Assignment Task

Scenario

'First Class' is a hotel group centred in the middle market alongside rivals such as Holiday Inn and Premier Inn. Their Unique Selling Point is that they offer a 'green and healthy' edge to their product as a differentiator - showers are infused with vitamin C; rooms have purified air; the hotel have a jogging route and exercise equipment around each of the hotel perimeters where possible, and finally - they offer nutritionally balanced meal packages and superfoods.

They are interested in attracting both the business/travelling/conference market on a weekday and the consumer/tourist market at weekends. Additionally, whilst the initiative is still with them and a fresh idea, they want to look at moving into the international market.

PART ONE

Task One

Explain the 'AIDA' concept & how the sales team can help support other elements of the marketing communications mix in moving potential clients through this process.

Task Two

Compare the differences between buyer behaviour in the B2B market and the consumer market in terms of customer decision making units & decision making processes highlighting any key differences for the sales team to be aware of when selling a product such as this to different audiences.

Task Three

Explain the role of a sales force in the hotel, including an analysis of the sales team's contribution to the overall marketing and sales strategy in line with the corporate objectives of the firm. Within your response you must state two corporate objectives in order to explain the potential contribution made by an effective sales force.

PART TWO (Presentation)

Please prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the newly appointed sales team and the sales manager of the firm.

Section One (suggested 5-7 slides plus explanatory notes) - Construct a sales presentation through which you can illustrate the principles & best practice of the selling process to demonstrate to the newly appointed sales team how to sell (this should be based around the hotel scenario or your chosen organisation )

Section Two (suggested 4-6 slides plus explanatory notes) - you must explain the methods of organising and controlling a sales force in line with corporate objectives.

AND explain the role customer database management has to play in effective sales management and in the meeting of corporate objectives.

Please Note: Once you have prepared your PowerPoint Presentation copy & paste each slide into your assignment or please go to the ‘File' menu , click ‘Save as Pictures...', this will save each slide as a separate JPEG or TIFF file. These can then be copy and pasted into the report. Each slide will need to be copied in individually as I cannot open a presentation from Turnitin

PART THREE

In terms of recruiting the right people to the sales team, explain the importance of recruitment and selection procedures and provide an evaluation of how, following appointment, an individual might be motivated through monetary reward & other methods to achieve target whilst working for the organisation (including the role of training in this respect).

PART FOUR

Task One

The firm wants to work on selling abroad. Develop a sales plan for the firm in entering foreign markets. What sales channels would you recommend here?

Included in this, you must investigate some of the opportunities and limitations for selling abroad via the use of foreign-based sales agents or the establishment of a foreign-based sales team ran by the hotel from the UK.

Task Two

Finally, investigate the opportunities presented by exhibitions & trade fairs for the firm as part of its promotional strategy in moving operations into the international market.