Sales Management Question Bank
Sales Management Question Bank
Q.1.(a) What are the various steps in the sales process ?
(b) How would the sales process differ in the following cases:
(i).A Taj group hotel representative selling services to the executive of a company.
(ii).HLL sales representative selling soap to wholesalers.
(iii).Pharmaceutical company salesman calling upon medical doctors.
(iv).Modi Xerox sales engineer setting to sell their new line of copiers to organisations.
Q.2. (a) What are the factors influencing design of compensation schemes for salespersons ?
(b) What components of compensation would you suggest for the following and why ?
(i).A young bachelor selling computer software to organisations.
(ii).A married senior salesperson with grown – up children, selling consumer durables.
Q.3 (a) What are the parameters used to measure performance of sales personnel ?
(b) How will you evaluate the sales performance of
(i).A salesperson whose proportion of non – selling activities is almost equal to h8is selling activities.
(ii).A missionary salesman cultivating the market for a new product concept, in ready – to – eat balanced nutrition breakfast.
Q.4. (a) What are the elements of total cost in a physical distribution system ? What are the problems associated with measuring storage costs ?
(b) What are the consumer service related considerations in physical distribution ?
Q.5. (a) Describe the tools for channel control.
(b ) What are the sources of power for
(i).A wholesaler of consumer durables.
(ii).A retailer of highly competitive brands of detergents
Q.6. Write short notes on any three of the following;
- a) Assortment and Intermediaries
- b) Selection criteria for choosing intermediaries.
- c) Motivation of channel members
- d) Inventory decisions and logistics
- e) Logistics communication
Q.7. (a) What is the kind of information that may be demanded from the sales management systems. ?
(b) Briefly discuss the stages involved in execution of an order.
Q.8. (a) What are the various types of presentation methods used by salespersons ?
(b) What type of presentation would you suggest for the following and why.
(i).Selling encyclopedias
(ii).Selling vacuum cleaning equipment.
Q.9. Write short notes on any three of the following:
- (a) Interdependence of Sales and Distribution
- (b) Steps in negotiation
- (c) Principles of sales display .
- (d) Developing sales territories
- (e) Marketing cost analysis
Q.10.(a) How does the sales process differ with varying market situations and product categories ?
(b) What kind of personal selling effort and process would be required in the following cases and why ?
(i).Introducing a new range of internationally renowned brand of cosmetics in India, through a personalized selling effort.
(ii).Motivating readymade garment stores to carry a line of slightly expensive range of western wear for women.
Q.11. (a) What are the pros and cons of using interviews as tools of selection ? How can objectivity be built into the interview process itself ?
(b) What kind of selection process would you use in the following cases and why ?
(i).Selecting boys and girls for door to selling of detergent power.
(ii).Selecting sales engineers for selling of water purifying equipment.
Q.12. (a) What are some of the effective tools used to motivate sales personnel ?
(b) What are the multinational techniques you would apply to motivate salespeople in the following situations ?
(i).Sales staff engaged in selling domestic sewing machines.
(ii).Missionary salespersons engaged in popularizing the concept of microwave cooking.
Q.13. (a) What are the elements of total cost in a physical distribution system. In case of
(i).A manufacturer of cold drinks with a nationwide distributions ?
(ii).A distributor of polio vaccination requiring maintenance of cold chain ?
Q.13.(a) How would you establish standards for channel profitability and apply to choose between channel alternatives ?
(b) Distribution of jewellery watches in select stores and jewellery outlets.
Q.14. Write short notes on any thee of the following:
- a) Sources of power of wholesaler
- b) Strategic and functional implications of channel control
- c) Inventory decisions in physical distribution
- d) Channel motivation
Q.15. How would you identify the training needs of your salespersons if you were in the business of
(i).Selling computer software ?
(ii).Selling pharmaceuticals. ?
Q.16. (a) How can computers be utilised in sales management ?
(b) How can a modern sales management system be set up with the aid of computerized presentations ?
Q.17. Write notes on any three of the following:
- a) AIDAS theory of selling
- b) Non Verbal Communication
- c) Sales display and its principles
- d) Psychological tests.
Q.18. How can salespersons handle sales resistance of prospects ? If you were to advise salespersons selling office equipments like photocopiers, what suggestions would you give them in respect of handing sales resistance ?
Q.19. (a) How do media characteristics of written and oral communication media affect the choice of sales communication methods ?
(b) How should salesmen structure refusals or bad news correspondence, for example, out of stock conditions or lost order news ? Illustrate through an example.
Q.20. (a) What are the steps involved in planning and execution of sales displays ?
(b) How would you motivate your retailer to put in his best effort in the conduct of the sales display of your new brand of detergent ?
Q.21. What is the significance of factors like stage in the product life cycle and demographic characteristics of salespersons for the design of their compensation package ? What kind of sales compensation package would you suggest for the following and why
- a) A bachelor selling credit card schemes
- b) A missionary salesperson selling the latest drugs for controlling blood pressure
Q.22. Explain the workload approach to territory planning, outlining its major shortcomings. What are the situations in which you would recommend workload based territory planning ?
Q.23. (a) What is the difference between AIDAS theory of selling and the buying formula theory of selling ? Explain by taking the example of any sales situation of your choice.
(b) How does the relative importance of advertising and personal selling vary across the different stages of the purchase process ? Explain.
Q.24. (a) Describe the principles of effective presentation,.
(b) How would you plan your sales presentation if you were a salesperson responsible for selling personal computers to individual consumers ?
Q.25. How can training needs of salespersons be identified ? How do the learning styles of salespersons affect the design of the sales training programme ? Use illustrative examples to substantiate your answer.
Q.26.(a) How are sales volume quotas set ?
(b) You are a large publishing house, publishing scientific and technical books for a nationwide customer base. What type of field sales organisation would you design and why ?
Q27. Write short notes on any four for the following:
- a) Preparation of sales budget
- b) Motivation tools for sales personnel
- c) Interview as a tool of sales – force selection.
- d) Negotiation process
- e) “Sales close” techniques
- f) Diversity of sales situations.
Q.28. Briefly discuss the personal selling process. How would the sales process differ if the product being sold was
- a) Household insurance ?
- b) Surgical equipment ?
Q.29. (a) What do you understand by sales negotiation ? How does it differ form selling ?
(b) Outline the steps in the negotiation process, taking the example of processing an order for supply of PCs to an educational institution.
Q.30. While selecting salespersons for their range of household electronic gadgets, one company decided to adopt the policy of hiring only experienced salesmen and preferably men who have had experience of selling similar or directly competitive products. Evaluate this policy in terms of its advantages and disadvantages.
Q.31. (a) What are the important quantitative and qualitative measure used to evaluate salesmen ?
(b) What should be the components of a sales report for the salespersons involved in the task of servicing distributors for last moving consumer goods ?
Q.32. How are sales volume quotas set ? If you were assigning sales quotas to your salesmen selling fertilizers in the rural markets, what are the attributed of a sales quota plan that you need to keep in mind ?
Q.33. (a) What are the product and market situations conducive to the use of personal selling ?
(b) What kind of allocation of sales and distribution tasks between the company’s sales personnel and channel members would you suggest in case of
(i).High value products intended for a small number of consumers ?
(ii).Frequently bought low margin highly competitive products ?
Q.34. (a) What are the stages involved in the execution of a sales order ?
(b) Assume you are a computer hardware company and are planning to set up an information database for effective sales management. What type of information should be sought from the present system to enable you to set up your database ?
Q.35. (a) How is non verbal communication relevant to effective personal selling ?
(b) When structuring a response to convey refusal or bad news, when is a direct approach preferable ? Suggest a suitable direct communication that should be made to the client whose order cannot be located in the company.
Q.36. What are the frequently utilised recruitment sources for salespersons ? You are in the business of selling pharmaceuticals and are looking for young dynamic salespersons. What are the pros and cons of recruiting salespersons from your closet competitors ?
Q.37. Why are sales territories required ? Discuss the various steps to scientific territory planning would you recommend for
(i).A company selling textile machinery components to large textile units.
(ii).A company selling infant milk powder.
Q.38. How do kinesics and proxemics help the sales communication process ?
Q.40. Assume that you are a sales manager managing a large sales force of salespersons required to sell consumer non – durables to retailers and wholesalers. How would you develop the job description for your salespersons ? Give a stepwise detailed account.
Q.39. (a) How can territory productivity be improved ?
(b) Describe the steps in territory planning. What approaches would you use for territory planning in case of
(i).Selling of agricultural pesticides for the nationwide market ?
(ii).Selling of jewellery watches to up – market urban stores in metros and mini – metros ?
Q.40 Write short notes any four of the following:
(i).Sales forecasting techniques for a new product
(ii).Salesperson evolution
(iii).Product life cycle and salesperson compensation
(iv).Non – verbal communication
(v).Computer applications in sales management
(vi).Interdependence of sales and distribution
Q.41. Briefly discuss the significance of personal selling in on today’s highly competitive marketing environment. How would you meet sales resistance in the following situation:
(i).A sincere objection raised by the customer about the high price of your product.
(ii).An insincere objection relating to the shape of the bottle in which your cough syrup is being sold.
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