Advanced Agri-Sales and Marketing

Transcription

1 Advanced Agri-Sales and Marketing Class Infrmatin AGEC 431 Fall 2015 Tuesday, Thursday 8:30-10:20, Kran G-7 And ther times and lcatins as scheduled Cntact Infrmatin: Prfessr: Dr. W. Sctt Dwney Office: Kran 790B C-Instructr: Amy Cchran Office: Kran 790A Teaching Assistant: Brandn Brunt Office: Kran 790 Other Expenses Meals r small gifts fr exectives Curse Objectives The specific bjectives f the curse are: T review, apply, and test previusly learned selling skills and business cncepts in a real wrld envirnment T enable students t imprve their selling effectiveness and gain self-cnfidence. T utilize interpersnal and cmmunicatin skills in a prfessinal envirnment. T apply learning frm ther curses t the cntext f evaluating and develping sales and marketing strategies T lcate, evaluate, priritize, and cmmunicate infrmatin necessary fr marketing management decisins Curse Overview Advanced Sales & Marketing is designed as a capstne curse fr Sales & Marketing majrs in the Department f Agricultural Ecnmics. Its purpse is t prvide senir students an pprtunity t study and apply marketing cncepts and selling skills in a realistic prfessinal envirnment. The curse includes a variety f experiential learning activities and activities that are highly relevant t business-t-business sales and marketing. Students will wrk in grups that ptentially becme teams thrugh much f the curse, but will als have individual activities. Grading Often in sales and marketing, the prper directin is unclear r subjective. Hard wrk desn t always lead t perfect results. Hwever, the prcess f btaining imperfect results can lead t learning if the practitiner takes advantage f the pprtunity. What is mst imprtant is t think and learn. Tward that end, I am inspired by Thmas Edisn, wh spke abut this tpic frequently. I have nt failed. I've just fund 10,000 ways that wn't wrk. The value f an idea lies in using it.

2 There are n rules here -- we're trying t accmplish smething. Failure is really a matter f cnceit. Peple dn't wrk hard because, in their cnceit, they imagine they'll succeed withut ever making an effrt. Mst peple believe that they'll wake up sme day and find themselves rich. Actually, they've gt it half right, because eventually they d wake up. Genius is 1 percent inspiratin and 99 percent perspiratin. Just because smething desn't d what yu planned it t d desn't mean it's useless. Negative results are just what I want. They re just as valuable t me as psitive results. I can never find the thing that des the jb best until I find the nes that dn t. The truble with ur way f educating is that it des nt give elasticity t the mind. It casts the brain int a mld It des nt encurage riginal thught r reasning, and it lays mre stress n memry than bservatin. This prblem, nce slved, will be simple. T d much clear thinking a persn must arrange fr regular perids f slitude when they can cncentrate and indulge the imaginatin withut distractin. Unfrtunately, there seems t be far mre pprtunity ut there than ability... We shuld remember that gd frtune ften happens when pprtunity meets with preparatin. What yu are will shw in what yu d. The accmplishment f curse bjectives will require effrt and perfrmance. Ideally grades wuld be allcated in a way that reflects bth, such as in the fllwing figure. Grade High C B A Effrt Lw D C B Lw High Perfrmance Students will receive the highest grade earned accrding t the fllwing numbers f pints: A=450 B=400 C=350 D=300 F= Belw 300

3 Pints: Learning 100 Thinking 100 Applying 100 Cmmunicating 100 Prfessinalism 100 Ttal 500 Learning Gals Students are respnsible fr their wn learning. The rle f the prfessr is t create learning pprtunities and supprt the student s effrt. Tward that end, each student will create written learning gals fr the curse at the beginning f the semester. These will be discussed in a ne-n-ne meeting with the prfessr. It is nt expected that every gal will be achieved t perfectin by the end f the semester. Many factrs can affect successful accmplishment f gals, and the experience as a student is nly ne part f that jurney. Students will reprt their prgress r revisins f their gals at the end f the semester. Direct Sales Experience Overview The Direct Sales Experience (DSE) is a prject designed fr students t learn, apply, and review selling skills that will be valuable t them n their career in Sales and Sales Management. Building n skills learned in AGEC 331 (prerequisite curse), students will engage in selling prducts and be evaluated n their perfrmance. The DSE prject ffers the pprtunity t put the full realm f selling techniques int practice. Yu will be able t experience the applicatin f varius selling cncepts and techniques and immediately measure the results rather than waiting weeks r mnths t knw whether yur effrts are paying ff. Indeed, the DSE prject is a great pprtunity t really learn and practice sales techniques. Befre ging t the field t make sales calls, students will make extensive preparatin fr their sales presentatins. This will include an intense wrkshp cnducted utside f class and practice sessins. This training is critical t success in this prject and is designed t imprve basic selling skills and build cnfidence in yur ability. Yu will be evaluated n bth the effrt yu put int this prject and yur actual field success. This prject is an actual business. It will be part f an nging business entity in which yu will be expected t participate in a prfessinal manner thrughut, just as yu wuld expect any real business t perate. Yu will be expected t learn and fllw business prcedures, meet deadlines, reprt yur activities in a timely manner, dress and act prfessinally thrughut the prject. Part f yur grade will be based n the prfessinal manner in which yu cnduct yurself thrughut the prject. T experience real wrld selling thrugh a direct sales experience. Yu will be asked t present intangible value t an existing business. Yu will be expected t learn abut yur prduct and make an actual sales presentatin, with the gal f generating revenue that will be tracked and reprted peridically.

4 Objectives T further develp basic selling skills that will enhance career sales and sales management ptential T gain cnfidence as a salespersn T build experience that will demnstrate t ptential emplyers that yu understand and have achieved a degree f cmpetency in real wrld selling Prcedure Yu will be asked t develp an apprpriate sales presentatin, make custmer calls, generate revenue, evaluate and track yur results. Yu will... Learn abut the prduct and the value it creates D basic research n the ptential custmers Develp a sales presentatin Prepare fr a sales call with research n the prspect and clear strategy that smetimes includes the rles f peers Establish rapprt with the prspect Ask questins t understand what rle the value yu represent plays in that business Present yur value t custmers Ask fr revenue Handle bjectins Reprt field sales activity Evaluate yur prgress DSE Prject Evaluatin Pints will be awarded fr: Presentatin Each student must think abut the prduct and draw frm the knwledge they have gained thrugh sales and marketing curses in rder t develp a sales presentatin. Each student will receive feedback frm three peers and a teacher. Students are expected t adjust their presentatins based n this feedback. Students shuld expect t present their value individually and in teams. Feedback Each student will be expected t view and evaluate the sales presentatins f three peers. Strategy The sales strategy will require the student t set gals fr their sales effrts, and t develp a plan fr accmplishing their gals. Gals shuld include calls, dllar sales, and clsed call rati. Cmpleted Sales Calls Cmpletin includes a call reprt and a recrding f the call, submitted within 24 hurs f the call. Reprts submitted hurs after the call will receive half credit. Reprts submitted mre than 48 hurs after the call will be treated as if they did nt happen. The teacher r his/her representative may, frm time t time, make fllw up calls t reprted prspects t get feedback and check fr the accuracy f the sales call reprts. Any student fund t be reprting inaccurate infrmatin will be disqualified frm the prject, dismissed frm the class, and the incident reprted t the Dean f Students.

5 Sales and Technical Training All students will be expected t successfully cmplete the training prgram apprximately 4-6 hurs f intensive training. The training schedule will include regularly scheduled class perids, and evening sessins. Attendance at each f these sessins is mandatry. Meeting With the Sales Team Students may be asked t participate in sales meetings. These may be held ffcampus and utside f scheduled class meetings. Prfessinal Marketing Presentatins Overview Prfessinal Sales and Marketing prfessinals are ften called upn t make presentatins t custmers, clleagues, and cmpany leaders. Smetimes these presentatins are dne as individuals, but ften, particularly with custmers, these presentatins are made as grups. Students are expected t have cmpleted cursewrk at Purdue n general presentatin skills in cmmunicatin and writing curses at Purdue. Hwever, an advanced curse like AGEC 431 shuld require that students be effective presenters f infrmatin within the scpe f their prfessinal interests. Therefre, students will be asked t make prfessinal presentatins n an assigned tpic and t submit apprpriate written materials in supprt f them. These presentatins will be attended by executives and are part f the grup s presentatin t a brader grup f executives during the field visit cmpnent f the Managerial Leadership Experiences. Objectives As part f this activity, students will: Learn and Think: Be able t evaluate the quality f infrmatin available n a business tpic relating t sales r marketing. Think critically abut a tpic f interest t students. Be able t rganize verbal and nn-verbal cmmunicatins effectively. Apply and Cmmunicate: Execute an effective business presentatin, with a grup, in a prfessinal setting. Persuade the audience t take actin. Evaluate and select apprpriate media and tls t supprt cmmunicatin f a desired message in a prfessinal envirnment. Prepare effective written cmmunicatins. Be Prfessinal: Cnsider the perspective, needs, and interests f an executive, peers, teachers and prfessinal audiences. Prcedures Students will be assigned t grups. Early in the semester, students will brainstrm sales and marketing tpics t present based n their experiences. Once apprved by the prfessr, these tpics will be researched, an utline created, and a written summary f the tpic, t include use f cnceptual mdels, will be develped with an anntated bibligraphy which will include at least five articles frm peer-reviewed academic jurnals r bks written by PhD researchers. Each student will individually interview a sales executive with at least five years f experience in rder t understand the practical applicatin f their tpic in the field.

6 Grups will be respnsible fr every aspect f the presentatin including rm layut, snacks, technlgy, handuts and activities in supprt f the tpic. Sme tpics fr cnsideratin include: Segmented appraches t selling and rganizing a sales effrt Determining hw sales effrts shuld be allcated acrss a cmpany Integrating sales and marketing effrts Managing custmer experiences Datamining tls and techniques fr marketing managers Develping cnsistent custmer perceptins Evaluatins The prjects will be evaluated thrughut the semester in preparatin fr presentatins. Students are expected t initiate cnsultatin with the teacher thrughut the prject. It is suggested that input be btained prir t cmpleting each milestne. It shuld be expected that the teacher will challenge the thinking f the grup and that ften revisins will be required as a result. Students are expected t manage this prject. Key milestnes will include thse related t cntent develpment and thse related t presentatin develpment: Cntent Develpment Tpic selectin Prblem identificatin Outline (prblem, research, criteria r metrics, alternatives, recmmendatins, suggestins fr implementatin) Executive summary Presentatin Develpment The grup will prepare a 30 minute multi-media presentatin. It is nt a requirement t use PwerPint r Prezi. It is suggested that students wh chse these tls utilize n mre than five PwerPint slides r five Prezi levels. The number f wrds per slide shuld generally be limited t abut 5 in the title and abut 25 in the slide bdy. Initial presentatin materials Peer presentatins Executive presentatins The presentatin itself will be evaluated n: Cntent Lgistics Organizatin Delivery Creativity Visual and Supprt Materials Students shuld cnsider: 1. Physical Arrangements a. Arrangement f tables and chairs b. Signage, decratins, materials prvided c. Lighting, equipment, etc. 2. Intrductin f the tpic a. Attentin Getter - Catch and hld the attentin f the audience b. Establish the imprtance f the tpic fr the audience

7 c. Establish the bjectives f the seminar d. Quick verview r utline f what the presentatin will include e. Explain clearly what the audience can expect t get ut f the presentatin 3. Intrductin f Presenters -- Each presenter will be intrduced including minimally a. Name, hme twn, majr, semester, when they expect t graduate b. Interests, hbbies, special skills c. Type f jb r industry they expect t wrk in after graduatin d. Prfessinal experiences r any backgrund r experience that qualifies the presenter t talk n the subject e. At least ne interesting r fun thing abut each persn that will humanize the presenters 4. Presentatin f Cntent a. Present the majr pints cntent b. Each team member shuld be included in the presentatin c. Pints shuld be well rganized d. Emphasize the significance r imprtance f each majr area t the audience e. Utilize varius frms f media t cmmunicate ideas f. Smthly transitin between presenters shuld lk like a single presentatin presented by fur peple rather than fur presentatins. 5. Call t Actin a. The listener shuld be asked t take sme actin r hld a particular pinin abut the tpic being presented. b. If asked t take actin, the grup wuld be well served t describe the implementatin f the idea within a sales rganizatin. 6. Summary and Cnclusins a. Summarize the key pints as take-away pints that yu want yur audience t remember b. Relate back t the pening t demnstrate yu accmplished yur bjectives 7. Questin and Answer Perid a. Open the flr t questins b. Give audience ample time t ask questins c. Wrk as a team 8. Other Imprtant Cnsideratins a. Use multiple frms f media t cmmunicate yur message (In additin t verbal and handuts) b. Elicit active audience participatin during the presentatin c. A handut either a summary at the end r materials used during the presentatin d. Reference industry prfessinal surces during the presentatin e. Reference written surces where apprpriate f. Illustrate with stries and examples thrughut g. Transitin smthly t each speaker withut pause r break. (This is nt fur r five speeches, but ne team making ne presentatin.) h. Presenters will smile and at least act like they are having fun Whether yu are presenting r participating, yu shuld treat the presentatin like yur wn. Students wh are nt assigned t a given day must still be participative, engaged and their behavir shuld reflect psitively n Purdue University. Failure t d s may result in a reductin f a presentatin grade even when the individual is assigned t a different day.

8 Managerial Leadership Experiences Overview In additin t managing teams, sales and marketing prfessinals must manage upward. These skills include managing the experiences f executives frm custmer rganizatins as well as the executives in ne s wn rganizatin. Sales and marketing prfessinals must spend time getting t knw a custmer, which ften includes a tur f their facilities. Further, sales and marketing prfessinals must ften make executive presentatins t grups f internal and external decisin makers. Tward this end, the managerial leadership experience will require that students manage a campus visit f an industry executive, visit a field headquarters fr an agribusiness firm, meet with executives at that firm, and present a cmpelling reasn why a firm shuld take actin r pursue a cncept within their rganizatin. The presentatin t management leaders will have all f the same expectatins that the in-class presentatins have. Objectives Students cmpleting the Managerial Leadership Experience will learn t: Manage the experience f an executive n campus. Balance hsting activities acrss a team, while crdinating the nrmal activities f a prfessinal student life. Prepare fr a visit t an agribusiness firm t include. Arranging yur schedule t participate fully. Researching the cmpany. Preparing discvery questins, with the bjective f gathering infrmatin that will help yu successfully request adptin f an actin r behavir. Demnstrating flexibility as situatins invariably change frm what is expected. Prcedures Previusly assigned student grups will be respnsible fr managing all cmmunicatin with and the itinerary fr an executive wh will visit campus. Students will be asked t plan in advance fr this visit and create an experience fr the executive they are assigned. As a team, the grup will be respnsible fr an assigned set f times, and in sme cases will be given activities that have already been scheduled. Students will be required t interact with the executive in a prfessinal manner by telephne, , and in persn. Grups are nt allwed t text, except as in reply t an executive wh initiates a text and even then must cmmunicate in full sentences with punctuatin. Each interactin with the executive shuld be cnsidered a frmal business interactin and shuld be planned in advance. The use f tbacc, alchl, r texting in the presence f the executive is ill advised in the presence f the executive. Similarly, the use f handguns, laser beams, r nuclear weapns is strngly discuraged. In all seriusness please keep ALL interactins prfessinal during the visit. Previusly assigned student grups will be assigned t ne f tw t three cmpanies which they will visit tgether in rder t learn abut the cmpany and present a call t actin. Students shuld prepare fr these visits by gathering infrmatin abut the cmpany, its prducts, and custmers. The same rules f prfessinalism that applies t executive visits shuld be in place during the cmpany visit. Evaluatins Key pints in the executive visit prcess at which students will be assessed include: Develping a plan fr hw t cmmunicate with the executive in advance f the visit and fllwing it. This includes: Researching the cmpany and the executive as pssible. Understanding the cmpany s cmpetitrs, custmers, rganizatinal structure, prducts and pprtunities.

9 Selecting when and hw t cmmunicate in advance, during, and fllwing the executive s visit. Develping and cmmunicating an itinerary fr the executive which shuld include. Visits t Purdue classes as apprpriate. Meals, breaks and persnal time. Transprtatin t, frm, and within the visit. Pints f interest t the executive r meetings with campus fficials. Gifts t thank the executive fr their visit. Managing the lgistics fr any presentatins the executive may make while here (making sure there is back-up presentatin equipment, water fr the presentatin, determining the needs fr sund, prjectin, sizes f audiences and tpics in advance f a presentatin). Key pints in the site visit prcess at which students will be assessed include: Researching the cmpany, its cmpetitrs, its custmers, its rganizatinal structure, its prducts and pprtunities. Planning questins t ask during the site visit. Incrprating lessns learned r knwledge gained during the visit int the presentatin. Feedback frm executives and peers fllwing the visit. Fllw up cmmunicatins with all cntacts inside the cmpany t thank them fr hsting yu. Discussin Preparatin Overview Thrughut the semester, specific tpics may be assigned that encurage discussin. These may be case readings r scenaris that will be discussed in class. In sme cases these assignments will be distributed the class perid befre the discussin, in sme cases they may be prvided during class time. In all cases, students will be expected t actually prepare. If students are prepared fr class, then we may finish class in less than the scheduled time fr sme class perids. During the class, students are expected t demnstrate their preparatin thrugh their active and vluntary participatin in discussins. At the beginning f class, students may expect t be called n randmly t summarize the case r readings assigned. Objectives Students will: Treat class meetings in a prfessinal manner as they wuld in an emplyment situatin. Cntribute t the discussin. Draw frm their wn experiences and share them with thers Prcedures Students will be expected t: Read Outline the reading Prepare questins r answers as assigned Share their questins and answers with peers, guests, and teachers verbally in class r, upn request, submitted in writing. Evaluatins Each student shuld plan t be evaluated by peers, guests and teachers. These will be qualitative assessments f the degree f preparatin and participatin in discussins. All grades fr this sectin are at the discretin f the teacher. Infrmal feedback t the student will be prvided by the teacher at any pint requested by the student, and students are

10 requested t seek this feedback ut, particularly if they have cncerns. Frmal assessment will take place tw weeks prir t the end f the semester s that students wh wish t discuss hw they were evaluated will have ample time t d this befre grades are due. Learning Reviews Overview Occasinally the teacher may chse t assess learning, thinking, cmmunicating, applying, r prfessinalism thrugh sme activity. These culd be quizzes, ne-n-ne discussins, written assignments, r any ther methd that seems apprpriate t a curse tpic. Objectives T prvide incentive fr students t prepare, and t assess individual learning. Prcedures Prcedures fr Learning Reviews will vary. These reviews will rarely be scheduled in advance. Evaluatins Each student will be scred n their perfrmance. Assessment methds will vary. Prfessinalism Each student will be expected t arrive n time, prepared fr class, t participate in exercises and activities, and t demnstrate leadership and ther skills learned thrugh ther classes and experiences. Prfessinalism includes participatin in discussins with teacher, peers, guests, and trainers, demnstrated attitude abut the prjects, and cmmunicatin. Participatin includes preparing written summaries f readings r utlining slutins fr cases when they are presented in advance. Participatin als includes plite use f cell phnes, tablets, and laptps, which means putting them away during discussins and silencing ringers. Unprfessinal behavir, particularly when a guest is present, will be grunds fr dismissal frm the class and will have a direct cnsequence n yur grade, up t and including failure in the curse fr repeated vilatins f this plicy. Students are expected t attend class in business attire when guests r executives are scheduled. Business attire includes prperly-tied ties, jackets, dress pants and plished shes fr men, business suits and plished shes fr wmen. Students wh are dressed in a slppy r inapprpriate manner when guests are expected t be present will be asked nt t participate in thse class sessins and will nt receive any pints fr their attendance. Ultimately the evaluatin f prfessinalism is at the discretin f the teacher. Missing Class r Meetings Students wh miss class r required events may expect t have their prfessinalism grade negatively impacted in a substantial way. Missing tw required events r classes culd result in a scre f zer fr prfessinalism and the remval f the distance handicap. Missing classes with executive guests will be particularly ntewrthy in calculating grades fr prfessinalism. Students shuld cmmunicate clearly with the teacher in advance f any curse activity that they will miss. Scheduled meetings Meetings with the teacher will be cnsidered similar t class meetings. Students are expected t shw up n time and prepared r t cmmunicate effectively if a situatin arises that prevents them frm meeting. Late Arrival Students wh are late fr class r required curse activity may expect t have their prfessinalism grade negatively impacted in a substantial way. Arriving late t any required event r class may result in as many as 50,000

11 pints deducted frm their scre fr prfessinalism. Students shuld cmmunicate clearly with the teacher in advance f any curse activity fr which they may arrive late. Severe prblems in these areas (mre than three times late r tw classes missed) will require a meeting with the teacher t discuss further impact t the grade, up t and including failure in the curse. Teacher Feedback Students are expected t prvide quantitative and qualitative feedback abut their experience t the curse at the end f the semester in the frmal curse evaluatins, hwever students are strngly encuraged t prvide feedback earlier in the semester. Bth psitive and negative feedback directly frm students help shape the experiences f future students. Students ften perceive a hierarchy in their relatinships with prfessrs because f the assessment required by the teacher. My persnal belief is that assessment is nt the primary fcus f the student-teacher relatinship; learning is. Anything that gets in the way f that shuld please be addressed immediately. Academic Integrity University plicy n academic miscnduct is clear - academic dishnesty in any frm is strictly prhibited. A statement f Purdue s rules is at ( Instances f academic dishnesty will be referred t the Dean f Students fr disciplinary actin. Penalties are severe and may include failure n the exam, quiz, paper, r prject, failure in the curse, and/r expulsin frm the University. The risks assciated with academic dishnesty far utweigh the perceived benefits. Academic dishnesty includes citing smene else's wrk as yur wn, representing real life situatins as ccurring in a different manner than they did, using unauthrized "crib sheets" during exams, r sharing yur answers with smene else. If yu are unsure whether an actin yu are cnsidering cnstitutes academic dishnesty, seek clarificatin frm yur teacher. Tlerance Sales and marketing prfessinals are required t wrk with many different types f peple. Anyne with whm the students interact including peers, guests, r thers n campus shuld be treated with dignity and respect. Intlerance f thers views, perceptins, r actins inside r utside f class will nt be tlerated. Yes, that is a play n wrds, but please take the pint seriusly. Cmmunicatin Please nte that my primary ut-f-class methd f cmmunicatin will be via t address. I will nt generally attempt t cntact yu at ther addresses. It is yur respnsibility t check yur purdue accunt n a regular basis. I recmmend checking yur accunt twice a day. Special Needs If yu have a special need that requires sme accmdatin in rder t better facilitate yur learning, please let me knw during ur first ne-n-ne meeting during the semester. Please nte that yu will be asked t register with adaptive prgrams in the ffice f the Dean f Students.

12 Campus Emergencies In the unusual event f a majr campus emergency, curse requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject t changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar r ther circumstance. T get infrmatin abut changes in this curse, please cntact me at dwneyws@purdue.edu r