Sales Management

Sales Management is a comprehensive textbook designed to meet the requirements of management students specializing in Marketing at post graduate level. It covers the entire arena of theoretical and practical aspects of sales management as a subject, and uses numerous industrial examples, exhibits, and illustrations for learning. The book is divided in 5 parts. The first part, Personal Selling, begins with an overview of the key concepts of personal selling with various approaches and strategies, and goes on to discuss the personal selling process in detail. The second part, Organization of Sales Force Functions, talks about managing the sales force and elucidates on sales organization and territory. Following this, the third part, Managing the sales team, starts with defining the roles and responsibilities of sales persons and includes chapters devoted to sales force recruitment, selection, training, motivation, compensation and performance. Part IV, Financial aspects of Sales, examines the need of sales budgeting, forecasting and cost analysis. The concluding part V, Strategy and Modern Approaches, discusses about the various sales strategies along with the effects of globalization and modern approaches used for effective selling. Students will find this book useful owing to its coverage and insights. It will also serve as a veritable guide for professionals owing to the inclusion of strategic approaches along varied examples and case studies.

PART I- PERSONAL SELLING; 1. : AN INTRODUCTION TO PERSONAL SELLING; 1.1 PERSONAL SELLING: CONCEPT, MEANING AND DEFINITION; 1.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL SELLING IN COMMUNICATION MIX; 1.3 SALESMANSHIP; 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF PERSONAL SELLING; 1.5 ESSENTIALS OF EFFECTIVE PERSONAL SELLING; 1.6 A ADVANTAGES OF PERSONAL SELLING; 1.6 B LIMITATIONS OF PERSONAL SELLING; 1.7 ROLE OF PERSONAL SELLING IN MARKETING; 1.8 TRADITIONAL SELLING APPROACH; 1.9 MODERN SELLING APPROACH; 1.10 TYPES OF SELLING; 1.11 SALES AS A PROFESSION; 1.12 ETHICS IN SELLING; 2. : PERSONAL SELLING: APPROACHES AND STRATEGIES; 2.1 SELLING APPROACHES: A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE; AIDAS APPROACH, RIGHT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES APPROACH, BUYING FORMULA APPROACH, BEHAVIORAL EQUATION APPROACH, NEED-SATISFACTION APPROACH, CONSULTATIVE APPROACH OF SELLING: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP BASED APPROACH, PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH.TEAM SELLING APPROACH; 2.2 PERSONAL SELLING: BUYER-SELLER DYAD; 2.2A: FACTORS INFLUENCING BUYING-SELLING DYAD; 2.2B: DETERMINANTS OF SELLER-BUYER DYAD; 3. : PERSONAL SELLING PROCESS; 3.1 SELLING PROCESS: A STEPWISE APPROACH; 3.2 PROSPECTING: MEANING, OBJECTIVES AND SOURCES; 3.3 PRE-APPROACH: A STEP TOWARDS SALES PANNING; 3.4 APPROACH: DOS AND DON'TS; 3.5 APPROACHING TECHNIQUES; 3.6 CUSTOMER'S NEED DISCOVERY: A PRIME CONCERN FOR SELLING; 3.7 SALES PRESENTATION: SCOPES AND METHODS; 3.8 HANDLING OBJECTIONS: A NATURAL EXPERIENCE IN SELLING; 3.9 HANDLING OBJECTIONS: COPING STRATEGIES; 3.10 CLOSING THE SALE; 3.11: FOLLOW UP AFTER SALES: IMPORTANCE AND METHODS; PART II: ORGANIZATION OF SALES FORCE FUNCTIONS; 4. : SALES FORCE MANAGEMENT; 4.1 SALES MANAGEMENT: AN INTRODUCTION; 4.2 FUNCTIONS OF SALES MANAGEMENT: A REVIEW; 4.3 SALES PLANNING: AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE; 4.4 PLANNING SALES OPERATIONS: A USEFUL GUIDELINE; 4.5 STRATEGIC PLANNING: A BUILDING BLOCK TO SALES MANAGEMENT; 4.6 SALES MANAGEMENT AND SALES MANAGERS: A FUNCTION-TASK DYADIC RELATIONSHIP; 5. : SALES ORGANIZATION; 5.1 SALES ORGANIZATION: MEANING, PURPOSES AND TYPES; 5.2 SALES ORGANIZATION: A STRUCTURAL PERSPECTIVE; 5.3 CRITERIA AND PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPING A SALES ORGANIZATION; 5.4 ORGANIZING THE SALES FORCE: A DESCRIPTION; 5.5 DETERMINING THE SIZE OF THE SALES FORCE: A METHODOLOGICAL STUDY; 5.6 MANAGING THE SALES FORCE: A FUNCTIONAL ORIENTATION; 5.7 INTEGRATING THE SALES FORCE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION: A NEED BASED APPROACH; 5.8 SALES ORGANIZATION: FEW CONTEMPORARY ISSUES; 6. : SALES TERRITORY; 6.1 SALES TERRITORY: MEANING AND DEFINITION; 6.2 OBJECTIVES, BENEFITS AND IMPERATIVES OF SALES TERRITORY; 6.3 MANAGEMENT OF SALES TERRITORY; PART III: MANAGING THE SALES TEAM; 7. : SALES PERSONS AND SALES MANAGERS: ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY; 7.1 SALES PERSON: A CRITICAL HUMAN RESOURCE; 7.2 ROLE OF A SALES PERSON; 7.3 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SALES PERSONS; 7.4 QUALITIES OF A SALES PERSON; 7.5 A PROFILE OF SALES MANAGER; 7.6 ROLE OF A SALES MANAGER; 7.7 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SALES MANAGERS; 7.8 SKILLS OF SALES MANAGERS; 8. : SALES FORCE RECRUITMENT; 8.1 RECRUITMENT: MEANING AND CONCEPTION; 8.2 JOB ANALYSIS: A PREREQUISITE FOR RECRUITMENT; 8.3 JOB ANALYSIS: A PREREQUISITE FOR RECRUITMENT; 8.4 JOB DESCRIPTION AND JOB SPECIFICATION: A REFERENCE TO SALES PERSONNEL; 8.5 SOURCES OF SALES RECRUITS; 9. : SALES FORCE SELECTION; 9.1 SELECTION: AN INTRODUCTION; 9.2 SELECTION PROCESS: A STEPWISE JOURNEY; 9.3 INTERVIEWS: THE BACKBONE OF SELECTION PROCESS; 9.4 GUIDELINES FOR SELECTION: IMPORTANT ISSUES; 9.5 A SCHEMA OF THE INTERVIEWS PROCESS; 9.6 PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS: A CRITICAL STEP IN SELECTION; 9.7 REFERENCE CHECKS, MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND JOB OFFER: ESSENTIAL FORMALITIES OF SELECTION; 9.8 SOCIALIZATION: AN IMPERATIVE; 10. : SALES TRAINING; SALES FORCE TRAINING: CONCEPTS, DEFINITIONS AND OBJECTIVES; 10.2 SALES FORCE TRAINING: A STRATEGIC ORIENTATION; 10.3 BENEFITS OF SALES TRAINING AT A GLANCE; 10.4 SALES TRAINING: A PROCEDURAL DISCOURSE; 10.5 TYPES OF TRAINING: AN OVERVIEW; 10.6 TRAINING METHODS: A DETAILED ILLUSTRATION; 11. : SALES FORCE MOTIVATION; 11.1 MOTIVATING SALES PERSONS: OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS; 11.2 NEED: MOTHER OF MOTIVATION; 11.3 MOTIVATION: A STRATEGIC PUSH TO INFLUENCE SALES PERSONS; 11.4 MOTIVATION THEORIES: ITS APPLICATIONS TO SALES FORCE MOTIVATION; 11.5 STRESS AND MOTIVATION IN A SALES PERSON'S LIFE; 12. : DIRECTING THE SALES FORCE; 12.1 DIRECTION: CONCEPT AND UNDERSTANDING; 12.2 LEADERSHIP: A CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION; 12.3 LEADERSHIP AND MOTIVATION; 12.4 QUALITIES OF A SALES LEADER; 12.5 LEADERSHIP THEORIES AT A GLANCE; 12.6 HIGHLIGHT OF THE LEADERSHIP THEORIES: A PRACTICAL APPROACH; 13. : SALES FORCE COMPENSATION; 13.1 COMPENSATION: CONCEPT, DEFINITION AND TYPES; 13.2 SALES FORCE COMPENSATION PLAN: AN ILLUSTRATION; 13.3 FACTORS INFLUENCING COMPENSATION PLAN; 13.4 CRITERIA FOR A SOUND COMPENSATION SCHEME; 13.5 AIMS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMPENSATION PLAN: A STRATEGIC INITIATIVE; 13.6 STEPS IN COMPENSATION PLAN: A DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS; 13.7 METHODS OF COMPENSATION; 13.8 COMPENSATION SCHEMES: A NON-FINANCIAL APPROACH; 13.9 STRATEGIC COMPENSATION SYSTEM (SCS): AN IMPERATIVE TO SALES FORCE MANAGEMENT; 14. : SALES FORCE PERFORMANCE; 14.1 PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: CONCEPTS, DEFINITIONS AND OBJECTIVES; 14.2 PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: CRITERIA AND BENEFITS; 14.3 STEPS IN SALES FORCE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: AN ELABORATION; 14.4 SALES FORCE CONTROL: A NECESSARY ADJUNCT OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL; 14.4A SALES AUDIT 14.4B MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM 14.4C MANAGEMENT BY EXCEPTIONS; 14.5 PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL METHODS: A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SALES FORCE; 14.6 MANAGING SALES PERFORMANCE: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES; PART IV: FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF SALES; 15. : SALES BUDGETING AND FORECASTING; 15.1 SALES BUDGET: AN INTRODUCTORY APPROACH; 15.2 SALES BUDGET: BASIC APPROACHES; 15.3 SALES BUDGETS: FEATURES, OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS; 15.4 FACTORS INFLUENCING SALES BUDGETS; 15.5 STEPS IN DETERMINING SALES BUDGET; 15.6 METHODS OF DETERMINING SALES BUDGETS; 15.7 SALES FORECASTING: A PRELIMINARY INTRODUCTION; 15.8 SALES FORECASTING: FACTORS AND FUNDAMENTALS; 15.9 APPROACHES OF SALES FORECASTING; 15.10 METHODS OF SALES FORECASTING; 16. : SALES AND COST ANALYSIS; 16.1 SALES ANALYSIS: CONCEPTS AND FEATURES; 16.2 SALES ANALYSES AT INDIVIDUAL UNITS: A REVIEW; 16.3 METHODS OF SALES ANALYSIS: A CONCISE DESCRIPTION; 16.4 SALES QUOTA: A TOOL FOR SALES ANALYSIS; 16.5 METHODS FOR SETTING SALES QUOTA; 16.6 COST ANALYSIS: CONCEPTS AND OBJECTIVES; 16.7 COST CONTROL: AN IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE OF COST ANALYSIS; 16.8 METHODS OF COST ANALYSIS; PART V: STRATEGY AND MODERN APPROACHES; 17. : SALES STRATEGY; 17.1 STRATEGIC ORIENTATION OF SELLING: AN INTRODUCTION; 17.2 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: A PREREQUISITE FOR STRATEGIC PLAN; 17.3 SALES STRATEGIES: SOME COMMON DRIVERS; 17.4 STEPS IN STRATEGIC SALES MANAGEMENT; 17.5 UNDERSTANDING COMPETITION: ESSENTIAL FOR SELLING STRATEGY; 17.6 MARKETING STRATEGY: A TRIGGER OF SALES STRATEGY; 17.7 SALES STRATEGY: FOCUS ON CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP; 17.8 SALES STRATEGY: DISTRIBUTION AS AN IMPLEMENTATION CHANNEL; 17.9 SALES STRATEGY: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ISSUES; 17.10 CUSTOMER RELATIONS: A CUSTOMER RETENTION STRATEGY; 18. : SELLING UNDER GLOBALIZATION AND MODERN APPROACHES; 18.1 DYNAMICS OF SELLING: TRACING ITS TRADITIONAL ROOT; 18.2 FORCES OF ORIENTATION: TRADITIONAL TO MODERN SELLING; 18.3 E-COMMERCE: A DIGITAL ROUTE TO CONTEMPORARY PERSONAL SELLING; 18.4 BENEFITS OF E-COMMERCE; 18.5 LIMITATIONS OF E-COMMERCE; 18.6 WEB BASED SELLING: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS; 18.7 SOCIAL MEDIA: A NEW VISTA TO MODERN SELLING