Selling Skills Test

Selling Skills Test

Which of the following statements is/are true?

i) Negotiations are invariably a zero-sum game.

ii) Developing a rapport is detrimental to negotiations.

a. Both (i) and (ii) are true.

b. Only (i) is true.

c. Only (ii) is true.

d. Neither is true.

Which of the following is NOT a direct benefit of introducing a loyalty card scheme?

a. More detailed information about customer purchases.

b. Increased probability of repeat business.

c. Targeted discounts may increase sales.

d. Reduced administrative overhead.

Which of the following characterizes a cold-calling approach to sales?

a. A low number of approaches with a low hit-rate.

b. A low number of approaches with a high hit-rate.

c. A high number of approaches with a low hit-rate.

d. A high number of approaches with a high hit-rate.

A small independent retailer needing to stock low volumes of a broad range of products would source its stock _________.

a. from a larger retailer

b. direct from factories

c. from a wholesaler

d. through catalogues

The term 'Sales Intelligence' (SI) refers to:

a. monitoring the abilities of the sales team.

b. customers’ ability to identify bargains.

c. performance data about sales.

d. choosing the best moment at which to discount products.

Retailers often used automated 'stock-management' systems to:

a. ensure stock is replenished when required by monitoring sales information.

b. organize where goods will be stored in a warehouse.

c. monitor whether perishable goods are still in saleable condition.

d. ensure the amount of a product being stored is maximized.

Which of the following statements is/are true?

i) The demographics of the target market should not affect a company's decision about whether to adopt an 'Internet-only' sales approach.

ii) Customer perception of the security of internet-based transactions does not affect sales volumes.

a. Both (i) and (ii) are true.

b. Only (i) is true.

c. Only (ii) is true.

d. Neither is true.

Shopping has become a popular recreational activity. Which of the following facilities often provided in shopping malls does NOT reflect this?

a. Cinemas

b. Food outlets

c. Bowling alleys

d. Banks

Which of the following would be important to a company that relies heavily on repeat business?

i) Quality control of products

ii) A narrow range of products

iii) Effective after-sales service

a. None of the above

b. i only

c. ii only

d. iii only

e. i and ii only

f.  i and Hi only

g. ii and iii only

h. All of the above

Which of the following is NOT a valid reason for a firm to implement a price reduction?

a. Drive to dominate the market through lower costs

b. Distinct market segments

c. Declining market share

d. Excess plant capacity

Which of the following is NOT a sales manager's role?

a. Staff management

b. Product design

c. Performance monitoring

d. Sales planning

Which of the following lists the stages in the Product Life Cycle in the correct order?

a. Introduction stage, Market decline stage, Market maturity stage, Market growth stage b. Market growth stage, Market maturity stage, Introduction stage, Market decline stage c. Introduction stage, Market growth stage, Market maturity stage, Market decline stage d. Market decline stage, Introduction stage, Market growth stage, Market maturity stage

The term 'positive elasticity of demand' relates to goods:

a. for which sales volume is highly-sensitive to marketing activities.

b. for which sales are strongly affected by price changes.

c. which attract a premium due to perceived environmental friendliness.

d. for which a higher price can increase demand.

Which of the following items would be less suitable for sale directly over the Internet?

a. Mobile phones

b. Cars

c. Flights

d. Books

Which of the following statements is/are true?

i) With 'Consultative selling' the emphasis is on offering tailored solutions.

ii) 'Consultative selling' works best with low-cost high-volume products

a. Both (i) and (ii) are true.

b. Only (i) is-true.

c. Only (ii) is true.

d. Neither is true.

Total 'sales variance' is determined by adding sales ________ variance and sales _________ variance.

a. volume , type.

b. type , price.

c. price , volume.

d. factor , type.

Break-even analysis helps a company determine the volume of sales at which the total revenue will equal the _________.

a. fixed costs

b. total costs

c. variable costs

d. opportunity costs

Put the following stages of a negotiation into a chronological order:

i) Closing and commitment

ii) Preparation

iii) Bargaining

iv) Information exchange

a. i, iii, ii, iv

b. iii, iv, ii, i

d. iv, ii, i, iii

The term ‘marginal cost’ refers to additional __________ costs.

a. average total

b. indirect

c. social

d. fixed

e. variable

Which of the following statements is/are true?

i) All customers should be given the same level of customer service for a given product.

ii) Customer service is cost-neutral.

a. Both (i) and (ii) are true.

b. Only (i) is true.

c. Only (ii) is true.

d. Neither is true.

Which of the following terms denotes the task of deciding which customers will get scarce products where demand outstrips supply?

a. Allocating

b. Delivering

c. Targeting

d. Distributing

To which of the following does the expression 'bait and switch' refer?

a. Where customers bid competitively for an item.

b. Where a product is apparently offered at a low price, but customers are actually offered an

c. Where customers are delivered a different product from what they ordered at the same price

d. Where customers have to purchase a second product in order to get the one they want

Which of the following is/are a/the source/s of management information for a retailer?

i) Data recorded by cash tills

ii) Purchases made using loyalty cards

iii) Customer surveys

a. None of the above

b. i, only

c. ii only

d. iii only

e. i and ii only

f.  i and iii only

g. is and iii only

h. All of the above

Which of the following consequences is/are associated with an aggressive, oppositional negotiating technique?

i) A lower profit margin.

ii) Reduced repeat business.

iii) The sale of a product that matches the customer's requirements.

a. None of the above

b. i only

c. ii only

d. iii only

e. i and ii only

f. i and iii only

g. ii and iii only

h. All of the above

Which of the following consequences is/are associated with an aggressive, oppositional negotiating technique?

i) A lower profit margin.

ii) Reduced repeat business.

iii) The sale of a product that matches the customer’s requirements.

a. None of the above

b. i, only

c. ii only

d. iii only

e. i and ii only

f. i and iii only

g. ii and iii only

h. All of the above

Which of the following statements is/are true?

i) A 'Theory Y' sales manager would closely monitor the team's performance. 

ii) A 'paternalistic' sales manager would inform the team of changes rather than consult it.

a. Both (i) and (ii) are true.

b. Only (!) is true.

c. Only (ii) is true,

d. Neither is true.

Exploiting data on items examined or purchased by a customer to advertise further products to them is known as:

a. Customer profiling

b. Customer imaging

c. Customer identification

d. Customer targeting

The acronym 'AIDA' refers to the stages of persuading a customer to purchase a product. Which of the following words is not a part of AIDA?

a. Attention

b. Interest

c. Detail

d. Action

Which of the following is NOT a source of customer feedback on a product or service?

a. Surveys

b. Focus groups

c. Newspaper reviews

d. After-sales contact

When is an invoice sent to a customer?

a. When confirming an order that has just been made.

b. When payment is due for an item. 

c. When the ordered item arrives.

d. When a replacement is provided for a faulty item.

Which of the following is NOT a direct benefit of an effective customer service?

a. Increased customer loyalty

b. Improved word-of-mouth advertising

c. More useful feedback from customers

d. Fewer product defects

In a 'perfect' market, the selling price for a product would:

a. match total production costs.

b. be below the cost of producing the item.

c. exceed production costs by 10%.

d. increase exactly in line with inflation.

Which of the following is NOT typically a reason for outsourcing sales?

a. Access to additional markets

b. Expertise of dedicated sales organization

c. Being cheaper than creating or expanding an in-house sales team

d. Enhanced knowledge of the product

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of selling over the Internet?

a. Reduced requirement for retail space.

b. Higher price paid by consumer.

c. Lower staff overheads.

d. Access to a larger market.

Which of the following is NOT an example of a sales promotion?

a. Offering economies of scale

c. Happy hour

c. Buy one get one free

d. Free gift

Which of following statements is/are true?

i) 'Cross-selling' refers to a customer-supplier relationship that covers multiple products.

ii) 'Cross-selling' tends to reduce the customer's administrative overheads.

a. Both (i) and (ii) are true.

b. Only (i) is true.

c. Only (ii) is true.

d. Neither is true.

Which of the following is NOT an example of a point-of-sale promotional display?

a. A platform to raise a product above other ones.

b. A basket of products outside a shop.

c. A local radio advertisement.

d. A sign hanging from the shop ceiling.

Which of the following sales administration procedures relates to a customer purchasing an expensive item by credit card?

a. Credit clearance

b. Order processing

c. Security

d. Customer accounts

Which of the following does not feature in Bruce Henderson's 'BCG Matrix'?

a. Question marks

b. Dying swans

c. Dogs

d. Cash cows

e. Stars

If a member of a sales team is underperforming, what should the manager’s first step be?

a. Ask the person concerned whether there are any specific causes of this.

b. Request that other team members increase productivity to compensate.

c. Warm him/her about future performance.

d. Implement performance-management procedures.