Successful careers require

• preparation.

   

   

   

• paperwork.

• college degrees.

• networking.

Answer explanation

Successful careers, including sales, require preparation. For salespeople, part of preparation is acquiring product information. Successful careers do not necessarily require paperwork, networking, or college degrees.

One of the best tools a salesperson possesses is her/his

• personal style.

• enthusiasm for the product.

• positive performance reviews.

   

• extensive vocabulary.

Answer explanation

One of the best tools a salesperson possesses is her/his enthusiasm for the product. Acquiring product information can help a salesperson become genuinely excited about the product. A salesperson’s personal style, positive performance reviews, and extensive vocabulary are not necessarily selling tools.

Acquiring product information makes sales presentations more

• simple.

   

• exciting.

• accurate.

   

• incredible

Answer explanation

Acquiring product information makes sales presentations more accurate because salespeople know exactly what they’re talking about. This doesn’t necessarily mean the sales presentation will be more exciting or simpler. Incredible means “unbelievable”—salespeople generally want their sales presentations to be credible.

Customers are often interested in where products come from and

• the names of manufacturing CEOs.

•   how many the company has in its inventory.

• how they are manufactured.

   

• the month and year they were invented.

Answer explanation

Customers are often interested in where products come from and how they are manufactured (e.g., if an item is made in the U.S. and/or if it’s handcrafted). They are not likely to be interested in the names of manufacturing CEOs, the months and years products were invented, or how many the company has in its inventory.

A restaurant server lets a customer know that a certain dessert contains pecans. This is an example of information about

• where a product comes from.

• what’s in a product.

• a product’s durability.

   

• how a product should be used.

Answer explanation

Letting a customer know that a dessert contains pecans is an example of using information about what’s in a product. Many customers are very interested in knowing what materials or ingredients a product contains. Informing a customer about pecans in a dessert does not tell her/him where the product comes from or how it should be used. Durability refers to how long a product will last.

The most significant product information a salesperson should know is

• information about the product’s reliability.

•  

  how the product can and should be used.

• what styles, colors, and models are available.

   

• any unique features the product possesses.

Answer explanation

The most significant product information a salesperson should know is how the product can and should be used. This is because it is unlikely for a customer to buy a product if s/he doesn’t understand how it will benefit her/him. Product reliability, unique product features, and available styles and colors are useful types of product information, but they are not the most significant things a salesperson should know.

It is very common for a customer to ask

• to take a product home and try it out.

• if a product comes in another style or color.

• what machinery is used in manufacturing a product.

   

• who invented a product.

Answer explanation

It is very common for a customer to ask if a product comes in another style, color, size, etc. Salespeople should have this product information on hand. It is uncommon for a customer to ask to take a product home and try it out, what machinery is used in manufacturing a product, or who invented a product.

A salesperson tells a customer that a certain smartphone possesses a one-of-a-kind keyboard feature that makes it easier to text. This is an example of what type of product information?

• Product history

• Unique/Interesting product features

• Complementary products

   

• Distribution and delivery details

Answer explanation

A product’s one-of-a-kind smartphone keyboard is a unique and interesting feature. It’s information that a salesperson would certainly want to pass along to customers. The information about the keyboard does not relate to distribution or delivery, product history, or complementary products.

A salesperson tells a customer that a certain computer case is perfect for his new laptop. This is an example of what type of product information?

• Complementary products

• What models are available

• What materials the product contains

• Unique/Interesting product features

Answer explanation

Telling a customer about a computer case that goes along with his laptop purchase is giving information about complementary products. It is not giving information about what materials the product contains, what models are available, or what unique/interesting features the product possesses.

A salesperson lets a customer know that if she isn’t completely satisfied with the product, she will receive a refund. This is an example of what type of product information?

• Complementary products

   

•   Product history

• Information about durability and reliability

• Warranty, guarantee, and repair information

Answer explanation

Refunding a customer’s money if she is not completely satisfied with a product is known as a guarantee. Salespeople should always know the details of the guarantees their companies offer. Product history gives a product’s “backstory.” Complementary products are products that naturally go together. Durability and reliability refer to how long a product will last and how well it will perform.