Feature Summary

Those who are familiar with the earlier editions will find that we have retained the features that have made this text an outstanding teaching and learning resource. The writing style continues to make the book clear and interesting to read. The section-heading structure makes for easier reading and outlining. We still have the excellent end-of-chapter discussion questions. Most of these questions are thought provoking and involve the application of text material, rather than being answerable "right out of the book." The issue-oriented cases provide an opportunity for problem solving and decision making, rather than being simply a vehicle for long-winded discussion of a company's action.

We have also retained the basic scope and organization that have made this book the market leader in the sales management field for over 20 years. With respect to its scope, this book still is concerned specifically with the management of an outside sales force and its activities. Because outside salespeople-those who go to the customers-are distinguished here from over-the-counter salespeople to whom the customers come, the book deals largely with the management of sales forces of manufacturers and wholesaling middlemen. Thus the scope of this book does not include any significant treatment of the broader fields of marketing management.

The eleventh edition continues the real-world approach that has successfully characterized previous editions. Students who learn from this book can talk to sales executives in the business world, and sales executives appreciate the material in this book. In fact, this book has been used in many executive development programs for sales managers.

The text is divided into five main parts:

1. Introduction to sales force management. The three chapters in this section set the scene for the rest of the book. Chapter 1 covers the nature, scope, and importance of personal selling and sales force management. This opening chapter also sets forth our basic managerial philosophy, which permeates the entire book. We believe that staffing-the selection of personnel at any level in organization-is the most important function of administrators. In Chapter 2 we discuss strategic planning and the role of sales force planning as it relates to marketing planning and total-company planning. Chapter 3 presents the steps in the personal selling process.

2. Organizing, staffing, and training a sales force. Part II (Chapters 4 to 7) covers the first steps in operating a sales force. The major types of sales organizational structures and additional strategic organizational alternatives are treated in Chapter 4. The tasks of recruiting, selecting, hiring and assimilating salespeople are discussed in some detail over the next two chapters. The development of a sales training program is the topic of Chapter 8.

3.Directing sales force operations. In this part (Chapters 8 to 11) we continue our discussion of operating a sales force. We start with the conceptual and practical aspects of sales force motivation. Another chapter is devoted to compensating a sales force, followed by a chapter on sales force expenses and transportation. We conclude Part III with a discussion of sales force leadership.

4.Sales planning. This section (Chapters 12 and 13) begins with an explanation of why we place sales planning after sales operations in the book. Part IV covers sales planning activities, starting with sales forecasting and developing budgets. Then we discuss the design and coverage of sales territories.

5.Evaluating sales performance. The final stage in the management process of planning-implementation-evaluation is covered in Part V (Chapters 14 to 20). This part includes a sales volume analysis of an organization's total sales performance, a marketing cost and profitability analysis, and an evaluation of the performance of individual salespeople. The final chapter is a macro-evaluation of sales force management in which we discuss ethical and legal responsibilities facing sales managers.

Following the text are two appendixes:

Appendix A: Integrative cases. This appendix includes six lengthy integrative cases that may be used in conjunction with several different chapters. Included at the beginning of the appendix is a grid that suggests which chapters the integrative cases supplement.

Appendix B: Careers in sales management. This appendix discusses the opportunities and challenges of a career in sales management. It describes typical career paths and the everyday life of a sales executive. It also describes what it takes to be a successful sales manager.