BUYER SELLER COMMUNICATION (PROFESSIONAL SELLING)
MKTG 354
Fall 2006
CLASS PERIOD:
M W 6:00 - 7:15 pm (Conner 113)
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Douglas Vorhies, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
North 327
915-1351
dvorhies@bus.olemiss.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
M W 3:00 – 4:00 pm. (Other times are available by appointment).
TEXT:
Professional Selling: A Trust Based Approach; 3rd Edition, by Thomas N. Ingram,
Raymond W. LaForge, Ramon A. Avila, Charles H. Schwepker Jr., and Michael R.
Williams
WEB PAGES:
Vorhies:
http://faculty.bus.olemiss.edu/dvorhies
Textbook: http://www.thomsonedu.com/marketing/ingram/
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is an overview of professional selling with an emphasis on the planning, communication and
interpersonal skills required to successfully carryout the selling process. This course will place specific
emphasis on the business-to-business sector. The course emphasizes relationship marketing approaches
to consultative selling with special attention devoted to communication styles, listening skills,
understanding buyer behavior, developing account and product strategies, and developing a customeroriented sales presentation. Specific areas covered in this course will relate to pre-approach information
gathering and sales planning activities, needs analysis, buyer/seller interaction, handling objections,
closing the sale, follow-up, and personal selling as a career.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course assumes you are planning to enter a career in professional Selling. Through successful
completion of the course requirements, students will acquire/achieve the following learning objectives and
competencies:

Acquire an understanding of and appreciation for the critical role provided by personal selling in social
development and business expansion.

Attain a realistic comprehension of the changing nature of personal selling.

Understand the evolving strategic role and critical importance of the selling function within an
organization.

Develop creative, critical thinking and reasoning skills for enhanced problem solving.

Enhance written and verbal communication skills.

Develop an understanding of the impact of demographic and communication styles on selling
effectiveness.

Develop confidence in interpersonal communication.

Enhance their understanding of the differences between traditional sales methods and contemporary
consultative, needs-satisfaction selling methodologies.

Understand the fundamental role of trust-based ethical behaviors in relational selling.

Demonstrate mastery of the consultative, needs-satisfaction selling methodology.

Improve the student’s ability to sell themselves, their ideas, and an organization’s market offering.

Demonstrate understanding and ability to develop and present customer-oriented sales presentations.
GRADING:
Grades for the course will be determined based on your performance in the following areas:
Exam I
Exam II
Exam III
Class Participation, Quizzes and Experiential Exercises
Sales Call Planning FAB Report
Sales Call Role Play Project I (approach, needs analysis, ADAPT & interim commitment)
Sales Call Role Play Project II (need resolution, handling resistance & final commitment)
Total Points Possible
100 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
100 points
700 points
Final letter grades will be given according to the following points schedule:
A
=
90%
B
=
80%
C
=
70%
D
=
60%
F
=
Below 60%
Please note: grades will be based on your performance on the exams, assignments and the criteria listed
above. The best route to success in this class is to attend every day, participate in the discussions of text
material, assigned readings and other material, and complete all assigned work.
EXPLANATION OF ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASS POLICIES:
1. Advanced preparation is required: All students are expected to have read the assigned material before
class. In some cases homework will be assigned prior to class with the expectation that the student will
present their assignment to the class as a whole. Students who do not demonstrate adequate
preparation will receive zero participation points for the day (see below).
2. Exams: Exams will cover material from class discussion, text, videos, homework, and other
assignments. The exams are designed to evaluate your individual knowledge of sales theory and
application. Exams are worth 100 points each. Exam format is multiple choice.
3. Class Participation and Experiential Exercises: I place a premium on your being prepared for class. My
evaluation of your participation in class will be worth 100 points. Participation will be based on the
following.
a. Participation in class discussions. The learning style used in this class is the discussion format. This
format assumes you have read the material and are ready to answer questions and discuss
important issues and ideas. This format is designed to improve your ability to verbally answer
business questions and defend your ideas. This is an important skill all students need and one that
improves greatly with practice.
b. Experiential Exercises: This is a hands on class. That means that we will be doing things in class
rather than just listening to lecture. When in-class exercises are given, you need to be prepared to
do the in class exercise by reading assigned material. Many of these exercises will deal with the
techniques commonly used by sales people. BE PREPARED! In class exercises cannot be made up
if you miss them.
c.
Participation in Role Plays. To be able to sell, you have to practice. On many of the class days, you
will be practicing your selling technique before a group. You will also be required to present to the
entire class. This means you must understand the material and be prepared to apply it. Insufficient
preparation will result in zero points for your exercise.
d. Quizzes: Students are required to come to class prepared to discuss assigned material.
Unannounced quizzes will be given when I feel your preparation for class is not adequate. Quizzes
will be added into your class participation score. Quizzes may NOT be made up. If you aren’t in class
when I give a quiz, you will receive zero points.
e. Please note, if you don’t participate regularly, you will get ZERO points. So come to class ready to
participate!
4. Attendance: Attendance is required for all students. If you must miss class, you do so at your own risk.
Assignments you miss when not in class cannot be made up. Tests must be taken on the day they are
scheduled. In the event of a major emergency, contact the instructor by phone or preferably via email. A
written excuse from a Doctor may be required.
5. Sales Call Planning/FAB Report: The goal of this assignment is for students to gain experience
gathering and using information to profile a prospective customer and link the prospect’s needs to the
benefits of a product solution using the FAB (Features, Advantages, Benefits) concept. The report will
be based on specific selling scenario, company, product, and buyer profiles. Full descriptive details of
the assignment will be provided in a handout.
6. Sales Call Role Plays I & II
Formalized simulation exercises in which trainees role-play a salesperson calling on a specific buyer
have become the top-ranked sales training tool in business and industry. Replicating these same
experiential exercises in selling classes provides students with multiple benefits. First, acting out
specific selling behaviors and activities results in enhanced comprehension and understanding.
Second, and more important than just understanding, students gain mastery of the concepts and
activities and benefit from increased confidence in actually using them. Finally, students completing
these role-play experiences find that they are far ahead of their peers when they actually go to work
and begin their corporate sales training programs.
At different points in the class, students (working with an assigned buyer) will perform/present two
simulated sales calls that will be video taped and evaluated. The express purpose of each role-play is
to realistically simulate an actual sales call and demonstrate the students’ competencies and mastery
in applying the personal selling concepts studied in this course, such as communication styles,
ADAPT, FAB, SELL, and LAARC -- all within a planned and well integrated selling process. Role-play
scenarios will be based on the students’ Sales Call Planning/FAB report completed earlier in the
semester. Details of each assignment will be provided in a separate handout.
SALES CALL ROLE-PLAY I. This first role-play simulates the initial sales call on a new account and
will be performed and video taped outside regular class times. The focus is on (a) the approach, (b)
needs discovery using the ADAPT methodology of questioning, and (c) gaining the buyer’s interim
commitment to a second sales call in which the proposed solution will be presented.
SALES CALL ROLE-PLAY II. This second role-play exercise simulates the follow-up sales call in
which the salesperson presents a proposed solution to the buyer’s needs. Focusing on providing a
unique, value-added solution to the needs of the buyer, this role-play emphasizes (a) the presentation
of relevant features and benefits (FAB and SELL), (b) handling buyer resistance and objections
(LAARC), and (c) gaining sufficient buyer commitment to close the sale. The final role-play is done
before the class (last 4 weeks).
Both Role play I and II include a peer evaluation component.
7. Missing assignments. Failure to turn in an assignment, when it is due, will result in a 10% per day
penalty.
8. Missing assigned presentation. Will results in a score of zero for both team members. A presentation
cannot be made up.
9. Cell Phones and other technology. Cell phones should be turned off before you enter class and may
not be used in the classroom. Text messaging is not allowed. Laptops are permissible, however, you
probably won’t need them for most classes.
BUYER SELLER COMM./PROFESSIONAL SELLING TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
Date
Day
Topic
Text Readings
8-21
8-23
M
W
Introduction to Course
Introduction to Course
Mod. 1, App. 1,
8-28
8-30
M
W
Building Trust and Sales Ethics
Understanding Buyers
Mod. 2
Mod. 3
9-4
9-6
M
W
Labor Day
Communication Skills
Mod. 4
9-11
9-13
M
W
Communication Skills
Exam I
Mod. 4
Mods 2, 3, 4
9-18
9-20
M
W
Prospecting and Pre-approach
Prospecting and Pre-approach
Mod. 5
Mod. 5
9-25
M
Mod. 6
9-27
W
Planning the Presentation & Approaching
the Customer
Planning the Presentation & Approaching
the Customer
10-2
10-4
M
W
Sales Presentation Delivery
Sales Presentation Delivery
Mod. 7
Mod. 7
10-9
10-11
M
W
Exam II
Mods 5, 6, 7
10-16
M
Mod. 8
10-18
W
Addressing Concerns/Earning
Commitment
Addressing Concerns/Earning
Commitment
10-23
10-25
M
W
Adding Value: Follow-up
Exam III
Mod. 9
Mods 8, 9
10-30
11-1
M
W
Guest Speaker
Presentations
11-5
11-8
M
W
Presentations
Presentations
11-13
11-15
M
W
Presentations
Presentations
11-20
11-22
M
W
Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving Break
11-27
11-30
M
W
Presentations
Presentations
12-4
M
Final Exam Week
Assignments Due
Hand Out Syllabus
HBR “How Right Should
the Customer Be?”
Guest Speaker
Mod. 6
Mod. 8
Guest Speaker