Curriculum

Organized around building value-adding relationships such that both the selling and buying organizations benefit and the process of making informative and persuasive presentations. Course topics include how to make positive first impressions, managing objections, presentation skills, reaching win-win decisions and servicing customers. Developing one’s selling and communications skills is useful to every businessperson who makes presentations. Case study, videotaped role playing, professional speakers and group interactions project the student into the world of business and selling.

Prerequisite(s): MKT 3310

Organized around the in-depth study of advanced sales practices, the course focuses on creating a customer-focused value proposition, the multi-person buying center, team-selling, key account management and time management. Videotaped role plays, presentations and live field work activate learning.

Prerequisite(s): MKT 3310

Focused on examining the value-creation aspects of marketing channels, course topics include analyzing existing channels as interorganizational systems and developing multi-channel models for moving products to end users. Key issues that students will consider include channel members’ goals and value propositions, as well as optimizing configurations for market coverage and desired levels of vertical integration. Hands-on exercises and professional speakers illuminate existing channel issues.

Beginning with sales force strategy for today’s complex business environment, the course covers responsibilities of sales executives and field sales managers. Topics include sales force design, multi-channel strategy, sales technology, recruiting, training, and sales force motivation and evaluation. Case study, field projects, and speakers enhance the learning process.

Designed as an applied learning experience, developing executive presence follows the student’s short-term, full-time paid placement within a firm. The intern’s responsibilities are determined by the firm offering the internship; however, sales faculty work with companies to ensure that the student has sales engagement experiences. The course provides the framework for the student to document learning experiences from the internship in an e-portfolio (a useful tool for career management) and through a ProSales Talk, which is a main-stage, executive-style speaking experience delivered to both a live audience and a professional film crew. The student finishes the internship in the summer after completing the first three courses of the ProSales curriculum and completes the executive presence course in the subsequent fall.

This course delves deeply into Key Account Management (KAM) and Global Account Management (GAM) with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of sales organizations. It places a strong emphasis on customer-centric sales strategies that leverage compelling value propositions to foster deeper customer and account relationships, ultimately resulting in the optimization of key business metrics (growth, profitability, customer satisfaction). Furthermore, the course empowers students with the knowledge and skills required to navigate the process of driving organizational change within the customer’s organization. It will encompass substantive content regarding the roles and responsibilities of KAMs/GAMs, insights from guest speakers who are experienced KAM/GAM professionals or leaders, and immersive learning experiences tied to real-world business practices.