SVKM’s NMIMS ASMSOC – Course Outline

Course
Code
Course Sales & Distribution Management 2021-2022
Title
Course Dr. Neeta Acharya
Instructor/s
Course 4
Credit
Program Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)– Semester V (July 2021)
and
Semester
Pre- Students should be well versed with the basic concepts of other
Requisite related subjects like Marketing Management, Consumer Behaviour.
Learning  Acquiring Conceptual Clarity on various aspects of the sales and
Objectives distribution function and its importance to every organization
 Ability to analyze various issues affecting the sales and distribution
function /department
 Demonstrating ability to evolve strategies for organizational benefits
 Analysis and interpretation of the issues /cases for better Decision
Making
 Demonstrate Ability to work in Groups. Exhibit skills like Empathy,
EQ, Managerial and Inter-Personnel Skills.
Learning  Comprehend the importance of sales and distribution function
Outcomes in the organization
 Learn selling skills and sales management and distribution
system
 Learn designing of the distribution channels and how to
manage channel members
Course Concepts & Skill sets associated with Sales & Distribution
Description Management in various business organisation.

Evaluation Specific % AOL Intended CLOs to be

Pattern Assessment Weightage Instruments Assessed
Methods /
Task
CL CL CL CL CL
O1 O2 O3 O4 O5
ICA1 15% Quiz (3 best  
out of 4)
ICA2 15% Continuous  
class
assessment
(Individual)
through
cases/
articles/class
participation
ICA3 10% Group project   
on sales
 strategy
ICA4 10% Group Project   
on
distribution
strategy
Course Session Plan

Session Topics / Module Chapters (Mention

Page Numbers) /
Articles / Cases /
Material and
Activities
1-6 Introduction to Sales Management. Sales & Distribution
- Importance of sales management to a company and Management –
sales as a career to an employee Havaldar & Cavale
- Evolution of sales management, from Selling to chap 1
Marketing orientation
- Levels of sales management – strategic , tactical Fundamentals of
and operational selling- Charles
- Value creation by Salesforce Futrell chap 1
- Value creation by Salesforce through Marketing
mix by Salesforce
- Types of sales jobs
- Emerging trends in sales management /Changing
role of sales force
- Sales management vs distribution management vs
marketing management functions
- Sales Objective, Strategy, Tactics linkages
- Skills & Competencies required by a Sales
Manager/salesperson

Outcome:- Students will get an introduction to sales

functions vs distribution and marketing functions and
understand the scope, roles and trends

7-14 Personal selling: Sales & Distribution

Management –
-Definition and Advantages of personal selling Havaldar & Cavale
-Personal Selling Evolution- from transactional to chap 2
relationship selling
-Traditional buyer behavior model and psychology of Fundamentals of
selling selling- Charles
- Link between Consumer behaviour models and Futrell chap 2,4
personal selling
-Buyer types and personal selling
- Selling strategy changes in pandemic
- Theories in personal selling
(AIDAS theory, buying formula theory of selling,
behavioral equation theory, right set of circumstances
theory)

- Steps in personal selling

 -Buying decision for B2B v/s B2C
-Knowledge required by salesman for effective selling
including Negotiation

Outcome:- Students will acquire the knowledge and

the skills to become an effective salesperson, while
understanding various types of buyers.

15-18 Strategic planning, Sales strategy, sales forecasting Sales & Distribution
and budgeting : Management –
Havaldar & Cavale
-Strategic planning - Marketing vs Sales strategy chap 3
-Sales strategy (customer classification strategy,
customer relationship strategy, selling methods,
marketing channel strategy
-Sales Forecasting- types of sales forecast and basic
terms
-Forecasting approaches
- Methods of sales forecasting (Qualitative – User
expectations, Sales force composite, Jury of executive
opinion, Delphi Technique, Market test)
(Quantitative – decomposition method, moving
average, Exponential smoothing, naïve or ratio method
Regression & correlation, econometrics analysis)
- Basis for selecting a forecasting method
-How to improve forecasting accuracy

Outcome: - Students will obtain the knowledge of

sales forecasting through using right methods
19-20 Sales Budgeting -Meaning & Purpose: Sales & Distribution
Management –
- Methods of sales budgeting (Affordability method, Havaldar & Cavale
Percentage of sales method, Competitive parity chap 3
method, Objective & task method, Zero base
budgeting)
- Types (Sales budget, Selling expense budget, Sales
dept. administrative budget)
- Sales budget process

Outcome:- Students will attain the knowledge of how

to prepare a sales budget in accordance with the other
budgets which will aid in proper coordination/control
with the overall functions in the organization.
21-23 Sales Territory Management: Sales & Distribution
Management –
- Defining sales territory, Havaldar & Cavale
-Reasons for setting or not setting sales territory chap 4
-Procedure for designing sales territory and use of
GPS for designing Fundamentals of
- Operating Territory Management System (Routing- selling- Charles
Straight line, cloverleaf, hopscotch ) Futrell chap 4
-Importance of time management & Scheduling to the
sales person
 Outcome: - Students will acquire the knowledge of
territories designing and time management

24-26 Sales Quota Management:Meaning & Purpose of Sales & Distribution

Sales Quota Management –
Havaldar & Cavale
- Types of Sales Quota (Sales Volume quota, Activity chap 4
quota, Profit quota, Expenses quota and combination Fundamentals of
quota ) selling- Charles
-Methods for setting sales volume quota (territory sales Futrell
potential, past sales experience , total mkt estimates, chap 15
executive judgement, salespeople estimates,
compensation plan)
- Sales quota administration
-When companies don’t use sales quotas

Outcome:- Students will attain the skills and

knowledge on how/why to develop quotas based on the
type which suits the organization.

27-29 Sales Organization and Staffing the salesforce: Sales & Distribution
Management –
-Purpose of sales organization Havaldar & Cavale
a) Basic Types of Sales Organization structures chap 5
b)specialisation in sales organisation (Product based, Fundamentals of
Geographic based, Customer based, Combination selling- Charles
based) Futrell chap 15
-Key account and sales organisation for key accounts

Outcome:- Students will gain understanding on the

types of different organizations that are present due to
different variables in play
30-31 Manpower Planning in sales function: Methods for Sales & Distribution
working out size of sales force ( workload method , Management –
sales potential method and incremental method ) Havaldar & Cavale
chap 5
-Sales force staffing process all steps -Recruitment &
Selection of Sales People- Methods & Process Fundamentals of
selling- Charles
Outcome::- Students will learn the application of how Futrell chap 15
to plan, recruit and select sales personnel for a team.
32-36 Training & Development of Sales People, Sales & Distribution
Motivating, Compensating and Leading the sales Management –
force: Havaldar & Cavale
Sales training process, identifying training needs, chap 6
designing (Content of training & Methods of training)
etc Fundamentals of
and executing sales training program , evaluation of selling- Charles
training program. Futrell chap 16

-Motivation – importance of motivating salespersons

Motivational theories-Need Hierarchy Theory, Two
Factor Theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory, Churchill,
 Ford , Walker model

- Selecting an effective mix of motivational tools

Guidelines for motivating salespeople

Outcome::- Students gain knowledge of the different

types of training and also how to use the right
motivation techniques to motivate sales force will be
the outcome for this module
Compensating the sales force: Sales & Distribution
Objectives of sales compensation plan, Factors Management –
influencing design of sales compensation plan, Havaldar & Cavale.
Types of sales compensation – Financial (Straight Chap 6
salary, Straight commission, combination plan) & Non-
financial (Promotions, Recognition programmes, Fundamentals of
Fringe benefits, Expense accounts, Sales contests) selling- Charles
Futrell chap 17
-Leading the Sales Force:
Leader characteristics, skills, styles
Supervising the salesforce-direct and indirect
supervisory methods
Outcome::- Students will learn How compensation
structures are designed, also how to lead and supervise
the salesforce effectively
37-40 Evaluating and controlling the Sales People- Sales & Distribution
-Control of sales expenses Management –
-Marketing and sales audit process Havaldar & Cavale.
-Evaluation of effectiveness of sales organisation Chap 7
-Sales analysis framework
-Marketing cost and profitability analysis,
productivity analysis
Sales force automation
-Ethical , social , legal responsibilities of sales
personnel

Outcome::- Students will learn how to evaluate sales

persons and control sales performance
Distribution Management
41-46 Introduction to distribution management Sales & Distribution
-Role of distribution in marketing mix Management –
-Need for distribution channels Havaldar & Cavale
-Functions of distribution channels (discrepancies chap 9,10, ,13
removal – Spatial discrepancy, Temporal discrepancy,
bulk breaking, provide assortment)
- Introduction to distribution channel strategy Marketing Channels-
-Channel formats , channel levels Coughlan, Anderson,
-Channel design -type of intermediaries Stern, Ansary,
( CFA , wholesaler , retailer etc) Natrajan: Chap 2

-Intensity of distribution –intensive , selective and

exclusive
-Online Distribution & Franchising
-Distribution channels for various industries -FMCG ,
 consumer durables , service , Pharma

- Channel systems - VMS (vertical marketing

systems), Types of VMS – Corporate, Administered,
Contractual), horizontal marketing systems and multi
channel marketing systems

-Relationship between sales management and

distribution management – how they both work
together
Outcome: Students will understand fundamentals of
distribution
47-52 Designing channel systems Sales & Distribution
- Channel design and planning process Management –
- Factors considered in selecting channels, evaluation Havaldar & Cavale
of channel alternatives ,selecting channel partners, chap13
channel design implementation
Outcome: The students will be able to understand how Marketing Channels-
the channel is selected and designed based on the Coughlan, Anderson,
products Stern, Ansary,
Natrajan: Chap 2

53-57 Managing Channel Members Sales & Distribution

-Channel conflict – stages , reasons ,types Management –
-Ways of managing channel conflicts and Conflict Havaldar & Cavale
Resolution Styles Chap 14
Marketing Channels-
Outcome: The students will be able to apply the Coughlan, Anderson,
knowledge on how to manage their intermediaries Stern, Ansary,
while working with them to distribute products Natrajan. Chap 5
effectually.
58-60 Physical Distribution (Marketing Logistics and Sales & Distribution
supply chain management) Management –
Havaldar & Cavale
-Meaning of logistics key logistic activities- material chap 16
handling , order processing ,extension into supply
chain management and supply chain integration Marketing Channels-
-Focus area of logistics and SCM –Warehousing , Coughlan, Anderson,
transportation and inventory management Stern, Ansary,
-Advances in supply chain management, Natrajan. chap 1
-IT and technology in logistics and SCM
- Total cost approach of physical distribution
- Latest technologies in logistics (EDI, Artificial
intelligence, Communication technologies like DIADs,
RFID etc., Bar coding & scanning)

Outcome: Students will understand the importance of

supply chain management and the latest technology
used.
Recommended Text Books:
Sales & Distribution Management – Havaldar & Cavale
Reading
List and Reference Books:
References Fundamentals of selling- Charles Futrell
Marketing Channels- Coughlan, Anderson, Stern, Ansary,Natrajan.

Prepared by Faculty Approved by Program Approved by Associate

Members Chairperson Deans
Dr. Neeta Acharya

Approved by I/C Dean –

ASM SOC