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FTMBA 2024 B2B Sales Management

Course code
MBA MKT624, MBA MKT624 SI
Course type
FT MBA Course
Weekly Hours
2,0
ECTS
2.0
Term
FS 2024
Language
Englisch
Lecturers
Prof. Dr. Ove Jensen
Please note that exchange students obtain a higher number of credits in the BSc-program at WHU than listed here. For further information please contact directly the International Relations Office.

Class Day I: B2B Pricing

1.              Introduction to Sales and B2B

2.              Pricing Commodities

3.              Pricing Value-Added

4.              From Pricing to Selling

Class Day II: B2B Selling

5.              Lead, Opportunity, and Account Management

6.              Negotiation Preparation Time

7./8.   Windblades Role-Play Simulation

Class Day III: B2B Sales Force Management

9.              Steering by Potential

10.          Steering by Pay

11.          Steering by Pipeline

12.          The Future of B2B Sales

Date Time
Monday, 01.07.2024 09:00 - 16:30
Tuesday, 02.07.2024 09:00 - 16:30
Friday, 12.07.2024 09:00 - 16:30
Friday, 02.08.2024 23:50 - 23:55
Any business model has two sides: operations and sales. The operations side is traditionally transparent and over-managed. In contrast, the sales side is intransparent and under-managed. Many general managers perceive sales performance as a black box. This course introduces critical aspects of managing sales performance. Without sales knowledge, your business education would be incomplete.

B2B is larger than B2C. In B2B firms, sales and service are often the largest functions. In B2B, marketing is a part of sales, not vice versa. Most country subsidiaries of multinational enterprises are essentially sales organizations. Thus, mastering business administration requires learning to lead the sales force.

The course intends to enhance five categories of competencies:

  • Factual knowledge, for example, applying salespeople jargon to discussing the status of a sale (such as the "buying center," "red flags," "mentor," "RFQ," "gatekeepers," and other idioms), applying sales management jargon (such as quota, forecast, pipeline, DSM, and other expressions), and defining sales performance indicators,
  • conceptual knowledge, for example, analyzing economic value-to-customer, calculating price-trade-offs against other profit drivers, analyzing the composition of a buying center, organizing the elements of a structured selling methodology, classifying different types of sales forces and sales jobs, classifying the dimensions of sales performance management, and evaluating sales KPIs,
  • sales-specific procedural knowledge, for example, demonstrating economic value to the customer, assessing the win probability of a sales opportunity, analyzing sales pipelines, and generating sales forecasts,
  • general business-relevant procedural knowledge, for example, preparing for business meetings, making the best out of a limited preparation time budget, making concise contributions to discussions, and constructively building on arguments by other participants,
  • metacognitive knowledge, for example, creating a skill profile for salespeople and evaluating the excellence of sales organizations.
There is no required textbook. I have not found a book covering all the topics discussed in this course. The learning material for this course includes presentation slides, articles, case studies, role-plays, videos, and whiteboard notes. These and further course-related information are available on the learning management system Moodle.
The learning method in this course follows the ideas of problem-based learning and the "reversed classroom" (a.k.a. "flipped classroom"). The "reversed classroom" replaces classroom lectures ("Frontalunterricht") with a blend of self-study at home and interactive discussions in the classroom. Problem-based learning refutes the traditional, passive learning sequence: "First hearing a concept. Then hearing problems that it could solve". It reverses it to an active learning sequence: "First trying to solve a problem oneself. Then discussing solutions with the group, led by the professor. Finally, getting additional insight from the professor".

The learning method mix includes role-play sessions between students with joint debriefings, case-based discussions with concluding mini-lectures, and interactive concept lectures. Watch this video showing the style of case-based sessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbNNsq1fC0A . Problem-based learning requires significant energy from both the student and the teacher.

The course grade wholly rests onindividual performance. There are no team grades, no peer evaluations, and no oral participation grades. Grades rest on written assessments. Class preparation quizzes determine 50% of the course grade. The final exam determines the other 50%. The exam is an open-book, time-constrained (120 minutes) take-home exam. It is a laptop-based quiz with numerical, multiple-choice, open fill-in, and matching questions. Participants receive practice quizzes and mock exams to prepare.

The course marks use a scale from 0 to 100:

  • Recent Part-time MBA cohorts consistently achieved average scores between 83 and 84 (PTMBA 2023: 84, 2022: 83.33, 2021: 83.95). 40% to 60% of participants scored 90 and above, the equivalent of A- and A (2023: 54%, 2022: 60%, 2021: 40%). 24% to 55% of scores fell between 74 and 90, the equivalent of B-, B, and B+ (2023: 24%, 2022: 25%, 2021: 55%). 0% to 16% of scores fell between 58 and 74, the equivalent of C-, C, and C+ (2023: 16%, 2022: 4%, 2021: 0%). 3% to 9% of participants scored less than 50 (2023: 3%, 2022: 9%, 2021: 5%).
  • Recent Full-Time MBA cohorts achieved average scores between 68 and 84 (FTMBA 2023_II: 68.33, 2023_I: 83.7, 2022_II: 68.75, 2022_I: 82.38, 2021_II: 78.88, 2021_I: 78.27). 0% to 50% of participants scored 90 and above, the equivalent of A- and A (2023_II: 0%, 2023_I: 50%, 2022_II: 25%, 2022_I: 43%, 2021_II: 44%, 2021_I: 36%). 0% to 19% scored less than 50 (2023_II: 11%, 2023_I: 0%, 2022_II: 19%, 2022_I: 4%, 2021_II: 6%, 2021_I: 9%).
Pre-experience prerequisites do not limit enrollment in this course. To successfully participate, be aware that:
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