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Practice Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) ID: #980 Sales representative
Instructions ›
Below is a text with blanks. Click on each blank, a list of choices will appear: Select the appropriate answer choice for each blank.
Sales  jobs  allow  for  a  great  deal  of  discretionary  time  and  effort  on  the  part  of  the  sales  representatives  -  especially  when  compared  with  managerial,  manufacturing,  and  service  jobs.  Most  sales  representatives  work  independently  and  outside  the  immediate  presence  of  their  sales  managers.  Therefore,  some  form  of  goals  needs  to  be  in  place    their  performance.  Sales  personnel  are  not  the  only  professionals  with  performance  goals  or  quotas.  Health  care  professionals  operating  in  clinics  have  daily,  weekly,  and  monthly  goals  in  terms  of  patient  visits.  Service  personnel  are  assigned  a  number  of  service  calls  they    during  a  set  time  period.  Production  workers  in  manufacturing  have  output  goals.  So,  why  are  achieving  sales  goals  or  quotas  such  a  big  deal?  The  answer  to  this  question  can  be  found  by  examining  how  a  firm's  other  departments  are  affected  by  how  well  the  company's  salespeople  achieve  their  performance  goals.  The  success  of  the  business    the  successful  sales  of  its  products  and  services.  Consider  all  the  planning,  the  financial,  production  and  marketing  efforts  that  go  in  to    the  sales  force  sells.  Everyone  depends  on  the  sales  force  to  sell  the  company's  products  and  services  and  they  eagerly  anticipate  knowing  things  are  going.

Result:

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Correct answer: to help motivate and guide

Explanation: The phrase 'to help motivate and guide' fits grammatically as it introduces the purpose of the goals, using the infinitive form 'to help' which indicates intention. Contextually, it aligns with the need for goals to provide motivation and direction for performance, making it coherent with the overall message of the text.

Meaning: 'To help motivate and guide' means to assist in encouraging and directing the sales representatives in their work.

Wrong options:

  • wrong_option_1: 'as motive and guide' is incorrect because it lacks the necessary verb form to indicate purpose, making it grammatically incomplete in this context.
  • wrong_option_2: 'should motivate and guide' implies a suggestion rather than a definitive purpose, which does not fit the context of establishing goals that are already in place.
  • wrong_option_3: 'as helping motive and guide' is awkwardly phrased and does not use the correct grammatical structure to convey the intended meaning.
Correct answer: must perform

Explanation: The phrase 'must perform' indicates a requirement, fitting grammatically as it uses the modal verb 'must' to express necessity. Contextually, it aligns with the idea that service personnel have specific quotas they are obligated to meet, reinforcing the importance of performance in their roles.

Meaning: 'Must perform' means that it is necessary for the service personnel to complete a certain number of service calls within the designated time frame.

Wrong options:

  • wrong_option_1: 'can perform' suggests ability rather than obligation, which does not convey the necessary urgency of the quotas.
  • wrong_option_2: 'often are performed' is passive and does not directly relate to the personnel's responsibility, making it grammatically and contextually inappropriate.
  • wrong_option_3: 'might be performing' implies uncertainty and does not convey the required action, which is essential in this context.
Correct answer: hinges on

Explanation: The phrase 'hinges on' is a metaphorical expression that indicates dependence, fitting grammatically as it correctly links the subject 'the success of the business' with its reliance on sales. Contextually, it emphasizes the critical role that sales performance plays in the overall success of the business.

Meaning: 'Hinges on' means that something is dependent on or determined by something else, in this case, the successful sales of products and services.

Wrong options:

  • wrong_option_1: 'is set at' implies a fixed point rather than dependence, which does not accurately reflect the relationship described in the text.
  • wrong_option_2: 'lasts until' suggests a temporary condition, which does not fit the context of ongoing business success being reliant on sales.
  • wrong_option_3: 'look ahead' does not grammatically or contextually fit as it does not convey the idea of dependence or reliance.
Correct answer: producing what

Explanation: The phrase 'producing what' fits grammatically as it uses the gerund form 'producing' to indicate an ongoing action. Contextually, it aligns with the planning and efforts that go into creating the products that the sales force sells, making it coherent with the overall message of the text.

Meaning: 'Producing what' refers to the act of creating or manufacturing the items that the sales force is responsible for selling.

Wrong options:

  • wrong_option_1: 'describing how' does not fit as it suggests an explanation rather than an action related to the sales process.
  • wrong_option_2: 'constructing how much' is awkward and does not convey a clear meaning in the context of sales and production.
  • wrong_option_3: 'analyzing where' implies a focus on location rather than the products themselves, which is not relevant to the context of sales.

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