Executive Education
    H a r v a r d | B u s i n e s s | S c h o o lExecutive Education
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    Program Advising team
    Email: executive_education@hbs.edu
    New Program
    Managing Sales Teams and Distribution Channels
    Dates: 04–07 AUG 2019
    Location: HBS Campus
    Fee: $10,000
    The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals.

    Summary

    As digital technology continues to open up new distribution channels, customer demands—and sales strategies—are rapidly evolving. With multichannel networks becoming the norm, leaders must design a go-to-market strategy that sells the right products at the right time through the right combination of channels. In this hands-on program, you will improve your ability to optimize sales outcomes by developing and managing a high-performance multichannel network and sales force.

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    Summary

    As digital technology continues to open up new distribution channels, customer demands—and sales strategies—are rapidly evolving. With multichannel networks becoming the norm, leaders must design a go-to-market strategy that sells the right products at the right time through the right combination of channels. In this hands-on program, you will improve your ability to optimize sales outcomes by developing and managing a high-performance multichannel network and sales force.

    Key Benefits
    Sales leaders must understand when to sell directly to a customer, to a retailer, to a customer through a distributor, or to a wholesaler that supplies a retailer. This sales management program explores effective strategies for analyzing different route-to-market options, managing multiple channels, strengthening sales teams, and adapting to changing market dynamics. You will return to your company ready to implement an action plan that sets up your distribution channels—and your sales teams—to drive revenue and long-term success.

    DetailsCollapse All

    Design and lead a go-to-market system that meets your goalsDesign and lead a go-to-market system that meets your goals
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    • Focus your customer strategy
    • Analyze and select from different route-to-market options
    • Design and manage a multichannel network
    • Minimize tensions between channels
    Build the capabilities needed to execute your go-to-market strategyBuild the capabilities needed to execute your go-to-market strategy
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    • Improve sales team management by effectively recruiting, compensating, and motivating your sales force
    • Build strong relationships with distribution partners
    • Harness data and technology to optimize your strategy
    Expand your personal and professional networkExpand your personal and professional network
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    • Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
    • Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

    Key Benefits icon-dropdown-down

    Key Benefits icon-dropdown-down

    Sales leaders must understand when to sell directly to a customer, to a retailer, to a customer through a distributor, or to a wholesaler that supplies a retailer. This sales management program explores effective strategies for analyzing different route-to-market options, managing multiple channels, strengthening sales teams, and adapting to changing market dynamics. You will return to your company ready to implement an action plan that sets up your distribution channels—and your sales teams—to drive revenue and long-term success.
    Details

    Design and lead a go-to-market system that meets your goals

    • Focus your customer strategy
    • Analyze and select from different route-to-market options
    • Design and manage a multichannel network
    • Minimize tensions between channels

    Build the capabilities needed to execute your go-to-market strategy

    • Improve sales team management by effectively recruiting, compensating, and motivating your sales force
    • Build strong relationships with distribution partners
    • Harness data and technology to optimize your strategy

    Expand your personal and professional network

    • Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe
    • Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

    Who Should Attend

    • Executives directly or indirectly responsible for their organization's go-to-market strategy or sales-force activities
    • Particularly appropriate for: Sales and channel leaders from midsize and large corporations, such as vice presidents of sales, marketing, or distribution; regional sales managers; channel managers; key accounts managers; and human resources managers

    Attendance by multiple company representatives will foster teamwork and amplify the program's impact.

    icon-dropdown-down icon-dropdown-up

    Who Should Attend

    • Executives directly or indirectly responsible for their organization's go-to-market strategy or sales-force activities
    • Particularly appropriate for: Sales and channel leaders from midsize and large corporations, such as vice presidents of sales, marketing, or distribution; regional sales managers; channel managers; key accounts managers; and human resources managers

    Attendance by multiple company representatives will foster teamwork and amplify the program's impact.

    Learning and Living at HBS

    When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

    icon-dropdown-down icon-dropdown-up

    Learning and Living at HBS

    When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

    Admissions Criteria and Process

    We admit candidates to specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although most programs have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.
    Read More
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    Answering Your Questions

    Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with identifying the program that best addresses your learning and development goals. Contact a program advisor via email or call 1.800.427.5577 (outside the U.S., call +1.617.495.6555).

    Application Submission

    We recommend that you apply at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at exed_admissions@hbs.edu or call us at +1.617.495.6226.

    Application Review

    To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee's decision.

    Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

    The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals. No payment is necessary until you have been accepted. Payment is required prior to the program start date. If you need to cancel or defer participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 30 days before the start of the program to receive a full refund. Cancellations or deferrals received 14 to 30 days prior to the start of the program are subject to a fee of one-half of the program fee. Requests received within 14 days are subject to full payment.

    Admissions Criteria and Process icon-dropdown-down

    Admissions Criteria and Process icon-dropdown-down

    We admit candidates to specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although most programs have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.

    Answering Your Questions

    Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with identifying the program that best addresses your learning and development goals. Contact a program advisor via email or call 1.800.427.5577 (outside the U.S., call +1.617.495.6555).

    Application Submission

    We recommend that you apply at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at exed_admissions@hbs.edu or call us at +1.617.495.6226.

    Application Review

    To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee's decision.

    Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

    The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals. No payment is necessary until you have been accepted. Payment is required prior to the program start date. If you need to cancel or defer participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 30 days before the start of the program to receive a full refund. Cancellations or deferrals received 14 to 30 days prior to the start of the program are subject to a fee of one-half of the program fee. Requests received within 14 days are subject to full payment.
    Program content, dates, fees, and faculty are subject to change. In accordance with Harvard University policy, Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.

    What You Will Learn

    Through a rich learning experience that includes faculty presentations, case studies, small group discussions, simulations, and other exercises, you will explore key issues in distribution channel design, sales team management, multichannel management, and emerging channels. You will practice mapping customer flows, reviewing channel options, designing better distribution channels, and converting data insights into practical plans of action.

    At the end of each day, you and your peers will divide into small groups to discuss key takeaways from the cases and how they directly apply to your respective organizations

    icon-dropdown-down icon-dropdown-up

    What You Will Learn

    Through a rich learning experience that includes faculty presentations, case studies, small group discussions, simulations, and other exercises, you will explore key issues in distribution channel design, sales team management, multichannel management, and emerging channels. You will practice mapping customer flows, reviewing channel options, designing better distribution channels, and converting data insights into practical plans of action.

    At the end of each day, you and your peers will divide into small groups to discuss key takeaways from the cases and how they directly apply to your respective organizations

    Key AreasCollapse All

    Serving customers and creating valueServing customers and creating value
    icon-dropdown-down
    • Understand your customers' diverse points of view
    • Decide which demographics you are best positioned to serve
    • Build strategies for expanding your market reach
    Designing and implementing a winning go-to-market strategyDesigning and implementing a winning go-to-market strategy
    icon-dropdown-down
    • Shape your go-to-market strategy through "channel stewardship"
    • Develop an overarching strategy that guides the activities of the entire channel
    • Align your channel value chain to coordinate your partners' efforts and manage conflicts
    • Balance customers' needs with your distribution channel's capabilities
    • Optimize your route-to-market so that it best serves your customers and company
    • Determine marketing and distribution strategies for new products
    • Address channel conflicts and management issues in mature product categories
    Improving sales-force managementImproving sales-force management
    icon-dropdown-down
    • Learn how to recruit, structure, and compensate your sales force for the best outcomes
    • Diagnose and solve underperformance issues
    • Develop a system for evaluating and training employees
    • Understand how different compensation programs impact employees' motivation, productivity, behavior, and performance
    • Consider different strategies for pricing products and motivating sales teams
    Leveraging data and technologyLeveraging data and technology
    icon-dropdown-down
    • Explore how robotics, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things impact sales strategies
    • Use data and intelligence to determine your strategic approach
    • Employ technology to better design, monitor, and manage your sales and distribution channels

    Key Areas icon-dropdown-down

    Key Areas icon-dropdown-down

    Serving customers and creating value

    • Understand your customers' diverse points of view
    • Decide which demographics you are best positioned to serve
    • Build strategies for expanding your market reach

    Designing and implementing a winning go-to-market strategy

    • Shape your go-to-market strategy through "channel stewardship"
    • Develop an overarching strategy that guides the activities of the entire channel
    • Align your channel value chain to coordinate your partners' efforts and manage conflicts
    • Balance customers' needs with your distribution channel's capabilities
    • Optimize your route-to-market so that it best serves your customers and company
    • Determine marketing and distribution strategies for new products
    • Address channel conflicts and management issues in mature product categories

    Improving sales-force management

    • Learn how to recruit, structure, and compensate your sales force for the best outcomes
    • Diagnose and solve underperformance issues
    • Develop a system for evaluating and training employees
    • Understand how different compensation programs impact employees' motivation, productivity, behavior, and performance
    • Consider different strategies for pricing products and motivating sales teams

    Leveraging data and technology

    • Explore how robotics, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things impact sales strategies
    • Use data and intelligence to determine your strategic approach
    • Employ technology to better design, monitor, and manage your sales and distribution channels

    Faculty

    Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

    Faculty Cochair

    Doug J. Chung

    MBA Class of 1962 Associate Professor of Business Administration, cochair of "Managing Sales Teams and Distribution Channels"

    "The main theme of the program is how to go to market to achieve the best sales outcomes possible."

    Read Full BioRead More

    V. Kasturi Rangan

    Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing; cochair of the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative. Member of the Marketing Unit. He is the author of Transforming Your Go-to-Market Strategy: Three Disciplines of Channel Management. Cochair of "Managing Sales Teams and Distribution Channels."

    "The main theme of the program is how to go to market to achieve the best sales outcomes possible."

    Read Full BioRead More

    Faculty

    Donald K. Ngwe

    Assistant Professor of Business Administration. Member of the Marketing Unit.

    Read Full Bio

    icon-dropdown-down icon-dropdown-up

    Faculty

    Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

    Faculty Cochair

    Doug J. Chung

    MBA Class of 1962 Associate Professor of Business Administration, cochair of "Managing Sales Teams and Distribution Channels"

    "The main theme of the program is how to go to market to achieve the best sales outcomes possible."

    Read Full BioRead More

    V. Kasturi Rangan

    Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing; cochair of the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative. Member of the Marketing Unit. He is the author of Transforming Your Go-to-Market Strategy: Three Disciplines of Channel Management. Cochair of "Managing Sales Teams and Distribution Channels."

    "The main theme of the program is how to go to market to achieve the best sales outcomes possible."

    Read Full BioRead More

    Faculty

    Donald K. Ngwe

    Assistant Professor of Business Administration. Member of the Marketing Unit.

    Read Full Bio

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