Sales Program Management: Formulation and Implementation

Abstract

This book is concemed with the total task of managing the personal selling effort. It consists of 33 cases involving 21 organizations and accompanying textual notes, which comprise about 30% of the total contents. Both are written in an interesting and informative style. While primarily a case book, the text material provides a useful, although brief, examination of the sales management decision areas. It is intended for the graduate student and upper-level undergraduate student who has been exposed to basic marketing and control or accounting courses. The book has a logical organization and offers a variety of interesting and challenging cases. It should be of interest to instructors seeking a sales management text with a heavy case emphasis. The cases provide descriptive material and information for use in analysis and control. Cases are grouped within each topical area (account management, organizing the sales effort, training, etc.). The first half of the book is devoted to defining the role of personal selling as an element of the marketing mix, including Formulating the Program, Deployment and Coverage, Account Management, and Sales Costs and Budgets. In the remainder of the book textual notes and cases examine Implementing the Program, Field Management, Compensation, Evaluation, and Motivation, Organizing the Effori, Recruiting and Selection, Training and Legal and Ethical Considerations. The textual material tends to be descriptive rather than conceptual although brief conceptual guidelines are discussed at various points. Most of the relevant sales program decisions are identified in the textual notes and brief suggestions for analysis are indicated, thus providing a springboard for more comprehensive treatment via class discussion. The companies discussed in the cases and textual notes range in size from small to very large, including both consumer and industrial products and services. Primary emphasis is on sales forces selling to other organizations rather than to the ultimate consumer (e.g., door-to-door and retail floor selling). The cases vary in length, difficulty, and scope, thus offering flexibility in providing students with applications and analysis experience. They allow an opportunity for considerable variation in type of use. About one-fourth are short and essentially situation discussions, while the remaining are more comprehensive cases providing detailed examination of company experiences, results, and activities. Several cases offer financial and operating data for use in analysis. Some present decision situations which require consideration of decision areas other than sales force, thus illustrating the interrelated nature of marketing decisions. In summary. Program Management offers an interesting and challenging cross-section of case situations for use in class discussions and written preparation. Unlike many case books, the cases are new; all occupy a time frame in the 197O's.