiting source because of all of the following except:
     A. The recruiter can interview many candidates in one location.
     B. There isn’t any charge for the use of their placement services.
     C. Company representatives can speak to classes and student organizations.
     D. It is a good source for companies that are hiring experienced candidates.
     E. All of these are true.

 

111. A disadvantage of using graduating college students as a recruiting source for sales jobs is that these people often:
     A. Bear an unfavorable attitude and impression toward the field of selling.
     B. Do not have the perseverance needed in selling.
     C. Lack the necessary social graces.
     D. Are not as adaptable as more experienced salespeople.
     E. Do not have the background to enter a training program.

 

112. Regarding the use of advertisements to recruit applicants for sales jobs, we usually find that:
     A. Most recruiting ads are seeking high-caliber salespeople for challenging jobs.
     B. Ads are the main recruiting source used for most sales jobs.
     C. Ads ordinarily produce a small number of applicants.
     D. The per capita cost of reaching recruits is high.
     E. None of these generally is true.

 

113. To be effective, an ad recruiting salespeople must:
     A. State the company’s name.
     B. Give some information about the pay plan.
     C. Have credibility.
     D. Mention some hiring qualifications.
     E. Tell the prospective applicants what they will be selling.

 

114. To be effective, any ad that is recruiting salespeople must:
     A. Include some information on the pay plan.
     B. First attract a reader’s attention.
     C. Tell what territory the rep will be working in.
     D. State the company’s name.
     E. Give some information about the hiring qualifications.

 

115. As a sales force recruiting source, employment agencies:
     A. Are a frequently used source for sales recruits.
     B. Typically generate very few applicants.
     C. Run by the federal or state governments are good sources for high-caliber salespeople.
     D. None of these.

 

116. Regarding the use of part-time salespeople:
     A. The use of these reps is decreasing as companies build full-time sales forces.
     B. One problem with these people is that they are difficult to contact.
     C. They are not flexible in their availability.
     D. Companies should not use part-time reps for promotional types of selling.
     E. None of these is correct.

 

117. With respect to hiring minorities for sales jobs:
     A. The percentage of minority people in outside selling jobs is lower than the minority percentage of the total population.
     B. There aren’t any particular sources for recruiting minorities.
     C. Minorities typically are not recruited for non-selling jobs in a marketing department.
     D. For most sales jobs, there is a large number of minority applicants.
     E. None of these is correct.

 

118. Regarding the situation of hiring minorities for sales jobs:
     A. There usually are more minority people in the sales department of a firm than in any other department.
     B. The pressure to hire minority sales reps is likely to decline quite a bit through the next decade.
     C. Minorities generally have a strong interest in one selling.
     D. There is a shortage of experienced minority applicants for sales jobs.
     E. It usually is easier to recruit minorities for non-selling jobs.

 

119. Which of the following factors is likely to have the least influence on a company’s choice of recruiting sources for salespeople?
     A. The nature of the product being sold.
     B. The type of sales training provided by the company.
     C. Sources of successful recruits in the past.
     D. The amount of money available for recruiting.
     E. The interviewing in the hiring process is done both by executives in the home office and by branch managers.

 

120. Which of the following statements is not true?
     A. If a firm hires salespeople only from within the firm and the firm employs predominantly white males, then the firm is not liable in discrimination charges.
     B. The federal legislation prohibits discrimination based on age, race, religion, sex, or national origin.
     C. Affirmative action is meant to protect minorities, veterans, and handicapped persons.
     D. If a firm uses sources that have few people from the protected classes, this in itself may be a basis for a discrimination charge.
     E. The easiest way for a firm to protect itself from discrimination charges is to recruit from multiple sources.

 

 

 

c5 Key

1. Recruiting is difficult because only 1 in 100 candidates qualified.
   FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #1
 

2. The sales force selection process should be easier in the 2000s because there is a much greater supply of qualified applicants than has been available in the past.
   FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #2
 

3. A good selection process can improve the company’s profitability by reducing turnover cost.
   TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #3
 

4. The laws and guidelines regarding affirmative action require employers to make additional efforts to recruit, employ, and promote qualified members of groups formerly excluded.
   TRUE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #4
 

5. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations regarding hiring salespeople apply only to firms with 25 or more employees.’
   TRUE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #5
 

6. Regarding the law and sales force selection, the burden of proof generally rests with the company to show that it is complying with the regulations.
   TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #6
 

7. When a sales executive designs a good program for screening and selecting people, that executive has fulfilled his or her responsibility for staffing the sales force.
   FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #7
 

8. Discrimnation charges can be based primarily on the sources that are used to recruit salespeople.
   TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #8
 

9. The easiest way a firm can protect itself against discrimination charges with regard to the sources fir its recruiting is to recruit from the same source all of the time.
   FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #9
 

10. Not all companies should use team-building as part of their recruiting criteria.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #10
 

11. It is a good policy for a company to hire significantly more sales reps than is needed, with the intent of weeding out the poor performers as time goes by.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #11
 

12. Planned decreases in marketing expenditures may indirectly affect the number of salespeople need.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #12
 

13. The hiring process should not require that a hiring agent convince the applicant that the company offers good opportunities because the applicant should already know this.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #13
 

14. The job description is only useful for companies which are recruiting continuously.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #14
 

15. A job description is probably the most important single tool used in operating a sales force.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #15
 

16. A job description is critically important as part of the selection process, but normally it is not used in other areas of running a sales force.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #16
 

17. A well prepared description will usually include “job demands” such as the amount of travel, autonomy and stress, and the duties and responsibilities related to the job.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #17
 

18. When preparing a job analysis for sales positions, a company should include its sales reps among those being interviewed.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #18
 

19. Determining the qualifications needed to fill a sales job is one of the easier parts of the selection function.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #19
 

20. A personal history analysis usually is better adapted for use by a firm with a large sales force that has been in business for several years rather than for newer companies with small sales forces.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #20
 

21. Emotional intelligence is primarily related to the ability of salespeople to solve problems.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #21
 

22. Willingness to take risks is related to the salesperson’s ability to be innovative.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #22
 

23. Recruiting applicants for sales jobs is not as important an activity as it used to be, because today there are so many more qualified applicants than has been the case in the past.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #23
 

24. A recruiter should try to limit the number of qualified applicants to two or three for each job opening in order to maximize the chances of finding the right person.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #24
 

25. A good recruiting policy to follow is to continue looking for applicants even when there are no current openings on the sales force.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #25
 

26. A company’s present sales force is a good source for leads to new recruits.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #26
 

27. It is a mistake to try to get good production or office workers to move into a company’s sales force.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #27
 

28. It is generally recognized that a company should not recruit sales applicants from competitors’ sales forces.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #28
 

29. Regarding recruiting people for sales jobs, the sales reps working for non-competing companies often are a good source of recruits, particularly if they are selling products related to those sold by the recruiting firm.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #29
 

30. Graduates of high schools or vocational schools are not good prospects for career selling jobs.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #30
 

31. Colleges and universities are especially good recruiting sources for lifetime career sales jobs that are not likely to lead to management positions.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #31
 

32. Companies without sales training programs generally should not consider graduating college seniors as a major source of recruits for sales jobs.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #32
 

33. The quality of sales-job applicants recruited by advertisements may be raised by careful selection of advertising media and by proper information placed in the advertising copy.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #33
 

34. A company should not advertise in trade journals if it is looking for high-caliber salespeople.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #34
 

35. Referrals are an infrequently used source of sales recruits.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #35
 

36. A primary reason for a company to use web-based recruiting is the low cost.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #36
 

37. Companies that are looking for high-caliber salespeople should not use employment agencies as a recruiting source.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #37
 

38. Companies should avoid using part-time workers as salespeople.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #38
 

39. The percentage of women and minorities in outside sales jobs is far below the percentage in the total population.
    TRUE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #39
 

40. A company should not recruit salespeople who are presently employed by its customers.
    FALSE

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #40
 

41. Sales force selection is most closely related to the _______ stage of the management process.
    A.Implementation.
    B. Evaluation.
    C. Planning.
    D. Auditing.
    E. Company mission.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #41
 

42. Some of the demographic changes that will impact the sales force of the future include all of the following except:
    A.The number of Hispanic workers will increase.
    B. The average age of the working group will decrease.
    C. The number of workers Asian orgin will grow.
    D. The number of white, non-Hispanic will grow.
    E. All of these will impact the sales force of the future.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #42
 

43. Which of the following best illustrates the strategic integration of sales force selection with other aspects of sales force management?
    A.For standardization purposes the company uses the same supervisory techniques on all newly hired reps, regardless of their experience.
    B. Management motivates older salespeople in the same way it motivates newly hired, younger people.
    C. If a company has no sales training program, it should not hire inexperienced students who just graduated from college.
    D. Management furnishes company-owned cars for all of its sales reps.
    E. If a company promotes from within, it should hire older, experienced salespeople.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #43
 

44. According to a survey of a class of marketing students, most students typified selling as:
    A.A career opportunity with ever-increasing opportunities.
    B. Comprised of helpful and informative individuals.
    C. Populated by pushy or obnoxious door-to-door salesman types.
    D. A highly prestigious job for the next century.
    E. An area of marketing they would most like to target for their professional lives.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #44
 

45. The laws and guidelines regarding nondiscrimination emphasize:
    A.Elimination of all existing discriminatory conditions, whether intentional or inadvertent.
    B. Elimination of discriminatory conditions which are only considered intentional.
    C. Only discriminatory conditions pertaining to Afro-Americans.
    D. That the spirit of the law but not the letter of the law be enforced.
    E. None of these.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #45
 

46. The best way for a firm to protect itself from charges of discrimination in its use of recruiting sources is:
    A.To recruit from only one tried and true source.
    B. To recruit from primarily from within the firm.
    C. To recruit from multiple sources.
    D. To recruit primarily experienced reps.
    E. None of these.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #46
 

47. All except one of the following points are reasons why a good program for selecting salespeople is important. Which is the exception?
    A.Good salespeople are hard to find.
    B. A sales manager is no better than his salespeople.
    C. Turnover rates will be lower.
    D. Training and supervision are not needed if sales representatives are well selected.
    E. Well-selected salespeople should be more productive.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #47
 

48. It is important to have a good program for selecting salespeople because:
    A.There is a limited variety of sales jobs.
    B. A good selection job makes it easier to train, supervise, and motivate these salespeople.
    C. Job descriptions are then easier to prepare.
    D. Good sales jobs are scarce.
    E. A lot of qualified people are seeking sales jobs.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #48
 

49. Which of the following is not a cost of doing a poor job of recruiting salespeople:
    A.Commissions paid to an employment agency.
    B. Training costs.
    C. Advertising costs.
    D. Lost sales.
    E. All of these are costs of doing a poor recruiting job.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #49
 

50. An improvement in the sales rep’s selection process should lead to:
    A.A switch to on-the-job training programs.
    B. More salespeople being paid a straight commission.
    C. Fewer sales jobs.
    D. Smaller territories, but better quota systems.
    E. A reduction in the rate of turnover on the sales force.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #50
 

51. With one exception, all of the following are reasons why good sales force selection is important. Which one is the exception?
    A.There is a scarcity of qualified salespeople.
    B. Good selection reduces the dollar volume of lost sales caused by poor salespeople.
    C. Good sales managers can overcome any weaknesses or problems caused by poor sales force selection.
    D. Good selection reduces the direct costs of sales force turnover.
    E. Good selection eases the job of training and supervising a sales force.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #51
 

52. Which of the following is least likely to be the reason that qualified salespeople are in such short supply?
    A.Sales jobs typically don’t pay as well as other jobs.
    B. Selling jobs are hard work.
    C. Many students view selling in a negative way.
    D. Selling does not have as much prestige as do some other careers.
    E. Many people are not aware of the opportunities provided by sales jobs.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #52
 

53. The Civil Rights legislation affecting sales forces is least likely to apply to:
    A.Compensation for men and women.
    B. Methods of supervising the sales force.
    C. Hiring practices.
    D. Promotions from sales jobs to manager’s positions.
    E. Hiring handicapped workers.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #53
 

54. It is critical that a sales manager fully understand the scope of sales force selection activities as stipulated by the EEOC and the OFCC because:
    A.If caught in a discrimination suit, only the sales manager will bear the sole responsibility for the organization and will lose his job.
    B. The burden of proof in a discrimination suit usually rests with the company.
    C. No one but the hiring agent is responsible; therefore it is not critical that the sales manager understand these regulations.
    D. The issue of discrimination has been long debated and resolved.
    E. Discrimination issues are only of concern in the hiring of legal aliens.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #54
 

55. The essence of the legal concept of “affirmative action” in the sales selection process is:
    A.Management must make certain that there is no discrimination in the company’s hiring practices.
    B. A company no longer has to validate its selection processes.
    C. Management must make special, additional efforts to hire and promote women and minority groups who formerly were excluded in the hiring process.
    D. A company cannot use psychological testing in its selection process.
    E. A company must hire a certain quota of blacks and women in the sales force.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #55
 

56. Regarding the legal aspects of sales force selection:
    A.The EEOC hiring requirements apply to all companies regardless of their size.
    B. If the government calls for it, a company has the burden of validating any of its hiring qualifications or selection tools.
    C. Civil-rights legislation does not affect a company’s choice of selection tools.
    D. All of these are true statements.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #56
 

57. A good program for selecting salespeople usually excludes:
    A.Determining the hiring qualifications.
    B. Recruiting a group of applicants.
    C. Preparing a job description.
    D. Determining which applicants meet the hiring qualifications.
    E. None of these.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #57
 

58. The process for staffing a sales force include:
    A.Planning for recruiting and selection process.
    B. Recruiting a large number of applications and selecting those most qualified.
    C. Assimilating new hires into the company’s culture.
    D. A and B only.
    E. All of these.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #58
 

59. A good program for selecting salespeople normally will exclude:
    A.Checking applicants’ references by telephone.
    B. Analyzing personal histories of past salespeople.
    C. Interviewing an applicant’s spouse.
    D. Interviewing present salespeople as a step in preparing a job description.
    E. None of these.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #59
 

60. Regarding the number of sales reps that a company needs to hire:
    A.Management should hire many more than are needed with the intent of weeding out poor performers as time goes by.
    B. Changing the channels-of-distribution structure in a region does not affect the number of reps needed in that region.
    C. Substituting a telemarketing program for 50 percent of the in-person sales calls has no affect on the size of the sales force.
    D. A company should hire only the number needed.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #60
 

61. All of the following issues should be considered when determining how many sales reps is needed in the sales organization except:
    A.The status of the different channels of distribution.
    B. Planned territorial expansions and reductions.
    C. Promotions out of the sales force.
    D. Expected retirements, terminations, and resignations.
    E. All of these.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #61
 

62. If a company plans to increase the extent to which it practices relationship marketing versus transaction marketing with its current customers, this is likely to:
    A.Decrease the number of reps it will need.
    B. Have no impact on the number of reps it will need.
    C. Increase the number of telemarketers it will need.
    D. Increase the number of reps it will need.
    E. Increase the number of calls a rep can make in a day.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #62
 

63. The most important single tool used in operating a sales force is a:
    A.Sales forecast.
    B. Job description for a sales job.
    C. Series of employment interviews.
    D. Sales force organizational structure.
    E. Battery of psychological tests.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #63
 

64. In determining what constitutes a given job (a job analysis):
    A.Only someone from the sales organization should compile the information.
    B. The individual conducting this analysis should spend time traveling with several salespeople as they make their sales call.
    C. The experienced sales manager who has already hired many sales reps does not require a written job analysis.
    D. Rarely will observation or multiple interviews be necessary because sales job descriptions are standard text book material.
    E. It is recommended that customers and other executives not be included in the process because it will suggest that the sales organization does not know how to do its job properly.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #64
 

65. With respect to job descriptions for sales jobs:
    A.Don’t put it in writing because that tends to make it inflexible.
    B. They don’t have much relevance beyond the selection function in sales force management.
    C. The shorter it is, the better it is.
    D. A separate description should be prepared for each type of sales job in a firm.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #65
 

66. A good job description usually explains:
    A.The steps to take in preparing a job analysis.
    B. To whom the salesperson reports.
    C. The tasks to be performed by the rep in the job.
    D. All of these.
    E. Only two of A-B-C are correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #66
 

67. The job description for a certain sales job is not likely to be used for:
    A.Forecasting sales in a salesperson’s territory.
    B. Determining the content of a sales training program.
    C. Evaluating a sales representative’s performance.
    D. Designing a sales compensation plan.
    E. Setting quotas for a salesperson.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #67
 

68. A job description for salespeople is least likely to be used when:
    A.Establishing a territorial structure for the sales force.
    B. Determining the company’s sales potential in new markets.
    C. Establishing a sales training program.
    D. Deciding on the method of supervising the salespeople.
    E. Designing an expense-payment plan for salespeople.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #68
 

69. The appropriate hiring criteria can:
    A.Help design the job analysis.
    B. Help avoid misplacement.
    C. Be derived from selection tools.
    D. Be easily determined.
    E. All of these.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #69
 

70. According to the text, future selection criteria for salespeople are likely to include the following.
    A.Great team-player and high computer literacy.
    B. Multi-media skills and highly independent.
    C. Great closer and works well under pressure.
    D. All of these.
    E. None of these.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #70
 

71. According to the text, the most difficult part of the sales force selection function is:
    A.Determining how many salespeople are needed.
    B. Preparing a job description.
    C. Deciding on which recruiting sources to use.
    D. Determining the qualifications needed to fill the job.
    E. Developing a guided interview form.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #71
 

72. Regarding the difficulty of determining hiring qualifications for a sales job:
    A.A rep who fails in one territory is not likely to do well in another area.
    B. Traits that make for success in selling are easy to identify, but difficult to measure.
    C. Desirable hiring qualifications for sales jobs, once identified, usually are easy to measure.
    D. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #72
 

73. Regarding the selection of salespeople and their past experience:
    A.A sales rep who fails in one sales territory will more than likely fail in a different sales territory.
    B. A sales rep who fails in one company will often succeed in a sales position with another company.
    C. A salesperson who was fired from a sales position with another company should never be hired.
    D. None of these are true.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #73
 

74. Which of the following areas of hiring qualifications may pose legal problems for a company?
    A.Age or appearance.
    B. Educational level attained.
    C. Personality traits.
    D. Membership in organizations or home ownership.
    E. Any or all of these may have legal pitfalls.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #74
 

75. The following traits/ability relationships are true except:
    A.Sense of skepticism – ability to be innovative
    B. Ego strength – ability to handle rejection
    C. Sociable – ability to build relationships
    D. Sense of urgency – ability to complete the sale
    E. Assertiveness – ability to be firm in negotiations

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #75
 

76. One useful method for determining the qualifications needed in a sales job is to:
    A.Hire only experienced salespeople.
    B. Use a merit-rating sheet.
    C. Let the field sales managers do the bulk of the interviewing.
    D. Give the applicants a battery of psychological tests.
    E. Analyze conditions existing in the backgrounds of people who were unsuccessful in their sales jobs with your company.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #76
 

77. A company seeking a set of qualifications for new salespeople would use which of the following?
    A.Average qualifications of all current salespeople.
    B. A minimum of a B.S. degree.
    C. Qualifications related to successful salespeople’s qualifications at the time of hiring.
    D. Qualification of the middle one-third of the sales force.
    E. A minimum of five year’s sales experience.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #77
 

78. The general theory underlying the use of personal history analyses in sales force selection is that:
    A.They are easy and inexpensive to conduct.
    B. If a firm finds some traits present in good sales reps and absent in poor ones, it is presumed that these are some of the traits required for success in the job.
    C. There are no other methods which can be used to determine desirable traits required for success in the job.
    D. Only the traits uncovered in these analyses are important in a sales job.
    E. All of these are correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #78
 

79. To determine the qualifications needed to fill a sales job, management is least likely to use an analysis of:
    A.Organizational structure used in the sales department.
    B. The job description.
    C. Personal histories of past and present sales representatives.
    D. Exit interviews.
    E. What factors caused salespeople to fail.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #79
 

80. All of the following are used to develop a profile of the successful salesperson except:
    A.Marital status and number of children living at home which measures personal flexibility.
    B. Employment selection records which register application blanks and interview results.
    C. Progress of sales ability which could include criteria such as sales volume percent of sales quota attained, gross margin, and missionary selling activities.
    D. General appearance ratings of neatness and appropriate dress for use in measuring personality traits.
    E. Differences between good and poor performances in such qualifications as age at time of hiring, previous sales experience, or level of education.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #80
 

81. Which one of the following statements is true?
    A.The candidate recruited for team selling should have the same characteristics as those for any other sales position.
    B. Candidates for team selling must be very independent.
    C. Sales team are formulated with several current salespeople, so recruiting is not an issue.
    D. Candidates for sales teams need some characteristics that are different than those for solo sales positions.
    E. Candidates for team selling should the same characteristics as those recruited for solo same positions as well as some additional characteristics.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #81
 

82. A trait that is considered important to be successful in a team selling situation is:
    A.Self-sufficiency
    B. Need to control
    C. Willingness to share
    D. Independence
    E. Need for autonomy.

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #82
 

83. Which of the following best represents the recruiting process in sales force selection?
    A.Determining traits possessed by successful salespeople in the firm.
    B. Securing individuals who will apply for a sales job.
    C. Assimilating applicants into the sales force.
    D. Multiple interviewing of applicants.
    E. Promoting people from within the company.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #83
 

84. As defined in the book, recruiting would include all of the following activities, except for:
    A.Deciding what recruiting methods to use.
    B. Designing an application blank and interviewing forms.
    C. Deciding what recruiting sources will be used.
    D. Selecting the schools to visit in college recruiting.
    E. Analyzing past recruiting efforts to determine where we found our successful salespeople.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #84
 

85. Regarding the relationship between sales force recruiting and strategic planning:
    A.The statement of a company’s mission usually is an indication of what recruiting sources will be used by that firm.
    B. Recruiting activities can be an important element in implementing the strategic planning.
    C. Recruiting should guide the planning process.
    D. Strategic marketing planning and sales force recruiting are not related.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #85
 

86. Which of the following best describes the relationship between sales force recruiting and strategic planning?
    A.The sales and marketing strategies in a firm should be a significant influence on that company’s choice of recruiting sources.
    B. The recruiting sources determine what the marketing strategies will be.
    C. The recruiting sources determine what the sales force strategies will be.
    D. If the strategic planning calls for using experienced salespeople, then the company should recruit graduating college seniors.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #86
 

87. Sales force recruiting in a company becomes more important as:
    A.There is an increase in the number of salespeople needed in that company.
    B. The rate of turnover declines in the sales force.
    C. The company lowers the prices on its products.
    D. There is a decline in the quality level of sales representatives needed.
    E. A firm cuts back on the size of its sales force, and uses more wholesaling middlemen.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #87
 

88. Recruiting, which includes all activities involved in securing individuals who will apply for a particular sales job includes:
    A.Actual selection process by exclusive means of interviews.
    B. The development of a list of potential recruits the instant a new position becomes available and not before.
    C. Programs aimed at reducing the cost of the recruiting activity as the number of better quality applicants become available.
    D. Becoming proactive in the recruiting efforts as the costs of selecting and maintaining good salespeople increases.
    E. Discarding files on all potential recruits once a selection has been made because of the rapid placement of salespeople.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #88
 

89. The importance of a well-planned program for recruiting salespeople is increasing because:
    A.It is difficult to attract good people into the sales field.
    B. Firms are tending to rely more on middlemen to reach the markets.
    C. Interviewing is becoming more expensive.
    D. Selection tools have a low level of predictability.
    E. Improvements in electronic data processing equipment are providing executives with better tools for managerial control.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #89
 

90. The probability of hiring ineffective salespeople increases when a company selects from:
    A.A very large group of applicants.
    B. People working within the firm.
    C. Competitors’ sales forces.
    D. A very small group of applicants.
    E. Older people who have been selling for many years.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #90
 

91. What are the common mistake(s) made by firms recruiting salespeople at universities?
    A.Failure to identify selection criteria.
    B. Attending job fairs instead of recruiting.
    C. Emphasizing job specifications which are not important to the students.
    D. Providing internships.
    E. All of these.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #91
 

92. A good philosophy to follow in recruiting salespeople is:
    A.Use as few sources as possible to save time and money.
    B. Contact your recruiting sources only when you need new sales representatives.
    C. The greater the number of qualified applicants you put through the selection process, the greater is your chance of finding the right person.
    D. If you have a good job description and a good set of hiring qualifications, it doesn’t much matter what recruiting sources you use.
    E. Avoid recruiting inexperienced people.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #92
 

93. Management should recruit many more applicants than it has sales jobs to fill because:
    A.Turnover rates are increasing.
    B. Costs of training of supervision are increasing.
    C. This reduces the number of applicants available for competitors to hire.
    D. This will maximize the chances of finding the best people for the jobs.
    E. None of these, because the original statement is incorrect.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #93
 

94. Which of the following is the most accurate generalization regarding the recruitment and selection of a sales force?
    A.The process involves two major steps – recruit a group of applicants and then decide for which sales jobs they’re best suited.
    B. A good recruiting system operates continuously, and not just when vacancies occur.
    C. Recruiting should be limited to one or two good sources.
    D. You should not recruit more applicants than there are jobs to fill.
    E. Top management should be involved in all stages of the process.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #94
 

95. An advantage of using a company’s present salespeople as a source of leads to new recruits is that the present sales force:
    A.Will not recommend friends or business associates.
    B. Will use impartial, objective evaluation of the prospect’s qualifications.
    C. Are likely to know what sort of person our firm is seeking.
    D. Will not recommend unqualified people.
    E. Will not be bothered if management weeds out these recruits later in the selection process.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #95
 

96. With respect to sales force recruiting activities, the present salespeople:
    A.Should not be involved in recruiting.
    B. Should not be told that the company is hiring new people because this information might make the present sales reps worry about their job.
    C. Can be an excellent source of leads to new recruits.
    D. Should be encouraged to spend more time on recruiting and less time on selling, for the long-run benefit of the company.
    E. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #96
 

97. Regarding referrals as a source of sales recruits, all of the following are true except:
    A.Referrals usually come from someone who works for the company.
    B. Companies usually get too many of them.
    C. Current salespeople are a good source of referrals.
    D. Recruits who come from referrals usually have the necessary qualifications.
    E. All the above are correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #97
 

98. Regarding referrals as a source of sales recruits:
    A.Some companies incentivize their employees for making qualified referrals.
    B. Most companies get more than enough referrals.
    C. Most referrals come from non-employees.
    D. Most referrals are not qualified.
    E. None of these are true.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #98
 

99. When a company has a policy of “promoting from within” probably the best source of sales recruits for that firm is:
    A.Colleges and universities.
    B. Competitors.
    C. Companies marketing related products.
    D. Employment agencies.
    E. Production or office employees in that firm.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #99
 

100. One advantage of recruiting sales representatives from within the company is that these people:
     A.Are likely to be technically acquainted with the product, and are familiar with the company’s policies and philosophies.
     B. Will not require any further training.
     C. Can be paid less money than recruits from outside.
     D. Can go immediately into the field and sell.
     E. Know the market better than do recruits from other sources.

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #100
 

101. With respect to recruiting our salespeople from other companies:
     A.It is unethical to hire a competitor’s sales rep.
     B. Experienced salespeople from other companies will not require training by our firm.
     C. This assures us of getting top quality recruits.
     D. These people may have acquired some bad habits while selling for other companies.
     E. These people are excellent sources only if you can offer them an opportunity to eventually move into a management position.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #101
 

102. One feature of recruiting sales reps from non-competing firms is that:
     A.Presumably they have demonstrated their sales ability.
     B. This source will not antagonize other firms.
     C. It is unethical to use this source.
     D. This source does not involve any recruiting expense.
     E. These people will not require any training.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #102
 

103. The recruiting source that provides people who are most ready to sell your products is:
     A.Production workers in your firm.
     B. Graduating college seniors.
     C. Your customers.
     D. Noncompeting companies.
     E. Your competitors.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #103
 

104. An advantage of hiring competitors’ sales representatives is that these people:
     A.Do not entail any recruiting expense.
     B. Are likely to be well acquainted with the product and the market.
     C. Will not require any training.
     D. Will have a high degree of loyalty to your firm.
     E. Will bring their old customers to the new employer.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #104
 

105. Ethical considerations are most likely to arise when our recruiting source for salespeople is:
     A.Plant or office workers in our firm.
     B. Employment agencies.
     C. Noncompetitive firms selling products related to ours.
     D. Colleges and universities.
     E. Competitor’s sales forces.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #105
 

106. Regarding web-based recruiting:
     A.It results in a higher quality candidate than most other methods.
     B. The cost of obtaining resumes is very low.
     C. The cost of qualifying the applicants is very low
     D. The candidate usually doesn’t know anything about the company
     E. It produces a lower number of applicants than most other methods.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #106
 

107. Regarding Internet recruiting sites:
     A.These are very expensive for companies to use.
     B. These sites contain lots of resumes, but not many job listings.
     C. These sites are non-profit human resource databases.
     D. Large, well-known companies do not post jobs on these sites.
     E. All of these are true.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #107
 

108. If a company has no sales training program, its major source of sales recruits is least likely to be:
     A.Within the company.
     B. Competitors.
     C. Customers.
     D. College graduating classes.
     E. Other companies selling related products.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #108
 

109. Which of the following conditions is most likely to attract the largest number of qualified graduating college students into a sales job?
     A.The job provides advancement opportunities.
     B. The salary offered.
     C. The product being sold is in the growth stage of its life cycle.
     D. The company’s training program.
     E. The recruiter is very personable.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #109
 

110. Regarding colleges and universities, they are a good recruiting source because of all of the following except:
     A.The recruiter can interview many candidates in one location.
     B. There isn’t any charge for the use of their placement services.
     C. Company representatives can speak to classes and student organizations.
     D. It is a good source for companies that are hiring experienced candidates.
     E. All of these are true.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #110
 

111. A disadvantage of using graduating college students as a recruiting source for sales jobs is that these people often:
     A.Bear an unfavorable attitude and impression toward the field of selling.
     B. Do not have the perseverance needed in selling.
     C. Lack the necessary social graces.
     D. Are not as adaptable as more experienced salespeople.
     E. Do not have the background to enter a training program.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #111
 

112. Regarding the use of advertisements to recruit applicants for sales jobs, we usually find that:
     A.Most recruiting ads are seeking high-caliber salespeople for challenging jobs.
     B. Ads are the main recruiting source used for most sales jobs.
     C. Ads ordinarily produce a small number of applicants.
     D. The per capita cost of reaching recruits is high.
     E. None of these generally is true.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #112
 

113. To be effective, an ad recruiting salespeople must:
     A.State the company’s name.
     B. Give some information about the pay plan.
     C. Have credibility.
     D. Mention some hiring qualifications.
     E. Tell the prospective applicants what they will be selling.

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #113
 

114. To be effective, any ad that is recruiting salespeople must:
     A.Include some information on the pay plan.
     B. First attract a reader’s attention.
     C. Tell what territory the rep will be working in.
     D. State the company’s name.
     E. Give some information about the hiring qualifications.

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #114
 

115. As a sales force recruiting source, employment agencies:
     A.Are a frequently used source for sales recruits.
     B. Typically generate very few applicants.
     C. Run by the federal or state governments are good sources for high-caliber salespeople.
     D. None of these.

 

Difficulty: Easy
Spiro – Chapter 005 #115
 

116. Regarding the use of part-time salespeople:
     A.The use of these reps is decreasing as companies build full-time sales forces.
     B. One problem with these people is that they are difficult to contact.
     C. They are not flexible in their availability.
     D. Companies should not use part-time reps for promotional types of selling.
     E. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #116
 

117. With respect to hiring minorities for sales jobs:
     A.The percentage of minority people in outside selling jobs is lower than the minority percentage of the total population.
     B. There aren’t any particular sources for recruiting minorities.
     C. Minorities typically are not recruited for non-selling jobs in a marketing department.
     D. For most sales jobs, there is a large number of minority applicants.
     E. None of these is correct.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #117
 

118. Regarding the situation of hiring minorities for sales jobs:
     A.There usually are more minority people in the sales department of a firm than in any other department.
     B. The pressure to hire minority sales reps is likely to decline quite a bit through the next decade.
     C. Minorities generally have a strong interest in one selling.
     D. There is a shortage of experienced minority applicants for sales jobs.
     E. It usually is easier to recruit minorities for non-selling jobs.

 

Difficulty: Medium
Spiro – Chapter 005 #118
 

119. Which of the following factors is likely to have the least influence on a company’s choice of recruiting sources for salespeople?
     A.The nature of the product being sold.
     B. The type of sales training provided by the company.
     C. Sources of successful recruits in the past.
     D. The amount of money available for recruiting.
     E. The interviewing in the hiring process is done both by executives in the home office and by branch managers.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #119
 

120. Which of the following statements is not true?
     A.If a firm hires salespeople only from within the firm and the firm employs predominantly white males, then the firm is not liable in discrimination charges.
     B. The federal legislation prohibits discrimination based on age, race, religion, sex, or national origin.
     C. Affirmative action is meant to protect minorities, veterans, and handicapped persons.
     D. If a firm uses sources that have few people from the protected classes, this in itself may be a basis for a discrimination charge.
     E. The easiest way for a firm to protect itself from discrimination charges is to recruit from multiple sources.

 

Difficulty: Hard
Spiro – Chapter 005 #120
 

 

 

c5 Summary

Category	# of Questions
Difficulty: Easy	29
Difficulty: Hard	14
Difficulty: Medium	77
Spiro – Chapter 005	120