Sales mistakes damage companies’ reputation and cause significant financial damages. Sales managers and senior sales executive should have business acumen skills of successful entrepreneurs This 3 days focused and comprehensive course teaches numerous business acumen skills that require years of study and experience

1. Sales mistakes damage companies’
reputation and cause significant
financial damages. Sales managers
and senior sales executive should
have business acumen skills of
successful entrepreneurs
Business Acumen for Sales
Managers & Executives
This 3 days focused and comprehensive
course teaches numerous business acumen
skills that require years of study and
experience
Ashraf Osman

2. Business Acumen for Sales Managers & Sales Executives
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 1 Partnership Selling:
The Evolution of Selling
The Sales Cycle
Key Events of the Sales Cycle
Securing a Next Key Event
Portfolio Management
Stage 1 - Prospecting
Building a daily prospecting plan
Introductory Script
Learning Objectives:
Understand the key stages of Business-to- business (B2B), Business-to-
Consumer (B2C) and Retail Sales Cycles. Identify the major stages of
sales practices evolution over past 40 years. Identify client involvement
activities at key event stages of each process.
Learn how to build a prospecting plan and introduce yourself to
prospective clients (prospects).
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 1-14
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 2 Stage 1 - Prospecting
Getting Through ‘Gate Keepers’
Leaving Messages
Handling Prospecting Obstacles
Stage 2 - Qualifying:
Identifying High-Potential Prospects
Sales Funnels
B.P.O.U.T. Steps to Qualifying
Writing Direct Mail
Writing Target Letters
Learning Objectives:
Develop an understanding of various client
‘screening’ tools and how to overcome them. Acquire a basic
understanding of how to respond to typical client
objections/concerns.
Understand various categories of prospective clients. Identify 5
critical qualification questions and elements of each. Learn how to
write Direct Mail and Target Letters.
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 14-25

3. SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 3 Stage 3 - The Initial Meeting: Business development
practices Meeting your client
Confidence Builders
Confidence Breakers
6 Steps to a Professional Greeting
Individual Motivators
Organization Motivators
Learning Objectives:
Learn the importance of non-verbal communication. Identify various
client confidence-builders/confidence-breakers. Learn how to present
yourself and company to prospective clients. Analyze various
client motivations for purchasing.
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 27-30
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 4 Stage 4 – Needs Analysis:
Sales Communication Skills
Features & Benefits
Probing Techniques
How to conduct a needs analysis
Learning Objectives:
Learn how to distinguish between product/service features & benefits.
Learn various sales communication skills including: open & closed
probes; acknowledging statements; closing summaries; handling
objections. Review needs analysis phase in preparation for quotation
presentation.
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 33-36
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 5 Review and Role Play
Learning Objectives:
In-class custom role play allows the participant to incorporate skills
learned into their own selling situation.
Role Playing
exercise 1

4. SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 6 Stage 5 – Product/Service Demo: How to prepare a
presentation The importance of Committee
Interviewing before presenting
I.B.O.A.T. presentation format
Preparing a presentation agenda
Learning Objectives:
How to structure a product/service demo for prospective clients or
committees. Use of features/benefits in presentation preparation. How to
use an I.B.O.A.T.
format to prepare for the demo.
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 39-40
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 7 Stage 6 – Presenting a Quotation
How to prepare a quotation
Review of various quotation models
7 Basic Rules for quotation presentation
Multiple Options vs. Single Quote
Learning Objectives:
Review various quotation models and examples. Analyze models
against expected outcomes. Learn the 7 rules of quotation
presentation.
Quota Player
Workbook
Page 43
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 8 Stage 7 – Securing Influencer
Approval
Use of Triangulation Technique
Learn how to secure commitment Review of 6 Closing
Techniques Analysis of closing techniques in
relation to purchasing motivators
Learning Objectives:
Learn how to advance the sales process with influencer support.
Review & practice of various closing skills. Understand how to secure
commitment using client analysis. Recognize the duality of influencer
types on sales success.
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 45-49

5. SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 9 Stage 8 – Securing Key Decision
Maker/Committee Approval
Review client purchasing criteria
Use of feature/benefits in KDM
selling strategies
Competitive Selling Strategies
Analysis of competitor strengths/weaknesses
Competitive probing strategies
Learning Objectives:
Learn how to position your product/service against competitors. Use
competitive selling skills in high-end presentations. Learn how to
analyze competitors using an established strength/weakness model.
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 51-54
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 10 Stage 9 – Getting Purchasing
Approval
3 Strategies for securing
Purchasing approval
Communication Process at stage 9
Negotiating Skills Review
Learning Objectives:
Participants learn how to address purchasing (procurement)
involvement in the sales cycle. Review of communication process
skills. Analysis & practice of a basic negotiating model.
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 55-56
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 11 Stage 10 – Product/Service Delivery – Receipt of Payment
Post-sale service checklist
Client appreciation tools
Review of Stages 1-10
Learning Objectives:
Learn how to successfully conclude the sales transaction and build long-
term client support. Review of ten stage sales process. Ensure payment
process and follow up to product/service delivery.
Quota Player
Workbook
Pages 59-66

6. SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 12 Role Play
Learning Objectives:
In-class custom role play allows the participant to incorporate skills
learned into their own selling situation.
Role Playing
Exercises
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 13 Business Modeling
Learning Objectives:
In-class custom business modeling exercise allows the
participant to define a real life business model and identify where
to add by offering their products and services to customers
Business
Modeling
exercise
SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 14 NPV, ROI and Payback Period
Learning Objectives:
In-class custom exercise allows the participant to understand the
basics of cash management, how to calculate an ROI, Net
Present Value of any project and devise effective payment plan
of their products and services.
NPV, ROI, and
Payback period
exercise

7. SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 15 Account Management skills
Learning Objectives:
Participants learn account management skills associated with the
following topics:
 Sales performance measurement; what to measure? How to
improve?
 Tying time management to efficient selling.
 Does customer satisfaction count? Why?
 Why should you care about your customer strategic
concerns?
 Competition analysis, a practical view (know your strength,
assess your competitor’s)
 Dissecting your customer organization relationship map.
 Do you want to be the best? Or be unique?
 Insight on : Imitation vs innovation, focus on market share
vs profit
 SWOT analysis
 Building an account plan (hands on)
Account
Management
Skills

8. SESSION TOPIC READINGS
Session 16 Team Supervision Skills
Learning Objectives:
Participants learn account management skills associated with the following
topics:
 Roles & responsibilities of a team leader
 Leading without management authority
 Leadership qualities & assessment
 The role of motivation in leading your sales team
 Know your team’s behaviour (Johari windows)
 Setting SMART goals for your team
 Lead by example, start with time management
 The art of effective delegation, cycle of commitment
 Coaching vs handholding
 Account management plan and your team, who will do
what? By when?
 Handling performance problems
Sales Supervision
Skills