COMM 384Selling the New: Professional Sales Skills & Technology Innovations
Professional selling is the set of skills, knowledge, values and activities involved in selling a product to a customer. But it is so much more. Every business and non-profit enterprise, whether it's a new startup or big firm, expect all employees to understand or engage with users, audiences and customers. In other words, everyone - from designers and engineers to coders, production line staffers and creatives -- is in sales. This is especially true for communications, information and new technology products and services. The two-fold purpose of this course is 1) understanding the sales profession with respect to innovation and 2) learning and practicing customer-focused sales and service skills, including customer relationship management (CRM). The context is the everchanging, globalized marketplace for information, communication and new technologies across industries including news/media, non-profits, health/medicine, food/agriculture, education/training, manufacturing, finance, arts, music, sports, retail, and tourism/hospitality. Topics covered include sales professionalism, the customer-focused selling process; ethics, communication and planning skills; presenting/pitching and negotiating; customer discovery in the context of design thinking; customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Class time is devoted to lectures and active learning including using a CRM system, case study discussion, simulations and roles plays of sales pitches, service and consulting.