JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

PGDM; TRIMESTER- IV; ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16

1. Course Code:

MKT406

2. Course Title: Sales and Distribution Management

3. Course Overview
Sales and Distribution management play an important role in the marketing system. Customers
consider a salesperson as the company selling a particular product or service. It is an essential job of
sales function is to maintain relationship with key accounts, bat for new customers, have a
comprehensive knowledge about products and markets, and be technically equipped to handle
customers. Distribution gives strength to the company by helping to increase the reach of the
product to various parts of regions, country, or even foreign markets. An effective distribution
system helps in making goods available in the right quantity and SKU at the right time when it is
required. If properly managed, the sales and marketing system thus give an opportunity of
extending it to a lifelong relationship extending beyond a business relationship.
Sales management is undergoing rapid changes as companies are changing to service-delivery
models than the earlier model of just product delivery. Logistics function is becoming the source of
competitive advantage with the arrival of MNCs. There can be different partners associated with the
distribution system like wholesalers, retailers, departmental stores, or supermarkets.
It is in the marketing channels that the process and dynamics of sales competition take place. Some
channels are very direct, linking manufacturers or originators of service directly to consumers.
Other channels have many intermediate actors. During the distribution process, ownership may
transfer a number of times. The channel may operate at one geographic location or in different
countries. Different types of products / services require the support of different levels of channel
linkages. For example MNCs in the FMCG category try for the factory CFA distributor (wholesale)
retailer route. Likewise, for high value products, the key service requirements are high credit, low
supply/ lead times/inventories and while for perishable products cold chain transportation and
stocking emerge as more critical. Strategic planning and execution are a team effort between sales
managers and distribution channels.
A primary distribution (channel) member is a business that takes inventory ownership and so
shoulders risks. A specialized channel member, on the other hand, performs services vital to the
overall distribution process but does not share inventory ownership risk. Sales and Distribution
management involves designing and selecting sales organisation structures, negotiating agreements,
and administering ongoing relationships. However, the reality of multiple engagements renders it
difficult to envision clean or clear cut channel arrangements. Measurement of channel efficiency is
directly related to each members performance of roles in actual business. Thus efficiency measures
are relative to each individual channel member as well as to the overall channel. Measurement of
sales, forecasting or combined productivity and financial performance is critical to the continuous
evaluation of a sales force. This course equips practically to build careers in sales or those aspiring
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to start businesses on their own.

4. Learning Outcomes
After undergoing this course, the students will be able to:
1. Appreciate the role of a sales executive / sales manager and exhibit selling skills into a
contextual setup.
2. Able to understand people management and exhibit people management skills.
3. Able to develop a sales team and structure to achieve desired objectives
4. Understand the activities and functions need to be performed (redistribution, stocking,
collections etc) and for finding ways to improve sales productivity.
5. Identify which channel intermediaries can contribute what value addition in the performance of
distribution related functions
6. Ascertain and design ways and means of managing effective relationships with channel
members (customers) satisfying both the channel partners and the manufacturer in meeting
their goals and exhibit facilitation skills.
5. List of Topics/ Modules

Module/Topic

Contents/Concepts

Module I: overview of sales

management

Sales function
Role of a sales person and role of a
sales manager
Characteristics and skills for a
successful sales person
Module II: selling process and selling
Selling process
skills
Forecasting demand
Sales organisation
Sales force motivation
Module III: Sales force deployment
Sales organization structure, time
decisions
and territory management,
motivation and developing sales
culture
Module IV: Sales force control
Sales force performance, sales
audit and productivity analysis
Module V: Channel issues and channel
Understanding channel power
relationship
Wholesalers
Other members of channels
Intl. channels
6. Evaluation Criteria
Component

Description

1.End Term Exams

This will be a combination of cases; application based situational

Weight
40 %
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questions and conceptual questions.

2.Mid Term Exams

This will be a blend of conceptual questions as well as

application based questions.

3.Quizzes

There will be three quizzes based on multiple choice, open ended 20 %

and fill in the blank(s) type of questions which will be conducted
unannounced. The quizzes would be based on concepts, cases and
readings. One of these shall be administered pre- mid term, and
two post mid term. Best of the three will be considered for course
grades.

4.
participation

class

20 %

10 %
Students will be awarded marks for active and constructive
participation in class. Students are also required to submit
reflective notes individually at the end of each class. (Reflective
notes are collection of notes, observation, thoughts and learning
that the students have experienced after attending the class. The
reflective notes will include only the key learning and key
takeaways which the students got from the class.) Students may
also record the specific contributions that they made during the
conduct of the class proceedings.

5.Group assignment

As a part of group assignment, each group of six members would 10%

be required to carry out a detailed study on a company with a view
to understand & analyze the managerial issues pertaining to its
sales/channel functions and effectiveness and thereby formulate a
course of action. This includes individual & group work. First
preliminary report with the outline of the study will come on the
8th session day, 2nd phase of the assignment giving the detail of
channel, its members, incentives, performance and overall
efficiency will have to be submitted on 16th day session, and the
final submission with problems and suggestions will be on the 24 th
session. It will be assessed on the following parameters:
a) Originality / Creativity of ideas
b) Amount of effort put in to collect information from primary/
secondary sources.
c) Presentation of the findings in the study.
d) Generating alternative solutions and highlighting areas of
conflict.

7. Recommended/ Reference Text Books and Resources

Text
Book
Referenc
es
Internet
Resource

1. Panda,Tapan K, and Sahadev Suni,(2013), Sales and Distribution

Management, Oxford, 2nd ed.
1. Still, Cundiff, and Govni, (2011), Sales Management: Decision,
Strategy and cases, Pearson, 5th ed.
2. Rosenbloom, B. (2012), Marketing Channels, Pearson, Fourth
Impression.
1. www.ibef.org/industry/retail.aspx- This site gives data on
Retail chains, Pharma, ITeS Services.
3

2. www.bn.com- A comprehensive database on Barnes and

Noble, for books, summer readings for kids etc.
3. www.indiastat.com- Financial and banking services data about
financial institutions, services and banks related information,
complete consolidated statistics records.
4. www.salesforce.com,www.citesales.com- Sales management
tips, sales force recruitment, training, and performance.

8. Session Plan
Session

Topic

Requirements/
readings & cases

Learning Outcomes

Module I: Sales Management

1.

2.

Introduction, Definitions,
Need for sales function,
How does sales and distribution
add value?

Text/ Ch.1, Pp. 4-22

Sales person characteristics,

desired skills and selling
approaches,

Text /Ch.2, Pp. 41-47

Sales negotiations

Text /Ch.2, Pp. 64-83

Videos on negotiation
and debriefing
.

To understand sales
function and role of a sales
person.
LO1
To appraise selling skills
& approaches.
LO1
LO1

Module II: selling process and selling skills

4.

6
7.

Selling process,
Prospecting,
Pre-approach and approach
Importance of demonstration

How to handle
objections?

How to close a call?

Follow-up

Managing sales information

Forecasting potential and sales
at customer, territory, product,

Discussion
To understand selling
Text / Ch.3, Pp.102-118 process.
Role-play
LO1
Discussion
LO1
Text / Ch.3, Pp.122-124
Role-play
Discussion
LO1
Text / Ch.3, Pp.125-132
Role-play
Discussion
Case let & Text / Ch.4
Pp. 153-71 & 177

To appreciate forecasting
demand.
LO3
4

Session

Topic

Module
III

8.

9.

industry level
Forecasting tools and methods
Sales force deployment
decisions
Sales force structures, key
account management
Sales force investment and
budgeting

Managing resources- territory

design process
Sales quotas,
Types of quotas
Methods of setting quotas

10.

11.

12.

Sales force motivation,

importance, sales contest,
incentives and Motivation
programme
Sales leadership and how to
create a winning sales team?

Requirements/
readings & cases
Tata Timkin Company
ltd.

Learning Outcomes

Sales force size

estimation and
budgeting readings
Text, Pp 206-30
Case: Designing a sales
organization HUL
Case: Blow Plast India
Ltd. Pg. 266

To be able to analyse sales

organization and structure.
LO3

Discussion
Text / Ch.8, Pp. 271282
Case: Videocon
International Ltd.Pg.
286
Text / Ch.11, Pp. 37190Glenmark pharma
ltd., Pg.396

LO3
To illustrate differences in
types of Servicescapes, the
role played by the
servicescape and the
implications for strategy.
LO3
To recognize the design
motivation charter.
LO2
LO2

Guest session

13.

Module III: Sales force control

Controlling sales force
performance, evaluation criteria,
sales audit, expense audit and
activity audit

Discussion,
Case, Text,
14.
Chap 13, Pp 428-440
Case let on territory
performance
Evaluation of sales force
Discussion on beauty
effectiveness
glow cosmetics
15.
company case
Performance
Text, Ch. 14,Pp 453-65
Proactive sales management
Module IV: Distribution and Channel structure- introduction

16.
17.

Introduction
Channel structure
Why is it required
Activities involved
Designing channels
Distribution Cost analysis

To appreciate sales force

control.
LO2,3
To evaluate sales force
effectiveness.
LO3

To understand channel
Discussion
structure.
Text / Ch.15, Pp.482-94 LO4
Discussion on
To design channels &
Dabbawala and channel understand customer
5

Session

Topic

Comparing the channel designs for

developing a ideal channel
structure

Logistics
and transportation models used
18.
across industry

Transport
ation decisions
Module
Channel issues and channel
V:
relationship
Channel relationship and conflict
How to manage good relations
19.
with channel partners?
20.
21.

22

23.
24.

Requirements/
Learning Outcomes
readings & cases
orientation
design of newspaper
Text, Ch. 16,Pp 509-26 LO4
Text Ch.17, Pp., 55067

Discussion
Text /Ch.19,Pp. 598623

To identify the logistics

of channels.
LO4

To appreciate channel
information system.
LO5

Guest session
.
Business model of a retailer and
Distribution Channels
a wholesaler? How to sell to a
by Julian
retailer? How to sell to sell to a Dent/ch.10/pg.101-115 LO5
wholesaler?
To understand marketing
Product, price and promotion
Marketing channels by
mix issues with the
related issues with channel
Rosenbloom,7e,Pg.334channels
partners
383
LO5
LO5
International channels, entry
Discussion
Text /Ch.22,Pp. 698decisions and shipment
715
procedures
LO1 to LO5
Summation of course

9. Contact Details
.
Name of the Instructor:
Office Location:
Telephone:
Email:
Teaching Venue:
Website:
Office Hours:
Online Links (Link to Blackboard):