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SDM-X06
(PGDM [PT] 2006-09 : Term-VII)
Sales and Distribution Management
(Faculty: Dr. Subhasis Ray)
COURSE OUTLINE
Introduction
Getting products to reach their final customers is the goal of all businesses. This last link in the business chain takes many forms across industries. Some companies prefer to sell direct to its customers while others create structures and systems. In this course we will look why and how such decisions are taken. Note that a channel to distribute products and a sales team to manage that, is universal to all companies. Irrespective of your function in your organization you will come across sales teams. In marketing you have to, of course, manage these functions. In HR, you need to understand, for example, how and why training needs of sales managers are different from others. In finance, you need to understand how to manage the incentive structure of your sales team in relation to the credit given to distributors.
In this course we will focus on these two separate yet interlinked areas of management.
In sales management, we will talk about how sales teams are created. Briefly touching on the different techniques of selling, we will discuss the training, motivation, incentives for these teams and the occasional conflict that arises.
In distribution or channel management, we will work upon designing channels and managing them. We will discuss the myriad issues that arise when sales managers start managing their teams and their channels. With the current waves made by organized retailing, we will try to understand the dynamics of this market. New channels like internet and the challenge of integrating them to existing structures will also be discussed. The outline given below is flexible and we will customize it in the course of the programme.
.
DAY-wise course outline
DAY 1:
Introduction- personal selling- setting sales objectives
Reading:
o
Kimberly Elsbach,
How to
pitch a brilliant idea,
HBR, September 2003
o
Bonoma Thomas,
Major sales: who really does the buying
, HBR, May 1982
o
The world’s greatest salesman
DAY 2:
Sales Related Marketing Policies
Case: Microsoft
Reading:
o
Kotler Phillip,
Ending the war between sales and marketing,
Harvard Business Review, August 2006.
DAY 3:
The sales organization
Case: Adler,
When your star performer cannot manage
, HBR 1997
Reading:
o
Vincentis & Rackham,
Breadth of a salesman
, McKinsey Quarterly, 1998, Vol 4
o
Hassan, Leading Change from the top line, HBR July 2006
DAY 4:
Sales department relations and distributor relations
Case:
When a new manager stumbles
, HBR, 2003
Reading
o
Caspedes, Doyle and Freedman,
Teamwork for today’s selling
, HBR, March 1989
o
The new science of sales force productivity, HBR, September 2006.
DAY 5:
Sales force recruitment, training and retention
Case:
Old
Hand or new blood
? HBR, July 2006
Reading:
o
How to keep A players productive
, HBR September 2006
o
Psychology of a sales person
HBR, July 2006
DAY 6:
Sales force motivation and compensation
Case: To be announced
Reading:
o
Steinbrink,
How to
pay your sales force
, HBR, 1978
DAY 7:
Sales budgeting and setting targets
Case: To be announced
Reading:
Gonik Jacob
, Tie salesmen’s bonuses to their forecast
, HBR, May 1978
DAY 8
Term paper presentation (group)
Introduction- The distribution game- role of distribution, channel function and flow
Day 9:
Channel design
Case: To be announced
Reading: Rangan,
Channel Stewardship
, HBR
DAY 10:
Channel dynamics- is outsourcing distribution a good idea?
Case:
Channel or direct: The case of Apple
Reading: To be announced
DAY 11:
Channel power, conflict and resolution
Case: To be announced
Reading:
o
Bucklin, Graham et al,
Channel conflict when is it dangerous
, McKinsay Quarterly, Vol.4, 1997
DAY 12;
Managing multiple channels: issues with unwanted channels
Case:
In the name of rose
, HBR
Reading:
o
Shapiro and Rangan,
Staple yourself to an order
, HBR, 1992
o
Antia, Bergen and Dutta
, Competing with gray markets
, MIT Sloan management Review, Fall 2004
DAY 13
Retailing- The challenge of private labels- The Indian scenario
Q&A session on retail
Reading:
o
Slide Show:
Wal-Mart Everything
o
Ghemawat,
The Real Wal-Mart Effect
o
Pricing cues
o
Carrefour in China
DAY 14
Online channels : supply chain in distribution
Case: Ikea’s supply chain problems
Reading:
o
The case of Fabmall
o
Fedrows,
Rapid Fire Fulfillment
, HBR, November 2004
DAY 15
o
Course Summary &Review
o
Q&A
o
Term paper presentation/submission
Evaluation components
Term Paper : 40%
Case/Paper Analysis : 40%
Class participation : 20%
Total : 100%
Group Work
The students will assign themselves into groups and work on the assignments and the term paper. Assignments may be in the form of presenting the scheduled reading material or analyzing the case of the day. If you are presenting the reading material focus on a) key learnings b) your perspectives and c) Indian scenario.
All submissions are due at the beginning of the class in which the respective cases/papers are scheduled.
Each group will write a term paper and make a submission for evaluation at the middle and end of the term. The mid term paper will cover the sales management process in a company of your choice. The end term paper will cover the distribution system, preferably in the same company. The paper may be structured along the lines of the course outline.
Class participation will be evaluated by your quality of inputs during classroom discussions.
Created By:
Bijoy Kar
on
06/10/2008
at
03:16 PM
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ExPGP-III
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