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2017/2018  BA-BHAAV5000U  Contemporary issues in applied Sales and Price Setting methods

English Title
Contemporary issues in applied Sales and Price Setting methods

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course First Quarter, Third Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 75
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Stefan Kirkegaard Sløk-Madsen - SI
Administrative contact information: student hub
Main academic disciplines
  • Marketing
  • Accounting
  • Strategy
Last updated on 02-10-2017

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors: At the end of the course the student should be able to:
  • Classify sales methodology and challenges in relation to different markets (as viewed from the buying agents’ perspective).
  • Apply different price setting methods in relation to a given business model and strategy.
  • Pick a sales department and analyze, partly or wholly, the sales flow and evaluate this to best practice
  • Demonstrate a basic level of sales zeal by securing an exam case company (sales department only) themselves
  • Argue for which, if any, impact sales has on organizations and society
Course prerequisites
None. However understanding of marketing, strategy and basic finance is an advantage. The course expands further on the mandatory Marketing Course of Ha. Almen but outside students can also attend, as this deals in more detail with the sales function as such and the issues and challenges in applied sales work. Furthermore the course spends time on actual pricing strategies which is an application of the principles known from intermediary micro economic.

Please note that the elective course is reserved for HA students, who wish to write their bachelor project in this elective course.
Examination
Contemporary Issues in Applied Sales and Price Setting Methods:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 10 pages
Assignment type Report
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Spring and Autumn
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure

The students are to pick a real sales department or situation and map, analyze and relate the sales methodology applied to some of the issues presented during the course.
Course content and structure

Sales are 100% of a going business. This course aims to introduce students to the method of sales in various commercial settings. The course aims to combine theory with practice and provide hands-on tools that are well founded in theory, while highlighting contemporary challenges as well. Besides sales methods for various segments, the course also aims to provide insight into strategic price setting and how to manage sales departments and financial pipeline reporting. The course consist of lectures based on readings, a large quantity of external guests and a tools and assignment seminar.

The course is of primary interest to students who wants to pursue a career in sales or with elements of sales (like startups or banking). It can also be relevant for more generic business development or marketing aspirations, as well as financial business modeling. The job market is increasingly requesting sales knowledge and many functions in today’s originations touch on sales. This course will give the participants the prerequisite to quickly learn how sales and price setting is done in specific industry settings.

 

 
Teaching methods
Each class will have an overall subject taught by the teacher. For this subject a given body of literature is selected and the students are expected to read it for class discussion purpose, practical insights are also welcome if they are relevant, and not overly theoretical. The idea is to build a common level of subject understanding.

Most classes will have a relevant external speaker. This speaker will not be required to know the lecture literature, but will be required to speak over a preset list of questions. Please note some external speakers might be in Danish.

The course will also include a workshop day where practical sales tools are worked over in assignments in groups and plenum. It is unlikely a student who does not attend this will be able to pass the course.

All students that take the exam will be invited to an exclusive CBS Sales Excellence Linkedin Group.
Feedback during the teaching period
As part of the workshop students learn to give and receive feedback, which is used in class.
Student workload
Preparation 100 hours
Exam 66 hours
Teaching 40 hours
Expected literature
  • Jim Blythe – Sales & Key Account Management, Book
  • Eric Taylor & David Riklan - Mastering the World of Selling, Book
  • Jagmohan Raju & Z. John Zhang - Smart Pricing, Book
  • Niel Fligstein - Markets as Politics: A Political-Cultural Approach to Market Institutions, Article
  • Walter A Friedman - The Science of Selling in Birth of a Salesman, Book - Chapter
  • Philip Delves Broughton - Introduction and Loose Robes in Life’s a Pitch, Book – Chapter
  • FA Hayek - The Use of Knowledge in Society, Article
  • Frank V. Cespedes - Coordinating Marketing and Sales in B2B Organizations in Handbook of Business-to-Business Marketing, Book – Chapter
  • David Teece - Profiting from technological innovation : Implications for integration , collaboration , licensing and public policy, Article
  • Arora et. Al. - Markets for Technology and their Implications for Corporate Strategy, Article
  • Ritter, Sorrn-Friese, & Sløk-Madsen - The 14 Faces of Commercialization, Article
  • Ludwig von Mises - The Sovereignty of consumers in Human Action, Book – Chapter
  • Ludwig von Mises - The Sovereignty of consumers in Ultimate Foundation of Economic Science, Book – Chapter
  • Othman, R.,  & Sheehan, N. T.  - Value creation logics and resource management: a review, Article
  • Brown et al - When do B2B brands influence the decision making of organizational buyers? An examination of the relationship between purchase risk and brand sensitivity, Article
  • Frank Cespedes  - Putting Sales at the Center of Strategy, Harvard Business Review 92, no. 10
  • Zott, C., Amit, R. and Massa, L - The business model: recent developments and future research, Article
  • Thomas Ritter – TBA, Paper
Last updated on 02-10-2017