Department of Management & Marketing

 
BSNS 6373 Sales Management
 

 

 

Assignment One
 
 
 

Sales Assignment

 

 
Worth 25% of final grade
 

 

Requirement

 
Should you wish to embark on a career in Sales Management, you need to first of all understand the role of a salesperson in achieving the company’s sales objectives. Another important aspect of sales, is understanding the selling process, including the development of trust based relationships.
 
A requirement for those enrolled in this course, will be to investigate components of the sales process and applied those to a ‘real world’ situation. The assignment will comprise of 2 parts-
 
·         A written commentary
 
·         A field investigation
 
 
Required
 
·         Select a product or service  of your choice
·         From a selling perspective, you will be focusing on a product or service that will involve a business to business (B2B) selling situation and your written commentary should reflect this.    
·         Assume the role of a salesperson who visits those interested in purchasing your product.
 
 
 
Part A   Written Presentation
 
 
·         Identify your product/service outlining its features and benefits.
 
·         Outline what your competitive advantage or unique selling proposition (USP) will be over other companies in this industry.  
 
·         A commentary on what you would do to determine the number and location of potential business clients. (B2B)
 
·         Compile and categorise (ABC), a prospect list of potential clients that you could call upon in the Greater Auckland region.  Indicate your basis for classifying your clients. Provide a territorial map.
 
·         Write an ‘introductory letter’ to a potential client that will attract their interest, outlining how your product or service can benefit them.  As part of the letter, seek to secure an appointment in the very near future.
 
·         Provide an example of a customer profile that you might use in compiling a database.
 
·         In a written format, provide an overview of how a possible sales presentation might unfold.  Include the following….
·         Introductory commentary via phone for securing an appointment to see the client.
·         An initial sales objective
·         How you plan to do your sales presentation?
·         What sales tools will you use?
·         Opening commentary at your initial meeting
·         Three probing questions
·         Five possible objections you may encounter, along with your responses.
·         Two examples of a trial close that you might use.
·         Comment on what you would say when asking for the order.
 
 
Part B   Mystery Shopper –Field Investigation
 
·         You are to visit any retail store here in Auckland. (Does not have to be related to your chosen product.)
 
·         Take the role of a ‘mystery shopper’.   Provide details of store, date, time of day, and the name of the salesperson.
 
·         Engage in conversation with the salesperson from a customer’s viewpoint, explaining your interest in purchasing one of their products. However, do not take their valuable time if store has paying customers waiting to be served.
 
·          When you do approach the sales person, or they approach you, mentally note the way they conduct themselves. Listen and be observant.  During your discussion provide them with a common sales objection.  Elaborate on how the salesperson handle this? 
 
·         Write a commentary of approximately one page on the salesperson’s overall performance, and your experience with this individual from the time you entered the store, to your departure.   Elaborate on where you felt they handled the sales presentation well, and where they could have improved.
 
·          Comment on what you learnt from this field exercise.
 
 
 
Instructions:
 
1.    Do not complete the field assignment until you have completed Part A
 
2.    As a guideline, the written assignment should be approx. 1200 words. Font size 12pt.  1½ line spacing.
 
3.    The format of the written presentation is entirely up to you, but should be presented in a professional and business like manner.
 
4.    It is anticipated that you will review textbooks or articles on selling techniques and provide correct referencing where applicable.
 

 

Marking Schedule

 
This assignment is worth 25% of your total marks for this course.
 
 It will be awarded an overall grade based on the requirements and discussions above, including evidence of additional resources (APA referencing) besides your class notes, the overall written presentation (format, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, headings, etc.)
 
 
 
Due Date:  Thursday April 7th @ 1:00pm  In class