No medium is more powerful than direct human contact, which is why many IMC plans include personal selling in the marketing mix. However personal selling is also very expensive, as well as time-consuming. So doing it the right way, as demonstrated in this video about Xerox, is important.
The key to effective personal selling is understanding the customer. This video helps to demonstrate that there is no short-cut or easy way to do that. It takes energy, drive, and interpersonal skills to be effective in sales.
1. Anne Mulcahy, Xerox CEO, has been successful in turning the company around, in part because of the skills she learned when she started out as a sales representative. Your book suggests that the objective of personal selling should be to
a. build a relationship.
b. confuse the buyer.
c. increase profits from sales.
d. replace advertising.
e. close the deal.
2. As noted in the video, the first step of the personal selling process at Xerox is called prospecting. Prospects are people who respond to referrals from other Xerox clients, sales calls, or
a. public relations.
b. advertising.
c. competitor's ads.
d. sales promotions.
e. legal postings.
3. Alison Capossela is the face of Xerox to her 250 customers. Her role is similar to that of what person in an ad agency?
a. account representative
b. client
c. sales representative
d. media buyer
e. media planner
4. Alison reviews the "smart kits" offered by Xerox as a way of addressing her customer's assertion that Xerox and its competitors offer similar if not identical capabilities. This relates to what your book claims is the "greatest strength" of personal selling, which is
a. its measurability.
b. its low cost.
c. its reliance on databases.
d. its ease of implementation.
e. its personal nature.
5. The client seems impressed that Alison really wants to understand his organization's needs. This labor-intensive approach is associated with what drawback, according to the text?
a. It is the least accountable way to communicate with prospects.
b. It is the least effective way to communicate with prospects.
c. It is the least enjoyable way to communicate with prospects.
d. It is the least creative way to communicate with prospects.
e. It is the most costly way to communicate with prospects.
6. Alison estimates that she spends how much of her work time with customers?
a. 50%
b. 90%
c. 10%
d. 25%
e. 75%
7. The sales management process does not include ______ the sales force.
a. motivating
b. organizing
c. recruiting
d. compensating
e. training