INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN TRADE

Kolkata Campus

MBA-IB (2018-20)
SALES & DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT
Course Coordinator: Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sharma
email: rpsharma@iift.edu, Ph. +91 9903522627

Trimester IV Credits: 2

Course Introduction

Everyone lives by selling something. It is the only functions directly influencing the top-line
and the bottom-line. With product and service differentiation getting narrower, what a
customer buys is largely dependent on the ability of the sales and channel member to instill
trust. Increasingly, the best way to differentiate is the way in which people can buy and the
experience they have at the point of purchase.

Improving distribution is a key source of strategic power. The power has shifted from
upstream players (suppliers, producers) to downstream players (wholesale intermediaries,
retailers, vertically integrated producers). A strong sales and distribution often serves to
foreclose market access to competitors. It is also most profoundly impacted by the internet.
It is normal for firms to go to market via multiple channels. Yet, few firms understand how
to coordinate a multi-channel system.

The course is quite important for B-school graduates. The senior marketing positions are
offered mainly to the people who have sales and distribution management experience at some
level. The course aims at making the participants appreciate a systematic sales management
process and distribution strategy that leads to enhanced organizational performance.

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Course Objectives

1. To examine the major decision areas within sales and channel management.
2. Exposing students to analytical approaches to sales viz. sales planning, process,
systems and sales analysis etc.
3. To understand the role of sales leaders in sales effectiveness
4. To understand the distribution flows, channel gaps, institutions etc.
5. To gain insights on managing and motivating the channel partners
6. To learn dealing with channels conflicts
7. Conducting sales & distribution audit

Programme Learning Goals covered through this Course

LG 3: Managing complex, uncertain business situations

3.1 Student should be able to clearly identify the central problem or issue in complex business
situations
3.2 Student should be able to define the challenges and risks related to an uncertain and complex
business situation and suggest strategies to effectively manage them

LG 6: Sensitivity to Ethical Issues

 Students will demonstrate socially responsible behaviour while dealing with issues in
international business management.
 –Be able to identify and analyze ethical conflicts/dilemmas in a business case

Pedagogy

Participant-centered learning involving discussions around the cases. Students will act as co-
producers of learning by doing adequate home work on the cases, readings and assignments.

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Linkages with Other Courses
This course has direct linkages with other courses in the marketing area like marketing
management, international marketing and B2 B marketing. Even courses like retailing,
Advertising & promotion management has a bearing on sales and distribution.

Evaluation Components

Sr. No. Component Weightage

1 Case analyses 20
2 Review of readings 20
3 Sales & Distribution_Group Project 20
4 End-term Examination 40

Text Book / Reference Text

Text Book :

Still, Cundiff, Govoni & Puri: Sales and Distribution Management - Decisions,
Strategies & Cases, (2018) Pearson

References

1. Charles Futrell : Sales Management- Teamwork, Leadership and Technology

2. Spiro, Stanchart & Rich: Salesforce Management , 11 e, TMH
3. Ingram, Laforge, Avila, et al : Sales Management: Analysis & decision making
4. Bert Rosenbloom: Marketing Channels- 7e, South Western, Cengage Learning
5. Louis, Stern, Couglan & EL Ansary: Marketing Channels- (PHI)
6. Havaldar & Cavale: Sales & Distribution Management: Text and Cases; TMH, 2e
7. Panda & Sahdev: Sales & Distribution Management, Oxford University Press, Latest Edition
8. Pingali Venugopal: Sales & Distribution Management: An Indian perspective; Sage
Publications (ISBN- 978-81-7829-848-1)
9. www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com

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SESSION PLAN
Session Topic and Sub topics Reading/Cases

1 Course Overview, Diversity of selling situations, C1 James Steiner

KPIs of SMs, Pre-requisites of sales people and sales R 1-2-3
managers, Handling the transition from sales person Text: Chapter 1
to sales manager
Managing the selling process for Sales Effectiveness
2 o Pre-sale preparation C2 Mediquip
o Developing the sales call-SPIN
Selling
o Presenting/proposing a solution R 4-5
o Handling objections Text: Chapter 2-3
o Negotiation
o Closing the Sale
o Post-sales follow ups

3 Sales Planning C3 Cottle Taylor

 Planning the size of the sales force
R 6-7
forecasting Text: Chapter 17-18
 Sales budgeting
Assignment 1:Exercises
 Sales quotas and targets
on sales force size, hiring
etc.(Group submission-
Campus 360)
4 Managing the selling effort through sales C4 EFL
deployment, sales on-boarding, sales enablement,
R8
sales compensation and sales automation
Text: Chapters 9-16, 19
Territory management Assignment2: Time and
territory game (Group
submission on campus
360)

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5 Leading the sales team, C5 Image
Managing sales velocity R9-10

6 Sales controlling: Evaluating the sales performance C6 Hanover Bates

R 11
Text: Chapter 16

7 Sales Channels: Flows in distribution, Reverse C7 Snacko

distribution, Tradeoff’s involved, Distributor &
Illustrative case: Tea
retailer management, Distribution challenges in India
selling in Taiwan

R12
8 Designing customer-oriented distribution C8 D. Light
channels: Service output demand vs. supply, Gap
analysis, Vertical integration vis-à-vis channel Illustrative case: Siffco
outsourcing Agrochemicals Ltd
R13-14
Text: Chapter 21

9 Managing Marketing Channels - The need for C9 Ingersol Rand

channel management, Channel conflict,
R15
Channel Power, Operational issues in channel
Management Text: Chapter 22

10 Issues in international sales & channel R16-17-18

management
Text: Chapter 25
Wrap up of Course & Review
S&D audit
presentations

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Cases & assignment questions

Case 1: James Steiner

Case assignment question: Should James be promoted?

Case 2: Mediquip
Case assignment question: Why Mediquip lost the sale? Any solution?

Case 3: Cottle -Taylor: Expanding the oral care group in India

Case assignment question: Forecast the topline and bottomline for Cottle Taylor.

Case 4: Eureka Forbes Ltd. : Managing the selling effort (A)

Case assignment question: Assess the Sales management practices at EFL and what
changes do you recommend?

Case 5: Image Int’l

Case assignment question: Is Reynold a good sales leader? How can you say?

Case 6: Hanover Bates Chemical Corporation

Case assignment question: Evaluate the performance of districts, rank them, compare their
performance.

Case 7: Snacko India Ltd.: Leveraging Trade promotions for competitive advantage
Case assignment question: Analyse the promotion schemes and evaluate the trade
promotion by Snacko.

Case 8: D.Light Design: Marketing Channel Strategies In India

Case assignment question: What channel structure do you propose for D. Light ?

Case 9: Ingersol Rand (A)

Case assignment question: Which channel Centac 200 should go to and why?

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Readings to be reviewed:

1. Kotler, Rackham & Krishnaswamy: Ending the war between sales and marketing

2. Mayer & Greenberg: What makes a good salesman, HBR, July-Aug.2006

3. Moncrief, Marshall and Rudd: Social media and related technology: Drivers of
change in managing the contemporary sales force.

4. Major sales- Who really does the buying?, HBR, July – Aug 2006

5. Admason et al: Dismantling the sales machine

6. Approaches to sales forecasting-A review

7. Thomas: New product sales forecasting

8. The new science of sales force productivity

9. Colletti & Fiss: The ultimately accountable job: Leading today’s sales organization,
HBR (July-Aug. 2006)

10. Dubinsky, Jolson, Anderson & Mehta: Salesperson failure: A case of sales manager
risk and responsibility: (Palgrave Macmillan Journal)

11. Anderson & Oneymah: How right should your customer be?

12. Benjamin Neuwirth: Marketing channel strategies in rural emerging markets.

13. Stern & Sturdivant: Customer-driven distribution systems, HBR

14. Nunes & Cespedes: The customer has escaped, HBR, Nov. 2003

15. Mckinsey: Channel conflicts

16. Arnold: Seven rules of international distribution, HBR. Nov-Dec. 2000

17. Anderson & Coughlan (1987). International Market Entry and Expansion via
Independent or Integrated Channels of Distribution

18. Pankaj Ghemawat: Distance still matters: The hard reality of global expansion

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OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. Class participation
Read assigned readings, cases and the relevant text before coming to class. Class
participation will be observed and will be considered in the determination of the final grade.
Student attitude, demonstrated ability to work with the group, enthusiasm, etc. will all
be taken into account.

2. S& D Group project

Student groups will pick a product/service and conduct a sales and distribution audit of the
same. They will analyse the organization’s sales processes, sales systems, channel gaps and
make feasible recommendations for improving the S&D for the chosen product. The
information can be gathered through primary sources (taking interviews of company sales
people or channel partners including retailers) or secondary sources. Feel free to include
any or all of the following:
 Sales management processes of the organization
 Sales organization structure, systems
 Sales forecasting/ budgeting techniques used
 Territory management practices of the organization
 Channel/ Distribution management processes
 Channel design, structure and management processes etc.
Organization/Product/service will have to be pre-approved by the faculty.

3. End-term examination
The end-term examination will be closed book and will test the participants on the
application of the concepts and ideas learnt in the course.

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STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENT OF GROUP PRESENTATION

Please submit one form per group immediately after your presentation.

Names of Group Members:

__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________
__________________________________ __________________________________

Group Presentation (specify case/presentation title):

_____________________________________

Self-Assessment of Group Presentation (Pls. assess and give grades):

Assessment Criteria Weighting Grade

Suggested
Content (identification of key problem(s), correctness 33%
and creativity of recommendations)
Clarity in presentation of ideas and concepts 33%

Class interest and discussion generated 33%

Overall, our presentation deserves a grade of

Describe two ways in which your presentation was good:

1.

2.

Describe two ways in which your presentation could have been improved:
1.

2.

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PEER EVALUATION ON GROUP ASSIGNMENTS

This form is for you to evaluate your group members. Please submit the completed form to
me at the end of your presentation in a sealed envelope.

Your name: _____________________________________

Group Presentation(specify case/presentation title):

_______________________________________________________________

Name of Project Group No Average Outstanding

Member Contribution Contribution Contribution
1 2 3 4 5

Please elaborate on your evaluation for group members who scored exceptionally low (2
marks or less) or high (4 marks or more):

Your signature: _______________________ Date: _______________

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