Active Outline

General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
BUSD087.
Course Title (CB02)
Introduction to Selling
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
This course introduces the principles and practices of effective selling and includes the topics of the selling process, sales research, sales communication, and sales ethics.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is transferable to CSU. This course is required to earn a Associate of Arts degree in Marketing Management. This course will teach students selling skills that are useful in a wide variety of occupations and situations.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to CSU only

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

ESL D272. and ESL D273., or ESL D472. and ESL D473., or eligibility for EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion of topics other than assigned reading

Homework and extended projects

Assignments

  1. Required reading from the assigned textbook and other sources.
  2. Written homework assignments based on required readings, videos, and/or case studies.
  3. Required participation in class discussions of selected topics.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. One or more quizzes and/or exams consisting of any combination of objective and/or essay questions to test students' understanding of key selling concepts such as the buying process and the participants in that process, the seven step selling model, the principles of effective sales communication, the role of relationship development in the selling process, the role of prospecting and qualifying in the sales process, the role of the preapproach in the sales process, the goals and methods of effective sales presentations, and the role of handling objections in the selling process.
  2. Directed written assignments used to evaluate the student's knowledge of key topics covered in class and the text, as well as to assess the effectiveness of their written communication and critical thinking skills.
  3. Student participation in class discussions on selected topics to evaluate the student’s level of mastery of those topics, and to evaluate their oral and/or written communication skills, which are needed for effective selling.
  4. A final exam consisting of a mix of objective and essay questions to test students' understanding of key selling concepts such as the buying process and the participants in that process, the seven step selling model, the principles of effective sales communication, the role of relationship development in the selling process, the role of prospecting and qualifying in the sales process, the role of the preapproach in the sales process, the goals and methods of effective sales presentations, and the role of handling objections in the selling process.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Richmond, Kimberly K.; "The Power of Selling, Version 2.0" Flatworld Knowledge, Feb. 2019.
Ingram, Thomas N., et al. <u>Sell</u>, 6th Edition. Jan. 2019. ISBN 978-1-337-40800-4.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Packham, Neil, <u>Spin Selling</u>. McGraw-Hill. May, 1988.
Cialdini, Robert B., <u>Influence</u>, 5th edition. Harper Business. December, 2006.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Recognize the ubiquity of selling, and assess its role in the economy and business.
  • Identify the characteristics of a successful salesperson, and examine what can be expected from a career in sales.
  • Examine why developing relationships with sales prospects is the key to successful selling; and examine one or more of these related concepts: adaptive selling, consultative selling, and win-win selling.
  • Examine the role and importance of ethics and ethical principles in business and selling.
  • Identify the key elements of effective business communication.
  • Examine several simple and common models of buyer behavior and buyer psychology that sales professionals find useful.
  • Examine the Features, Advantages, and Benefits (FAB) concept and its role in sales communication.
  • Examine the first three steps in the seven step selling process: prospecting and qualifying, the preapproach, and the approach.
  • Identify the principal characteristics and components of an effective sales presentation.
  • Describe what sales objections are and how to effectively handle the different types.
  • Describe the three steps to obtaining a commitment from a customer, also known as closing the sale: 1) Check whether the customer's key concerns have been addressed, 2) Summarize the benefits already presented, and 3) Propose a commitment that will move the sale forward.
  • Recognize the roles of self-management and delegation in effective selling.

CSLOs

  • Identify and describe each of the steps in the seven step selling process model, explain the purpose of each step, and describe the essential elements of successful execution of each step.

Outline

  1. Recognize the ubiquity of selling, and assess its role in the economy and business.
    1. Recognize the ubiquity of selling in everyday life.
    2. Assess the role of selling in the economy.
    3. Assess the role of selling in a business.
  2. Identify the characteristics of a successful salesperson, and examine what can be expected from a career in sales.
    1. Identify the characteristics of a successful salesperson.
    2. Examine what can be expected from a career in sales, including a review of the different types of selling channels and selling environments in which today’s sales professionals operate.
  3. Examine why developing relationships with sales prospects is the key to successful selling; and examine one or more of these related concepts: adaptive selling, consultative selling, and win-win selling.
    1. Examine why developing relationships with sales prospects is the key to successful selling.
    2. Examine one or more of these concepts in the context of relationship selling: adaptive selling, consultative selling, and win-win selling.
    3. Examine the role of empathy in effective selling and sales communication.
    4. Examine how miscommunications occur and how they can be avoided.
    5. Examine why brevity is important in sales communication.
    6. Discover what active listening is and why it is so beneficial and useful in sales communication.
    7. Recognize the role of repetition in effective sales communication.
  4. Examine the role and importance of ethics and ethical principles in business and selling.
    1. Examine the role and importance of ethics and ethical principles in business.
    2. Examine the role and importance of ethics and ethical principles in selling.
  5. Identify the key elements of effective business communication.
    1. Evaluate the roles of both verbal and non-verbal communication in the sales process.
    2. Identify the important nonverbal messages, both positive and negative, that can be communicated by the manner of one’s dress; and draw appropriate conclusions regarding how a sales person should dress and why.
    3. Examine how technology-based communication tools can help or hinder a salesperson’s efforts to communicate and develop a relationship with a prospect.
  6. Examine several simple and common models of buyer behavior and buyer psychology that sales professionals find useful.
    1. Examine a simple model of the consumer buying process.
    2. Examine how a salesperson might adapt their sales approach in a B2C sale based on which need in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs the consumer is seeking to meet with a particular purchase.
    3. Examine a simple model of the business buying process for a new task buy and the roles of each of the different types of participants in that process: Initiators and influencers, decision makers, users, and technical advisors.
    4. Examine the differences in the locus of decision-making power in two other common types of B2B purchases, and how a salesperson might vary their sales approach to meet the needs of these two situations: Straight rebuys and modified rebuys.
  7. Examine the Features, Advantages, and Benefits (FAB) concept and its role in sales communication.
    1. Examine the value of seeking first to understand and acknowledge a customer’s motivation and pain before delivering any given FAB message.
    2. Identify the elements of effective FAB (Features, Advantages, and Benefits) messaging.
  8. Examine the first three steps in the seven step selling process: prospecting and qualifying, the preapproach, and the approach.
    1. Examine the classic seven step selling process model and its applicability to today’s selling environment.
    2. Identify the role of prospecting in the selling process, and what tools and resources are available to find prospects.
    3. Explore the elements of an effective preapproach, in which research is used to begin to identify a prospects’ needs and the associated sales opportunities.
    4. Examine the elements of an effective sales approach, or how to make initial contact with a prospect in the most effective way in a variety of common circumstances.
    5. Examine how to overcome two common barriers to a successful approach: the salesperson’s own reluctance and getting past the gatekeepers.
  9. Identify the principal characteristics and components of an effective sales presentation.
    1. Identify the four phases of an effective sales presentation, and the purpose of each phase: Opening, Investigating, Demonstrating Capability, and Obtaining Commitment.
    2. Examine the four useful types of questions in a sales presentation according to the SPIN selling model: Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-Payoff questions.
    3. Recognize how a fifth type of question can be usefully employed in a sales presentation: permission to proceed to the next step.
    4. Examine how to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) with an effective written sales presentation, where applicable.
  10. Describe what sales objections are and how to effectively handle the different types.
    1. Describe what sales objections are and what distinguishes them from other statements made or questions asked by the sales prospect.
    2. Describe the various types of sales objections, and how to effectively handle each type.
  11. Describe the three steps to obtaining a commitment from a customer, also known as closing the sale: 1) Check whether the customer’s key concerns have been addressed, 2) Summarize the benefits already presented, and 3) Propose a commitment that will move the sale forward.
    1. Describe the first step to obtaining a commitment from a customer: check whether the customer’s key concerns have been addressed.
    2. Describe the second step to obtaining a commitment from a customer: summarize the benefits already presented.
    3. Describe the third step to obtaining a commitment from a customer: propose a commitment that will move the sales forward.
  12. Recognize the roles of self-management and delegation in effective selling.
    1. Recognize the role of self-management in effective selling.
    2. Recognize the role of delegation in effective selling.
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