Sales Planning and Operations Assignment

Task 1 - Understand the role of personal selling within the overall marketing strategy

This tasks offers you an opportunity to achieve LO1: 1.1, 1.2, & 1.3, M1 and D1

a)   Demonstrate the importance of personal selling in supporting the promotional mix for the organisation identified in the Shaping Your Future section. (1.1)

Guidelines:

In order to complete the above task, you need to:

·         Define the role of personal selling

·         List the components of the selling task

·         Discuss the importance of information that is gathered by sales people in the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section

·         Show how personal selling supports the promotional mix.

b)   Personal selling can affect the buyer decision making process in both Business to Consumer and Business to Business ( B to B and B to C )

Using the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section, compare the impact that sales  people have on buyer behaviour in both B to B and B to C. (1.2)

Guidelines:

In order to complete the above task, you need to:

·         Identify the stages of the buyer decision making process.

·         State how sales people impact buyer behaviour

·         Use the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section and compare how sales people have an impact on buyer behaviour in both B to B and B to C

c)    Using the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section, analyse the role of sales team within the marketing strategy.(1.3)

Guidelines:

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

·         Include a list of sales team responsibilities

·         Analyse the role of the sales  team within the marketing strategy of the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section

Total task word count      Minimum: 300         

                                                Maximum: 400

MERIT ONE

The sales management function has been affected with the development of the internet and online social media.  Twitter is now being used as a tool to engage customers and is being deployed as a sales tool.  Describe how social media can be used as a sales tool, what benefits will this have and what the limitations of this technology for the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section.

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

• Identify social media tools that can be used to aid sales.
• Describe benefits that social media presents to sales managers in comparison to regular face-to-face selling
• Include a discussion about some of the limitations of social media as a sales tool.

DISTINCTION ONE

In the UK, the percentage of people that shop online is on the increase.  Personal selling is being affected by this increase.   Critically analyse the role of personal selling in the marketing process.  What potential pitfalls are there for companies that only engage in online selling? Discuss the types of businesses that would be most affected by the elimination of personal selling.

Guidelines:

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

       •  Produce an insightful analysis on the effectiveness of personal selling

       •  Discuss the types of businesses that would be most affected by the elimination of personal selling. 

       •  Answer this in reference to the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section.

NB: When the question refers to an organisation, the learners will need to discuss their organisation as detailed in the Shaping Your Future section above OR the organisation from the designated list held and approved by Student Support.

Task 2  - Be able to apply the principles of the selling process to a product or service

This tasks offers you an opportunity to achieve LO2: 2.1, 2.2 and M2

a)   You are the Sales Manager for the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section. Prepare a PowerPoint (PPT) sales presentation on the company products and services to be delivered to Senior Management. Your PPT will have at least ten slides and include speaker notes.

Remember, you are required to include screen shots of the slides within your assignment.

Guidelines

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:  

·                      Include a PowerPoint presentation with at least ten slides (2.1)

·                      Provide prepared speaker notes for each slide which you will use when making the presentation. (2.2)

·                      Meet the attributes of a good presentation, (flexible, clear, credible, describe benefits, arouse interest and motive action). (2.1,2.2)

·                      Include screenshots of the slides within your assignment. (2.1)

·                      Use the context of the business chosen to answer the question.

Total task word count      Minimum: 300         

                                                Maximum: 400

MERIT TWO

Include an evaluation of qualitative and quantitative sales management techniques in your slides.  Use examples from the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section.

Guidelines:

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

• Research qualitative and quantitative sales management
• Discuss the benefits and short-falls of each
• Apply these two in to a company of your choice

NB: When the question refers to an organisation, the learners will need to discuss their organisation as detailed in the Shaping Your Future section above OR the organisation from the designated list held and approved by Student Support.

Task 3 - Understand the role and objectives of sales management

This tasks offers you an opportunity to achieve LO3: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, M3 and D2

a)   Sales strategies are usually developed after corporate objectives have been devised. Explain how corporate objectives impact on sales strategies and vice versa.

Use a case study to support your answer. (3.1)

Guidelines

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

·                      Explain the role of sales strategy on corporate objectives ·                      Explain how and why sales strategies are developed in line with corporate  objectives

·                      Use a case study of your choice to support your answer

b)   You are about to hire new members to join the sales team of the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section.  Explain the significance of applying rigorous recruitment and selection procedures to your recruitment campaign. (3.2)

Guidelines

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

·                      Define recruitment and selection

·                      Explain why it is important to have a rigorous recruitment and selection process in place

·                      Use the context of the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section to answer the question.

·                      Use examples to support your answer.

c)    You are working as the Sales Director.  Write a report to the board of the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section, explaining the role of effective motivation, remuneration and training on sales management. (3.3)

Guidelines

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

·                      Define motivation using a reliable source ·                      Evaluate motivation tools (team building, target setting, financial incentives, salary and commission based remuneration) and how they will apply to sales management ·                      Evaluate training initiatives that can be adopted for developing your sales team for example, training on specific products, on-going training and CPD.  Relate this to the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section ·                      Review the role of remuneration in sales management

d)   In a job interview for a sales manager post, you are asked to write a memo explaining how you plan to organise sales activity and what measures you will take to control sales output. (3.4)

Guidelines

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

·           Describe how you will organise sales activities. Make reference to the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section

·           Explain the various sales control measures (sales budgets, performance standards, performance against targets).

a)   Businesses are becoming very dependent on technology.  This is especially true in the field of sales management.

Using the organisation identified in the Shaping Your Future section, illustrate the importance of databases in effective sales management. (3.5)

Guidelines

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

·                      Explain the importance of database building in sales management

·                      Discuss some of the key issues with using databases (including security and data protection)

·                    Explain the possible benefits of using databases in sales management for the organisation identified in the Shaping Your Future section,

Total task word count      Minimum:  300        

                                                Maximum: 500

MERIT THREE

This question relates to Q3.2

What specific skills will you look for when recruiting sales people for the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section?  How will these skills differ from someone selling cars or hotel rooms, and what skills will they have in common?

Guidelines

·                   Discuss specific skills that would be required for a sales person selling

·     Evaluate the common attributes for sales person of the organisation of your choice have with a Mobile sales person

DISTINCTION TWO

Virgin Atlantic is a company renowned for their employee satisfaction.  It is thought, that this process starts from the recruitment and selection process.  Look into Virgin Atlantic’s recruitment and selection process, and discuss how these two processes have improved employee retention.  What specific ways is Virgin Atlantic using to improve employee retention?

Guidelines

·       Research Virgin Atlantic’s recruitment and selection processes

·       Look at how these have improved its employee retention

·       What specific ways does Virgin Atlantic use to improve employee retention (discuss three)

NB: When the question refers to an organisation, the learners will need to discuss their organisation as detailed in the Shaping Your Future section above OR the organisation from the designated list held and approved by Student Support.

Task 4 - Be able to plan sales activity for a product or service

This tasks offers you an opportunity to achieve LO4: 4.1, 4.2,4.3 and D3

a)   You want to launch a new brand for the organisation outlined in the Shaping Your Future section; this brand is aimed at customers in the London area.

You are required to develop a sales plan. The sales plan should include a strategy to investigate selling the new brand internationally.  London and the UK in general have numerous trade fairs and exhibitions throughout the year.  Your plan should also look into using exhibitions and trade fairs to increase sales. (4.1,4.2, 4.3)

Guidelines 

In order to complete the above task, your answer should:

·          Identify and justify the brand choice

·          Develop a sales plan for your new brand. (4.1) Templates can be found in http://www.businessballs.com/freebusinessplansandmarketingtemplates.htm

·          Or http://www.sfsi.com.au/georgemanolis2/download/sales_plan_template.pdf or a range of other templates found on line that include the salient points.

·          Investigate how you can increase your sales by selling internationally. (4.2)

·          Investigate how you can increase your sales through exhibitions and trade fairs. (4.3)

Total task word count      Minimum: 300         

                                                Maximum: 450

DISTINCTION THREE

Recommend prominent trade exhibitions/trade fairs (based in Europe) that would be worth attending for your new brand.  What activities will you need to do in order to prepare for these exhibitions / trade fairs?

Guidelines 

·         State and justify your chosen trade/exhibition

·         Develop a plan of activities to prepare for attending the exhibition.

NB: When the question refers to an organisation, the learners will need to discuss their organisation as detailed in the Shaping Your Future section above OR the organisation from the designated list held and approved by Student Support.