INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN TERM PROJECT:
SALES MANUAL FOR DEVELOPING A SALES TEAM AND STRATEGICALLY PLANNING A
SALES PRESENTATION
The term project is an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the methods and procedures
involved in the selection, training, organization, compensation, supervision, and evaluation of the sales
force. You can base the project on an existing product/service, or develop a new product/service. The
important part of your selection is to chose something that requires a “long term sales relationship”
that incorporates either consultative or strategic selling skills on the part of the sales professional. If you
were to chose a transactional sale product (i.e. one time sale of an item in a retail store, with no further
relationship), that would not allow you the depth of detail to fulfill the requirements of the project.
Part I. Introduction: brief description of who you are and the environment in which you sell (10 points)
A. Name and description of product/service to be sold, within what market
B. Is the company you are selling for a new company or existing?
C. What was your market research?
D. What is the value proposition?
Part 1I: The Role of the Sales Manager: the primary emphasis of the project (70 points)
I. Designing and Organizing the Sales Force
A. The size of the sales force. Will you outsource any of the work, or partner with other
firms?
B. Geographical, product and and market structures: what will the territories look like?
Will reps overlap or have exclusive territories? Future expansion plans?
C. What will the compensation plan be? Target base salary, commission at plan, expenses.
D. Total cost of the sales team: how many reps, manager. How much of an increase in sales
will be needed to cover these costs? You will need to complete some very basic math to justify
the sales force. We will cover this in class, but don’t leave out the numbers!
II. Ethics and Company Culture
A. What will be the code of ethics for your sales team? Provide an example.
B. How will you create an ethical sales environment?
C. Upper management has a huge effect in setting corporate culture: describe your leaders and
the attributes that lead you to put them in this position, or if you are hiring management,
what qualities will you be looking for in the manager.
III. Recruiting and Selecting the Right Sales People
A. Finding and recruiting applicants: internal, external candidates? If you are looking online,
what sites? If employees refer acquaintances, will you reward them and if so, how much?
B. Job description: what will they be responsible for doing; what experience must they have
C. Selection procedures: interviews (questions, who does it?); trial run?
D. Given your communication style, and the products you sell, will there be a particular
style you will prefer, or any to avoid?
IV. Training and Developing the Sales Force
A. Where will training take place, and by whom?
B. How will new hires be evaluated during the training phase?
C. How will new hires be trained in the field?
D. What about continuing training for the sales force?
V. Setting sales goals and evaluation against those goals
A. What type of goals or quotas will you use? Will it be a straight percentage growth off
base, a dollar amount, etc.? See worksheet to be specific.
B. What metrics will you track? What CRM will you use and which functions will be mandated?
C. Rewards and motivations: develop a bonus structure.
VI. Developing your team:
A. What kind of leader do you envision being? Any role models?
B. How will you communicate with your team? Develop a team culture?
C. Coaching: how often will the manager work with reps? Field coaching reports example.
VII. Evaluating your team
A. What kind of metrics will be part of your performance review? Provide an example of
performance review.
B. How will you address underperformance/failure to meet goals?
C. What kind of career path will you develop for high potential employees?
Part 2: How to Develop the Skills of the Sales Representative (20 points)
I. Developing a Product Strategy
A. Description of technical expertise needed by salesperson
B. What other sources of information should a sales person utilize to become a product and
market expert?
II. Developing a Customer Strategy
A. Describe the typical buying motives of prospect.
B. How are prospects identified in most cases?
III. Developing a Presentation Strategy
A. Preparing for the sales presentation.
1. List presentation objectives.
2. Describe a typical sales cycle (how many calls and how frequently).
3. Describe team versus one person, and group versus individual presentation strategies.
B. Creating the sales presentation
1. List questions that will determine the prospect’s needs
2. Match typical customer buying motives with features and benefits of the product,
company, and salesperson.
C. Conducting the sales demonstration
1. List features/benefits you will discuss and demonstrate.
2. List selling tools you will use
3. How will the manager evaluate these calls and provide feedback?
D. Negotiating sales resistance
1. Anticipated sales resistance.
2. How will you overcome sales resistance?
E. Closing the sale
1. Consider closing clues to be alert to.
2. List closing methods you plan to use
F. Servicing the sale
1. List additional items you will suggest to the customer.
2. What type of post-sale courtesy contacts will you make, warranties, etc.?
Midterm:
1. Describe your company: what do you sell? Is it a new or existing enterprise? What is your market?
2. Who will be running your sales division? Was this person part of the company, or were they hired from
outside? What special skills or talents brought this person forth?
3. How will you structure your sales force? Is it nationwide, regional, or local? What will be the span of
control for the sales management?
4. What is your budget? Fill out the budget worksheet and attach.
Number of Reps Worksheet for Term Project:
Type of company/industry that your reps will be selling for:
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1. Gross sales
a. Year 1: _______________
b. Year 2: _______________
c. Year 3: _______________
2. What method of forecasting are you going to use with those three years of data? Why?
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3. Projected sales next year ________________________
4. Industry average for SG & A (percentage) ____________
5. Amount available for your sales force for upcoming year (#3 X #4)
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6. Total costs for your reps:
Item Dollar Amount Annual total
Salary (average for each rep for the year)
Bonus average (average for each for the year)
Car expense and gas, tolls, parking per month
Travel, flight and meals for reps per month
Client entertainment: meals, events per month
Total annual cost per rep per year:
7. How many managers will you have (figure a cost for them) and how many reps
You will need to divide #5 by #6 + a manager cost.
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