PSL300: The Professional Sales Process
Credit Hours:
Contact Hours:
3
This is a 3-credit course, offered in accelerated format. This means that 16 weeks of
material is covered in 8 weeks. The exact number of hours per week that you can
expect to spend on each course will vary based upon the weekly coursework, as
well as your study style and preferences. You should plan to spend 10-25 hours per
week in each course reading material, interacting on the discussion boards, writing
papers, completing projects, and doing research.
Faculty Information
Name:
Phone:
CSU-GC Email:
Virtual Office Hours:
Course Description and Outcomes
This course is an introduction to the sales process. This includes prospecting, pre-call planning, writing sales
proposals, handling objections, closing the sale, team selling, and customer follow-up post sale. Students will
also learn the importance of understanding how to navigate through the political and economic dynamics of the
customer.
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Describe personal selling and the sales process.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of buyers and types of purchasing decisions.
3. Explain the importance of communication and its components, including strategic questioning, active
listening, and non-verbal communication.
4. Prepare an effective sales dialogue and presentation.
5. Analyze the stages of the strategic prospecting process.
6. Summarize the key considerations in developing an effective sales organization.
Participation & Attendance
Prompt and consistent attendance in your online courses is essential for your success at CSU-Global Campus.
Failure to verify your attendance within the first 7 days of this course may result in your withdrawal. If for some
reason you would like to drop a course, please contact your advisor.
Online classes have deadlines, assignments, and participation requirements just like on-campus classes. Budget
your time carefully and keep an open line of communication with your instructor. If you are having technical
problems, problems with your assignments, or other problems that are impeding your progress, let your
instructor know as soon as possible.
Course Materials
Required:
Ingram, T. N., LaForge, R. W., Avila, R. A., Schwepker, C. H., & Williams, M. R. (2012). Sell. Mason, OH: SouthWestern Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9781133188322
**All non-textbook required readings and materials necessary to complete assignments, discussions, and/or
supplemental or required exercises will be provided within the course itself. Please read through each course
module carefully.
Course Schedule
Due Dates
The Academic Week at CSU-Global begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday.
 Discussion Boards: The original post must be completed by Thursday at 12 midnight MT and Peer
Responses posted by Sunday 12 midnight MT. Late posts may not be awarded points.
 Mastery Exercises: Students may access and retake mastery exercises through the last day of class until
they achieve the scores they desire.
 Critical Thinking Activities: Assignments are due Sunday at 12 midnight MT.
Week #
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Readings
Chapters 1 and 2 in Sell
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Chapter 3 in Sell
1
2
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Discussion (25 points)
Mastery (10 points)
Critical Thinking (75 points)
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Chapter 4 in Sell
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Chapter 5 in Sell


Discussion (25 points)
Mastery (10 points)
Critical Thinking (50 points)
Portfolio Milestone (25 points,
allotted in Week 8)
Discussion (25 points)
Mastery (20 points)

Chapters 6 and 7 in Sell


Discussion (25 points)
Mastery (10 points)
3
4
5
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Assignments
Discussion (25 points)
Mastery (10 points)
Critical Thinking (75 points)

Critical Thinking (75 points)

Chapter 8 in Sell
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
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
Chapter 9 in Sell
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
Discussion (25 points)
Mastery (10 points)
Critical Thinking (75 points)
Portfolio Milestone (25 points
allotted in Week 8)
Discussion (25 points)
Mastery (10 points)

Chapters 10 and 11 in Sell
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
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Discussion (25 points)
Mastery (20 points)
Portfolio (350 points)
6
7
8
Assignment Details
This course includes the following assignments/projects:
Module 1
Critical Thinking: Building Trust with Buyers (75 points)
Successful sales in the 21st century require a set of skills and competencies beyond the reputation of the company
and products you, as a salesperson, represent. The nature of sales has changed dramatically with the advent of the
Internet and the myriad of analytic and research tools available today.
In today’s highly competitive business environment--wherein buyers are under pressure to cut costs and award the
lowest bidder--one of the keys to building a long-term relationship with clients is to create a basis of trust between
the sales representative and the customer.
Directions:
 Using the information learned in this week’s readings, along with at least one outside source (find it at CSUGlobal library!), prepare a 2- to 3-page paper (not including cover page and references, which you must
include) in which you describe how a sales representative should go about building and sustaining trust in
the buyer-seller relationship.
 Your paper must follow CSU-Global guidelines for APA style, and be concise, professional, and demonstrate
knowledge of the concepts presented in this module and course. You will be graded on your adherence to
style and good grammar and mechanics.
Module 2
Critical Thinking: Understanding Buying Team Structure and Function (75 points)
Many large organizations use a buying center or team in purchasing decisions, such that no one person or
department awards contracts or signs purchase orders.
Your job this week is to understand the roles and responsibilities of buying team members. In a 2- to 3-page paper,
describe the various “influencer” types and explain the benefits and challenges of working with a buying team.
Your paper should follow CSU-Global guidelines for APA style, and be concise, professional, and demonstrate
knowledge of the concepts presented in this module and readings. Remember that you are graded in part on the
quality of your writing. CSU-Global students are expected to write clearly and well. See Tools for Effective Writing
on the CSU-Global Library homepage if you need additional help with your writing skills.
Module 3
Critical Thinking: The Importance of Active Listening in the Sales Process (50 points)
It’s essential to converse with customers in order to gain critical information about and insights into their
situations and to enable the salesperson to answer customers’ needs by offering unique, added-value solutions.
 Scholars have written exhaustively about the importance of active listening. In a well-written, 2- to 3-page
page paper, imagine and describe a sales situation in which you, the salesperson, would employ active
listening with a buyer.
 Your paper should follow CSU-Global guidelines for APA style, and be concise, professional, and
demonstrate knowledge of the concepts presented in this module and course. Remember that you are
graded in part on the quality of your writing and CSU-Global students are expected to use good grammar
and follow best practices in writing mechanics. Make sure your paper follows along logically and that its
style flows. Need help? Check out the Tools for Effective Writing accessible from the CSU Global Library
homepage.
Portfolio Milestone (Worth 25 points to overall Portfolio score)
Your Portfolio Project assignment is to prepare a professional sales presentation on a product or service that
interests you.
This week, you will submit a one-page summary of your project including:
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Why you selected the product or service
The industry to which it belongs (for example, health services, transportation, banking, or
communications systems)
How you plan to research it. Provide at least three references to outside academic or business sources.
Your Portfolio Project is due at the end of Module 8. Make sure it follows CSU-Global guidelines for APA style, and
that it is concise, professional, and demonstrates knowledge of the concepts presented in this course.
Module 5
Critical Thinking: Types of Sales Resistance; Is One More Important Than Others? (75 points)
There are many types of sales resistance. Is one type such as need or price more difficult to handle than another
such as source, product, or time? In any sales situation, you may experience one or more types and must be
prepared to deal with each.
In a well-written 2- to 3-page paper:
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analyze the types of sales resistance;
consider the difficulty of each; and
describe how best to overcome sales resistance.
Your paper should follow CSU-Global guidelines for APA style, and be concise, professional, and demonstrate
knowledge of the concepts presented in this module and course.
Module 6
Critical Thinking: Why Salespeople Fail to Gain Commitment (75 points)
There are many reasons why sales are not completed; sometimes it is due to variables beyond the control of the
salesperson but often it’s due to a failure to gain commitment. Why--after investing all the time and effort in
prospecting, qualifying, and making the presentation--would a salesperson not attempt to gain commitment from
the buyer?
Directions

In a well crafted 2- to 3-page paper (not including the cover page and reference section), analyze and
respond to this dilemma: What are some reasons why salespeople fail to gain commitment?

Demonstrate your knowledge of the material covered in this module and the week’s readings.

Support your answer with citations from the textbook or relevant scholarly journal articles (The CSUGlobal Library is an excellent place to search out these resources).Make sure you follow APA style on
those in-text citations and reference section!

Your paper should follow CSU-Global guidelines for APA style. You are partly graded on the quality of
your writing, so make sure you employ to excellent writing mechanics. Check out the Tools for Effective
Writing at the CSU-Global Library if you need help with your writing style. Be sure you create a well
structured paper that flows logically and smoothly.
Portfolio Milestone (worth 25 points to overall portfolio score)
This week, you will submit a progress report (one page, double spaced) of your project. Tell your instructor what
you have learned thus far about your product or service. You might include what you have found challenging in
your research or what you have found interesting. (This submission is worth 25 points to overall Portfolio score.)
Module 8
Portfolio Project: Write a Winning Proposal (350 Points)
Choose a product or service in an industry that interests you. Your assignment is to prepare a professional sales
presentation that demonstrates your mastery of the concepts learned in this class.
Directions:

Review the text, readings, and business media to develop a winning proposal with the objective of
gaining a commitment from the buyer or buyer group and that includes:
o Executive summary
o Situational analysis: customer needs and your solution
o Seller profile: your company and its capabilities
o Pricing and sales
o Implementation and timetable

Your proposal must be 8 to 10 written pages (not including cover page or references page, which you
must include).
You are being graded on the thoroughness of your analysis and information. Demonstrate that you
thoroughly researched and prepared for the presentation with the objective of gaining a commitment
from the buyer or buyer group.
Include at least two scholarly references from the CSU-Global library. Cite and reference following APA
style (see the APA link below).
Include at least one chart or graph that you have made or, if you have not made the chart, be sure that
you have cited it correctly, minding copyright laws.
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Make sure your entire submission follows CSU-Global guidelines for APA style.
Make sure your proposal is well written. You are being graded in part on writing mechanics, style, and
grammar. Be sure your presentation flows logically and smoothly. Need more information on producing
excellent quality writing? Visit the CSU-Global Library Tools for Effective Writing on the library website.
Course Policies
Course Grading
20% Discussion Participation
10% Mastery Exercises
35% Critical Thinking Activities
35% Final Portfolio Paper
Grading Scale and Policies
A
95.0 – 100
A-
90.0 – 94.9
B+
86.7 – 89.9
B
83.3 – 86.6
B-
80.0 – 83.2
C+
75.0 – 79.9
C
70.0 – 74.9
D
60.0 – 69.9
F
59.9 or below
In-Classroom Policies
For information on late work and Incomplete grade policies, please refer to our In-Classroom Student Policies
and Guidelines or the Academic Catalog for comprehensive documentation of CSU-Global institutional policies.
Academic Integrity
Students must assume responsibility for maintaining honesty in all work submitted for credit and in any other
work designated by the instructor of the course. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, fabrication, facilitating
academic dishonesty, plagiarism, reusing /re-purposing your own work (see CSU-Global Guide to Writing and
APA Requirements for percentage of repurposed work that can be used in an assignment), unauthorized
possession of academic materials, and unauthorized collaboration. The CSU-Global Library provides information
on how students can avoid plagiarism by understanding what it is and how to use the Library and Internet
resources.
Citing Sources with APA Style
All students are expected to follow the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA Requirements when citing in APA
(based on the APA Style Manual, 6th edition) for all assignments. For details on CSU-Global APA style, please
review the APA resources within the CSU-Global Library under the “APA Guide & Resources” link. A link to this
document should also be provided within most assignment descriptions on your course’s Assignments page.
Netiquette
Respect the diversity of opinions among the instructor and classmates and engage with them in a courteous,
respectful, and professional manner. All posts and classroom communication must be conducted in accordance
with the student code of conduct. Think before you push the Send button. Did you say just what you meant?
How will the person on the other end read the words?
Maintain an environment free of harassment, stalking, threats, abuse, insults or humiliation toward the
instructor and classmates. This includes, but is not limited to, demeaning written or oral comments of an ethnic,
religious, age, disability, sexist (or sexual orientation), or racist nature; and the unwanted sexual advances or
intimidations by email, or on discussion boards and other postings within or connected to the online classroom.
If you have concerns about something that has been said, please let your instructor know.