DOERMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

BUS 42600-01M SPRING 2019 COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE INFORMATION
Course: BUS 42600-01M Sales Management CRN: 25308
Days: Class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday of the first Time: 3-4:15 pm
week of class, then on Tuesdays only for the rest of semester Room: KT G50
CONTACT INFORMATION
Instructor: Ahmed Rachdi Office: Neff 330E
Office Phone: 260-481-0116 Email: rachdia@pfw.edu
Office Hours: MW 2-3 pm; TR 8:30-10:30 am FAX: 260-481-6879
Prerequisites: BUS 30101 Introduction to Marketing Management; junior class standing; admission to
business B.S. program
Text: Sales Management, Gregory Rich, Chicago Business Press, 2016, ISBN: 978-0-9971171-3-4

Course Overview

This course has two primary goals. First, it will provide you with an integrated overview of accumulated
theory and research relevant to sales management. Secondly, the course will highlight how real
managers apply these theories and principles in their own organizations. Concepts like strategic alliances,
customer relationship management (CRM) and value creation have revolutionized every part of the
organization, including the sales force. Today, salespeople are expected to have new skills, more
information and instant answers. This makes managing the sales force a formidable challenge. Success in
the future will be defined by how well sales managers learn to manage in this new world.

Course Objectives

When you successfully complete this course, you will be able to:
 Identify and discuss key trends affecting sales force organizational structures and sales
management.
 Identify and illustrate the key external and internal environmental factors that influence the
development of marketing strategies, the key steps in developing and implementing these
strategies and sales programs.
 Recognize key drivers of change in selling and sales analysis for sales management decision
analysis.
 Understand and outline the key components and goals of Customer Relationship Management
(CRM).
 Identify the various components comprising the model of salesperson performance including key
non-financial rewards, how and why they might be important.
 Understand the process of salesperson motivation, and the success characteristics for different
sales positions and the key issues and objectives of sales training.
 Develop a respect for the ethical and moral issues that permeate business decisions and the
different value systems that underlie various decisions and behaviors.
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 Course Methods

This is a hybrid course earning you 3 credit hours toward your degree. Half of the credit hours come from
attending class for 75 minutes once a week and the other half from participation in online activities. In
addition, just as in any 3-credit course, you are expected to put in a number of hours in preparation for
both class and online activities.
It is critical that you attend every class meeting, actively participate in online activities, and allot
additional time for reading, writing, teamwork, and studying. Because class participation is so important,
only 2 absences are allowed. Thus, if you are an athlete who will miss multiple class sessions, consider
taking a different course.
The methods used in this course include reading, lectures, in-class activities, case analysis, short individual
research papers, short team presentations, online discussions, and a final team project.

Course Requirements

READING ASSIGNMENTS
Complete the assigned reading before coming to class. Examinations in this course will be based on the
text regardless of whether the material is covered in the class session or not.
INDIVIDUAL PAPERS
Each individual paper gives you the opportunity to take what you are learning in this course and use it to
think critically about authentic, real-life situations. You will confirm the truth of what you are learning and
hopefully come to understand how the concepts, theories, and principles of this course might help
improve the practices and outcomes that you will observe. It is also possible that your research will cause
you to question what you are learning, which is also desirable.

In completing an individual paper, address the requirements of the assignment. At the same time, try to
integrate pertinent concepts from the text, naming two or three that you think are relevant. Use
examples from your own experience, other business courses, and your outside reading as appropriate.
Use this as an opportunity to integrate what you have learned in the course with what you learned from
doing the paper.
Each individual paper should be no longer than one page, 12 point Times New Roman, single-spaced. A
well-written paper that is approximately 500-750 words is what you should aim for. Your writing should
be complete and thorough, concise, and free of grammar errors. Your paper should be word processed
(Microsoft Word is preferred). Put a heading on your paper that includes your full name, the title of the
assignment, and the date.
Submit your individual paper in Blackboard using the appropriate assignment link in the Individual Papers
folder. See the Course Calendar for due dates. I will not accept late papers.

Individual Paper 4 requires you to interview a sales manager who works for a company that sells
business-to-business. You should start to identify potential interviewees at the beginning of the
semester to allow ample time for the sales manager to put you into his or her schedule.
 Individual Paper 1
Describe a recent purchase experience oan item or service costing $200 or more. What did the
salesperson do to pre-qualify you, define your needs (in terms of the product’s features, benefits, and
advantages, or use of SPIN), meet your objections, and attempt to close the sale/gain your commitment?
Integrate as many sales concepts as you can, taking care to name and explain them, and share your
insights into the sales process.

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 Individual Paper 2
Research a sales manager job opening on the Internet or in the classified section of a newspaper. Write a
cover letter as if you are applying for the position, using qualifications that you can reasonably expect to
have two years from now. Make sure that you mention the job title, three job responsibilities of the
position and three key types of experience or skills the company is looking for in a successful candidate,
showing how you possess these attributes. Attach a copy of the advertisement. Instead of a heading, use
information from the ad to create an inside address and date the letter.

 Individual Paper 3
This assignment helps you broaden your knowledge of sales management. You will compose a one page
single-spaced (approx. 500-750 words) review of an article in a business periodical or journal, selected
from one of the publications listed below. The article you choose should not be older than 2 years.

 Business Horizons (BH)

 Forbes magazine
 Harvard Business Review
 Industrial Marketing Management (IMM)
 Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (JAMS)
 Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP)
 Journal of Business Ethics (JBE)
 Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing (JBIM)
 Journal of Business Research (JBR)
 Journal of Consumer Marketing (JCM), Journal of Marketing (JM)
 Journal of Marketing Research (JMR)
 Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice (JMTP)
 Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management (JPSSM)
 Marketing Letters (ML)
 Marketing Management (MM)
 Marketing Science (MS) and
 Psychology & Marketing (PM)

The summary should contain the following information in this order:

 Student's name, course title and number, and the date
 Title of the article
 Author(s) of the article
 Name of publication
 Date of publication, Volume, Page Numbers
 2-3 paragraphs summarizing the article
 Text chapter to which the article applies
 1-2 paragraphs explaining how the article relates to the chapter indicated above

Shannon Johnson (johnsons@pfw.edu) is the Business Reference Librarian at the Helmke Library and can
assist you in locating appropriate articles.

 Individual Paper 4
Interview a Sales Manager for a business that sells to other businesses. (Start planning for this
assignment at the beginning of the semester.) The manager should be responsible for 2 or more
salespeople. Ask him/her to describe the three key characteristics of a successful sales manager and
explain why they are important. (Please focus on characteristics rather than activities that the manager
performs.)

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 ONLINE DISCUSSIONS
At the beginning of the course, students will be assigned to teams, 3-4 students on each team. Each team
will conduct its own discussion. Each online discussion will last 2 weeks.
The topic of each discussion is a case appearing at the end of a textbook chapter. The case for each
discussion is given in the Course Calendar at the end of this syllabus. Read the case. Identify applicable
concepts, theories, and principles from the chapter in which the case appears and from previous
chapters.
Each discussion has its own set of 4 prompts (questions). These prompts vary according to whether you
are the first, second, third, or fourth person to respond. You should decide, as a team, to rotate the
responsibility for being “Responder #1”. NOTE: If there are only 3 people on your team your team need
only respond to the first 3 discussion prompts.
Each teammate is responsible for making a total of 7 posts, as follows:
 The initial post is a response to one of the 4 discussion prompts (questions). (1 post)
 Follow-up posts that include a substantive comment on each of your teammates’ initial posts, and
pose a thoughtful question about it. Substantive comments are defined as any of the following:
commenting critically or analytically, providing additional resources, challenging assertions, or any
other interjection that adds value. (On a team of four, you will make three posts.)
 Respond to your each of your teammates’ follow-ups about your initial post. (On a team of four,
three more posts.)
To participate, click on the link to the Team Collaboration Area in the left menu in Blackboard. Click on the
Group Discussion Board link on the “Group Tools” screen. This will take you to the Discussion Board
where you will read the instructions for your discussion and the discussion prompts for each member,
referred to as “Responder #1-4,” of the team. To respond to a discussion prompt, click on the name of the
Forum, for example, “Discussion 1.” Once in the discussion forum, click on “Create Thread.” Write your
response, giving the Subject as Responder #1, 2, 3, or 4, and your name.
IMPORTANT
“Responder #1” initial posts must be made no later than midnight on Tuesday of the first week of
discussion. All other initial posts should be made no later than Friday of the first week of discussion.
Follow-up posts are due Tuesday of the second week of discussion.
Answers to questions posed in the follow-up posts are due by the end of the discussion period.
For a discussion to be successful, you should check the discussion board daily so that you can make your
follow-ups and respond to questions before the closing date of the discussion.

 A complete description of all discussions, the discussion rubric, and an example of how one team
approached coordinating its team discussions can be found in the Discussions Folder in Blackboard.
 You should regard your discussions as a team effort, making sure that team members post in a timely
fashion, pointing out errors when appropriate, and offering assistance to teammates so that the
discussion is educational and productive for everyone.
 Please communicate in a professional manner, as if this were part of your paid employment. Please
try to use correct spelling, for example, their-there, its and it’s, then-than, and so on. Read your
answer aloud before posting. Help your teammates understand exactly what you mean.

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 Here is an example of how the hypothetical Team Maximus approached its online discussions.
The four members of Team Maximus huddled around Khalil’s laptop after the end of class a week before
the start of Discussion 1. They shared a strong desire to capture all of the available discussion points.
After carefully reading the instructions in the syllabus and looking over the group discussion boards in
Blackboard they promised each other that no team member would wait until midnight on due dates to
make any post.

Khalil suggested that they make task assignments for all of the discussions in advance. He said he would
post it in the File Exchange in the Team Collaboration Area, along with the posting schedule provided on
page four of the syllabus. The team also decided to use the GroupMe app to let each other know when
they had posted something.

Responder #1 Responder #2 Responder #3 Responder #4

Discussion 1 Gabby Khalil Anita Jose
Discussion 2 Khalil Anita Jose Gabby
Discussion 3 Anita Jose Gabby Khalil
Discussion 4 Jose Gabby Khalil Anita

At 8 pm on Monday, the first day of Discussion 1, Gabby made her initial post. She texted the team on
GroupMe.

Anita was doing her daily logging in to Blackboard after putting the kids to bed on Monday night and
noticed Gabby’s post. She decided to write a follow-up to Gabby’s post. In her follow-up she mentioned
something Gabby had missed and asked a question. Anita was pleased with herself for completing this
requirement ahead of time and started work on her Responder #3 prompt, keeping in mind that she
would have to consider Gabby’s and Khalil’s contributions before finalizing her initial post.

Over the next three days each member of Team Maximus returned to Blackboard. They were delighted to
see Gabby’s excellent initial post. Gabby responded to Anita’s question about her Responder #1 initial
post. Khalil made his Responder #2 initial post on Tuesday and finished his follow-up post on Gabby’s
initial post. He texted the team using GroupMe.

After receiving Khalil’s GroupMe text, Anita made her Responder #3 initial post and a follow-up on Khalil’s
post. She texted the team, “It’s over to you, Jose!” By noon on Friday Jose made his Responder #4 initial
post.

Over the weekend, Khalil, Gabby, and Jose wrote their follow-up posts and texted teammates. Anita had
company over the weekend, but she only had one more follow-up to write and did it on Monday morning
before going to work.

On Monday at lunch time Khalil texted his teammates, “Gr8 team!”

Maintaining its momentum, Team Maximus was finished by Friday of the 2nd week of Discussion 1, well
ahead of the end of the discussion on Sunday. Each team member had completed the required 7 posts—
Initial post, a substantive comment and question on each teammate's initial post (3 follow-up posts), and
a response to each teammate's question about his/her initial post (3 posts). This meant that they could all
breathe easier over the weekend.

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 IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
Throughout the semester you will be asked to participate in discussions of the cases presented at the end
of each chapter in the text. You should come to class prepared to discuss these cases and engage in small
group activities. Participation in in-class activities will be 5% of your course grade.

TEAM CASE STUDY PROJECT

This project provides you an opportunity to apply classroom learning to an actual business situation.
Teams will work with assigned case studies in sales management.

The case study file will be in your team’s File Exchange folder in the Team Collaboration Area. You may
also find a separate file with hints and suggestions to help you analyze the case.

Teams will present their analyses and recommendations in the form of a written paper and an oral
presentation in PowerPoint. The paper should be a minimum of 10 pages and include at least three
outside sources. Oral presentations should be no more than 15 slides and 15-20 minutes in length.

Please see “Instructions and grading criteria for team case study written project” in the Team Case Study
Project folder in Blackboard for further details. Instructions for the project presentations can also be
found in the Team Case Study Project folder.

Teamwork
Team members are not expected to “carry” other team members who do not fulfill obligations to the task
and to their team. The converse is true, as well. Some team members decide early on that if the project is
to meet their personal standards, they must do most of the work. I have seen such teammates claim that
they did all of the work, while others did nothing, only to find that the others had tried, but were closed
out of the team collaboration process by over-ambitious teammates.

If you are not participating in the team project, taking the exams, or actively engaged in in-class and
online discussions, it is very likely that you will receive an F. Furthermore, this type of behavior is not fair
to your teammates. Do not put others in this difficult position. Be honest with yourself and drop the
course before the deadline to receive a grade of W.

TEAM EVALUATION ASSIGNMENT

Before the Team Case Study Project is due, I ask students to turn in a Team Evaluation. You will provide
feedback on your own and each group member's effort and contribution to the team project and other
team activities. Please give careful consideration to these evaluations. Team members who have not
contributed appreciably to the team case study project will not receive the same grade as other team
members. Therefore, please take this assignment seriously, be objective, and turn it in on time. The Team
Evaluation is in the Team Case Study Project folder. See Course Calendar for the due date.

Guidelines for Course Assignments and Projects

 All work must be original and performed by you. Note that cutting and pasting directly from web
pages is considered to be plagiarism. Taking exams as a group is also academic dishonesty.
 In addition to the completion of the requirements for each assignment, written work is graded on the
basis of appearance, organization, writing style (clarity, spelling, and grammar), comprehensiveness,
justification or support of ideas, and creativity. Group projects that are completed in sections and
merged together should be thoroughly checked for completeness and consistency.
 All oral presentations, if any, are graded on the basis of preparation, logical organization,
professionalism, nonverbal elements, quality of visuals, speech (tone, clarity, grammar), creativity,
and presentation style (eye contact, mannerisms, lack of dependence on notes). Reading notes or
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 overheads to the class is unprofessional and will result in a poor grade.
 You are expected to prepare for, and participate in, all class discussions. Late projects or assignments
will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Attendance and Participation Policies

 If you do not attend class, you will not be able to participate. Attendance will be taken at the
beginning of each class session, so please be on time. Absences and tardiness will affect your class
participation grade. Arriving 15 minutes late or after will result in being marked “absent” for that
class.
 My classroom is a place of respect and is free from judgment. Everyone is welcome.
 I have high expectations for each of my students, and I expect the same from all of my students.
 Hold yourself accountable, communicate with me when necessary, and always try your best.
 You should have access to the current course materials in order to be prepared for class discussions
and to complete various assignments throughout the course.
 Come to every class with a writing utensil and something to take notes on (students will not be
permitted to take pictures of my notes during/after class).
 TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES. Unauthorized use in class will result in an
attendance record of “absent” for that class.
 Use appropriate language that you would use in an office or other professional setting.

Examination and Grading Procedures

EXAMS
There will be a total of 3 exams each worth 5% of your total grade. Exam questions will be multiple
choice and come from assigned textbook readings. You will have two attempts, of which the highest
grade will be used in computing your course grade. Exams are not cumulative. No make-up exams will be
given. Check the course calendar at the beginning of the semester to plan your personal and work
commitments around the exam dates.
GRADES
You will be evaluated on multiple items so that your grade does not depend on any single outcome. The
breakdown of your grade will be as follows:

Exams 1-3 (5% each) 15 %

Team Case Study Project/Team Evaluation* 20
Team Case Study Project Presentation* 5
Online Discussions (4 X 7%) 28
Individual Papers (4 X 5%) 20
Participation & Attendance 12
In-class participation 7% &
Attendance 5% (2 absences or less)
_________________________________
Total 100 %

A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69 and F = Below 60

* Scores on team projects will be adjusted based on team evaluations, so please ensure your commitment
and contribution to all group assignments. If you do not complete the Team Evaluation assignment,
points will be deducted from your individual team project grade.

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 Additional Information

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The Academic Honor Code will be in effect throughout all aspects of this course. All violations of the
Purdue Fort Wayne’s policy on academic integrity will be dealt with swiftly and fairly. Students found
guilty of academic dishonesty, which includes (but is not limited to) cheating, plagiarism, or collusion, are
subject to disciplinary action. For detailed information on academic integrity, refer to the PFW Code of
Students Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct contained in the Student Handbook for an explanation of
academic misconduct.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

If you have a disability and need assistance, special arrangements can be made to accommodate most
needs. Contact the Director of Services for Students with Disabilities (Walb Union, Room 113, telephone
number 260-481-6657) as soon as possible to work out the details. Once the Director has provided you
with a letter attesting to your needs for modification, bring the letter to me. For more information,
please visit the website for SSD at http://www.pfw.edu/ssd/

 The schedule may be changed anytime by the instructor. You are responsible for any changes
announced in class.
 You may email me at rachdia@pfw.edu Put a short but identifiable Subject (for example,
IMPORTANT!!! is not acceptable, while “Question on Discussion 1” is.) Do not use email to hand in
your assignments.
 If the university closes for any reason, the material for that class session will be added to the
scheduled material for the next class meeting.

Tips on how to do well in this class

 Attend Class. We do many activities in class that are very conducive to learning and which will make
your learning enjoyable.
 Take notes. Then READ them. Then READ them AGAIN.
o Significant research in psychology shows that people are better able to recall and use
information that they have seen repeatedly.
 Read the book; underline key terms in each chapter.
o Review the key terms and questions at the end of each chapter.
 Utilize the services of the:
o Writing Center, 2nd floor of Helmke Library, 481-5740, www.pfw.edu/casa/writing to work
with peer tutors who can help with all phases of the writing process. Online consultations are
also available; see http://www.pfw.edu/casa/writing/online.shtml .
GOOD LUCK!

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 COURSE CALENDAR

Week 1: Jan. 7-12 Topic: Getting Started

 Class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday, this week only.
 Read Syllabus and Chapter 1: Introduction to Sales Force Management.

Week 2: Jan. 13-19 Topic: Strategy

 Class will meet on Thursdays only for the rest of the semester.
 Form teams.
 Jan. 13 is last day to drop with 100% refund.
 Read Chapter 2: Strategy.

Week 3: Jan. 20-26 Topic: The Personal Selling Process

 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Jan. 21.
 Read Chapter 3: The Personal Selling Process.

Week 4: Jan. 27-Feb. 2 Topic: Sales Force Organization

 Read Chapter 4: Sales Force Organization
 Discussion 1: Monday, Jan. 28-Sunday, Feb. 10. Case 4-1 Telin, Inc. (p. 113-114)
o Responder #1 initial post due Tuesday, Jan. 29
o Responder #2-#4 initial posts due Friday, Feb. 1

Week 5: Feb. 3-9 Topic: Profiling and Recruiting Salespeople

 Read Chapter 5: Profiling and Recruiting Salespeople
 Individual Paper 1 due Monday, Feb. 4. Use link in Individual Papers folder in Blackboard.
 Discussion 1 continues.
o Follow-up posts due Tuesday, Feb. 5
o All responses to follow-up posts due Sunday, Feb. 10.

Week 6: Feb. 10-16 Topics: Selecting and Hiring Salespeople & Sales Training
 Read Chapter 6: Selecting and Hiring Salespeople and Chapter 7: Sales Training
 Discussion 1 ends Sunday, Feb. 10. All responses to follow-up posts due.
 Discussion 2: Monday, Feb. 11-Sunday, Feb. 24. Case 7-1 Sunrise Cleaners (p. 206-207)
o Responder #1 initial post due Tuesday, Feb. 12
o Responder #2-#4 initial posts due Friday, Feb. 15

Week 7: Feb. 17-23 Topic: Motivating a Sales Force

 Read Chapter 8: Motivating a Sales Force.
 Individual Paper 2 due Monday, Feb. 18. Use link in Individual Papers folder in Blackboard.
 Discussion 2 continues.
o Follow-up posts due Tuesday, Feb.19
o All responses to follow-up posts due Sunday, Feb. 24
 Exam 1 on Chapters 1-7 available online in Exams folder, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 22-24.

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Week 8: Feb. 24-Mar. 2 Topic: Sales Force Compensation &Sales Force Quotas
 Read Chapter 9: Sales Force Compensation and Chapter 10: Sales Force Quotas and Expenses
 Discussion 2 ends Sunday, Feb. 24. All responses to follow-up posts due.

SPRING BREAK MARCH 4-10

Week 9: Mar. 10-16 Topic: Leadership of a Sales Force

 Daylight Savings Time begins – set clocks one hour ahead.
 Read Chapter 11: Leadership of a Sales Force.
 Discussion 3: Monday, Mar. 11-Sunday, Mar. 24. Case 9-1 Falcon Enterprises, Inc. (p. 264-265)
o Responder #1 initial post due Tuesday, Mar. 12
o Responder #2-#4 initial posts due Friday, Mar. 15
 Mar. 15 – Last day to withdraw with grade of W (no refund).

Week 10: Mar. 17-23 Topic: Forecasting and Budgets

 Read Chapter 12: Forecasting and Budgets.
 Individual Paper 3 due Monday, Mar. 18. Use link in Individual Papers folder in Blackboard.
 Discussion 3 continues.
o Follow-up posts due Tuesday, Mar. 19
o All responses to follow-up posts due Sunday, Mar. 24

Week 11: Mar. 24-30 Topic: Sales Territories

 Read Chapter 13: Sales Territories
 Discussion 3 ends Sunday, Mar. 24. All responses to follow-up posts due.
 Discussion 4: Monday, Mar. 25-Sunday, Apr. 7. Case 11-2 Kapfer Equipment Company (p. 331-332)
o Responder #1 initial post due Tuesday, Mar. 26
o Responder #2-#4 initial posts due Friday, Mar. 29
 Exam 2 on Chapters 8-11 available online in Exams folder, Friday-Sunday, Mar. 29-31.

Week 12: Mar. 31-Apr. 6 Topic: Sales Volume Analysis

 Read Chapter 14: Sales Volume Analysis.
 Individual Paper 4 due Monday, April 1. Use link in Individual Papers folder in Blackboard.
 Discussion 4 continues.
o Follow-up posts due Tuesday, Apr. 2
o All responses to follow-up posts due Sunday, Mar. 31

Week 13: Apr. 7-13 Topic: Cost and Profitability Analysis

 Read Chapter 15: Cost and Profitability Analysis.
 Discussion 4 ends Sunday, Apr. 7. All responses to follow-up posts due.
 Work on team project.

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Week 14: Apr. 14-20 Topic: Evaluating a Salesperson’s Performance
 Read Chapter 16: Evaluating a Salesperson’s Performance.
 Work on team project.

Week 15: Apr. 21-27 Topics: Team Project Presentations

 Attendance is mandatory.
 Team Evaluation due by Thursday, Apr. 25 in Blackboard. Link is in Team Case Study Project folder.
 Written team projects are due in hard copy form in class on Thursday, Apr. 25. Upload projects to
Blackboard by midnight, Thursday, Apr. 25. Link is in the Team Case Study Project folder. Your team
must turn in an electronic copy in order to receive a grade on the project.

Exam Week: Apr. 28-May 3

 Exam 3 on Chapters 12-16 available online in the Exams folder, Tuesday-Thursday, Apr. 30-May 2.

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