Program Overview
We used to think great salespeople had been given a gift. While this may still be true, we know today’s sales managers play a key role in developing this gift to meet its full potential. During this two-day interactive program, Drs. Scott Downey and Dave Downey will guide you in assessing your people development skills, creating a high-performing culture, using tools to become a more effective coach for your team and more through group discussions, activities and networking opportunities.
This program is especially beneficial for current supervisors of salespeople, novice sales managers or those who will soon be promoted who are looking to amplify their performance.
For questions about this program or more information on who should participate, please contact Aissa Good at aissa@purdue.edu or (765) 299-3486.
“I would highly recommend Sales Management and Leadership to any manager — good, practical tips, techniques and systems I can use tomorrow. It is definitely worth the time away from work.” – Terry Hastings, Ruminant Sales Manager Kemin
“This program provided time for an inward look at my management and leadership skills. A great takeaway/reminder I gained is to be careful of jumping to a solution too quickly. Instead, think about the challenges and tools needed to address the situation.” – Joe Murphy, Senior Manager of International Ammonia & Industrial Sales, Nutrien Ag Solutions
Key Benefits
- Increase your knowledge of tools and approaches that have evolved as a result of changing market dynamics.
- Learn to categorize traits of successful sellers to effectively recruit, retain and evaluate your team.
- Practice handling management situations such as retaining good salespeople and dealing with challenging employees.
- Discover how your internal strengths can maximize team performance.
- Identify components of a strong sales culture and ways to measure and grow your team’s culture.
Program Content
The Future of Selling and Metrics for Sales Outcomes
The evolution of customer-focused marketing has progressed from the product era where the company was in control to the market era where the customer is driving decisions. This has caused significant implications for the sales process, consequently impacting sales managers. During this session, you’ll explore sales managers’ role in prioritizing and allocating resources and measuring efforts and results.
Development Assets and Engaging with Your Salespeople
This session will focus on the assets salespeople and managers use to maximize sales performance and ways managers can draw from these assets to develop others. You’ll also explore research on the frequency in which these tools are used in agribusiness today.
Changing Sales Organization Culture
Changing company sales culture can be a major challenge for any organization. Hear real-life examples of organizations that have successfully shifted their sales culture and processes.
Coaching at Work
Coaching processes and techniques are critical to the development of individuals and creating a synergistic team. In this session, you’ll have the unique opportunity to hear from Purdue Athletics coaches and experience the crossover between coaching athletes and coaching business professionals.
Intentional Planning for Interactions with Your Salespeople
From baby boomers to millennials, retaining good employees is critical. This session will help you understand the importance of giving feedback and having a career path for individuals across generations.
Educational Credit
You can earn CEU and CCA credit at this program.
FACULTY MEMBERS
Program Agenda
*Please note Indiana is on Eastern Time (ET).
*A printable pdf of the agenda is available for download here.
Schedule at a Glance
Day One
8:00 am
Program Kick-Off and Overview
8:30 am
The Future of Selling
9:30 am
Metrics for Managing Sales Outcome
10:30 am
Identifying Characteristics of Good Salespeople
12:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm
Enculturation and Changing the Sales Culture
2:30 pm
Coaching Skills
3:00 pm
Purdue Athletics Field Experience – Coaching and Culture Building in Action
6:30 pm
Conclude Day 1 and Depart for Networking Reception
Day Two
8:00 am
Debrief and Reflect on Day 1
8:45 am
Developmental Assets
Common Challenges for Sales Managers – Mini-Case Scenario Activity
Summarize Challenges and Ways to Address
12:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm
Intentional Planning with Salespeople
2:30 pm
Sales Management Strategies for the Future
- How do you see yourself adapting to a changing agri-selling environment?
3:00 pm
Conclude Day 2
Travel and Information
Program Location
Purdue University
Krannert Building, Room 758
403 Mitch Daniels Blvd.
West Lafayette, IN 47907
Hotel
Hampton Inn & Suites West Lafayette:
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hampton Inn & Suites West Lafayette (approximately 1 mile from campus). Contact the Hampton Inn & Suites at (765) 269-8000 or click here to make your reservation. Mention that you are with Sales Management and Leadership to receive the $142/night room rate. Check-in is 3:00 p.m. and check-out is 11:00 a.m. The room block and discounted rate will expire at 12 p.m. on April 19, 2025.
Hampton Inn & Suites West Lafayette
160 Tapawingo Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47906
(765) 269-8000
Located by the roundabout
Locate with Google maps
The Hampton Inn and Suites is a short drive to the Krannert Building with parking available in the Grant Street Parking Garage. The Hampton is still in close proximity to Purdue campus and all of its offerings. A continental breakfast is available each morning at the Hampton and included in your stay.
GETTING TO PURDUE UNIVERSITY: DIRECTIONS AND MAPS
Parking
All participants will park in the Grant Street Parking Garage for the program click here for directions.
If you are driving in daily, it will cost $10 per day
Meals
Please plan to eat breakfast before attending the program. If staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites, breakfast opens at 6 a.m. EST. Lunch will be provided daily, with drinks and snacks available throughout each day. There will be a networking dinner on May 20.
What to Wear
The attire for the program is business casual. The average temperature in West Lafayette in May ranges from a high of 73 degrees to a low of 50 degrees. Layers are recommended for the classroom. Please dress casual and comfortably, workout clothes are preferred, and tennis shoes are recommended for the boathouse experience on May 21. We will be rowing on the water and participating in physical activity. We will return to the hotel to change after the Boathouse experience.
Materials
Materials will be provided for you throughout the program. The presentations will also be available to you following the program.
Seminar Payment/Cancellation
Payment for the program is due upon registration. Please refer to our cancellation policy for full details and information.
For more information, contact:
Cooper House
Event Manager
(765) 418-6993
chouse@purdue.edu
Program Cancellation Policy
If a participant is unable to attend a Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business program, the participant may choose to: 1) transfer their registration fee to another participant within the same company, or 2) choose to receive a credit for the same program or another program that takes place within the 12 months following the originally booked event. However, a request to use a credit must be received no less than 30 days prior to the program start date, otherwise the credit will not be valid. No refunds will be issued regardless of cancellation date.
The Center for Food and Agricultural Business reserves the right to cancel a program due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the program non-viable. If a program is cancelled, registrants will be offered a full refund. Should circumstances arise that result in the postponement of a program, the Center for Food and Agricultural Business has the right to either issue a full refund or transfer registration to the same program on the new future date. The Center for Food and Agricultural Business will not be responsible for reimbursement of any participant expenses related to the cancellation or postponement of an event.