Learning Objectives
Chapter 1: The role of selling
This chapter aims to:
- help you understand the role of selling in the business and marketing context;
- describe the environment in which modern selling takes place;
- explain the significance and costs of the sales process to the organisation;
- explain the role salespeople perform.
Chapter 2: Theories of buying and selling
This chapter aims to:
- describe theories of selling and buying;
- understand buyer behaviour;
- provide examples of theories in practice.
Chapter 3: Types of selling
This chapter aims to:
- examine the traditional classification of selling types;
- describe a variety of sales jobs in today’s business environment;
- consider the types of selling appropriate for different markets, customers and circumstances
Chapter 4: Salespeople and selling skills
This chapter aims to:
- review previous work on the desirable characteristics of salespeople;
- separate reality from myth in the ideal sales type;
- identify personality, knowledge and skills required in different selling jobs;
- evaluate the status position and role conflicts inherent in sales jobs;
- make assessments of the key determinants in higher sales performers.
Chapter 5: Sales force organisation
This chapter aims to:
- understand the principles of good organisational design and the difficulty with implementation in a sales context;
- consider different types of sales force structure;
- evaluate methods for calculating sales force size;
- assess issues in sales territory deployment and prescribe sound principles for territory management.
Chapter 6: Technology and sales
This chapter aims to:
- explain CRM and the importance of information in the sales process;
- develop an understanding of sales information systems and sales force automation;
- assess the efficacy of database marketing, telemarketing and the Internet;
- comment on the development of e-commerce.
Chapter 7: Sales forecasting and setting targets
This chapter aims to:
- help you realise the importance of sales forecasts and understand their use;
- describe the process of forecasting and some of the techniques;
- explain the connection between sales forecasts, sales budgets and sales targets;
- illustrate the components in a sales budget;
- consider the different ways of setting sales targets;
- evaluate the options in sales targets both quantitative and qualitative.
Chapter 8: Selling in international markets
This chapter aims to:
- help you realise the importance of sales forecasts and understand their use;
- describe the process of forecasting and some of the techniques;
- explain the connection between sales forecasts, sales budgets and sales targets;
- illustrate the components in a sales budget;
- consider the different ways of setting sales targets;
- evaluate the options in sales targets both quantitative and qualitative.
Chapter 9: The selling process in practice
This chapter aims to:
- review the four popular perspectives of selling;
- understand the link between marketing strategy, segmentation and account management;
- assess the importance of an integrated channel strategy;
- show how the sales strategy can be implemented by studying the steps in the selling process reflecting current market changes;
- be aware of legal restrictions impinging on the sales job.
Chapter 10: Recruitment and selection
This chapter aims to:
- provide understanding of the importance of a planned approach to staffing the sales force;
- help you compile a job specification and a job description for sales positions;
- provide the means to evaluate the different sources of new recruits;
- explore the problems in selection and with selection techniques;
- assess current best practices in recruitment and selection.
Chapter 11: Training, coaching and leading the sales team
This chapter aims to:
- understand why and when training is required;
- appreciate the basics of good training programmes and how they might be delivered;
- be able to evaluate the worth of sales training;
- identify what is meant by leadership and to consider the different theories of leadership;
- assess the relevance of different leadership styles in a sales management context;
- assess how sales managers can coach salespeople and thus improve sales force job satisfaction and performance.
Chapter 12: Motivation and rewards
This chapter aims to:
- consider appropriate levels, methods of payment and the role of financial incentives;
- assess the trade-offs in higher levels of pay against the control of personal selling costs and their effect on performance;
- understand what motivation is;
- consider various theories of motivation and their relevance to selling jobs;
- identify the link between motivation and job performance.
Chapter 13: Monitoring and measurement
This chapter aims to:
- identify the most appropriate measures which can be used to evaluate salespeople and control sales force operations;
- consider how evaluation can best be conducted and by whom;
- understand how TQM and benchmarking can be applied to the sales process;
- review the key determinants of sales force performance.
Chapter 14: Ethical issues in sales
This chapter aims to:
- define ethics and the scope of ethical issues;
- consider how ethics might affect sales operations;
- evaluate ethical relationships between salespeople and the company, co-workers, customers and competitors;
- suggest managerial guidelines for ethical behaviour in sales.