Institute of Commercial Management | Qualification Subject

Principles & Practice Of Selling

ICM Professional Diploma Unit

Development and Role of Selling in Marketing

  • Background
  • Nature and role of selling
  • Characteristics of modern selling
  • The nature and role of sales management
  • Types of selling
  • The marketing concept
  • Implementing the marketing concept
  • Relationship between sales and marketing

Consumer and Organisational Buyer Behaviour

  • Differences between consumer and organisational buying
  • Consumer buyer behaviour
  • Factors affecting the consumer decision-making process
  • Organisational buyer behaviour
  • Factors affecting organisational buyer behaviour
  • Developments in purchasing practice
  • Relationship management

Sales Settings

  • Sales channels
  • Selling for resale
  • Selling services
  • Sales promotions
  • Exhibitions
  • Public Relations

International Selling

  • Economic aspects
  • International selling and the individual company
  • Cultural factors in international selling
  • Organisation for international selling

Law and Ethical Issues

  • The contract
  • Terms and conditions
  • Terms of trade
  • Business practices and legal control
  • Ethical issues

Sales Responsibilities and Preparation

  • Sales responsibilities
  • Preparation

Personal Selling Skills

  • The opening
  • Need and problem identification
  • The presentation and demonstration
  • Dealing with objection
  • Negotiation
  • Closing the sale
  • Follow-up

Key Account Management

  • What is key account management
  • Advantages and dangers of key account management to sellers and customers
  • Criteria for selecting key accounts
  • Tasks and skills of key account management
  • Key account management relational development model
  • Global account management
  • Building relationships with key accounts
  • Key account information and planning system
  • Key success factors for key account management

Relationship Selling

  • Total quality management to customer care
  • Reverse marketing
  • Relationship marketing to relationship selling
  • Tactics of relationship selling

Direct Marketing

  • Direct marketing and database marketing
  • Managing a direct marketing campaign

Internet and IT applications in selling and Sales Management

  • The changing nature of the sales force
  • Electronic commerce and electronic procurement
  • Using technology to support sales activities
  • Using technology to improve sales management
  • Social media and selling

Example Candidate Response Booklet

Example Candidate Response (ECR) Booklets are a source of crucial information for Centres and Candidates as they use real candidate responses. We ask Senior Examiners to comment on five or more responses in terms of why the mark was awarded with commentary about how to improve the answer (if necessary).

Recommended Reading

Main Text:

Selling and Sales Management, 10th edition, Geoffrey Lancaster & David Jobber, Pearson.

Indicative Text:

Alternative Text and Further Reading:

Sales Management, New International edition, 2013, J. Tanner, E.D. Honeycutt, R. Erffmeyer, Pearson.

Sales Management: Theory and Practice, 3rd edition, 2007, B. Donaldson, Palgrave MacMillan.