Harvard University
Extension School
Marketing 6800 – Professional Selling and Sales Management
Course Syllabus – Fall 2013
Course Day, Time and Format
Day and Time: Mondays, 7:40-9:40 PM
Course iSite
iSite: TBD
Instructor:
John C. Westman 617.285.2632
Vice President of Marketing and Sales
USCosmeceutechs, Inc.
Office Hours: Before class and by appointment
About the Course
Course Format
The course consists of reading assignments, class discussions, case studies, simulations, guest speakers, a group project and an individual ride-along project. Students are expected to prepare in advance for each class, participate in class, give class presentations, and work each week on the group project.
Course Description and Overview
What does it take to be a highly successful professional salesperson? This course answers this question and guides the student to explore and understand successful sales and sales management behaviors. The student will have also developed competency in professional selling approaches, conversations and presentations, and sales management techniques. Course topics include creating value in the buyer-seller relationships, prospecting, sales call planning, communicating the message, negotiating for win-win solutions, closing the sale, as well as how to motivate, compensate and train sales people.
Course Materials
This course uses a textbook, selected books on professional selling, articles, a ‘Selling tip of the day’, and a sales management computer simulation. Course materials are:
Relationship Selling, Greg Marshall and Mark W. Johnston, ISBN: 0073404837
Selling 101: What every successful sales professional needs to know, Zig Ziglar, 1991
The One Minute Sales Person, Spenser Johnson, 1984
Blink, Malcolm Gladwell
MARS Sales Management computer simulation, http://www.shootformars.com
These books are available at the Harvard Coop or at a number of online retailers.
Also, students will sign up for a free ‘tip of the day’ on professional selling.
Go to http://www.makingthenumbers.com/index.html and click the green button to sign up.
Grading
Grades will be based on the following weighting:
1. Tests 20%
2. Group Project 30%
3. Individual project 30%
4. Class participation & Simulation 20%
Total 100%
This is a graduate-level course with graduate-level work. Active participation in class discussions and activities and high-quality written work is expected. Effective written and oral communication is key to success in this class and will constitute a significant portion of a student’s grade. Written work should be clear, logical, grammatically correct, spell-checked, and persuasive and backed up by citations for any data, ideas or other content used. It should represent the student’s best effort.
Grades reflect the quality of a student’s work submitted throughout the term according to the Harvard Extension School’s grading standards (http://www.extension.harvard.edu/exams-grades-policies/grades).
Tests and written assignments
There will be two tests - “Opportunities to Excel” and periodic written assignments.
Group Project
Your team (3 or 4 students) will select an organization, assess its professional selling effectiveness and make recommendations to improve its business results though improved professional selling and sales management approaches. Your team will deliver a presentation to the class and a written report to the instructor and organization.
Project rubric:
1. Content (33%)
□ purpose of the paper is clear
□ analyzed the organization’s selling approach with at least 5 concepts from the course
□ recommendations are thoughtful and powerful
□ interviewed 5 or more people in the organization
□ interviewed or surveyed 10 or more customers
□ maximum 5 pages of text, 10 tables/figures, attach handouts (6 slides per page).
2. Workshop (33%)
□ memorable theme or moment
□ presentation visuals were clear and easy to follow
□ used multimedia – audio, video, visual
□ workshop was interesting and informative
□ good technical presentation skills (look at audience not slides, pay attention to presenter, involved audience, technology worked)
□ involved the class during the workshop and all group members participated
3. Documentation/Other (34%)
□ report is bound in with simple cover and back, has cover page so it looks like you cared about the first impression and ease of comprehension for the reader
□ hand-outs are clear and useful
□ final report is in a condition that you would hand it to the organization
Individual Project
You will spend one day riding with a professional sales person, write a 2 page report on the day and present the top 3 insights you gained with the class.
Class Participation
Class participation is required. This class uses techniques to promote participation, and requires students to present and discuss professional selling concepts and techniques. Students are expected to constructively contribute to the class discussion by doing assignments prior to class, volunteering ideas and responding thoughtfully to other’s comments. Classes will have more discussion and group work than lecture.
Class behavior expectations are:
- arrive at least 5 minutes prior to class start time
- be respectful: supportive words and tone of voice, let others finish speaking without interruption, listen, encourage participation of others, welcome diverse perspectives
- add energy to the class: positive tone of voice, be alert, collaborate, actively engage in conversations
- demonstrate and promote a learning attitude
Academic Integrity
Harvard’s policies: You are expected to know and comply with Harvard’s policies on academic integrity, which can be found at http://www.extension.harvard.edu/exams-grades-policies/student-responsibilities. Other resources include, The Harvard Guide to Using Sources (http://usingsources.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do), Plagiarism and the Proper Use of Sources (http://www.extension.harvard.edu/resources/career-academic-resource-center/plagiarism-proper-use-sources), including two very good online tutorials on what constitutes plagiarism.
Out-of-Class Communication
Email will be a key communication tool for this course. You are expected to read and respond to email in a timely & professional manner, and keep your email address up-to-date with the Harvard Extension School.
The Fine Print
Workload. The value you receive from this course will be commensurate with the thought, effort and reflection that you put into the endeavor. Students should expect to spend 3-8 hours outside of class for each session to read and reflect upon the assigned materials, complete assignments, and prepare for the next class session.
On Time. Students are expected to arrive early and stay for the duration of the class session. If you plan to be late, absent or need to leave early from class, then you are expected to inform the instructor prior to the start of class.
Deadlines. All assignments must be submitted at the specified day and time and late submissions will not be accepted. If you are absent the day an assignment is due, the assignment is still due at the specified day and time. True medical or family emergencies will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Week / Date / Topics1 / 9/9 / 1. Introduction and overview of the course
2. Compass exercise on work styles
3. Select your team for the group assignment, sign up for assignments
4. Review of Syllabus
2 / 9/16 / 1. Assignment # 1 workshop: SALES OVERVIEW & INFORMATION ON BUYERS & SELLERS
2. Assignment # 2 workshop: VALUE CREATION & ETHICS
3. Start team and individual projects
3 / 9/23 / 1. Assignment # 3 workshop: PROSPECTING AND COMMUNICATING THE MESSAGE
2. Assignment # 4 workshop: NEGOTIATING FOR WIN-WIN SOLUTIONS
3. Work on class project & ride-along preparation
4 / 9/30 / 1. Assignments # 5 workshop: CLOSING THE SALE
2. Assignment # 6 workshop: SELLING 101 – ZIG ZIGLAR
3. Guest - TBD
5 / 10/7 / 1. First test or “Opportunity to Excel”
2. Assignment #7 workshop: BLINK & LESSONS FOR SALES PROFESSIONALS
3. Work on project
Guest- TBD
6 / 10/14 / Columbus day – no class
7 / 10/21 / 1. Assignments # 8 workshop: SELF MANAGEMENT
2. Assignment # 9 workshop: SALES PERSON PERFORMANCE
3. Ride-along project reports
8 / 10/28 / 1. Assignment #10 workshop: RECRUITING, SELECTING & TRAINING
2. Assignment # 11 workshop: ONE MINUTE SALES PERSON
3. Guest - TBD
9 / 11/4 / 1. Professional Selling Management Simulation preparation and decisions
2. Project review & working groups
10 / 11/11 / 1. Prior to Class, hand in Ride along project reports to the class
2. Professional Selling Management Simulation preparation and decisions
3. Assignment #12 workshop: COMPENSATION & INCENTIVES
4. Guest – TBD
11 / 11/18 / 1. Second test or “Opportunity to Excel”
2. Professional Selling Management Simulation preparation and decisions
3. The Persuasion Equation
12 / 11/25 / Thanksgiving week – no class
13 / 12/2 / 1. Hand in prior to class your WordMap= Words, Pictograms; Drawings with material from this course that you want to remember
2. Professional Selling Management Simulation preparation and decisions
3. Professional Selling Simulation
14 / 12/9 / Hand in hard copy written report
Final presentations
15 / 12/16 / Final presentations (continued)
ASSIGNMENT/CLASSROOM WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
CLASSROOM WORKSHOP: Create a 20-30 minute (30 minute maximum) presentation and workshop including:
a) ~2 minute attention grabber - video, audio, role-play, skit or interactive game
b) ~8 minutes of content on most important content with examples that the class can relate to
c) ~4 minutes of interactive session involving the group
d) ~5 minutes of content
e) ~6 minutes of class survey with 2-3 questions on content, & 2-3 questions to create controversy & conversation.
The basic content is in the required books. You are expected to include additional information from other sources (start with Google & ask the Instructor for suggestions). The information described in the “Assignment” on this syllabus needs to be covered. Use your judgment (and feedback from the instructor) to decide what information is most useful to you and the class. It is expected that you use examples to help explain the material clearly and effectively.
Class Assignment Workshop Rubric – must be 30 minutes or less. At 30 minutes, the session will be ended.
1. Process (30%)
a. You e-mailed the draft presentation to the Instructor by 9pm Thursday prior to the class, he reviewed and sent you comments to improve the workshop by Friday 11 pm, and you improved your presentation prior to the Monday class.
2. Content (30%)
a. You selected the most interesting material from the text and from additional research on the topic
b. You have made the material clear and understandable
c. You are using examples relevant to the class for the most important ideas
d. Improved material or approach from the instructor’s suggestions was included in the workshop
3. Workshop (40%)
a. You demonstrated that you learned from ‘stars and wishes’ from prior presentations
b. You followed the CLASSROOM workshop description (above)
c. You had a memorable theme or moment
d. Your presentation was clear, easy to follow and informative
e. You used multimedia – audio, video, visual – and your technical presentation skills were solid (looked at audience not slides; attention on the presenter; involved audience; technology worked)
f. You got feedback from your classmates via questions: 2 or 3 questions tested comprehension of the most important points, and 2-3 questions challenged the class (e.g. – it was not obvious which answer was correct) and generated discussion
g. All team members participated in the workshop
h. Hand-outs were clear and useful
ASSIGNMENT #1: Overview of selling function & using information to understand buyers and sellers (chapter 2)
· What information is important in selling? P 35
· Why are sales jobs rewarding? p 37
· Key success factors in relationship selling p 42
· Organization buying process and decision stages p 52
· CRM p 60
ASSIGNMENT #2: Value creation in buyer-seller relationships and Ethics (chapters 3 and 4)
· What is value and how do sales people create it? p 71
· Key factors in communicating value p 78
· Managing customer expectations p 85
· Are business relationships rational, emotional or both? Give examples from your experience.
· Ethical concerns for sales people p 105
· Legal issues p113
· Code of sales ethics p118
ASSIGNMENT #3: Prospecting and sales call planning and communicating the message (chapters 5 and 6)
· What is lifetime value, most valuable customers, most growable customers?
· Prospecting p 133
· Systematic prospecting plan p 144
· Communicating the sales presentation p 159
· Approach the customer p 165
· Keys to a great sales presentation and conversation p 177
· Building the relationship p 169
ASSIGNMENT #4: Negotiating for win-win solutions (chapter 7)
· Negotiation goals p 197
· Common customer concerns p 198
· Basic points in negotiating win-win p 202
· Negotiation techniques p 204
ASSIGNMENT #5: Closing the sale and follow-up (chapter 8)
· Definition and description of closing the sale p 219
· Closing techniques p 220
· Buying signals p 224
· Enhancing the relationship p 228
· Sales manager’s role in closing the sale p 234
ASSIGNMENT # 6: Selling 101: What every successful sales professional needs to know, Zig Ziglar, 1991
· Describe and discuss the most important ideas from this book
ASSIGNMENT # 7: Blink, Malcom Gladwell
· Select 3 concepts and stories that provide valuable insight for professional selling
ASSIGNMENT # 8 (chapter 9): Self management: time and territory
· Importance of time management p 247
· Salespeople’s role in time and territory management p 249
· Sales manager’s role in time management
ASSIGNMENT # 9: Sales persons performance: behavior, motivation and role perceptions (chapter 10)
· What is sales performance and how do you measure it?
· How do salespeople influence performance?
· How do sales managers influence performance?
ASSIGNMENT # 10: Recruiting, selecting and training sales people (chapter 11 and 12)
· Recruiting and selection issues p 299
· Training objectives p 329
· Developing successful sales training programs p 329
· Sales training topics and methods p 336
ASSIGNMENT # 11: The One Minute Sales Person, Spenser Johnson, 1984
· Describe and discuss the most important ideas from this book
ASSIGNMENT # 12: Compensation, incentives and evaluating salesperson performance (chapters 13 and 14)