Sales Strategy (Coursera)

The concepts, models, tools, and techniques discussed and practiced during the course focus on the improvement of value creation from the sales function empowered by intelligence analysis, a process which typically applies in the strategy analysis front.

The discussions go through how intelligence analysis can support the sales function, by providing methods to connect strategy to marketing and sales planning processes.

In this course, the primary learning outcome is the ability to apply intelligence analysis to support sales planning process, and by being able to do this, you’ll improve your competencies and skills to support sales planning with a strategic approach.

You’ll develop a final assignment at the end of the course, and it is designed from an adapted real-life business case. The challenges of the case comprise the business context, through which you’ll apply the conceptual framework discussed during Course 2.

The outcomes of your analysis on the assignment case will be evaluated through a peer-review process.

Course 2 of 5 in the Strategic Sales Management Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Sales intelligence

Welcome to Sales Strategy module. In this module, we discuss the use of intelligence analysis methods to support the sales functions, such as planning and sales operations management. We discuss the benefits of the application of intelligence analysis methods, and how this approach can contribute to the sales planning process, by developing this process with a strategic view. The primary learning outcome from this module goes through two essential aspects. The first one is in the awareness front, in the sense that a sales professional would benefit from knowing that intelligence analysis may contribute to the planning process. The second aspect is that the awareness of this benefit will lead sales professionals to keep attention to the methods, models, tools, and techniques regarding intelligence analysis. Eventually, they will practice the methods, which will support the development of the sales plan, with an integration of strategy and sales.

WEEK 2

Applying intelligence to understand your strategic context

Welcome to the module dedicated to applying intelligence analysis to understand the strategic context. This module is about going through a practical view of how to apply concepts, models, tools, and techniques related to intelligence analysis, with emphasis to support understanding the strategic context, and how it relates to sales. This module is a natural next step from the previous module, which was focused on the awareness of the benefits of intelligence analysis to the sales planning and management functions. In this module, we’ll discuss the application of intelligence analysis on the external environment. From a sales perspective, the discussion will go through the internal environment analysis and the implications of the external environment analysis outcomes on the internal environment. The convergence of the deeper knowledge about the external environment with the internal environment analysis contributes to the improvement of the sales planning process, and this is the primary learning outcome of this module.

WEEK 3

Intelligence analysis for sales: Analytical tools and techniques

Welcome to module 3 – Intelligence analytical tools and techniques to support the sales strategy. At this point of the course, we already have an awareness of the effectiveness of intelligence analysis to improve sales planning process. Also, we have a conceptual understanding of how intelligence analysis can support the external environment assessment and the connection between the external and internal environment. Now it’s time to dedicate some efforts in the analytical tools and techniques, with the recommendations on how to apply them, and the use of their outcomes in the sales planning and management processes. This module primary learning outcome is the knowledge of the different analytical tools and techniques, and how they can contribute to the sales planning and management processes. We’ll discuss the tools and techniques, the recommendations of how to apply them, and the applicability of the tools and techniques analyses outcomes in the sales planning process.

WEEK 4

Strategic sales Management in action – joining intelligence in your journey

Welcome to module 4 – Intelligence analytical tools and techniques in practice. This module guides you to develop the final assignment of Course 2: Sales Strategy. The challenge of the assignment is to develop analyses regarding sales functions, by applying intelligence analytical tools and techniques. We use a case to bring business context that describes a real-life experience, and the case presents challenging issues that involve strategic and sales scopes. You’ll be required to apply the concepts discussed in the modules of the course 2, and come out with propositions of approaches. The proposition has to be supported by your reasoning, which should be the consequence of the analyses you develop applying the tools and techniques discussed in Course 2.