Questions and Answers of Sales Force Management

Suggest a general outline marketing planning strategy for 12 months ahead for Graham Keddie.
What part should the sales function play when drawing up a detailed 12 months operational marketing plan for EMA?
Explain the differences between marketing strategies and sales strategies.
Discuss the parts of the communications mix.
What choice criteria did Jim and Mary use when deciding whether to buy a computer and which model to buy?
Did the salesperson understand the motives behind the purchase? If not, why not? Did s/he make any other mistakes?
Imagine that you were the salesperson. How would you have conducted the sales interview?
Compare and contrast the ways in which consumers and organisations buy products and services.
Of what practical importance is the study of organisational buyer behaviour to the personal selling function?
1 Quality Chilled Foods have asked you, a public relations consultant, to advise them what to do in relation to their retail customers in particular and the public in general. The company has
In the context of sales channels why is it important to engage in segmentation and targeting?
Using appropriate illustrations, explain how PR assists the sales function.
Explain the meaning of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ promotional techniques. How can each help the salesperson to plan sales more effectively?
How can new methods of promotion through the internet assist the sales process?
Draw up a short-, medium- and long-term sales strategy upon how Quality Kraft Carpets can enter, develop and remain in the US market.
What form of representation would you recommend for this new market – or would you consider setting up a manufacturing subsidiary? Give reasons for your decision.
How might your various strategies change and what further considerations would need to be made if, after initial success in the US market, the Middle East and Japan offered good export opportunities?
What would be your marketing communications and sales promotional strategies for the company in the USA? More specifically, outline your sales ‘message’ and the type of media you would use to
What, if any, further research needs to be undertaken before attempting to export to the USA?
Discuss the contention that there is no such thing as ‘overseas selling’; it is merely an extension of selling to the home market.
Discuss the contribution that the WTO has made to a freeing up of international sales negotiations.
What are the differences that should be considered when international sales managers draw up their export plans?
How might the introduction of Innovetra in a group of retail establishments affect:• The staff who work there including implications for training and recruitment?• Managers of such retail
What is a contract? Of what significance are contracts in buyer–seller relationships?
How well protected are customers from false trade descriptions and faulty goods?
How does the external legal environment affect the role of sales management?
Discuss the contribution of preparation to the selling process.
This case study is based on car dealerships. How representative is this of other industries?
Why do salespeople spend so much time unproductively? How can this be reduced?
What management tools and techniques could be used to ensure a controlled sales process is effective? Could information technology help?
What are the benefits of an effective controlled sales process for the customer, the salesperson, the sales manager, and the company?
If the product is right and the sales presentation is right, there is no need to close the sale. Discuss.
What are the key skills required of a key account manager?
What is global account management? What competences are required and do they differ from those required of the key account manager?
What would be the implications of Focus Wickes moving to 50 per cent own label merchandise within the next year from the viewpoints of:• end customers• sales staff• suppliers?
Discuss the implications of the move towards relationship marketing in organisational buying/selling situations in the context of how this might change the role of selling.
Total quality management is a philosophy of management that should permeate every aspect of the organisation and not simply be the concern of production. What is meant by this statement in terms of
Describe the key elements of a customer care programme that would be appropriate in a manufacturing or service environment with which you are familiar.
What are the implications for salespeople of the adoption of supply chain integration by larger manufacturers?
Why might someone be prepared to pay to receive marketing messages?
What types of strategic messages might be delivered in future?
What factors might reduce the acceptability of SMS for customers?
What might account for the very positive response to SMS?
What type of company might benefit most from SMS?
What are the stages of managing a direct marketing campaign? Why is the concept of lifetime value of a customer important when designing a campaign?
Choose five technological changes that have impacted selling and sales management. What effect have they had on selling and sales management practices?
What is e-commerce? E-commerce can take place at four levels. Discuss each of the four levels.
Discuss four ways that the internet has affected selling and sales management practices.
Do you agree with Spencer or Preedy or neither?
Distinguish between the job description and the personnel specification. For an industry of your choice, write a suitable job description and personnel specification for a salesperson.
Discuss the role of psychological testing in the selection process for salespeople.
You have recently been appointed sales manager of a company selling abrasives to the motor trade. Sales are declining and you believe that a major factor causing this decline is a lack of motivation
How many salespeople are required?
The only sensible way to organise a salesforce is by geographical region. All other methods are not cost efficient. Discuss.
How practical is the workload approach to salesforce size determination?
Franks wants a system of forecasting that will provide as accurate a picture as possible of first year sales in order to satisfy demands from head office who are sponsoring the launch of Pizza
Franks also wants the new salesforce to be incentivised to ensure a good product launch. He recognises the importance of the sales budget in motivating and controlling the salesforce. Given the
What is the place of sales forecasting in the company planning process?
How might a government forecast or a forecast from a trade association be of specific use to a medium-sized company?
Evaluate the performance of each of MacLaren’s salespeople.
What further information is needed to produce a more complete appraisal?
Justify what general factors you consider should be taken into account when recruiting salespeople for the positions described in the exercise. In particular, suggest how the performance of such
Quantitative measures of the performance of sales representatives are more likely to mislead than guide evaluation. Do you agree?
If a company loses a potential major order what should sales management do to alleviate the risk of this happening again?
Do you feel that Page’s background in sales and marketing is the right kind of experience for this type of new venture? Might not a more technical background be more appropriate?
Page’s immediate task is to recruit members of the sales team. Advise Page as to the type of salespeople he should be looking for.
How does the role of selling tend to differ between(a) industrial products and(b) consumer products?
Differentiate between production, sales and marketing orientation.
Give reasons as to why the shape of the curve of the product life-cycle is similar to that of the adoption of the innovations curve.
Does the fact that selling is included as part of the promotional mix weaken or strengthen its role as a sub-element of marketing?
Evaluate Mephisto Products’ current approach to sales. Why has it been relatively successful to date?
Discuss the role and function of selling.
Comment on why the proposed changes to sales processes are necessary. Also, which changes would you recommend in terms of their:(a) selling activities?(b) sales value proposition?
How does the role of selling tend to differ between:(a) industrial products (B2B)?(b) consumer products (B2C)?
What problems can you anticipate if Tony Bullins goes ahead and changes the sales team and selling philosophy?
Differentiate between product, production, sales, marketing and service orientations.
What general advice can you give to the company to make it more customer orientated?
Discuss the role of sales management.
Analyse Cato Lifts Ltd’s current approach to sales and marketing.
Discuss the place of selling in the marketing mix.
Comment on the advantages and difficulties of adopting a marketing orientation.
Give reasons as to why the shape of the curve of the product life cycle is similar to that of the adoption of innovations curve.
What sort of marketing mix should Cato Lifts adopt if they wish to sell to:(a) non-commercial buyers?(b) international buyers?
What is the effect of different pricing strategies on personal selling?
Outline any anticipated problems if Matthew Cley goes ahead and appoints a marketing manager.
Give a brief outline of ways that Sales Manager Harold Horne can contribute to the marketing planning process at Auckland Engineering.
Explain the differences between marketing strategies and sales strategies.
Looking at Duncan’s analysis of the previous meeting, what issues/problems do you see that are of relevance to the activities of the sales force?
What is the relationship between objectives, strategies and tactics?
How would you respond to Duncan’s comments on the promotional mix and, in particular, to his comments about the level of advertising expenditure?
Discuss the component parts of the communications mix.
What is the logic in conducting a SWOT analysis in this context?
What is the relationship between SWOT analysis and the TOWS matrix?
Select a company of your choice and conduct a PEST(LE) analysis and then build a SWOT matrix for that company.
What is meant by contingency planning and when is it required in the marketing planning process?
What do you understand by the setting of sales objectives in the context of the marketing planning process? Give three examples of objectives for an organisation of your choice.
What choice criteria did Jim and Mary use when deciding whether to buy a computer and which model to buy?
Compare and contrast the ways in which consumers and organisations buy products and services.
Did the salesperson understand the motives behind the purchase? If not, why not? Did they make any other mistakes?
Of what practical importance is the study of organisational buyer behaviour to the personal selling function?

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