MKTG 3451: Professional Selling
Students will gain an overall view of the professional selling function. They will come to understand the role of personal selling in marketing and society and its application within organizations. Topics include relationship selling opportunities, creating value with a relationship strategy, developing a relationship strategy, communication styles, creating production solutions, the buying process and buyer behaviour, approaching the customer, developing and qualifying a prospect base, determining customer needs, sales demonstration, negotiating buyer concerns, and closing and confirming the sale.
Learning outcomes
- Explain the many types of selling opportunities in the marketplace.
- Describe how selling has evolved and how it fits with current marketing practices.
- Explain the concept of value-added selling.
- Apply different communication styles in various selling scenarios.
- Create product solutions that add value.
- Describe the buying process, and analyze buying behaviour.
- Develop and qualify prospects and accounts.
- Approach customers with an adaptive selling style.
- Investigate and diagnose customer needs.
- Make an effective sales presentation and demonstration.
- Negotiate buyer concerns.
- Identify buying signals, and perform an effective close.
- Explain ethical influences on sales decisions.
- Role-play a sales situation.
Course topics
- Unit 1: Being a Professional Salesperson and the Sales Environment
- Unit 2: Qualify and Approach Customers with Adaptive Selling
- Unit 3: Effective Presentation, Negotiation, and Closing
Required text and materials
Students require the following e-textbook, which can be purchased directly from the TRU bookstore site at: https://thebookstore.tru.ca/site_digital.asp
- Manning, G. L., Ahearne, M., Reece, B. L., & MacKenzie, H. F. (2022). Selling Today: Partnering to Create Value (8th Canadian ed.), Pearson.
Type: E-Textbook. ISBN: 9780136845027 / 9780135706886
Assessments
Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.
To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the final mandatory exam.
| Assignment 1: Reflections on Communication Style and Ethics Game | 15% |
| Assignment 2: Meeting the Client Role-Play | 15% |
| Assignment 3: Complete Sales Call Role-Play | 20% |
| Assignment 4: Forum Posts and Reflective Summary | 10% |
| Mandatory Final Exam | 40% |
| TOTAL | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
