Deciding today what is going to be done in the future, what stages we define to go through and how we are going to implement it and measure it in order to control it, as well as the means that we have and that we will have to make available for a more efficient execution. This is the challenge of Business Planning.

1. Introduction to the new competitive scenario
We will analyse the impact of globalisation, the Internet and new consumer habits on the commercial environment and how they should be addressed in order to transform them into advantages for the sales department.

2. The new role of the sales manager
We will study their new functions both in the technical area (market definition and design of the commercial plan) and in the area of intangible concepts (team motivation and the search for excellence in service).

3. How to promote consultative selling
We will learn how to convert the trinomial "salespeople-product-price" into the binomial "salespeople-consultants", which implies a profound change in the sales techniques to be used.

4. Commercial planning
We will review all the elements that an ambitious but realistic sales plan should contain: from the choice of the most suitable sales structure to the definition of the most appropriate commercial model.

5. Sales team management policies
We will discover how to define the most suitable profiles in the sales team and when it is necessary to outsource certain commercial tasks in order to survive in the new competitive context.

6. Systems for measuring salesperson performance
We will learn how to design systems to evaluate the work of salespeople from a quantitative and qualitative perspective.

7. Motivation of the sales team
We will discover the growing importance of attitudinal factors and emotional intelligence in the motivation and loyalty of teams, as opposed to traditional practices such as high commissions and bonuses. At the same time, we will also see how both techniques can complement each other.

8. The importance of relationship marketing in sales
We will reflect on the principles of relationship marketing and its ways of creating value in order to create customer loyalty through long-lasting relationships that benefit both parties.

9. The Internet and its effect on sales
We will delve into the threats and opportunities offered by online marketing. While, on the one hand, customers are nowadays better informed and have access to more purchasing options, on the other hand, the Internet and new technologies can be a great support for sales, allowing, for example, the creation of profiles for cross-selling, customer services or online loyalty programmes.