Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Post Graduate Programme
Sales and Distribution Management
PGP (Term 4)
2011-12
Prof. Avinash Mulky
1. Introduction
The quality of sales and distribution management is an important determinant of success
in customer acquisition and revenue growth for companies across business sectors. Even
managers from the knowledge sectors such as consultancy, investment banking and
financial services are often evaluated on the revenue they have brought in. Therefore
management graduates irrespective of functional specialization, require a sound
foundation of skills in selling and sales management. Although some businesses sell
directly to their customers using a client acquisition team or company sales force, many
sales organizations utilize a channel for going to the market. The use of a channel makes
it incumbent on members of the marketing and sales team to have a good understanding
of distribution management.
The Sales and Distribution Management elective course has been designed so that it has a
broad appeal that transcends functional areas. The basic concepts, frameworks, theories
and techniques that are covered are applicable in a variety of settings ranging from
FMCG, consumer durables, financial services, consulting and information technology.
For the batch of 2010-12, some changes have been made in the previous course outline in
terms of content and evaluation. The number of guest lectures has been increased to two
to include an industry view on channel design in addition to channel management
practice. There is one major course project this year instead of an exam. This project will
provide an opportunity for groups of students to actually create a channel –sales
management plan for an industry/company of their choice.
2. Course objectives:



To provide participants with an understanding of the important role that the sales
and distribution activities can play in organizational success
To highlight the major decision areas within sales and distribution and to provide
analytical frameworks and approaches that will facilitate decision making
To provide an exposure to key concepts, theories and recent developments in
sales and distribution and to illustrate their applicability in tackling the challenges
in business
3. Text Book
Venugopal P (2008) Sales and Distribution Management-An Indian Perspective
4. Cases and Readings: A Cases and Readings packet will be supplied by the PGP office
to registered students on the day of registration
5. Evaluation
Quizzes
Presentations and Class Participation
Project
30%
20%
50%
6. Session Details:
DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT MODULE
Session 1
Topic
Case
Readings
Sessions 2
Topic
Case
Readings
Basic Frameworks in Distribution
On Komatsu’s Strategy of Distribution Channels in China [Also
Distributed Separately]
1) Magrath A J and Hardy K G (1987) Selecting Sales and
Distribution Channels
2) Smylay EW and Higby MA (1981) The MIDAS approach to
channel analysis
3) Chapter 7 PV (Textbook)
Channel Design-I
Lecture
1) Gudonaviciene R and Alijosiene S (2008) The Specific Features
of Marketing Channel Design
2) Anderson E, Day G S and Kasturi Rangan V (1997) Strategic
Channel Design
3) Powers TL (1989) Industrial Distribution Options: Trade Offs to
consider
4) Chapters 7, 8-PV (Textbook)
Sessions 3
Topic
Lecture
Readings
Channel Design-II (Guest lecture)
Guest Lecture
To be indicated
Session 4
Topic
Case
The Role of Wholesalers
Arrow Electronics
2
Readings
Session 5
Topic
Case
Readings
Session 6
Topic
Case
Readings
Session 7
Topic
Case
Readings
Session 8
Topic
Case
Session 9
Topic
Case
Readings
Session 10
Topic
Case
Readings
Session 11
Topic
Case
Readings
1) Rosenbloom B (2007) The Wholesaler’s Role in the Marketing
Channel: Disntermediation vs Reintermediation
Retail Modernisation-Issues
Wal-Mart and Bharti: Transforming Retail in India
1) Ghemawat P (2006) Business Society and the “Walmart Effect”
2) Gauri et al (2008) Understanding the determinants of retail
strategy
Designing the Retail Interface
Ford Motor Co: Dealer Sales and Service
Chapter 11-PV (Textbook)
Mass Distribution-I
Lecture
1) Mishra D P (2008) FMCG Distribution Channels in India
2) McDermott MC and Choi TLC (1997) The Distribution of FMCG
in People’s Republic of China
Mass Distribution-II
Lecture
Olver and Farris (1989) Push and Pull: A One Two Punch for
packaged Products
Rural distribution in India
Unilever in India: Hindustan Lever’s Project Shakti
Aithal R K and Vaswani LK (2005) Distribution Channel Structure in
Rural Areas
Channel Commitment and Channel appraisal
Colgate Palmolive (A) [ To be distributed later]
1) Chapters 12 and 13 –PV (Textbook)
2) Gilliland (2003) Towards a B-B channels incentive classification
scheme
Understanding and managing channel conflict
To be distributed later
Chapter 14-PV (Textbook)
3
Session 12
Topic
Lecture
Readings
Excellent channel management -The industry view
Guest lecture
To be indicated
SALES MANAGEMENT MODULE
Session 13
Topic
Case
Readings
Session 14
Topic
Case
Session 15
Topic
Case
Introduction to Selling
Waters Chromatography Division (A)
Waters Chromatography Division (B) [To be distributed later]
1) Moncrief W C, Marshall G W and Lassk F G (2006) A
Contemporary taxonomy of Sales Positions
2) Jones E et al (2005) The Changing Environment of Selling and
Sales Management
3) Sohnchen and Albers (2010) Pipeline Management for the
acquisition of Industrial Projects
Overview of Sales Management
Naukri.com
1) Mulky AG (2008) Enhancing Marketing Performance: The
Academic Perspective
2) Mulky A G et al IMR Round Table Enhancing Marketing
Performance: A Discussion
Reengineering the Sales Process
Hewlett Packard-Computer Systems Organization: Selling to
Enterprise Customers
Session 16
Topic
Lecture
Readings
Designing sales territories: Approaches and models
Lecture
To be indicated
Session 17
Topic
Case
Readings
Integrating Sales and Marketing
Avaya
Kotler et al (2008) Ending the war between sales and Marketing
Session 18-20
Topic
Project presentations
4