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PTMBA2022 B2B Sales Management

Course code
MBA MKT624, MBA MKT624 SI
Course type
PT MBA Lecture
Weekly Hours
2,0
ECTS
2,0
Term
HS 2021
Language
Englisch
Lecturers
Prof. Dr. Ove Jensen
Please note that exchange students obtain a higher number of credits in the BSc-program at WHU than listed here. For further information please contact directly the International Relations Office.

The course content is organized around four parts:

1) Fundamentals

  • The domain of sales
  • Sales forces and sales jobs
  • The world of B2B
  • Sales Force Management framework
  • CRM
  • Sales force size

2) B2B Pricing

  • Pricing powerin B2B (includes guest speaker)
  • Pricing commodities
  • Pricing value-added products (includes caseAtlantic Computer, HBS)
  • Pricing services

3) B2B Selling

  • Selling and negotiating value-added products (includes role playWindblades, WHU)
  • Opportunity management (includes case:Boise Automation, Ivey)
  • A structured enterprise selling methodology

4) B2B Sales Force Management

  • Autonomy vs. automation (includes caseCabot Pharmaceuticals, HBS)
  • Managing field sales (includes caseStepSmart Fitness, HBS)
  • Pipeline management (includes casePackMach, WHU)
  • The future of sales work and sales management
Date Time
Sunday, 12.09.2021 08:45 - 16:00
Saturday, 18.09.2021 10:45 - 18:00
Sunday, 19.09.2021 10:45 - 18:00
Sunday, 03.10.2021 23:50 - 23:59
The course intends to enhance five categories of competences. The practical orientation of the course shows in its emphasis on procedural knowledge:

1) In regard to factual knowledge, participants are enabled to

  • apply salespeople jargon to discussing the status of a sale (such as the “buying center”, “red flags”, “mentor”, “RFQ”, “gatekeepers”, and other idioms),
  • apply sales management jargon (such as quota, forecast, pipeline, DSM, and other idioms),
  • understand the specifics and terminology of sales management in various industry sectors,
  • define sales performance indicators.

2) In regard to conceptual knowledge, participants are enabled to

  • to analyze economic value to customer,
  • calculate price-trade-offs against other profit drivers,
  • analyze the composition of a buying center,
  • organize the elements of a structured selling methodology,
  • classify different types of sales forces and sales jobs,
  • classify the dimensions of sales performance management,
  • evaluate sales KPIs.

3) In regard to sales-specific procedural knowledge, participants are enabled to

  • demonstrate financial value to the customer,
  • evaluate the win probability of a sales opportunity
  • apply a structured sales process and blueprint,
  • analyze sales pipelines and generate sales forecasts.

4) In regard to general business-relevant procedural knowledge, participants are enabled to

  • prepare for business meetings and internal committee sessions,
  • make the best out of a limited preparation time budget,
  • make concise contributions to meetings,
  • constructively build and comment on contributions by other participants in the meeting,
  • derive a course of action from a careful analysis of the situation and a structured evaluation of alternatives.

5) In regard to metacognitive knowledge, participants are enabled to

  • evaluate their own selling behavior,
  • create a skill profile for sales people,
  • evaluate the excellence of sales organizations.
There is no required textbook. We have not found a book that covers the range of topics discussed by this course. The learning material for this course includes presentation slides, articles, case studies, role-plays, videos, and white board notes. These and further course-related information are available on the learning management system myWHUcourses (another name for it is “Moodle”).
The learning method in this course follows the ideas of problem-based learning and the “reversed classroom” (a.k.a. “flipped classroom”). The “reversed classroom” replaces classroom lectures (“Frontalunterricht”) with a blend of self-study at home and interactive discussions in the classroom. Problem-based learning reverses the passive learning sequence of “First hearing a concept. Then hearing problems that it could solve” to an active learning sequence: “First trying to solve a problem oneself. Then discussing solutions with the group, led by the professor. Finally, getting additional insight from the professor”. Using WHU’s hybrid teaching technology, online participants are integrated into the classroom via Zoom.

The learning method mix includes role-play sessions between students with joint debriefings, case-based discussions with concluding mini-lectures, interactive concept lectures, and managerial guest presentations. One highlight of the course is a three-hour selling & negotiation role play with multiple parties. This video shows the style of case-based sessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbNNsq1fC0A. The problem-based way of learning requires a great amount of energy, both from the student and from the teacher.

The course grade is completely based onindividual performance. There are no team grades and no peer evaluations. The course grade is composed as follows:
  • 50% (=5 x 10%): five class preparation notes (pdf, bullet points are enough, ca. 500-750 words)
  • 50%: open-book, time-constrained (150 minutes), take-home exam. The take-home exam is a Moodle quiz with quantitative calculation questions and qualitative multiple-choice questions.
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