Sales Customer Relationship 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A customer complains that they feel like 'just a number' to your company. What should a salesperson do FIRST?
- Explain how many customers you successfully serve
- Acknowledge their feeling and ask what would make them feel more valued (Correct answer)
- Offer a gift card as an apology
- Escalate to customer success management immediately
Correct answer: Acknowledge their feeling and ask what would make them feel more valued
Acknowledging the feeling first shows empathy, then asking for input opens a genuine dialogue to repair the relationship.
Question 2: What does 'net promoter score' (NPS) measure in a customer relationship context?
- The number of new customers acquired per quarter
- The likelihood that a customer would recommend your company to others (Correct answer)
- The average revenue per customer account
- The percentage of contracts renewed on time
Correct answer: The likelihood that a customer would recommend your company to others
NPS is a widely used metric that gauges customer loyalty and satisfaction by asking how likely they are to recommend you.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST represents a 'land and expand' sales strategy?
- Winning large enterprise deals before targeting SMBs
- Closing a small initial deal, then growing the account with additional products or users over time (Correct answer)
- Expanding into new geographic territories simultaneously
- Landing a keynote at a trade show to attract customers
Correct answer: Closing a small initial deal, then growing the account with additional products or users over time
Land and expand starts with a low-risk entry point and grows revenue by deepening the relationship and product adoption.
Question 4: A key account manager should treat their top accounts primarily as:
- Revenue targets to maximize each quarter
- Strategic partnerships requiring mutual investment and long-term planning (Correct answer)
- Standard accounts with higher order values
- Customers who need more discounts to stay loyal
Correct answer: Strategic partnerships requiring mutual investment and long-term planning
Key accounts require strategic management focused on partnership, shared success, and long-term growth rather than short-term extraction.
Question 5: When a customer refers a new prospect to you, the BEST practice is to:
- Offer the referring customer a commission for every deal closed
- Thank them promptly and keep them informed on how the referral progresses (Correct answer)
- Keep the referral relationship confidential
- Handle the new prospect without mentioning the referral source
Correct answer: Thank them promptly and keep them informed on how the referral progresses
Expressing gratitude and providing updates validates the customer's trust, reinforcing the relationship and encouraging future referrals.
Question 6: Which situation represents a 'win-win' outcome in a customer relationship negotiation?
- The salesperson achieves full list price while the customer accepts unfavorable terms
- Both parties feel they received fair value and are motivated to continue the relationship (Correct answer)
- The customer receives a large discount that cuts into company margin
- The salesperson closes the deal quickly by avoiding difficult conversations
Correct answer: Both parties feel they received fair value and are motivated to continue the relationship
Win-win outcomes build durable relationships because both parties feel respected and satisfied, increasing renewal and referral likelihood.
Question 7: A salesperson learns that a customer is facing serious budget cuts. The MOST relationship-preserving response is to:
- Push for a larger commitment before the budget is frozen
- Explore flexible options and demonstrate ROI to help them justify the spend internally (Correct answer)
- Remove the account from active pipeline until budgets recover
- Offer the same solution at a steeper discount immediately
Correct answer: Explore flexible options and demonstrate ROI to help them justify the spend internally
Helping the customer build a business case shows you're a partner invested in their success, not just your commission.
Sales Customer Relationship 5
A customer complains that they feel like 'just a number' to your company.
What should a salesperson do FIRST?