Biz Quiz - Test Your Sales Ability
April 1947 Radio News

April 1947 Radio News

April 1947 Radio & Television News Cover - RF Cafe[Table of Contents]

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio & Television News, published 1919-1959. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

Well, at least I know now why my efforts to sell things usually don't work out too well. A salesman I ain't - neither by c1947 standards or by contemporary standards. I have a hard time even giving things away based on the low response rate on notifications for winning free books each month. My score on this "Biz Quiz" in Radio-News magazine was around 50% (south of, actually), but that was probably due to being subconsciously biased to answer what I thought the creator would expect for a good salesman. It would probably be embarrassing to have a professional assessment of my true personality, assuming that professional is not a quack with an agenda.

Biz Quiz - Test Your Sales Ability

Biz Quiz, April 1947 Radio News - RF Cafe

One of a series of sales aptitude tests especially prepared for Radio News by Mr. George Speer, Director of Institute for Psychological Service, Illinois Institute of Technology.

1. Would you rather play (a) solitaire (b) checkers (c) poker

2. Which book would you prefer to read? (a) how to refinish furniture (b) magic made easy (c) the world of tomorrow

3. Would you prefer to (a) work alone (b) have your own job to do, but have other people around (c) work in cooperation with others

4. If you are in low spirits do you (a) try to find others to cheer you up (b) go to a movie to forget yourself for awhile (c) try to think of something cheerful

5. Do you make new friends (a) slowly (b) fairly easily (c) easily and rapidly

6. Do you think you could become so interested in an invention you were working on that you would not notice a lack of intimate friends (a) yes (b) no (c) can't say

7. When you are with other people have you felt lonesome (a) often (b) occasionally (c) never

8. If a friend were describing you, which phrase would be more accurate (a) he is very cautious (b) he is usually willing to take a chance (c) he is very reckless

9. When you have a tough problem, do you usually (a) figure it out alone (b) talk about it with other people, but make your own decision (c) seek and follow the advice of others

10. The tailor promised to return your suit today, but when you call for it he informs you that he has just started to work on it. Are you more likely to (a) complain strongly (b) tell him calmly that you are dissatisfied (c) accept it as something that cannot be helped

11. If you were playing a game against an opponent known to be considerably more skillful than you are, would you (a) realize you couldn't win, but try to make a decent score (b) hope for some kind of a lucky chance that might let you win (c) decide you were going to win in spite of his superior ability.

12. Would you rather have a job (a) with a moderate salary, but absolute security (b) with a large salary, but considerable insecurity (c) with a commission, both income and security depending on your own efforts

13. Are your feelings (a) rarely hurt (b) hurt sometimes (c) easily hurt

14. If you unexpectedly found that you had to stay overnight in a strange city, where you knew no one, would you (a) go to a movie (b) go to a street carnival ( c) catch up on some reading or reports

15. Do other people feel that you are (a) understanding (b) indifferent (c) critical of them

16. When you are told by your superiors how to do things, do you (a) follow instructions if you must, but silently object (b) do as you are instructed without much thought about it (c) enter into the situation and carry out the instructions enthusiastically

17. Are your best friends (a) equal to you in ability (b) inferior to you in ability ( c) superior to you in ability

18. If you attend a sales conference led by a prominent executive, would you (a) make every effort to meet him (b) wait for someone to introduce you to him (c) remain in the background but try to absorb his ideas

19. If you were at a party where you knew about half of those present, and the party became somewhat dull, would you (a) decide to go somewhere else (b) suggest something to enliven the affair (c) wait for someone else to suggest something

20. You have a vague idea for a project in which you are interested. Do you find it easier to develop this idea by (a) talking it over with other people (b) thinking about it alone (c) reading books or articles on the same subject.


Quizzes from vintage electronics magazines such as Popular Electronics, Electronics-World, QST, and Radio News were published over the years - some really simple and others not so simple. Robert P. Balin created most of the quizzes for Popular Electronics. This is a listing of all I have posted thus far.

RF Cafe Quizzes

Vintage Electronics Magazine Quizzes

Vintage Electronics Magazine Quizzes

 

 

Biz Quiz Answers, April 1947 Radio News - RF Cafe

Are You a Salesman? Give yourself 5 points for each answer you had checked correctly. A score of 45 is average, and 75 or better is very good indeed.

 

 

Posted March 30, 2021
(updated from original post on 8/30/2016)