Introduction to Retail Sales

Semester and Year Offered: August 2018, 1st semester

Course Coordinator and Team: Nikhil Charak & External Experts

Email of course coordinator: nikhil@aud.ac.in

Pre-requisites: Class 12th passed, Aptitude test and Interview.

Aim: This course has been designed for the students who are aware of the basic aspects of Retail Industry. It focuses on ways to demonstrate products to customers, helping them choose the right merchandise, maximise sales and post-sales service support.

Course Outcomes:

Student will be able to:

• To demonstrate customers to products
• To help customers choose right products
• To provide specialist support to facilitating customers
• To maximise sales of goods & services
• To provide personalised sales and post sales service support

Brief description of modules/ Main modules:

Module I: Overview of Retail Sales Process (Theory 12hours + 5 hours of Assignments = 17 hours)

Selling Process - Introduction to Product and Services, Sales Presentation, Importance of Product Knowledge (products, and services); Understanding Customer Profile and Buying Motives; The Sale Process - Opening the Sale, Types of Approaches, Assisting the Sale; Discovering Customer Needs; During the Sale - Understanding Buying Motives; The Sales Pitch - During the Sales (Handling Various Queries); Closing the Sale; Post-sale Processes; Add-on Sale; Thanking and Affirming the Purchase.

Note: This module covers various stages of sales – Pre - During - Post

Module II: Product Description and Demonstration (8hours Theory + 5 hours Practical = 13 hours)

Product and Services - Product Demonstration, Its Importance and Aspects; Preparing an Area for Demonstration; Knowing the Details/Features and Benefits of the Product; Various Steps in Product Demonstration; Providing Specialist Support to the Customer; Facilitating Purchases.

Module III: Assisting Customers Choose the Right Product (10 hours Theory+ 5 hours Practical = 15 hours)

Product Features; Responding to Customer Queries; Cross Selling; Up- Selling; Customer Responses and Acknowledging Customer Buying Decisions; Sales Closure; Bill Payment; Addressing Product Replacement; Specialist Product Features; Display and Demonstration; Safety and Security of the Store; Providing Personalised Sales and Post-Service Support.

Module IV: Maximising Sales (10 hours Theory + 5 hours Practical =15 hours)

Product Feature and Benefit Analysis; Promoting Product and Reporting Promotional Opportunities; Recording and Evaluating Promotion Result

Assessment Details with weights:

Assessment Plan(weight, mode, scheduling) for the course

Reading List:

1. Singh, Y. (2007). Dictionary of Retailing. Cyber Tech Publications.
2. Sivakumar A. (2007). Retail Marketing (1^sted.). New Delhi: Excel Books.
3. Gilbert, D. (2003). Retail Marketing Management (2^nded.). Financial Times Prentice Hall. 
4. Vedamani. G. G. (2004). Retail Management: Functional Principles and Practice (2^nded.).Jaico Publishing House.
5. Pradhan, S. (2004). Retailing Management: Text and Cases (3^rd Reprint). New Delhi:  Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd.
6. Rosenbloom, B. (2007). Marketing Channels: A Management View (8^thed.). New Delhi: South-western, Div of Thomson.
7. Gitomer, J. (2015). The Sales Bible, New Edition: The Ultimate Sales Resource. John Wiley & Sons.
8. Gitomer, J. (2004). Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness,
9. Bard Press.Suresh (Sl), K. (2005). Positioning and Repositioning: Perspectives and Applications, Hyderabad: ICFAI University Press.