COURSE OVERVIEW:

The adoption of the marketing concept has in many companies been accompanied by changes in organisational structure, together with changes in the view of what constitutes the nature of selling.

Selling is only a part of the total marketing program of a company and this total effort should be coordinated by the marketing function. The marketing concept, however, does not imply that sales activities are any less important, nor that marketing executives should hold the most senior positions in a company.

Perhaps no other area of business activity gives rise to as much discussion among and between those directly involved and those who are not involved as the activity known as selling. This is not surprising when one considers that so many people derive their livelihood, either directly or indirectly, from selling.

Even those who have no direct involvement in selling come into contact with it in their roles as consumers. Perhaps, because of this familiarity, many people have strong, and often misplaced, views about selling and salespeople. Surprisingly, many of these misconceptions are held by people who have spent their working lives in selling, so it might well be a case of ‘familiarity breeds contempt’.

It is important to recognise that selling and sales management, although closely related, are not the same and we shall start this course by examining the nature and role of selling and sales management in the contemporary organisation and exploring some of the more common myths and misconceptions.

We shall also look at the developing role of selling because, like other business functions, it is required to adapt and change. Perhaps one of the most important and far-reaching of these business changes has been the adoption of the concept and practice of marketing, due to changes in the business environment. Because of the importance of this development to the sales function, we shall examine the place of marketing within the firm and the place of selling within marketing.

This course introduces the nature and role of selling and sales management before relating this to the marketing concept.

The incontrovertibly interlinked relationship between selling and sales management is then explained and the notion of more sophisticated marketing thought is described as having its roots in sales.

Philosophies, or orientations, of production, sales and marketing are explained as well as how the marketing concept is implemented in practice, namely through the marketing mix.

Key concepts such as market segmentation and targeting and the ‘four Ps’ marketing mix variables of price, product, promotion and place are introduced.

The course then concludes with a more explanation of the relationship between marketing strategy and personal selling. 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

·       The nature and role of selling

·       The characteristics of modern selling

·       The success factors for professional salespeople

·       The many different types of selling

·       Business to consumer (B2C) markets

·       Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG)

·       Semi-durable consumer goods

·       Durable consumer goods

·       Business to business (B2B) markets

·       The sub-markets within B2B markets

·       Selling as a career

·       The key qualities that are generally recognised as being important in a salesperson

·       The image of selling

·       The misconceptions about selling

·       The elements in the sales task that act as demotivators

·       Why there is nothing immoral or unscrupulous about selling

·       Why selling is a worthwhile career?

·       Why good products do not sell themselves?

·       The nature and role of sales management       

·       The duties and responsibilities of sales managers

·       The marketing concept

·       Production, sales and marketing orientations

·       Implementing the marketing concept

·       Market segmentation and targeting

·       The benefits of effective segmentation and targeting

·       The frequently used bases for segmentation

·       The marketing mix

·       The four Ps

·       The product life-cycle

·       The implications of the product life-cycle

·       Product adoption and diffusion

·       The inputs to pricing decisions

·       The decision areas encompassed in the distribution element of the marketing mix

·       The marketing mix in B2C versus B2B markets

·       The marketing mix in B2C markets

·       The marketing mix in B2B markets

·       The relationship between sales and marketing

·       The target market choice

·       The creation of a differential advantage as the starting point of successful marketing strategy

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.