1 BUAD 176 PROFESSIONAL SELLING Winter 2018 Sales Assignment Objectives: 1. To have a solid understanding of each step of the selling process 2. To demonstrate this understanding in role play assignments 3. To develop an appreciation of the importance of strategically thinking through what it is you are going to do before you do it 4. To appreciate the level of preparation required to conduct a professional sales presentation Process: Students will take part individually in this sales assignment which is worth a total of 30% of your final grade. The sales assignment is divided into smaller components, each of which is outlined below. Through completing each component you will, by the end of the term, be prepared to conduct a complete and professional sales presentation. Contents Part 1- Product Selection (complete/incomplete) .......................................................................................... 2 Part 2 - Background Information (Value 10%) ............................................................................................. 3 Part 3 - Sales Approach Dialogue Script (Value 5%) & Role Play (Value 5%) .......................................... 6 Part 4 – The Sales Call Script Preparation (value 5%) .................................................................................. 7 Part 5 - The Sales Call - Role Play (Value 5%)............................................................................................. 8 2 Part 1- Product Selection (complete/incomplete) This important first assignment is critical to the success of your sales presentation. Your first task is to select a product to sell. The product you select should be one that you are somewhat familiar with, that you are interested in, and that is appropriate for sale to an organization. This course focuses on selling to organizational buyers as opposed to final consumers. It is not a course about retail sales. Therefore the product you select should be one for which an organization (for profit, not-for-profit, government, institution, or farm) would have a need. Required: A brief 1 page memo to your instructor outlining the following: ***Your project must be business to business (B2B) The product/service you want to sell Who you are selling the product for (what company) To whom you want to sell this product (the actual decision maker and company) Your instructor must approve your choice of products before you begin working on the next assignment. If you are having trouble thinking of an appropriate product, please talk to your instructor before this assignment is due. 3 Part 2 - Background Information (Value 10%) Before you can prepare a sales presentation, detailed information must be gathered about the industry your firm participates in, the company you are selling for, the company and person you are selling to, the product or s ...

1. 1
BUAD 176 PROFESSIONAL SELLING Winter 2018
Sales Assignment
Objectives:
1. To have a solid understanding of each step of the selling
process
2. To demonstrate this understanding in role play assignments
3. To develop an appreciation of the importance of strategically
thinking through what it is you are
going to do before you do it
4. To appreciate the level of preparation required to conduct a
professional sales presentation
Process: Students will take part individually in this sales
assignment which is worth a total of 30% of
your final grade. The sales assignment is divided into smaller
components, each of which is outlined
below. Through completing each component you will, by the
end of the term, be prepared to conduct a

2. complete and professional sales presentation.
Contents
Part 1- Product Selection (complete/incomplete)
.......................................................................................... 2
Part 2 - Background Information (Value 10%)
.............................................................................................
3
Part 3 - Sales Approach Dialogue Script (Value 5%) & Role
Play (Value 5%) .......................................... 6
Part 4 – The Sales Call Script Preparation (value 5%)
.................................................................................. 7
Part 5 - The Sales Call - Role Play (Value
5%).............................................................................. ...........
.... 8
2
Part 1- Product Selection (complete/incomplete)
This important first assignment is critical to the success of your

3. sales presentation. Your first task is to
select a product to sell. The product you select should be one
that you are somewhat familiar with, that
you are interested in, and that is appropriate for sale to an
organization. This course focuses on selling to
organizational buyers as opposed to final consumers. It is not a
course about retail sales. Therefore the
product you select should be one for which an organization (for
profit, not-for-profit, government,
institution, or farm) would have a need.
Required: A brief 1 page memo to your instructor outlining the
following:
***Your project must be business to business (B2B)
The product/service you want to sell
Who you are selling the product for (what company)
To whom you want to sell this product (the actual decision
maker and company)
Your instructor must approve your choice of products before
you begin working on the next assignment.

4. If you are having trouble thinking of an appropriate product,
please talk to your instructor before this
assignment is due.
3
Part 2 - Background Information (Value 10%)
Before you can prepare a sales presentation, detailed
information must be gathered about the industry your
firm participates in, the company you are selling for, the
company and person you are selling to, the
product or service you are selling, and the competitive product
or service you are selling against. Please
note that this assignment does not require that you address
every question posed in the Appendix. It is
designed to illustrate the scope of knowledge required by
professional salespeople. Much of the
information will be unavailable to those outside the industry.
You should not spend time trying to find
information that is not easily accessed through public sources
such as annual reports, journals, magazines,

5. and newspapers. Please do not attempt to contact companies
directly for information as it is highly
unlikely that this information will be made available to you.
Required:
A 3-5 page report providing insight into the industry you are
working in, the company you are working
for, the prospect you wish to sell to, the product you are selling,
and your competition.
You must source your information using APA format for your
references.
Use the following Headings for your report:
Industry Information
Company Information
Prospect Information
Product/Service Information
Competitor Information
The questions posed beneath each of the headings which follow
are to provide you only with ideas as to
the kinds of information you may wish to include in your report.

6. It is not necessary to research answers to
each of the questions!
Industry Information
What is the size of the total industry in terms of sales? Is the
industry growing? What are the driving
forces of change in this industry.
What advancements have been made in the industry in recent
years?
Include a PESTEL analysis in an appendix - mandatory
Company Information
What is the history of your company? What major
accomplishments has the company experienced in
recent years?
What is the size of your firm in terms of numbers of employees?
What products or services does your firm offer in its line?
List several reasons why customers should buy from this firm.
Include a SWOT in an appendix - mandatory
Prospect Information

7. The Firm
What type of organization is it? (Manufacturer, wholesaler,
retailer, etc.)
How large is the firm? How long has it been in business?
What product lines does it sell?
4
The Decision-Maker
Who makes the buying decisions for your product or service at
this firm? What are the person’s title and
major responsibilities?
What are some potential problems and needs of this firm and
how can your product or service solve the
problems or satisfy the needs?
If you are selling a product to a wholesaler or retailer who will
resell it to the ultimate consumer (for
example, food products or clothing):
What are the characteristics of the typical consumer (age,
income, etc.)

8. What problems or needs does the consumer have that are related
to your product?
Product/Service Information (What you are selling)
General Information
Have sales for the product been growing or declining?
Does the firm offer any warranties or guarantees?
What services does your company offer its customers after a
sale is made?
What are the special features and benefits of these services?
If you are selling a service:
What activities does the service include? How does your firm
customize the service to meet the specific
needs of the customer?
Where is your service located? Is it more accessible to
customers than that of the competition?
If you are selling a product:
What is the history of the product? When was it invented?
What major improvements have been made in

9. recent years?
What are the physical characteristics of the product including
how it is made, the materials/ingredients it
contains, and how it performs? What quality control procedures
are used during manufacturing?
Can this product be demonstrated? If so, how?
If you are selling a product to a wholesaler or retailer who will
resell it to the ultimate consumer:
What is the suggested retail price? What is the percentage
markup and margin per unit?
What product and sales training does your company make
available to its wholesalers, retailers, and
dealers?
Competitor Information
General Information
Identify one of your firm’s main competitors and secure the
following information for this competitor:
Has your company been in business longer than your
competitor? What is the size of your competitor in
relation to your firm? Is it growing more quickly or more
slowly than your firm is?

10. What is your competitor’s policy on extending credit to its
customers? Are your firm’s policies more or
less liberal?
What price does your competitor charge for its product or
service? How does it compare to your firm?
How quickly can your competitor deliver its product or perform
its service compared to your firm?
What services does the competitor offer its customers after a
sale is made?
What are your competitor’s major strengths and weaknesses?
If you are selling a service:
What activities does the competitor’s service include?
What qualifications and experience does the competitor’s
employees have?
5
Is your service more or less accessible to your customers?
If you are selling a product:
What is the history of the competitor’s product? What major
improvements have been made in recent

11. years?
What products does the competitor offer that your firm
does/does not?
If you are selling a product to a wholesaler or retailer who will
resell it to the ultimate consumer:
What is the percentage of markup and margin per unit your
competitor offers wholesalers or retailers?
How does the turnover rate of your product compare to your
competitors?
What advertising support does your competitor offer its
customers? How does it compare with yours?
What sales promotion programs does your competitor offer
(point-of-sale materials, contests, coupons,
and sampling)? How do they compare with yours?
6
Part 3 - Sales Approach Dialogue Script (Value
5%) & Role Play

12. (Value 5%)
The purpose of this part of the assignment is to prepare you for
your final role play. In this
assignment, you will prepare your approach in written form and
then practice your approach in a
role play situation. It is useful to have in your mind how things
should go. You will have the
opportunity to receive feedback from the instructor on how to
improve your script.
Required:
• On a separate sheet list & explain five business customer
needs of the business you will be
calling on.
• Prepare your script for the approach stage of your role play as
outlined in this assignment.
Please submit your assignment before you start your role play.
Please be sure to include
your name, the product you are selling and the company you
will be selling for at the top of
the first page.
Part 1 - The Sales Approach & Discovery Process (SPIN)

13. Write a short script outlining the approach that you will use
when you make your sales call.
Step 1. You walk into the prospect’s office and greet the
prospect by stating his/her name, your
name, position and the company you represent. Shake the
prospect’s hand and offer your
business card. (Which approach will you use?)
Step 2. Establish rapport. (What questions will you ask?)
Step 3. State your purpose and give an initial benefit statement.
In this step you are providing
your prospect with an idea of where you’re going with this
meeting and a reason for them to
continue listening to you. Include some transition statement that
will lead you from the approach
into the discovery process. (Write out the initial benefit
statement you will use)
Step 4. Develop a SPIN dialogue and include the buyer’s likely
responses to your questions.
Write out 3 situation questions, 3 problem questions, 3
implication questions and a final need-

14. pay-off question.
Part 2 - Role Play your Approach
This role play will be based on the dialogue you prepared,
although written scripts may not be
used during the role play. You will be assigned a partner in the
class who will act as your buyer.
He/she will be given your separate sheet with your business
customer’s needs. You should
rehearse your presentation so that you can easily move through
the stages of the approach and
discovery process. You will play the role of a professional
salesperson and follow the process as
you've outlined it in your sales script. You are expected to be in
appropriate dress for your
presentation.
7
Part 4 – The Sales Call Script Preparation
(value 5%)
The purpose of this assignment is to prepare you for your final

15. role-play. In this assignment,
you will prepare your entire presentation in written form. It is
useful to have in your mind how
things should go. You will receive feedback from the instructor
on how to improve your script.
Required:
• Again, on a separate sheet list & explain five business
customer needs of the business you
will be calling on.
• Prepare for each stage of your role-play as outlined in this
assignment. Please submit
assignment before the role play. Please be sure to include your
name, the product you are
selling and the company you will be selling for on top of the
first page.
Part 1 – The Sales Approach & Discovery Process (SPIN)
Include a script for the approach and discovery process. If
necessary, based on your previous
role play of your approach, you may need to modify and update
your script outlining the
approach and discovery process that you will use when you
make your sales call.

16. Part 2 – Features & Benefits (FAB)
List five features of your product that would have relevance to
your buyer, five corresponding
advantages and five benefits. These should address the business
customer needs that you have
written on the separate sheet for your buyer to use as a
reference.
Part 3 – Sales Resistance (Objections)
List five possible objections (that represent true buyer
resistance) that your prospect may have to
your sales presentation and your responses to these objections.
Identify the objection handling
techniques you are using and write out the questions you would
ask for each step of the
objection handling process.
Part 4 – Sales Closes
List three trial closes you could use during the presentation and
two closing statements that you
might use. Identify the closing techniques you are illustrating.

17. 8
Part 5 - The Sales Call - Role Play (Value
5%)
SMILE – BREATHE DEEP – RELAX – HAVE FUN !!
This sales presentation will be based on Part #4 Sales Dialogue.
You will be assigned a partner
in the class who will act as your buyer. He/she will be given
your separate sheet of your
business customer’s needs. You should rehearse your
presentation so that you can easily move
through the stages of the sales process. You are required to
submit your sales script prior to the
role play.
While you would have your product and any support literature,
written sales scripts may
not be used in the presentations !!
You will play the role of a professional salesperson and follow
the selling process as you've

18. outlined it in your assignment. You are expected to be in
appropriate dress for your
presentation.
9