Question 1

Today's public relations departments
A) focus more on advertising and less on publicity.
B) are downsizing as firms emphasize personal selling to promote their products.
C) are more actively listening to customers and helping to solve their problems.
D) avoid relationships with the media and government officials.

Accepted Answer

A good public relations program begins with listening to the public. Public relations starts with good marketing research when the firm evaluates public attitudes.

Question 2

A good public relations program recognizes that the
A) company must not ever admit fault.
B) firm must be willing to make changes in its policies and procedures.
C) firm must be independent of production and service activities.
D) media are not to be trusted since they profit by selling bad news.

Accepted Answer

The second step in a good public relations program is to change policies and procedures that are not in the public interest.

Question 3

"You never get a second chance to make a good first impression," captures the importance of the ________ step in the selling process.
A) prospecting
B) introduction
C) qualifying
D) approach

Accepted Answer

The approach is the step in selling where the salesperson calls on the customer for the first time. The objective of this step is to give an impression of professionalism, create a rapport, build credibility, and start a relationship.

Question 4

The purpose of a ________ is to move the selling process toward an actual product purchase.
A) follow up
B) closing
C) trial close
D) commission

Accepted Answer

The answer of The purpose of a ________ is to...

Question 5

The final step of the selling process involves
A) follow-up.
B) closing.
C) posting.
D) trial closing.

Accepted Answer

The final step of the selling process is follow-up, which involves checking in with the customer after the sale to ensure satisfaction and to maintain a relationship for future sales.

Question 6

The activity that evaluates public attitudes, changes policies and procedures in response to the public's requests, and executes a program of action and information to earn public understanding and acceptance is called
A) public research.
B) public relations.
C) public communication.
D) public advocacy.

Accepted Answer

Public relations is the activity that evaluates public attitudes, changes policies and procedures in response to the public's requests, and executes a program of action and information to earn public understanding and acceptance. Public research refers to the process of gathering data and information about the public or target audience, while public communication refers to the process of exchanging or sharing information with the public. Public advocacy involves actively promoting a cause or issue to influence policy or behavior.

Question 7

Jasmine finished writing a news release about her company's new product. She intends to e-mail the message to local television and radio stations as well as newspapers in hope that they will find the information newsworthy and run a story about the product. Jasmine's efforts represent the firm's
A) public relations.
B) institutional advertising.
C) secondary advertising.
D) interactive marketing.

Accepted Answer

A major element of public relations is publicity. Firms often generate publicity by sending news releases to the media that they hope the media will use in stories about the firm and its products.

Question 8

Consumer research indicates that the public is very concerned about underage drinking. In response, Texas Brewing Company has created a website providing parents with information to help avoid underage drinking in their families. The firm also provides materials to retailers to help train their employees to avoid sales to minors. Publicizing these efforts:
A) will likely backfire, since few people will believe a beer company would seriously support a program that would reduce their sales.
B) represents a key step in a good public relations program.
C) illustrates a push strategy applied to public relations.
D) would distract the firm from its primary mission of selling beer to adults.

Accepted Answer

Good public relations evaluates public attitudes and identifies and supports programs in the public interest. It then informs people that the firm is being responsive to their needs.

Question 9

A major responsibility of the public relations department is to
A) decide on the appropriate mix of advertising media.
B) maintain close ties with the media, community leaders, government officials, and other stakeholders.
C) identify appropriate markets for the firm's products, and then select the most likely customers in each market.
D) train salespeople to interact better with their company's customers.

Accepted Answer

The public relations department's main responsibility is to maintain communication and relationships with various stakeholders such as the media, community leaders, and government officials. This helps to promote positive relationships and create favorable publicity for the company. Options A, C, and D are responsibilities typically associated with marketing and sales departments.

Question 10

Compared to advertising, publicity offers the advantage of greater
A) flexibility.
B) personal appeal.
C) believability.
D) message repetition.

Accepted Answer

Publicity is more believable than advertising because it is viewed as an unbiased third-party endorsement rather than a paid promotion.

Question 11

In B2C sales the salesperson does not spend a great deal of their time
A) following up.
B) closing.
C) qualifying.
D) presenting.

Accepted Answer

In B2C (Business-to-Consumer) sales, the salesperson typically does not spend a great deal of their time qualifying customers. This is because the individual consumer market is vast, and products or services are often designed for mass appeal, reducing the need for extensive qualification processes that are more common in B2B (Business-to-Business) sales.

Question 12

________ refers to any information about a product or an organization that is communicated to the public through the media and is not paid for or controlled by the sponsor.
A) A market presentation
B) Promotion
C) Public relations
D) Publicity

Accepted Answer

Publicity refers to any information about a product or an organization that is communicated to the public through the media and is not paid for or controlled by the sponsor. Public relations (C) relates to the overall management of a company's communication and image with the public, including both paid and unpaid communication efforts. Promotion (B) refers specifically to paid marketing efforts, such as advertising or sales promotions. A market presentation (A) is a specific type of communication aimed at presenting a product or service to potential customers or investors.

Question 13

Which of the following statements is the most accurate?
A) Closing is the final and most important step in the selling process.
B) Once a sales presentation is completed, the salesperson should attempt to close as quickly as possible before the customer expresses any doubts or concerns.
C) Closing may involve getting the customer to agree to a trial close.
D) If the salesperson has done a good job of qualifying prospects and has developed a strong presentation, then closing is the easiest step in the selling process.

Accepted Answer

Closing is an important step in the selling process, but it is not the final step. Even after the sale is closed, the salesperson should follow up to make sure the customer is satisfied. Closing the sale may involve a trial close consisting of a question or statement that moves the selling process toward the actual close.

Question 14

Lyla faces the challenge of developing the promotion mix for a new business. Given the uniqueness of the new products and a very limited budget, Lyla confronts a creditability problem. She realizes that the promotional messages of an unknown firm may be met with skepticism. What should Lyla consider?
A) publicity to help create a positive image for her firm and its products
B) extensive use of persuasive advertising
C) emphasizing personal selling rather than public relations
D) changing jobs because this situation is hopeless

Accepted Answer

Publicity has two advantages that are likely to appeal to Lyla. One is the media will publish stories for free if the stories are interesting and newsworthy. Given the firm's limited budget, this would make publicity an attractive option. Perhaps even more important for Lyla, a second advantage of publicity is its believability.

Question 15

Madeline just finished giving a sales presentation to a major prospect. Next, Madeline will likely be
A) processing the customer's order.
B) closing the sale, by asking the customer to make a commitment.
C) answering customer questions and dealing with objections.
D) setting an appointment for the customer to meet with her boss.

Accepted Answer

Even if a salesperson makes an excellent presentation, customers are likely to have questions they want answered and concerns that they want resolved before they are willing to make a purchase. Salespeople should not view these objections in a negative way. Instead, they should look at them as an opportunity to work with the customer to deal with their concerns and forge a stronger relationship.

Question 16

Bailey is a new salesperson for a textbook publisher. She is compiling a list of professors who make textbook buying decisions and plans to contact these professors to determine what texts they are currently using, and if they plan to adopt a new text. Identifying those decision makers who are willing to consider one of her texts is called
A) personal development.
B) sales identification.
C) preliminary sales analysis.
D) prospecting and qualifying.

Accepted Answer

Prospecting involves researching potential buyers and choosing the ones most likely to buy. The selection process is called qualifying.

Question 17

A review of the personal selling process indicates that selling is
A) a matter of establishing relationships.
B) getting a name on a sales contract.
C) about 90 percent luck and 10 percent skill.
D) giving way to computers in responding to consumer needs.

Accepted Answer

The selling relationship often continues for years as the salesperson responds to new requests for information. Selling is a matter of establishing relationships, not just selling goods or services.

Question 18

Compared to other promotional tools, publicity
A) costs more.
B) offers the firm little control over the message.
C) prevents a response from competitive firms.
D) is the easiest to manage.

Accepted Answer

Publicity offers the firm little control over the message. Unlike advertising and personal selling, publicity is not a direct form of promotion, which means that the message is not controlled by the firm. Instead, publicity relies on news stories, articles, and other forms of media coverage, which can be unpredictable and difficult to manage. While publicity can be an effective way to generate buzz and awareness for a brand or product, it comes with the risk of negative coverage or unfavorable interpretations of the message.

Question 19

One way to see that publicity is handled well by the media is to
A) pay for it.
B) establish a friendly relationship with media representatives.
C) write good press releases that attract attention.
D) ask for the best location or time in the medium under consideration.

Accepted Answer

Establishing a friendly relationship with media representatives is important as it helps to build a positive reputation and credibility with the media. This can result in more favorable coverage and better handling of publicity by the media. Paying for publicity (A) may be effective, but it can be costly and may not always result in positive coverage. Writing good press releases (C) is important, but it is only part of the equation for successful media handling. Asking for the best location or time (D) may help in terms of logistics but it does not necessarily contribute to the quality of the coverage or the handling of the publicity by the media.

Question 20

Blake's client expressed her concerns and questioned some of the details of the sales proposal once he completed his sales presentation. An effective salesperson would
A) downplay these objections and push to close the sale as quickly as possible to avoid the endless questions that some customers ask.
B) address her concerns and develop a better relationship.
C) consider revising the presentation so that next time customer concerns and objections can be avoided.
D) bring in the top executives of the company to close the sale.

Accepted Answer

After the presentation, the next step in the selling process is to answer customer objections. Questions and concerns by the customer should be viewed as an opportunity to create a stronger relationship.

Quiz 16: Using Effective Promotions

Today's public relations departments

A good public relations program recognizes that the

"You never get a second chance to make a good first impression," captures the importance of the ________ step in the selling process.

The purpose of a ________ is to move the selling process toward an actual product purchase.

The final step of the selling process involves

The activity that evaluates public attitudes, changes policies and procedures in response to the public's requests, and executes a program of action and information to earn public understanding and acceptance is called

Jasmine finished writing a news release about her company's new product. She intends to e-mail the message to local television and radio stations as well as newspapers in hope that they will find the information newsworthy and run a story about the product. Jasmine's efforts represent the firm's

A major responsibility of the public relations department is to

Compared to advertising, publicity offers the advantage of greater

In B2C sales the salesperson does not spend a great deal of their time

________ refers to any information about a product or an organization that is communicated to the public through the media and is not paid for or controlled by the sponsor.

Which of the following statements is the most accurate?

Madeline just finished giving a sales presentation to a major prospect. Next, Madeline will likely be

A review of the personal selling process indicates that selling is

Compared to other promotional tools, publicity

One way to see that publicity is handled well by the media is to

Blake's client expressed her concerns and questioned some of the details of the sales proposal once he completed his sales presentation. An effective salesperson would