MRK430 - Professional Selling

Outline information
Semester
Schools offering this subject
Last revision date 2024-01-29 00:50:30.28
Last review date 2024-02-05 00:15:03.081

Subject Title
Professional Selling

Subject Description
A career in selling can focus on either business to business or retail sales. This subject deals primarily with business to business selling in which students will learn and practice the fundamentals of the sales process, needs analysis, consultative selling and relationship building. Students will develop interactive selling skills through presentations and self evaluation. Emphasis will be on developing confidence, professionalism and communication skills required in today's world. This subject is offered in conjunction with the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA). It is an educational requirement for the Certified Sales Professional (CSP) designation that additionally requires two years work experience in sales and successful completion of examinations, oral and written. It also meets the educational requirement for the certificate program, Professional Sales Certificate (PSC).

Credit Status
One credit to the Marketing Program.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject the student will be able to:

1. Develop, assess and deliver a professional sales presentation.

2. Develop a product strategy through feature-benefit analysis of a product and/or service.

3. Identify, qualify and approach "B2B" customers by developing a prospecting system and using prospecting techniques.

4. Apply "need discovery" skills by using interactive communication techniques to establish a trust relationship.

5. Assess customer needs in order to be able to present products/services to satisfy their needs and wants.

6. Determine which available resources would improve the effectiveness and impact of a sales presentation using the following sales tools: presentation technology, visuals, samples, handouts, charts, graphs, etc.

7. Assess buyer resistance and demonstrate the ability to successfully negotiate their concerns.

8. Demonstrate various closing techniques and follow-up procedures.

9. Demonstrate the ability to foster a long-term, high quality partnership with customers by applying the principles of "relationship marketing".

10. Apply professional sales techniques in "B2B" customer situations.

11. Recognize the importance of measuring customer satisfaction.

12. Understand the role of ethics in a professional selling environment.

13. Observe and analyze the selling techniques of a "B2B" sales representative by accompanying this professional on actual, self-initiated and pre-arranged sales visits.

14. Demonstrate the tactical, strategic and self-management skills required to succeed in sales today by attending scheduled classes and participating in role play exercises.

15. Work effectively as a team-member by demonstrating reliability, effective communications and attention to all assigned deadlines.


Essential Employability Skills

    •  Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken and visual form that fulfils the purpose and meets the needs of the audience.

    •  Respond to written, spoken, or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication.

    •  Apply a systematic approach to solve problems.

    •  Use a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems.

    •  Locate, select, organize, and document information using appropriate technology and information systems.

    •  Analyze, evaluate, and apply relevant information from a variety of sources.

    •  Show respect for diverse opinions, values, belief systems, and contributions of others.

    •  Interact with others in groups or teams in ways that contribute to effective working relationships and the achievement of goals.

    •  Manage the use of time and other resources to complete projects.

    •  Take responsibility for one's own actions, decisions, and consequences.

Academic Integrity
Seneca upholds a learning community that values academic integrity, honesty, fairness, trust, respect, responsibility and courage. These values enhance Seneca's commitment to deliver high-quality education and teaching excellence, while supporting a positive learning environment. Ensure that you are aware of Seneca's Academic Integrity Policy which can be found at: http://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/about/policies/academic-integrity-policy.html Review section 2 of the policy for details regarding approaches to supporting integrity. Section 2.3 and Appendix B of the policy describe various sanctions that can be applied, if there is suspected academic misconduct (e.g., contract cheating, cheating, falsification, impersonation or plagiarism).

Please visit the Academic Integrity website http://open2.senecac.on.ca/sites/academic-integrity/for-students to understand and learn more about how to prepare and submit work so that it supports academic integrity, and to avoid academic misconduct.

Discrimination/Harassment
All students and employees have the right to study and work in an environment that is free from discrimination and/or harassment. Language or activities that defeat this objective violate the College Policy on Discrimination/Harassment and shall not be tolerated. Information and assistance are available from the Student Conduct Office at student.conduct@senecapolytechnic.ca.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
The College will provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities in order to promote academic success. If you require accommodation, contact the Counselling and Accessibility Services Office at ext. 22900 to initiate the process for documenting, assessing and implementing your individual accommodation needs.

Camera Use and Recordings - Synchronous (Live) Classes
Synchronous (live) classes may be delivered in person, in a Flexible Learning space, or online through a Seneca web conferencing platform such as MS Teams or Zoom. Flexible Learning spaces are equipped with cameras, microphones, monitors and speakers that capture and stream instructor and student interactions, providing an in-person experience for students choosing to study online.

Students joining a live class online may be required to have a working camera in order to participate, or for certain activities (e.g. group work, assessments), and high-speed broadband access (e.g. Cable, DSL) is highly recommended. In the event students encounter circumstances that impact their ability to join the platform with their camera on, they should reach out to the professor to discuss. Live classes may be recorded and made available to students to support access to course content and promote student learning and success.

By attending live classes, students are consenting to the collection and use of their personal information for the purposes of administering the class and associated coursework. To learn more about Seneca's privacy practices, visit Privacy Notice.