Course Syllabus

The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

MKTG 220 Introduction to Selling Techniques: Principles underlying the sales process and practical application of these principles to selling situations. Studies role of selling in total marketing process.

Overview | Objectives | Materials | Technical Requirements | Proctors | Course Schedule | Grading | Academic Integrity | Policies

Overview

Personal selling is an interpersonal communication process during which a seller uncovers and satisfies the needs and wants of a buyer to the mutual, long-term benefit of both parties. In spite of the growth of other forms of selling, face-to-face meetings and personal relationships between sellers and buyers are more important than ever before. Research indicates that personal visits and personal contacts are still the most effective approach for building committed relationships between a buyer and a seller.

I have created this course to serve you in three ways. First, it will assist you in evaluating personal selling as a professional career. Second, it will expose you to techniques that will prove of immediate value in your first selling position. Third, it will provide you with opportunities to practice these techniques under conditions that are as realistic as possible. You will have, by the completion of the course, identified and started to develop a natural selling style, one based on your strengths and abilities.

Acquiring the skills of a salesperson is of value to you, regardless of your eventual career goal. At one time or another—in fact at most times in life—everyone is selling something. You may be selling yourself during a job interview, or selling your manager on the need for a budget increase, selling your neighbors and the city government on the need to put street lights on your block, even selling your family on going to the restaurant you can afford. Learning the skills of persuasion employed by professional salespeople will help you in all of these instances, and in many more.

In this course you are asked to master two things. The first is content. This you can accomplish by reading your textbook and the supplemental reading assignments; by reviewing the various study aids provided in the textbook; by completing your special activity assignments and the assignments that are to be submitted at regular intervals throughout the course; and by testing yourself using the self-quizzes provided. You will be asked to measure your progress toward content mastery by taking two examinations. Each will be at a natural interval during the course.

A second, equally important, component of your learning is to master the basic skills required of a salesperson. A sales presentation activity has been developed to help you here. In addition, there are occasional special activities and hands-on experiences at appropriate points throughout the course—in the form of Assignments to be turned in for evaluation—that challenge you to apply your newly acquired skills.

My hope is that by mastering both the content and skills required of salespeople everywhere, you will gain a first-hand "taste" of what salespeople do, and how it feels to do it. I also hope that this will motivate you to enter what I consider the most exciting job in business today: professional selling.

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Course Objectives

This course will help you to:

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Required Course Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Additional materials:

This course also requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course.

Using the Library

 

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.

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Technical Requirements

For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:

Technical Requirements
Operating System Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher
*Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor 2 GHz or higher
Memory 1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space 20 GB free disk space
Browser We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State websites.

Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching,
older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers Required
Monitor Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!

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Arranging a Proctor

You will need to secure a proctor in order to take exams in this course. A proctor will not automatically be assigned to you; rather, you must make the necessary contacts to secure a professional who will serve in this capacity.
  1. Contact a person who meets the qualifications and ask him or her to proctor your exam.
  2. Student Services must approve your proctor before any exams can be taken. Please see instructions for securing a suitable proctor. While many proctors will serve on a voluntary basis, you are responsible for paying any expenses incurred in retaining a proctor.
  3. You must submit your proctor for approval or schedule your exams at a testing center using our online proctored exam portal. You will need to enter your proctor's contact information and submit proctor verification documentation. If you have any questions about using the procted exam portal, please visit the how-to guide. Note: If your proctor has been previously approved by the World Campus during a prior course within two years, you do not need to obtain verification. World Campus retains proctor information on file for two years.
  4. If your proctor does not meet the required specifications, Student Services will notify you within 5 to 7 business days.
  5. Students registered with Student Disability Resources who are receiving exam accommodations are responsible for providing their letter of accommodation to both faculty/instructors and exam proctors prior to scheduling exams.
  6. If you are a graduating senior requesting a final exam, please see additional information about early deadlines for course completion and exam scheduling.
  7. Contact Student Services if you cannot take a scheduled exam.
  8. Unless you have received permission to take your exam at an alternative time, your proctor will only allow you to take the exam during dates specified in your course.
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.

Course Schedule

Lesson 1: Course Introduction and Professional Selling: A Business, Marketing, and Personal Function

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 2: You in a Selling Role

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 3: Ethical and Legal Issues in Selling

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 4: Buying Behavior and the Buying Process

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 5: The Universe, Suspects, and Prospects

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 6: The Straight A's in Selling: Approach and Analyze

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 7: The Straight A's in Selling: Advocate

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 8: Midterm Exam

Lesson 9: The Straight A's in Selling: Ask and Answer

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 10: Adaptive Selling

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 11: The Straight A's in Selling: Apply

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 12: Communicating Effectively

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 13: Managing Your Time and Sales Territory

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 14: Building Long-Term Partnerships and Work of a Salesperson

ASSIGNMENTS and ACTIVITIES

Lesson 15: Final Exam

Note:

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

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Course grade will be based on composite of performance evaluations in several areas:

Please refer to the University Registrar's information about University grading policies.

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Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity (for undergraduate students in undergraduate courses) and policy GCAC-805 Academic Integrity (for graduate students and undergraduate students in graduate courses), an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity or GCAC-805 Academic Integrity as appropriate). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedures allow a student to accept or contest/appeal the allegation. If a student chooses to contest/appeal the allegation, the case will then be managed by the respective school, college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. Review procedures may vary by college, campus, or school, but all follow the aforementioned policies.

All academic integrity violations are referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, which may assign an educational intervention and/or apply a Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, or Expulsion.

Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page.

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University Policies

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.