AGR 311 – Strategic Agribusiness Sales

FALL 2013

T-TH12:35-1:50 p.m. – Ropp 106

Instructor / Dr.Aslıhan D. Spaulding
Office / 132 Ropp Agriculture Building
Department of Agriculture
Phone / (309) 438-8091
Office Hours / T2:00-3:00 p.m. or by appointment
E-mail /
Website / Reggienet.ilstu.edu

If you have another class during my office hours, we can schedule a meeting. A call ahead will ensure availability.I also check my e-mails regularly throughout the day.I will respond to e-mails sent through Blackboard e-mail system. I would like to discuss course-related and other matters of importance to you.I have an open door policy. Please do not hesitate to ask questions.If you have problems, come and see me. Work Hard & Have Fun!!!

PREREQUISITES

Junior or senior standing, AGR 215 or consent of instructor required.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Skills, ethics, and behavior theories and concepts for the professional, business-to-business, agribusiness salesperson.

The goal of this course is to provide you with the skills needed to plan and conduct professional sales calls.However, the communication skills learned in this course are valuable for all professional and personal fields of endeavor.

You will learn from a variety of formats. In-class exercises, homework exercises, quizzes, and exams will be used to help you learn the professional sales concepts. You will then apply these concepts to real world scenarios in two ways.

You will ride with and observe a professional salesperson for one day on his/her sales calls and then submit a report explaining the day's activities and critiquing their sales representative based upon the concepts taught in this course. This component of the course is called, "Sashay with a Sales Representative or SWAS".

Near the end of the semester, you will conduct a mock sales call. This component of the course is called Ready Set Sell (RSS). This sales call will be presented to a sales professional who will act as a prospective buyer of the student's product. These two learning components will be discussed in more detail later.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

ProSelling: A Professional Approach to Selling in Agriculture and Other Industries, W. Scott Downey, W. David Downey, Michael A. Jackson, & Laura A. Downey.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Strategic Agribusiness Sales emphasizes individual learning through lectures, assignments, quizzes, and exams. Collaborative learning will also be used through class breakout activities. Most important, experiential learning through direct observations of business transactions in industry and in participating in a mock transaction will also be used.

In this course, you have the opportunity to:

  • Learn techniques of professional selling, both personal selling (selling to individuals) and selling to resellers (wholesalers, distributors and retailers).
  • Experience actual business and sales transactions through observations of sales professionals in action.
  • Plan and conduct a sales call.
  • Enhance your ability to develop business memos, letters, reports, and presentations.
  • Acquire and understand ways to develop long-term partnerships and relationships with professional colleagues and business associates.
  • Advance your personal and professional development.

POLICIES

Attendance and Participation:

I will take attendance. Class attendance and participation are keys to learning. It is expected that you will attend each class. Attendance will be determined by daily roll sign-in or completion of in-class problems, quizzes, or writing assignments. An absence is defined as arriving to class more than five minutes late, leaving early, leaving class and returning during class, or not showing up at all. Absences will be excused for serious illness, illness or death of a family member, University related trips, major religious holidays, and other circumstances found to be reasonable cause for nonattendance. Requests for excused absences must be e-mailed to Dr. Spaulding prior to, or within one class meeting following the absence.

I expect you to prepare for class and be willing to participate. You are expected to volunteer comments and questions; in addition, you will be chosen at random to contribute to the discussion or to answer questions.Reading assigned chapters and articles before coming to class should help you be ready to discuss the material. Your attendance to class may affect your final grade. For example, if a student has a 79 percent at the end of the semester and a perfect attendance, that student may receive a B instead of a C due to his/her perfect attendance.

Major Assignments:

Exercises, written assignments, and exams are to be submitted and taken by all students on the dates assigned. Late exercises and reports will NOT be accepted!!! Assignments will be collected at the beginning of each class period. Any paper handed in after that is considered to be late. NO EXCEPTIONS, other than for excused absences. If you have an excused absence, you are asked to submit your work before the deadline. All material submitted for evaluation should be TYPEWRITTEN, legible, spelling and grammarchecked, and well presented.

Individual Extra Credit

Not Available.

Changes in the Syllabus

There are times when changes to the syllabus are unavoidable. I reserve the rights to make changes to the planned class schedule, exam schedule, the grading scale, or class requirements, if necessary.You, as a student, are responsible for being aware of changes made during the semester.

Cell Phone Use

You have to turn off your cell phones. Do not send or read text messages during class. If, as a result of a family emergency, you are expecting a truly important call during a class, inform Dr. Spaulding of this fact in advance, set the cell phone to the vibrate mode, and then sit in the back of the room.If a call does come in, excuse yourself as unobtrusively as possible to take the call. Taking calls during class must not become routine; it is acceptable only during legitimate emergencies. Students who create disturbance with ringing cell phones or text messaging, should be warned and may be asked to leave the class session if the behavior continues.

Computer Use

Using laptop computers in the classroom is not allowed. In the past students abused the laptop use policy for instant messaging, Facebook, game playing, and Internet surfing during class time.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Lectures, readings, in-class exercises, quizzes, and tests will be used throughout the course. You are responsible for all in-class material presented and for all out-of-class assignments.

If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get lecture notes from colleagues and talk with the instructor about assignments due. Students may be excused from class based on university guidelines. For planned activities, such as field trips in other classes or career interviews, written notification must be made at least two weeks in advance. Notification via email to Dr. Spaulding is appropriate. For illness, a doctor's excuse will be needed.

In the business world, missing a deadline has detrimental effects on one's career. Therefore, late assignments are only accepted at full credit from students who have excused absences.

Good oral and written communication is mandatory in sales, hence, participation in class discussions is absolutely essential for successful completion of the course.

Command of knowledge and course concepts will be shown through a number of written and oral activities. You are responsible for applying what you have learned to actual business problems. In addition to quality of analysis and synthesis, quality of presentation (written and oral) are included as part of your grade. This course requires that you go beyond mere memorization of facts. You must be willing to apply concepts and models. You must maintain an open, receptive, and inquisitive attitude toward learning. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Failure of the course may result from such dishonesty.

PROFESSIONALISM

I expect you to act professional and be civil inside and outside the classroom. Any behavior deemed unprofessional, class disruptions, or foul language in classroom will not be tolerated and student will be asked to leave the classroom and cannot return back until after they meet with the instructor and maybe the department chair.

Grading / Points / Percentage
E-mail / 20 / 2%
News Articles / 80 / 8%
In-class Exercises, Quizzes, Ag Career Day Participation, Lecture Performance, Chapter Summaries, Professionalism / 300 / 30%
Exam 1 / 100 / 10%
Exam 2 / 100 / 10%
SWAS Project / 200 / 20%
RSS Project / 200 / 20%
TOTAL / 1,000 / 100%
/ A / 90-100% / Excellent Performance
B / 80-89% / Good Performance
C / 70-70% / Acceptable Performance
D / 60-69% / Weak Performance
F / <60% / Unacceptable Performance
Each activity will be given a percentage grade and will correspond to the following percentages:

MID-TERM & FINAL EXAMINATIONS

(100 points each)

There will be two midterm exams. Test questions may include multiplechoice, true/false, and short answers.Reading assignments and textbook should act as a complement to class lectures.Lectures, reading materials, and writing assignments will be included in the exams.Exams will be given as scheduled. Only in extreme cases will a make-up exam be given. Make-up exam will only be given for reasons that meetIllinois State University criteria.If you meet the criteria, you have one week from the midterm exam date to notify me. After one week, I will not accept any excuses. Expect the make-up exam to be much more difficult than the regular exam. I work hard at making exams clear and straightforward. Time does not present the ability to do the same for make-up exam.

E-MAIL EXERCISE

(20 points)

E-mail me, using REGGIENET e-mail system and provide the following information by4:30 p.m. on August 29, 2013. If I do not get an e-mail or if I get an e-mail with incomplete information by its due date-time, you will not get 20 points. If you do not have a specific answer to a question, type N/A.

  • In the Subject line, typeYour Full Name.
  • In the Main Text Area, type the following:
  • Name:
  • E-mail Address (one that you frequently check):
  • Phone number that I can reach you:
  • Classes you are taking this semester:
  • Tell me about your previous sales experience:
  • Any other information you would like to share:

NEWS EXERCISE

(80 points)

To get you involved in, and to help you develop your understanding of current sales related issues I would like each student to maintain a folder of current news clippings relevant to concepts we are discussing. The news stories should be chosen from well written sources. You will discusseach news clipping in class by

  • summarizing the content of the news story, and
  • commenting on the content where you make comparisons with other news items or with class discussion.

Make sure to emphasize its relevance and importance to our class discussions.

I will collect your folders four times during the semester on the following dates:

1st News Article: September 17(20 points)2nd News Article: October 8(20 points)

3rd News Article: October 22(20 points)4th News Article: November 5(20 points)

Your responsibility is to collect at least two CURRENT (60 days or less from current date) news clippings from multiple, credible sources for each collection date. Grading will be based on quality of your in-class report and relevance to class.

IN-CLASS EXERCISES, LECTURE PERFORMANCECHAPTER SUMMARY

(300 points)

In-Class Exercises

You will participate in group activities and quizzes in class to practice concepts learned in lectures. If we videotape some of these activities, we will watch these videos and will provide constructive criticism of each scenario. It is very important that you are in class everyday so that you won’t miss these exercises. You are also to participate in Agriculture Career Day. Each student needs to visit with three company representatives and ask them about their internship and employment opportunities. I will provide you more details about this assignment in class.

Lecture Performance

Each student will prepare and present a lecture/discussion and handouts related to pre-assigned chapter. I recommend you find a current application for the chapter’s topic. You can use an advertisement, newspaper article, television show clip, or other media that shows how an agribusiness company has applied principles from the chapter you are presenting.

I will provide a power point file on your chapter. Student presenters must modify/update it (not just a theme/design change!). You cannot use the same/original file to make your presentation.

This assignment will be due during the period of class where we are discussing your assigned chapter.

For the assignment, you will need to write a 1-page paper explaining what the agribusiness company did, and how it relates to the chapter we are reading. It can be an example of something a company did well, or did poorly, as long as it relates to the chapter.

You will be expected to present your example in class and help lead a discussion about why this is relevant to the chapter and what can be learned from it.

Performance will be evaluated by the classmates and Dr. Spaulding.

Chapter Summary Log

In addition to chapter presentation, each class member will be responsible for maintaining a textbook log on required reading assignments and chapters. Students will be assigned chapters from the textbook to read prior to their discussion in class. As you read the chapter, you should take notes in your textbook log to help you remember the important parts from the chapter, as well as to record questions and ideas you have about the material presented. We will then hold in-class discussions of the chapters. You should include the following for each chapter in your textbook log:

What did you read about, but are still unclear about?

What did you find most interesting in this chapter?

Provide one potential exam question from this chapter in multiple choice format. Include four potential answers with the correct answer marked and the page you developed the question from.

Post your question, four possible answers with correct answer marked on the ReggieNet discussion board.

I will compile the exam questions from everyone and provide them as a study guide for the exams. I might use some of the questions in the exams. Your chapter log should be typewritten, include a page number, and your name.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING COMPONENT

Based on student evaluations, the class projects are the highlights of the course, and provide an opportunity for students to develop and essential professional skills for success in various careers.

Project 1. Sashay with a Sales Representative or SWAS

(200 points)

The SWAS project requires students to spend a day in the field with a sales representative. Each student selects a company at the beginning of the semester and makes all arrangements for the visit. The arrangements should be confirmed by a letter (which is reviewed and graded by the instructor before it is mailed to the company).

The project enables you to

  • learn more about what a salesperson does during a typical day,
  • learn how the concepts and techniques studied in class are applied by professionals in the field, and
  • learn how to handle yourself as professional in a business environment.

By allowing our students to observe their work, the sales representatives provide an invaluable nurturing experience for the student. Grades for the project are based on the sales representative's evaluation and a written report. (You will not receive credit for ride-alongs with relatives who are sales reps.)

There are 200 possible points in the SWAS component of this course. The breakdown of those points is displayed in the following table:

SWAS Assignment / DATE / Points
SWAS Assignment 1: Salesperson Choice / September 5 / 10
SWAS Assignment 2: Contact Report A / September 17 / 10
SWAS Assignment 3: Letter Confirming Shadow Day Arrangements / September 24 / 20
SWAS Assignment 4: Contact Report B / October 3 / 10
SWAS Assignment 5: Written Project / October 15 / 100
SWAS Presentations / October 15 / 20
SWAS Assignment 6: Thank You Letter / October 17 / 15
SWAS Trip Evaluation: (Turned in by Sales Representative) / November 5 / 15
Total SWAS Points / 200

Project 2. Formal Sales Presentation: Ready Set Sell (RSS)

(200 points)

In this project, each student develops a sales presentation for a product, that is food or Agribusiness related, of his or her choice. You are responsible for collecting all technical information about the product, manufacturer, and all information concerning competitive brands. Weekly assignments insure that you systematically gather the relevant information. During the presentation, you play the role of a sales representative and attempt to sell the product to a customer. The role of the customer is played by a professional sales representative or Dr. Spaulding. Grades are based on timely completion of assignments, evaluation by industry representatives and a written report.

There are 200 Total Points possible for the RSS component of this course. The breakdown of these points is displayed in the following table:

RSS Assignment / Due Date / Points
RSS Assignment 1: Product/Service Choice / September 5 / 5
RSS Assignment 2: Prospect Profile Worksheet / September 19 / 10
RSS Assignment 3: Objectives, Strategies, Opening and Probing / October 10 / 15
RSS Assignment 4: Features and Benefits, Selling Points, and Handling Objections for Both Your Product Features and Benefits for Three Competing Products / October 24 / 25
RSS Assignment 5: Closing / October 31 / 10
RSS Assignment 6: Final Copy of Prospect Profile, and Objectives and Strategy / November 7 / 20
RSS Assignment 7: RSS Presentation Outline / November 7 / 25
RSS Presentation / November 14, 19, 21 / 30
RSS Assignment 8: RSS Written Report / December 5 / 60
Total RSS Points / 200
TOPICAL OUTLINE
Sales Principles and Techniques
What is Selling?
What do Salespeople do?
Salespeople Responsibilities
Why Become a Salesperson?
Rewards of Selling
Compensation Structures
Relationship Marketing
Transaction Marketing
Buying Decision Process
Adoption of Technology / Sales Systems and Organization
a. Code for Professionalism
b. Sales Territories
c. Evaluating Sales Performance
d. Establishing Product Brands
e. Selling Policies and Procedures
1. Promotion Methods
2. Pricing Policies
3. Transportation Policies
4. Discount Policies
5. Warranties
f. Forecasting
g. Issues in Sales Ethics
Agri-Selling Process
Preparation
Building Knowledge Base
Prospecting
Planning Sales Call
Opening
Building Rapport
Openers
Probe Customer Needs
Presentation
Review Problem
Outline Solutions
Detail a Plan
Support Selling Points / Handling Objections
Understanding Objections
Strategy for Handling Objections
Closing
Closing Suggestions
Closing Techniques
Service

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT