PERSONAL SELLING SKILLS

Course Objectives:
The aim of this Business Skills Course is to help the student develop his personal selling skills that will successfully meet customer and employer needs. To provide a route to more satisfied customers, more successful salespeople, and better long-term business relationships.

Course Description :
The application of behavioral and persuasive communication theories and techniques necessary to develop effective personal selling skills within an organization.

Emphasis on personal and professional development, interpersonal skills, verbal and written presentation skills, understanding prospecting, sales and buying processes, and developing and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Course Outline:

1. Introduction
2. What is Selling?
3. Don't Just Order-Take
4. The customer's perspective described by customer situation factors and customer objectives
5. Developing trust and rapport 
6. The customer-focused skills of questioning, listening, and verifying.
7. Opening the call
8. Determining customer objectives and situation factors
9. How to Reach the Decision Maker
10. The Sales Presentation (presenting recommendations using the objective-benefit-feature (OBF) concept)
11. Obtaining customer commitments
12. Managing Sales Obstacles
13. Developing a customer profile
14. Outlining a call plan (how to make appointments by phone)
15. Conducting post-call analysis.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Define his/her typical customer
2. Determine what the customer wants
3. Decide why the customer will buy from him/her
4. Produce a personalized plan of campaign for his/her market research
5. Identify the firm's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
6. Design a successful marketing 'package'.

Skills to be developed:
This course helps students in developing the following skills:
1. Communication (Oral & written) Through Assignments, Case Study discussions and
Examinations
2. Analytical Through Case studies and examinations
3. Team Work Through Case studies
4. Creative Thinking Through Case studies, assignments, classroom
discussions
5. Adaptability to Change Through Case studies, and examinations
6. Ethics Through lectures and assignments
7. Use of Information Technology Through use of PCs, Internet, CD-ROM, Statistical
data base in the library

Evaluating Student Performance:
Class participation and attendance 10%
Individual assignments 20%
Mid-term examination 20%
Final Exam 50% 

Grading:
Percentage Score Letter Grade GPA Points Percentage Score Letter Grade GPA Points

90 – 100 A 4.0 70 - 74 C 2.0
85 - 89 B+ 3.5 65 - 69 D+ 1.5
80 - 84 B 3.0 60 - 64 D 1.0
75 - 79 C+ 2,5 < 60 F 0.0

Educational Resources: 

Course Schedule & Outline:
Sixteen Week Semester, 3 hrs/Wk