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

The course is structured in two main modules.

Module I. Objectives, organization and management 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. Emphasis is placed on the adoption of Sales Technologies in the perspective of digitalization of Sales Management. 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)

•Management of the sales force (selection/training, coordination, incentives and control processes)

•Adoption of sales structures in the perspective of Inside Sales /Remote Selling

Module II: Management of sales and distribution channels. In the second module the main focus is on the main approaches for the management of the sales channels, according to a Sales Management perspective. The main topics are the following:

•Management of direct sales channels

•Management of indirect sales channels

•Omnichannel approach in the management of distribution channels

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).

Innovative teaching methods

An innovative teaching method  based on Learning by Doing (simulation of a business case in cooperation with partner firms) will be proposed. It is an optional team work project.

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 exam (whose duration is one hour and fifteen minutes) 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 also 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 for students enrolled in the Business Marketing curriculum:

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

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

Required textbooks for students enrolled in the Consumer Marketing curriculum:

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

Fornari, D., "Trade Marketing & Sales Management", Milano, Egea, 2018 - chapters 1-3-8

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

Assessment

Expected learning objectives will be assessed through a written exam (whose duration is one hour and fifteen minutes) 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.