Management Of A Sales Force 12th Edition Rosann Spiro , William Stanton , Gregory Rich - Solutions

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What are the requirements for the design of a protective system for an excavation 25 ft (7.6 m) deep?
Briefly describe the major health hazards involved in construction operations under high-temperature conditions and how these hazards might be minimized.
Suggest at least two ways in which a personal computer might be employed to improve the equipment maintenance of a construction company.
a. The control factor for the process of precutting the rafters of the truss of Figure 2 is 12 s based on the cutting rate of one saw. What is the maximum number of precut rafters that can be produced using one saw in a 40-min hour when labor supply is unlimited?b. Using a crew of two workers (one
What are the advantages of time-lapse recording (photo or video) over traditional stopwatch studies of construction operations?
Explain the effect of sustained overtime on the labor cost per unit of construction production.
What is an electronic spreadsheet computer program?
How could the process of assembling roof trusses described in Figure 3 be made more efficient?
Using any Internet source, find the annual value (current dollars) of Total Construction Put in Place in the United States for the three most recent years as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. Identify the Internet source used to obtain this data.
Explain how the sales manager should handle a rep who is one of the company’s best performers but is constantly driving all of the other reps crazy with her combative, haughty attitude.
“If you pay a salesperson enough, you will have a well-motivated salesperson.” Do you agree? Explain.
Explain how motivation is related to each of the following aspects of managing a sales force:a) Supervising the sales force.b) Setting sales quotas.c) Recruiting and selecting salespeople.d) Designing the expense-payment plan.
If you were a district sales manager, how would you motivate the following sales reps?a) An older sales rep who is satisfied with his present earnings level. He plans to remain as a career sales rep and retire in six years.b) An excellent sales rep whose morale is shot because he did not receive an
A sales manager once said, “Motivating salespeople is the same as babying them.I am careful to hire only motivated people.This way I don’t have to worry about motivating them. Good sales reps don’t need any motivation from me—they motivate themselves.” What do you think about this
Explain three alternative reasons, in addition to not matching the company strategy, that a compensation plan may not be successful.
As stated in this chapter, two broad goals of a sound compensation plan are (a) to control and direct sales force activities and(b) to ensure proper treatment of customers.Can these goals be reached by use of any managerial tool or activity other than a good pay plan?
Rank the following types of sales jobs by total earnings, showing which type you feel should have the highest level of compensation, which is second, and so on. Justify your rankings.a) Missionary sales for a large soap company.b) Sales for a steel manufacturer.c) Pharmaceutical sales.d) Sales by
What might be some of the difficulties of letting salespeople develop their own goals for their sales volume (i.e., their own quotas)?
In 2002, a firm hired several college graduates for sales jobs at a yearly salary of$42,000 plus travel expenses. By 2006, most of these people were making a salary of$46,500 to $47,000 a year, plus travel expenses.In 2006, the same company hired more graduates and paid them $45,500 a year, plus
Assume that salespeople’s earnings in a certain firm have no limit and that a good sales rep can earn more than some of the company’s sales managers. What incentive do these salespeople have to move into management?Especially consider those for whom a promotion means a decrease in income.
Give some specific examples of how each of the following factors can influence a company’s choice of a sales force compensation plan:a) Caliber of the salespeople.b) Nature of the job.c) Financial condition of the company.
The following are three problems often faced by sales managers:a) Salespeople tend to overemphasize the easy-to-sell parts of multiple product lines in an effort to build sales volume;other, more profitable lines are forced into the background.b) Salespeople are not taking time to develop new
What is the economic justification underlying the progressive commission rate? Is there any economic justification for a regressive rate? Which of the two rates is better for stimulating a sales force?
What plan would you recommend for each of the following companies in handling split commissions?a) A manufacturer of sheets, pillowcases, towels, and related items sells to a department store chain. The order is placed through the chain’s buying offices in New York. Delivery is made to stores
What do you think would be some potential problems in having team members rate each other as part of their performance evaluation?
In what respects would a compensation plan differ among salespeople for the following firms?a) A manufacturer of small airplanes used by executives.b) A wholesaler of office equipment and supplies.c) An automobile dealer.
Should quotas be used in each of the following cases? If so what type do you recommend and what should be the length of the quota period?a) Missionary or promotional rep for a manufacturer of candy bars.b) Salesperson for manufacturer of industrial central heating and air-conditioning units.c)
A luggage manufacturer uses volume quotas for its sales force.a) What effective measures may this firm use to encourage its salespeople to do nonselling tasks such as setting up dealing displays or prospecting for new accounts?b) How can the customers be protected against overstocking,
One apparel manufacturer established volume quotas for its sales representatives.The 2006 quota was 20 percent higher than the quota for 1995. The sales force seemed perfectly happy with the new quota. Reps were paid a straight commission of 5 percent on net sales. Under what circumstances would
“The expense-control plan should enable our representatives to maintain (at no extra cost to them) the same standard of living while on the road that they enjoy at home,”said the sales manager of a metal products manufacturer. Discuss the implications in this statement.
What factors should management consider when deciding what method to use for controlling and reimbursing sales reps’ expenses?Give some examples of how each factor might influence the decision.
A company’s dire need of a replacement part had shut down its production line. A sales rep in the supplier’s office was told to deliver the part as quickly as possible. She did so in record time, but in the process she received a ticket for speeding. On her expense account, the rep applied for
A petroleum firm with a sales force of 300 people planned to sell its fleet of companyowned automobiles and have the salespeople furnish their own cars instead. What problems are involved in this change?
The petroleum firm noted in Question 7 was trying to decide which method to use to reimburse the sales reps for the use of their cars on business. Each rep traveled about 15,000 miles a year. The company was computing the costs on the assumption that the reps drove midsized cars. The following
In lieu of a salary increase last year, a television manufacturer granted its sales force the privilege of using company cars for any personal purposes, and the company paid all expenses. Previously, the firm had strictly prohibited any personal use of these cars.Discuss all aspects of this policy
A publishing company was considering leasing small Chevrolet or Dodge cars instead of paying its present 30 cents per mile to sales reps for using their personal cars. Several of the reps were driving economy cars and were willing to take less than 30 cents per mile in order to keep from changing
The major U.S. airlines have frequent-flyer plans, which offer awards (free flights or upgraded seats) after a person has accumulated a certain number of miles flying on a given airline. In the case of sales reps who accumulate miles on business travel, who should get these awards—the reps who
What are the personal characteristics necessary for an effective leader? Will possessing these characteristics alone ensure success as a manager? If not, what other elements need to be considered?
What specific leader behaviors (from the two leadership styles) would you use in the following situations? Why?a) Terry is one of your best sales representatives.She has eight years of experience and has proved her abilities many times.b) Diane graduated with a marketing degree within the past
How has the revolution in technology (highspeed computers, e-mail, the Internet, etc.)affected the way sales managers lead their salespeople?
Bill Jolton, a salesman for a large national soap company, informs his immediate supervisor that he is quitting at the end of the month. The supervisor is surprised to learn this, since she thought that Jolton was doing a good job and was happy with his work.The supervisor would like to keep Jolton
As a sales manager for ABC Company, Rocky Farlow oversees 15 sales reps. Farlow is an outstanding transactional leader, but he is hopelessly ineffective as a transformational leader. Is this a problem? Why or why not?
A sales manager of a large metropolitan automobile dealership required his sales force of eight people to meet each morning at 9:00 a.m. for about 30 minutes to plan their activities for the day. During this meeting, he asked each rep to tell what he or she intended to accomplish that day. Were
What are some specific ways in which sales managers can be role models to their salespeople?List several distinct ways.
What is the difference between job satisfaction and morale? Is it possible to have high job satisfaction but low morale?
You notice that Mike, one of your sales representatives, has been consistently unproductive for the past two months. You have heard rumors indicating that Mike may be abusing alcohol or drugs; however, no proof is available. What actions should you take?Why?
One of your sales reps, Nancy, claims that one of your other reps, Bill, has been sexually harassing her and she has asked you to do something about it. You have talked to Bill, but he denies it. What should you do now?
Indicate what market factor or factors you would use to estimate the market potentials for each of the following products: Tiger Shark golf clubs, Scott’s fertilizer, Chrysler automatic swimming-pool cleaner, Mohawk carpeting, Smith’s ski goggles, and Mc-Graw-Hill economics textbooks.
After one year of market testing, the manufacturer of a new food product had sold 4,800 packages in the test city of Louisville, Kentucky. Assuming that the test market is representative of the whole nation, determine national sales of the product.
In general, how do sales forecasts based on surveys differ from forecasts based on mathematical methods?
Use exponential smoothing with a smoothing constant of 0.8 to predict sales based on the data below. Then forecast sales with a smoothing constant of 0.2.Period 1 2 3 4 5 6 24 32 44 24 30 42
In exponential smoothing, when should the smoothing constant be large? When should it be small?
What are some of the pitfalls in conducting test markets?
The following regression model was developed by a professor to help the owner of a restaurant predict sales:Sales 70.0 46.5X 1208.5X 2where Sales $ sales per month X1 Advertising expenditure per month X2$ value of coupon Forecast sales if the owner decides to spend $500 on advertising and offers a
A university professor developed a model for predicting the sales of windmills to supply power for businesses and homes. Describe at least five factors that could be in the model.
A company’s best-selling product line possesses a highly variable sales pattern according to company records. Which sales forecasting technique should be used to provide an accurate sales forecast for the product in the coming period?
Sales volume is forecasted at 16,000,000 monthly units and that represents an overforecast of one percent. If the average unit cost is $0.92, what does the 1 percent overforecast cost the company on a yearly basis.
If total expenses must be reduced by 10 percent, should an across-the-board cut or a selective reduction be used? If selective, how should the selection be made?
You feel your sales reps are underpaid.You requested a large increase in the budget for them, but it was denied in a conference with the other vice presidents, who all wanted pay increases for their people. You still feel strongly that more money is needed if the sales force is to be kept
Your CEO demands that you sign off on an operational plan and budget that you feel is totally unrealistic. What would you do?
What control unit would you recommend in establishing sales territories for the following companies? Support your recommendation.a) Manufacturer of laptops.b) Food broker.c) Appliance wholesaler.d) Manufacturer of textile machinery.e) Manufacturer of outboard motors.f ) Lumber wholesaler.
The text discussed several qualitative factors that may affect a territory’s sales potential and thus necessitate a change in the statistically determined boundaries. How can variations in competition or ability of the sales force be reflected in square miles, trading areas, or other geographical
Is it discriminatory to consider ethnic factors when assigning sales reps to territories?
Since it is impossible to equate territories perfectly, should the manager use them to provide promotions for good people? For example, should the best reps be given the choice areas?
What are some of the signals indicating that a company’s territorial structure may need revising?
Assume that a territory’s potential has increased to the point where the district should be realigned to form two territories. Properly developed, each of the two new units should bring an income equal to what was previously earned in the one large district. Should management assign the same
Salespeople normally are prohibited from going outside their territorial boundaries in search of business. Sometimes, however, a customer located in one district will voluntarily seek out a sales rep or branch office located in another district. Perhaps this customer can realize a price advantage
If a company has several branches and insists that each of its suppliers send the same salesperson to all branches, what problems are involved? What course of action do you recommend for firms that sell to the company in question?
Territories A and B are right next to each other. Aaron Andrews is assigned to sales territory A, which is so large that Andrews cannot call on all the customers on a regular basis. Bob Burton is assigned to sales territory B, which is so small that Burton can adequately cover it by working only
In the process of redistricting, many firms do not allow a salesperson to keep any for- mer accounts if they are outside his or her new district. One hardware wholesaler realigned its territories. Then the company found that it faced the loss of some good customers because they said they would do
“Routing is a managerial device for planning and controlling the activities of the sales force.” Explain the function of routing in relation to each of the concepts in this statement.
Under what conditions is a firm most likely to establish route plans for its sales force?
Under what circumstance should a customer be allowed to access the supplier’s internal database?
Explain the relationship between planning and evaluation in the management process.
Explain the concept of a marketing profitability analysis.
What is the 80–20 principle, and how does it apply to sales performance evaluation?
If a firm’s volume is increasing each year by a satisfactory percentage, is there any reason for the firm to go to the expense of a volume analysis?
As a result of sales volume analysis, many firms have eliminated some of their products or customers. Yet in several of these cases, the sales volume has increased after the market cutback. How do you account for this result?
A territorial volume analysis indicated that a firm’s sales had increased at about a 10 percent rate for the past three years in a given district. Is this conclusive evidence that the company’s performance is satisfactory as far as sales volume is concerned in the given territory?
A company with 15 territories found that product A accounted for 40 to 50 percent of the sales in 13 of the districts. But this product brought in only about 20 percent of the volume in the remaining two territories.What factors might account for the relatively low standing of product A in the two
Is it possible for a product, territory, or class of customer to be far below par but still not deserve much executive attention? Give examples.
Should salespeople be furnished with complete statistics, not only on their own performances but on the performance of other salespeople as well?
If a company made a territorial volume analysis and found some subpar territories, how might these facts affect the following activities relating to salespeople?a) Supervisionb) Compensationc) Training
If a firm analyzed its sales volume by customer classes, how might the results affect the supervision, compensation, and training of the sales force?
What can sales managers do to ensure that their salespeople readily accept and properly use sales force automation (SFA) software?
Explain the similarities and differences between marketing cost analysis and production cost accounting.
Is an analysis of expenses as recorded in a company’s accounting ledgers better than no cost analysis at all? What specific policies or operating plans may stem from an analysis of ledger expenses alone?
A national manufacturer of roofing and siding materials has 40 salespeople. Each has his or her own territory and sells all three of the firm’s product lines. They sell primarily to wholesalers and large retailers in the lumber and building materials field. The company wants to make a territorial
The company in the preceding problem wants to analyze its marketing cost by product lines. Suggest appropriate bases for allocating the above-listed cost items to the three product groups.
What supporting points could be brought out by the proponents of each side in the full-cost versus contribution-margin controversy over allocation of indirect marketing costs? Which of the two concepts do you advocate?Why?
In an analysis of expenses grouped by activities, a manufacturer noted that last year the firm’s direct selling expenses (sales force compensation, travel expenses, branch office expenses, etc.) increased significantly over the preceding year. Is this trend necessarily an indication of weaknesses
Each of the following firms made a territorial cost analysis and discovered it had some districts that were showing a net loss. What actions involving the sales force do you recommend each company take to improve its situation?a) Hardware wholesaler, covering six southeastern states.b) Paint and
What actions involving its sales force can each of the following firms take if they discover unprofitable products in their lines?a) Distributor of electrical goods.b) Flower seed producer.c) Manufacturer of small power tools.
“Large-annual-volume customers never present a small-order problem, while lowannual-volume customers always create small-order problems.” Do you agree?
To determine return on investment, we multiply two fractions: net profit/sales and sales/investment. Why can’t we cancel out the sales factor in each fraction and simply divide net profit by investment?
Explain how the ROAM concept may be used to evaluate the profit performance of a territorial sales manager.
How can a sales manager determine the accuracy of salespeople’s reports?
How can a sales manager determine the differences the reps encounter in the severity of competition in each territory?
How should a manager decide what weights to place on the quantitative versus the qualitative factors in an evaluation?
What are some of the indexes a sales manager can use to evaluate the degree to which each salesperson is covering the assigned territory?

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Management Of A Sales Force 12th Edition Rosann Spiro , William Stanton , Gregory Rich - Solutions

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