This course aims to provide 1) the awareness of the relevance of sales activities in the context of the firm-market interaction; 2) knowledge about strategic and operational tools useful for planning, organizing and managing the sales force and the main sales actions. Sales policies and actions are examined in connection with the competitive strategies and marketing policies of firms. 

The course is structured in three main modules.

Module I. Objectives and organization of sales activities. In the first module the main focus on the understanding of the evolution of the market context and on the related options concerning the organization and the resources to be used for managing the sales function. The main topics are the following: 

•Competitive scenario

•Models and role in the sales function (Sales Director, Area Manager, Key Account Manager, Export Manager, Sales Support)

•Degree of specialization and direct/indirect sales force (agents/distributors)

Module II: Management of the sales force. In the second module the main focus is on the main approaches for the management of the sales force. The main topics are the following:

•Selection processes

•Training processes

•Coordination of the sales function (management of the sale team, management of sales negotiations)

•Incentives and motivation of the sales force

•Control and assessment of sales performance

Module III: Digitalization of sales processes. In the third module the main focus is on the impact of digital technologies on sales activities. The main topics are the following:

•Models for managing sales digitalization

•Resources and tools for sales digitalization (E-commerce, CRM)

•Approaches for Remote Selling / Inside Sales

None

Knowledge and understanding: students have to gain adequate knowledge and effective comprehension capacity of sales management contexts and approaches.

Applying knowledge and understanding: students have to be able to apply acquired knowledge and to analyze specific problems related to a variety of sales management contexts.

Making judgements: students have to be able to use acquired knowledge both in conceptual and operational terms, with autonomous judgement capacity and exploiting various competences in different business contexts.

Communication skills: students have to master the technical language in sales management in order to communicate in a clear way with specialized actors (managers, experts, academics), while at the same time developing relational and communication skills with non-specialized actors.

Learning skills: students have to develop adequate learning skills in order to pursue autonomous study - in their working contexts - of the main themes of the sales management discipline. 

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Interactive teaching, case-study analysis, seminars held by managers and experts, group exercises, team projects (optional).

Course books

Sisti, M.A., Guenzi, P., Caiozzo, P., "Gestire le Vendite", Milano, Egea, 2020 - second edition: chapters 1-2-3-4-6-8.

During the course the Lecturer will recommend relevant material in Italian and in English language available in the Blended system.

Erasmus students can contact the Lecturer for information about textbooks in English language. 

Assessment

Expected learning objectives will be assessed through a written and an oral exam, with the addition of an optional team project work. The written exam is based on three open questions (10 marks each). The assessment criteria are the following: degree of knowledge, ability in providing well structured answers, ability in using concepts and models. The written exam is assessed over 30/30. If the written exam reaches a minimum mark (18/30), each student is subject to the oral exam which is assessed in the range between -2 and +2, to be added to the written exam mark. The final report of the team project work (which is optional) is assessed in a range between 0 and 2. Therefore the final evaluation is composed by the assessment of the written exam and of the oral exam, with the possibile addition of the mark related to the project work report.  

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students are invited to contact the Course Teacher in order to gain a better understanding of the final exam structure and content. Non-attending students are alo encouraged to read and consult articles on sales management from the main economic newspapers (Il Sole 24 Ore, Repubblica Affari e Finanza, Corriere Economia) and specialized magazines (The Economist). 

Course books

Required textbooks:

Sisti, M.A., Guenzi, P., Caiozzo, P., "Gestire le Vendite", Milano, Egea, 2020 - seconda edizione (whole book);

Guenzi, P., "La trasformazione digitale delle vendite", Milano, Egea, 2021 - capitoli 1-2-3;

Erasmus students can contact the Lecturer for information about textbooks in English language. 

Assessment

Expected learning objectives will be assessed through a written and an oral exam, with the addition of an optional team project work. The written exam is based on three open questions (10 marks each). The assessment criteria are the following: degree of knowledge, ability in providing well structured answers, ability in using concepts and models. The written exam is assessed over 30/30. If the written exam reaches a minimum mark (18/30), each student is subject to the oral exam which is assessed in the range between -2 and +2, to be added to the written exam mark. The final report of the team project work (which is optional) is assessed in a range between 0 and 2. Therefore the final evaluation is composed by the assessment of the written exam and of the oral exam, with the possibile addition of the mark related to the project work report.  

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.