How should a firm’s salesforce – as an important corporate success factor - be optimally managed to maximize firm performance? More specifically, for example, how should sales managers lead to optimally motivate their salespeople? What are the most important skills and competences for a salesperson? Should salespeople receive a firm car to reward their selling success? Who should be in a sales team?

The key objective of the course salesforce management is to answer these and similar questions which are important to firm practice and research alike. A firm‘s salesforce is the firm’s “face to the customer” and the main ambassador of the brand. Therefore, being the major link between the firm and its customer, the salesforce exhibits an enormous impact on a firm’s overall performance. Consequently, the management of this critical success factor, the salesforce, is of highest importance to companies. Nowadays, in many firms sales managers increasingly gain strategic importance on top management levels - an academic, profound education for such positions is indispensable. Therefore, the key objective of this course is to endow students with a basic understanding and actionable skills of salesforce management.