12/26/2024 6:05:09 PM	BMK 51 Course Outline as of Fall 2024	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  BMK 51	Title:  HIGH TECH SELLING
Full Title:  High Tech Selling and Pursuing a Sales Career
Last Reviewed:11/14/2022

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

Students will learn the skills necessary to qualify for a professional sales job for a technology company. Areas to be covered will include Software as a Service (SaaS), the steps in a typical sales cycle, different roles and the necessary skills for each position in a sales organization, job opportunities in sales and how to get hired. Course may include guest speakers from high tech recruiting, professional services, product management, legal, and finance departments.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 100 OR EMLS 100 (formerly ESL 100) or appropriate placement based on AB705 mandates

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

Students will learn the skills necessary to qualify for a professional sales job for a technology company. Areas to be covered will include Software as a Service (SaaS), the steps in a typical sales cycle, different roles and the necessary skills for each position in a sales organization, job opportunities in sales and how to get hired. Course may include guest speakers from high tech recruiting, professional services, product management, legal, and finance departments.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 100 OR EMLS 100 (formerly ESL 100) or appropriate placement based on AB705 mandates
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Gain the requisite skills necessary to work in sales for either a startup or an established tech company.

2. Create a resume highlighting the skills needed for future employment.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Understand a selling cycle from a cold call to signed contract.

2. Identify business pain/motivation and potential buyers of your technology.

3. Identify and build relationships with a customer and the roles within the company that may influence sales.

4. Define the responsibilities and best practices for each step of a sale.

5. Identify the best practices associated with product demonstrations to potential buyers.

6. Demonstrate how best to leverage functional areas within your company to win business.

7. Practice contract negotiations, pricing discussions, and understand timing.

8. Understand the process of forecasting a deal and quarter end closes.

9. Understand compensation plans and quota assignment.

10. Understand how to search and apply for a tech sales job.

11. Employ methods to grow accounts once the initial deal is closed and deployed.

Topics and Scope

I. Selling Overview

    A. Reasons to pursue a career in high tech sales

    B. Selling careers

         1. New logo sales representative

         2. Account executive or install base representative

         3. System engineer

         4. Inside sales

         5. Business Development Representative (BDR)

II. Professionalism

    A. Importance of ethical conduct

    B. Misrepresentation and breach of warranty

    C. Side letters

III. Typical Steps in a Sales Cycle

    A. How to best position your product

    B. Best of breed versus platform

IV. Successful Prospecting

    A. Prospecting and sales forecasting plan

    B. How to execute the dreaded cold call

    C. Sources of prospects

    D. Establishing a plan and maintaining records

    E. Prospecting online

    F. Generating leads

V. Sales Strategy Both New Logo and Install Base

    A. Complex nature of customer behavior

    B. Economic buyer

     C. Budget and access to funds

    D. Alignment with customer's buying process

    E. Problem recognition

         1. Identifying business pain

         2. Handling objections

         3. Customer needs

         4. Buying motivations

VI. Presentation and Product Demonstrations

    A. How to effectively set up and demonstrate your product

     B. Audio-visual aids

    C. Strategies for effective presentations

    D. Selling value versus features                              

VII. When and How to Leverage the Different Functional Teams in Your Company

    A. Sales management

    B. Marketing

    C. Product management

    D. Executive management

    E. Legal

    F. Finance

    G. Engineering

VIII. Sales Negotiation

IX. Closing the Sale on Your Timeline.  

     A. Meeting quarterly deadlines

    B. Forecasting your monthly and quarterly numbers

          1. Quota and compensation plans

X. Pursuing a Sales Career

    A. Create a resume

    B. Marketing yourself online

    C. LinkedIn

Assignments:

1. Reading assignments

2. Case study analyses

3. Sales report

4. Market research

5. Oral sales presentation including role play interview (as group or individual)

6. In-class written assignment(s)

7. Resume and online profile

8. Quizzes and a final exam

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 10 - 20%
Sales report, in-class written assignment(s), resume and online profile
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 20 - 30%
Case study analyses, market research
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 20 - 40%
Role-playing interviews, oral sales presentation
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 20 - 30%
Quizzes, final exam
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 5 - 15%
Class participation

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

The Sales Development Playbook. Bertuzzi, Trish. Moore-Lake. 2016. (classic) 

Instructor prepared materials

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