Models & Frameworks to Support Sales Planning

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/models-frameworks-support-sales-planning

Introduction

### Course Review: Models & Frameworks to Support Sales Planning on Coursera In today’s competitive business environment, mastering the art of sales planning is essential for professionals aiming to excel in their sales careers. The course titled **“Models & Frameworks to Support Sales Planning”** on Coursera offers a comprehensive and structured approach to understanding the numerous facets of sales planning and management. This review will delve into the course's structure, content, and learning outcomes, providing insights into its value for professionals seeking to enhance their sales competencies. #### Overview of the Course The **Models & Frameworks to Support Sales Planning** course is designed to elevate your analytical competencies and provide practical skills for developing effective sales plans. It takes a conceptual approach to establish a firm foundation for understanding various selling models and frameworks, focusing on their application in real-world scenarios. The course is ideal for sales professionals, managers, and anyone involved in sales strategy who wishes to refine their skills in planning and executing sales initiatives. As a participant, you’ll gain insight into the critical elements of sales management, the various selling models, essential soft skills, and how to put these into action in strategic sales management. #### Syllabus Breakdown ##### **Module 1 - Sales Management** The course kicks off with an enlightening exploration of **Sales Management**. This module emphasizes understanding sales functions from a process management perspective. Participants will engage in discussions about operational variables that support sales management, accounts management, leadership roles, training processes, resource allocation, and performance management. The primary learning outcome here focuses on mastering the various sales functions and how to analyze them, setting the stage for the upcoming modules. This solid foundation is vital as it prepares you for structured methodologies in crafting effective sales plans. ##### **Module 2 - Selling Models and Frameworks** In the second module, participants delve into **Selling Models and Frameworks**, where the focus is on implementing a sales plan through analytical processes and frameworks. Here, you will learn that sales, while an art, also benefits immensely from structured methodologies. The module presents various models and frameworks, teaching you how to apply these concepts to practical scenarios, emphasizing understanding their structure and recommendations. This is crucial for anyone looking to develop a comprehensive and actionable sales strategy. ##### **Module 3 - Soft Skills** Recognizing the importance of interpersonal skills in sales, the third module dedicated to **Soft Skills** rounds out the technical expertise gained in previous modules. Strong negotiation skills and effective communication with potential customers are vital assets in any sales role. This module aims to enhance your soft skills, thus improving your ability to connect with clients and negotiate effectively. The emphasis on soft skills balances the hard skills learned earlier and prepares you to navigate the complexities of customer interactions. ##### **Module 4 - Strategic Sales Management In Action – The Journey Goes On** The course culminates in **Module 4**, where you will apply what you've learned to a practical assignment analyzing a business context. This task is designed as a capstone experience, allowing you to synthesize the various concepts and frameworks discussed throughout the course. Not only will you conduct your analysis, but you’ll also engage with your peers by reviewing their assignments, fostering a community of learning and improvement. #### Recommendations The **Models & Frameworks to Support Sales Planning** course is highly recommended for: - **Sales Professionals:** Whether you are new to sales or a seasoned expert, the insights offered will refine your approach to sales management. - **Managers and Team Leaders:** The structured frameworks provided will enhance your ability to plan and strategize effectively for your team. - **Anyone Interested in Sales Careers:** If you’re looking to enter the field of sales, this course will provide the foundational knowledge necessary to make informed decisions and strategies. In conclusion, this course is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to make their mark in the sales arena. With its rigorous curriculum, practical applications, and focus on both analytical and interpersonal skills, you will be well-equipped to tackle the challenges of sales planning and management with confidence. Take the leap and enroll today to unlock your potential in sales!

Syllabus

Module 1 - Sales Management

Sales Management module: The discussions of this module are about an overview of the sales functions from a processes management standpoint. Therefore, the module is about discussing sales management functions, which includes the operational variables that apply to support sales management; the accounts management; the role of the leadership; training processes; resources allocation; performance management; and post-sales processes. These processes are discussed to assess the sales management functions with an integrative view. Then, the discussions provide a conceptual basis for the next module, which is dedicated to the models and frameworks that contribute to the sales planning and management processes. Primary learning outcome of this module focus on the assimilation of the knowledge regarding the sales functions, the processes involved, and how to analyze them to support the next step, which is to use structured methods to develop the sales plan.

Welcome to module 2 – Selling Models and Frameworks. This module is about how to implement the sales plan, through the application of models and frameworks that enable the analyses and processes that contribute to the planning and management functions of sales. As the nature of sales functions, considering them as a non-exact science, sales planning can be developed by many different approaches. Some of the methods follow structured recommendations and prescriptions, and these methods are referred in this module as models or frameworks. We discuss them in this module, and the primary learning outcome is to know how to apply each of them, by remembering and understanding their structure, the prescriptions, and the recommendations.

Soft Skills module: In this module, the focus is on providing a different set of methods that complement the methods presented so far in the current Course 3. As discussed in the first two modules, most of the concepts are related to prescriptions and recommendations that may be considered as hard skills, as they present a structured approach to conduct the development of the sales planning and management processes.In this module, we provide recommendations of soft skills, which are crucial in the negotiation process and also in the communication with potential customers. The primary learning outcome of this module, therefore, is to improve the potential of sales by adding the soft skills side of expertise.

Welcome to Strategic Sales Management In Action – Module 4. This module serves as a guideline to develop the final assignment of Course 3: Models & Frameworks to Support Sales Planning. In this assignment, the challenge is to analyze a business context and use it as a reference to develop the assignment by the application of the concepts discussed in Course 3. You’ll follow the assignment guidelines, develop the analyses and provide your insights from the outcomes of your analysis. You’ll have two opportunities to test your learning process, the first one is by developing your assignment, and the second one is by reviewing a peer’s assignment.