Sales Process 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'deal slippage' in sales forecasting?
- A discount accidentally applied to a deal
- When expected close dates are repeatedly pushed to future periods (Correct answer)
- A data error in the CRM
- A deal that closes ahead of schedule
Correct answer: When expected close dates are repeatedly pushed to future periods
Deal slippage occurs when forecasted deals don't close as expected and their close dates are moved out, harming forecast accuracy.
Question 2: Which question type is most effective for uncovering a prospect's unstated needs?
- Closed questions requiring yes/no answers
- Leading questions that suggest the desired answer
- Open-ended questions that invite the prospect to elaborate (Correct answer)
- Binary questions with two forced choices
Correct answer: Open-ended questions that invite the prospect to elaborate
Open-ended questions encourage prospects to share context and concerns they might not volunteer otherwise.
Question 3: What is 'social selling' in the context of a modern sales process?
- Selling products through TV commercials
- Using social media platforms to research prospects, build relationships, and generate leads (Correct answer)
- Hosting in-person networking events
- Selling to groups rather than individuals
Correct answer: Using social media platforms to research prospects, build relationships, and generate leads
Social selling leverages platforms like LinkedIn to connect with prospects, share insights, and build credibility before a formal sales conversation.
Question 4: A prospect agrees to all terms but delays signing for two weeks. Which action is most appropriate?
- Do nothing and wait indefinitely
- Identify if there is a compelling event or deadline that can motivate timely action (Correct answer)
- Immediately cut the price to accelerate the decision
- Escalate to legal to pressure them
Correct answer: Identify if there is a compelling event or deadline that can motivate timely action
Uncovering a business deadline or consequence tied to inaction creates legitimate urgency without resorting to pressure tactics.
Question 5: What does 'account mapping' help a salesperson do when pursuing a large enterprise deal?
- Plot the geographic location of a customer's offices
- Visualize relationships, roles, and influence among stakeholders in the buying organization (Correct answer)
- Map out competitor pricing tiers
- Track which products have been sold to an account
Correct answer: Visualize relationships, roles, and influence among stakeholders in the buying organization
Account mapping reveals the organizational structure and decision-making dynamics so reps can engage the right people effectively.
Question 6: Which of the following is a leading indicator (predictive metric) in the sales process rather than a lagging indicator?
- Total revenue closed last quarter
- Number of discovery calls booked this week (Correct answer)
- Annual contract value of won deals
- Churn rate from last year
Correct answer: Number of discovery calls booked this week
Leading indicators like calls booked or proposals sent predict future performance, whereas lagging indicators like revenue reflect past results.
Question 7: What is the primary benefit of a defined, repeatable sales process for a sales team?
- It eliminates the need for sales training
- It ensures consistency, enables coaching, and makes performance predictable and scalable (Correct answer)
- It removes the need for CRM software
- It guarantees every deal will close
Correct answer: It ensures consistency, enables coaching, and makes performance predictable and scalable
A documented process creates a common language, reveals where deals stall, and allows managers to coach reps at specific stages.
Sales Process 5
What is 'deal slippage' in sales forecasting?