University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Bryan School of Business and Economics
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality and Tourism
Course: Marketing 324, Professional Selling, Spring 2016
Class Times: M, W, F at 9 am in Room Bryan 206
Instructor: Sara MacSween, sbmacswe@uncg.edu
Office Hours: Mondays from 11 am – 12.30 pm or by appointment, Bryan Room 374
Text: Selling: SELL 4, 2015, Ingram, LaForge, Avila, Schwepker, and Williams
ISBN 13: 978-1-285-16472-4 and ISBN 10: 1-285-16472-5
Course Description: This course examines the role of personal selling in the business
process and how salespeople carry out their duties. It will review the different aspects of the
sales task and will cover how to accomplish these tasks effectively and efficiently. The course
will require considerable interaction. The course will utilize a variety of learning approaches
including:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Required readings
Classroom role plays and discussions
Observational learning via role plays and videotaped presentations
Lectures
Guest speakers
Open discussions about various sales-related issues
Honor Code: This class will follow the following Honor Code policies:

University’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can viewed at
http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu/

The Bryan School’s Faculty and Student Guidelines, which can be viewed at
www.uncg.edu/bae/faculty_student_guidelines.pdf
Getting to Know You: To help me more quickly learn your name for the accurate
evaluation of participation, please provide me with a copy of the picture from your ID and put
your name on the back. Attach this to a resume or a brief biographical sketch outlining your
educational background and work experience. This is due during the second class period and
counts 10% towards the class participation grade.
Course’s Cognitive Objectives
Students need the following skills and abilities for this course.
1. Identify/improve areas in your time management process.
2. Modify her/his presentation to match the social style of a specific buyer.
3. Use listening skills to determine buyer needs.
4. Write and identify various types of ADAPT/SPIN questions.
5. Interpret the meaning of various forms of non-verbal communication.
6. Use and identify various aspects of non-verbal communication that can be used to
enhance the sales presentation.
7. Present a product/service effectively in a face-to-face sales setting.
8. Conduct a break-even analysis.
Students need to learn and practice the following aspects of the buying process.
1. Identify the steps in the complex buying process typically used for big-ticket items
and/or new purchases.
2. Identify different types of customers and the critical purchasing factors that will most
influence their buying decision.
3. Identify the types of organizational buying decisions and what a salesperson must do
to be seriously considered in these buying situations.
4. Identify the different people that can be involved in a purchase and their potential role
in the buying center/decision.
5. Be able to select the most effective entry point into a prospect’s buying process.
Students must master the following components of the selling process.
1. Identifying the stages of the selling process from prospecting through follow-up.
2. State the qualifications for a suspect to be a prospect.
3. Compare the effectiveness of different types of prospecting techniques for various
types of buyers.
4. Use a questioning process like SPIN (Situation Problem Implication Need) or
ADAPT (Assessment Discovery Activation Projection Transition) to identify buying issues.
5. Identify the purpose of a RFP (Request for Proposal) and the various issues involved in
responding to one.
6. Identify various negotiation pressure tactics and know how to respond to them.
Attendance: Missing more than five classes during the semester will result in a student
being dropped from the course. While extenuating circumstances can result in this
requirement being waived, it is unlikely. If you know you will miss more than five classes, you
should drop the course today and add a different course with less stringent attendance
expectations.
Exams: Questions on these exams will require a student to attend class, take good notes on
the lectures/presentations and read the textbook in order to answer them effectively.

Midterm I - 50 multiple choice questions, Chapters 1-5.

Midterm II - 50 multiple choice questions, Chapters 6-10.

Midterm III – 25 multiple choice questions from team sales presentations.
Make-up Exams: Only given if arranged prior to the exam or due to illness. If provided for
an illness, students must provide a note from a physician on letterhead with a signature
before a make-up exam will be given. If a student fails to appear for an exam or make-up
exam, they will receive a grade of zero.
Sales Presentation: Teams of two/three will present an assigned sales pitch. Students will
have to develop presentation materials, which should be professional and easy to use. The
presentation materials should be similar to what you would develop if you were selling this
product/service to a real buyer. In this sales role play, you will two or three buyers who will
have developed objections that you may/may not have anticipated. Items to note:

20 minute pitch, and presenters should be prepared for questions/objections.

Students must turn in a copy of the sale pitch presentation with a list of anticipated
objections and their answers.

Two teams will present during the class period. One team presents, and the other team
members will act as the buyers. Team 1 sells to buyers from Team 2 and vice versa.

Profiles for sellers and buyers will be uploaded to Canvas.
Team Discussion/Role Play: The same student teams will participate in assigned class
discussions and role plays during class. Participation in eight sessions will count for 10% of
the total grade for the course. These are highlighted in yellow on the calendar.
Thank You Notes: Salespeople need to be able to absorb and summarize the important
points covered in a meeting. They should also be able to write a decent thank you note. This
note should be nicely formatted and well-written, but most importantly the note should
summarize the key ideas raised in the class. A good paragraph is enough room to include
everything you need. I’ve included a sample note on Canvas. Hint: The best time to write your
thank you note is right after class. Eight thank you notes are due throughout the semester.
These are listed in red on the calendar.
Grading
Item
Exam I (Chapters 1-5)
Exam II (Chapters 6-10)
Sales Presentation
Exam III (Sales Presentations)
Team Discussions/Role Play (eight during semester)
Class Participation (bio, eight thank you notes and participation)
%
25%
25%
15%
15%
10%
10%
TOTAL 100%
Grading Scale: Final grades will be assigned as follows:
97-100
93-96
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
61-0
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Value
Organizational
Equivalent
% of Class
A
B
C
D
F
Outstanding
Excellence
Mastered
material
Tagged
the bases
Unsatisfactory
Promoted
Raise
No Raise
Reviewed
Fired
15-20%
50-60%
20-25%
<5%
<5%
Unacceptable
Class Participation Grading Rubric
Points
10 points
60 points
30 points
Item
Turn in photo and bio
Turn in eight handwritten notes to the professor
Participation in class
Class Expectations
As instructor, I have the following responsibilities:
1. Come prepared to every class with a well thought-out class.
2. Design my class so you will understand how a sales professional uses their
understanding of the buying process to connect with prospects.
3. Consider that it is not always your fault if you don’t understand the material.
4. Create a mutually respectful classroom environment.
5. Provide real working examples of how sales professionals close deals in B-C and B-B
environments.
As students, you have the following responsibilities:
1. Turn off your phone so you can focus on the lecture. Your smart phone is smart
enough!
2. Come prepared to every class by reviewing previous notes and reading the material.
It’s amazing how things make sense when you read before class!
3. Consider that it is not always the instructor’s fault when you don’t understand the
material.
4. Treat others (including the instructor) with respect.
5. Ask questions when you don’t understand. Asking questions is a sign of maturity - not
ignorance. Sales professionals spend a lot of time asking their customers questions.
Spring 2016 Class Schedule
Date
Mon, Jan 11
Wed, Jan 13
Fri, Jan 15
Mon, Jan 18
Wed, Jan 20
Fri, Jan 22
Mon, Jan 25
Wed, Jan 27
Fri, Jan 29
Mon, Feb 1
Wed, Feb 3
Fri, Feb 5
Mon, Feb 8
Wed, Feb 10
Fri, Feb 12
Mon, Feb 15
Wed, Feb 17
Fri, Feb 19
Mon, Feb 22
Wed, Feb 24
Fri, Feb 26
Mon, Feb 29
Wed, March 2
Fri, March 4
Mon, March 7
Wed, March 9
Fri, March 11
Mon, March 14
Wed, March 16
Fri, March 18
Mon, March 21
Wed, March 23
Fri, March 25
Mon, March 28
Wed, March 30
Fri, April 1
Mon, April 4
Wed, April 6
Fri, April 8
Mon, April 11
Wed, April 13
Fri, April 15
Mon, April 18
Wed, April 20
Fri, April 22
Mon, April 25
TBC
Activity & Team Presentations
Course introduction and team assignments (teams of two)
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Case Study Questions – Mark and Sandra of Sales Stars, Inc;
turn in photo/bio sheets
No class – MLK
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Role Play – Brisbane Uniform Company
Chapter 3; turn in handwritten note
Chapter 3 Role Play– Shoes Unlimited
Video 1
Chapter 4; turn in handwritten note
Chapter 4 Role Play – AppLab Services
Video 2
Chapter 5; turn in handwritten note
Chapter 5 Case Study Questions – Logistics Company
Video 3
Midterm I (Chapters 1 – 5); turn in handwritten note
Midterm I Review
Video 4
Chapter 6; turn in handwritten note
Chapter 7
Chapters 6&7 Role Play - Dialogue
Chapter 8; turn in handwritten note
Girl Scout Cookies Role Play & Guest
Video 5
No class – Spring Break
No class – Spring Break
No class – Spring Break
Chapter 9; turn in handwritten note
Chapter 9 Case Study Questions – Naturally Beautiful
Chapter 10
Midterm II (Chapters 6 – 10); turn in handwritten note
Review of Midterm II
No class – Good Friday
Team Presentations – 1 and 2
Team Presentations – 3 and 4
No class – Professor Given
Team Presentations – 5 and 6
Team Presentations – 7 and 8
Team Presentations – 9 and 10
Team Presentations – 11 and 12
Team Presentations – 13 and 14
Team Presentations – 15 and 16
Team Presentations – 17 and 18
Team Presentations – 19 and 20
Team Presentations – 21 (professor will act as the buyer)
Review of Sales Presentations
Midterm III (Sales Presentations)