For more than four decades home buyers have trusted Austin Constructions as a new home builder for truly liveable designs, great neighbourhoods, outstanding quality and a commitment to complete satisfaction in your new home.

Austin Constructions currently builds 30 homes per year, but are looking for substantial growth. Within the next 2 years, the directors would like to build at least 100 homes per year.

You have been employed to lead a small sales team. Your first task is to develop a detailed Sales Plan for implementation within the business. Your plan must:

Describe the product you are selling

Set appropriate targets for each sales team member
- Describe the strategy you will use to meet the sales objectives
- Identify all resources required to achieve the sales objectives
- Detail the advertising / promotional strategy that will be used
- Detail the distribution channel

Include a realistic budget for implementation of the sales plan
- Include appropriate risk management strategies
- Explain how high-achieving sales team members will be recognised and rewarded.

To achieve this, you will be required to:

Research:

1. Identify the purpose of your sales plan

2. Identify and review the essential components of your sales plan

3. Identify and document the business goals and objectives as a basis for measuring your sales performance

4. Identify current product sales performance including market saturation

5. Identify any new opportunities available for your product
Develop the plan, ensuring you:

1. Research market needs, and market size and potential

2. Identify and analyse current market needs, customer profiles and new opportunities available

3. Set appropriate KPIs (in SMART format)

4. Identify the support required (number of sales team members staff, selling approach, training, product knowledge, etc)

5. Explain how sales territories will be established and allocated (e.g. geographically or by sector)

6. Set a realistic budget

7. Determine how you will monitor the success (or lack of) implementation of your sales plan.

8. Identify the systems to evaluate and review the sales effectiveness against performance standards

9. Include rewards and recognition for high achievers

Develop strategies for minimising risks, ensuring you:

1. Identify specific interests and objectives of relevant people and seek and confirm their support of the planned sales direction

2. Identify and develop risk management strategies according to business goals and objectives, and relevant legal requirements

3. Develop contingency plan to address possible areas of non-conformance with the plan
You are to submit your assignment in a professional sales plan format for your supervisor (i.e. your Assessor), covering all points mentioned above

ASSESSMENT 2 -

Instructions for Students:
- Read the Assessment description carefully.
- Assessment should be in Word format unless otherwise indicated in the Assessment Task. Assemble and analyze a set of sources that you have determined are relevant to the issues you are investigating.
Acknowledge clearly when and how you are drawing on the ideas or phrases of others;
Consult your assessor if you are unsure about how to acknowledge the contributions of others to your thoughts and writing.

Assessment 2

Following on from Task 1, you are to prepare for, advertise, interview and select an appropriate sales member to assist in implementing your sales plan
To demonstrate this, you need to:
- Identify and set a remuneration package that is appropriate to your set budget
- Develop a position description for the vacancy with key selection criteria
- Identify the personal characteristics and qualities required for this position
- Develop job advertisements for at least 2 different media streams
- Detail the costs involved with lodging both job advertisements
- Conduct a job interview with 2 fellow students-1
- Select the most suitable candidate for the position (or explain why no candidate is suitable)
- Negotiate salary and employment conditions with the successful candidate
- Advise the successful candidate of the result in writing
- Advise the unsuccessful candidate of the result in writing
Your assessor will allocate two other students or staff at Gen Institute to play the roles of the candidates, whilst you perform the role of the employer. It is important that you take this part seriously, as this is valuable experience in both interviewing candidates AND applying for positions. Your assessor will observe this process closely!

Things to consider whilst role-playing as the employer (interviewer):
- Be organised
- Prepare a selection criteria to use for each interview
Know your position
Know your company
Arrange access to all required documentation for this process
Be prepared to ask questions
Be prepared to answer questions
It is important that you take this role-play seriously. Think of it as an opportunity to practice for a real job interview, and to improve your interview skills.

Your assessor will observe you conduct 2 job interviews. Review the observation checklist to know what is expected of you. You may refer to this checklist at any stage PRIOR to the commencement of your assessment.

ASSESSMENT 3 -

For this task, you are to provide a short training session for one or more "staff members" on the product and selling approach outlined in the sales plan you developed in Assessment 1. Staff members may include your actual employees, or the successful applicant from Assessment Brief for the training session

Using the sales plan developed in Assessment 1 for Austin Constructions which included information on approaches you would use to meet the sales ol4ectives and where you also identified the support required (in terms of selling approach, training, product knowledge), you are now required to provide a short training session not more than 15 - 20 minutes to one or more "staff members" on the product and selling approach selected.

In doing so, you are expected to:

1. Develop a session plan

2. Develop handouts for staff members (that would be provided during the training session)

3. Use overheads / learning aids as appropriate

This assessment is to be undertaken in simulated environment
o You should refer to the product and sales approach as developed in Assessment 1.
o You can undertake the training on a class-mate, or another person as allocated by your assessor such as a Gen Institute staff member.
o Your assessor will play the role of your supervisor
o You must ensure all dealings with your "staff member" are professional, as you will be assessed throughout the full process
o You may refer to another product and selling approach only with prior approval from your assessor

Your assessor will observe you deliver this training session. Review the observation checklist two to know what is expected of you. You may refer to this checklist at any stage PRIOR to the commencement of your assessment.

You must not refer to this checklist whilst you are being assessed

Be sure to conduct all your activities in a professional manner, be prepared and ensure you follow your session plan.

ASSESSMENT 4- Role-play - Leading a Team

For this task, you are the sales manager at Austin Constructions and you are to review the performance of Toni, one of your sales staff. The role of Toni will be role-played by a Gen Institute staff member for this observation.

Review the sales data given below from Jan - June. Recently Toni has not been performing well and has only closed 3 direct sales and 1 Cross-sale in the last month compared to the team average of 8 to 10 sales per month.

Last week you spent 2 days with Toni, watching him communicate with customers. Overall you have found that Toni:
- Is not sure about the inclusions with each package
- Tends to focus on himself, not on the customer
- Is slow at following up on enquiries, or getting back to customers

Through your assessor, you are to arrange a time to talk with Toni and review his performance. Your assessor will observe you during the role-play and will use Observation Checklist Three to record your performance in this task. Please review Observation Checklist Three before the role-play so you know what is expected of you.
Throughout your performance review, you are to:
- Identify ways to help Toni improve his sales
- Provide positive suggestions as appropriate
- Assign accountabilities / responsibilities to Toni
- Create and maintain a positive work environment by listening carefully, communicating clearly and show trust in your employee
- Develop a strategy including details on implementation to help Toni as required
- Develop an approach to monitor Toni's progress
Also submit your action plan for monitoring Toni's progress.

ASSESSMENT 5

- Read the following questions carefully and provide your response in the space below_
- Answer all questions

Questions

1. What is meant by Equal Opportunity? (Detailed answer required)

2. What is the purpose of the Trade Practices Act 1974?

3. Describe the importance of ethics in a sales role.

4. Provide a detailed explanation of 4 different types of anti-discrimination legislation and requirements.

5. What are the National Privacy Principles?

6. List 3 points you should follow to ensure you comply with the National Privacy Principles.

7. In terms of privacy what is considered "Personal information"?

8. What is the state legislation that refers to privacy?

9. What is a contract, and what is contract law?

10. What consumer protection laws I regulations must you comply with? (Detailed answer)

11. Provide a detailed description on the functions of Human Resource Management?

12. Leading and managing a sales team involves not just planning the operations but also directing the sales team to achieve objectives. Discuss how this can be accomplished.

13. How can the performance of sales team be evaluated? Elaborate.

14. Explain why it is important to develop compensation and reward packages that include more than just salary and commission for sales team.

15. What KPls could be used to evaluate sales performance?