BUSI 431 is Liberty's sales management and professional selling course. Its written work is four forums, three 1,000-word essays, and a group sales plan project written in three drafts and a final draft with activity tables, followed by an analysis of another group's plan.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as BUSI 431 Sales Management and Professional Selling, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as BUSI431.
What BUSI 431 covers
The catalog description: This course presents each component of the sales cycle in a business-to-business selling environment. Students will master models for initiating sales contacts, identifying and defining prospect's needs, and presenting and gaining commitment for a proposed solution.
The course presents each component of the business-to-business sales cycle, with models for initiating sales contacts, identifying and defining a prospect's needs, and presenting and gaining commitment for a proposed solution. The text is Castleberry and Tanner, Selling: Building Partnerships.
Eight quizzes (280 points) have no guide here. Every member of a sales plan group must contribute content to each draft, recorded in the activity table, to earn credit for it.
Textbook named in the published guide: Castleberry & Tanner, Selling: Building Partnerships (2019). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
BUSI 431 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discussion Board Forum 1 | 60 | Thread at least 350 words (references not counted); replies at least 200 words |
| 2 | Essay 1 | 75 | At least 1,000 words, excluding references |
| 2 | Sales Plan Project Draft 1 | 50 | Not set in the guide; follow the project instructions |
| 3 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 60 | Thread at least 350 words; replies at least 200 words |
| 3 | Sales Plan Project Draft 2 | 50 | Not set in the guide; follow the project instructions |
| 4 | Essay 2 | 75 | At least 1,000 words, excluding references |
| 5 | Discussion Board Forum 3 | 60 | Thread at least 350 words; replies at least 200 words |
| 5 | Sales Plan Project Draft 3 | 50 | Not set in the guide; follow the project instructions |
| 6 | Essay 3 | 75 | At least 1,000 words, excluding references |
| 7 | Discussion Board Forum 4 | 60 | Thread at least 350 words; replies at least 200 words |
| 7 | Sales Plan Project Final Draft | 50 | Not set in the guide; follow the project instructions |
| 8 | Sales Plan Project Analysis | 55 | Not set in the guide; a substantial analysis |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A 350-word thread written in Word with an APA reference in Week 1, then two 200-word replies with a reference each in Week 2. How to write BUSI 431 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 2: Essay 1
A 1,000-word analytical essay on an element of sales management, with 2 scholarly sources beyond the textbook. How to write BUSI 431 Week 2 Essay 1.
Week 2: Sales Plan Project Draft 1
The group's first sales plan draft with its activity table, following the textbook sequence and the project instructions. How to write BUSI 431 Week 2 Sales Plan Project Draft 1.
Week 3: Discussion Board Forum 2
A 350-word thread in Week 3 and two 200-word replies in Week 4. How to write BUSI 431 Week 3 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 3: Sales Plan Project Draft 2
The second sales plan draft with its activity table. How to write BUSI 431 Week 3 Sales Plan Project Draft 2.
Week 4: Essay 2
The second 1,000-word essay with 2 scholarly sources beyond the textbook. How to write BUSI 431 Week 4 Essay 2.
Week 5: Discussion Board Forum 3
A 350-word thread in Week 5 and two 200-word replies in Week 6. How to write BUSI 431 Week 5 Discussion Board Forum 3.
Week 5: Sales Plan Project Draft 3
The third sales plan draft with its activity table. How to write BUSI 431 Week 5 Sales Plan Project Draft 3.
Week 6: Essay 3
The third 1,000-word essay with 2 scholarly sources beyond the textbook. How to write BUSI 431 Week 6 Essay 3.
Week 7: Discussion Board Forum 4
A 350-word thread in Week 7 and two 200-word replies in Week 8. How to write BUSI 431 Week 7 Discussion Board Forum 4.
Week 7: Sales Plan Project Final Draft
The group's final sales plan with its activity table, revised from all feedback. How to write BUSI 431 Week 7 Sales Plan Project Final Draft.
Week 8: Sales Plan Project Analysis
Read, review and analyze another group's sales plan and give relevant, insightful feedback. How to write BUSI 431 Week 8 Sales Plan Project Analysis.
How BUSI 431 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. The four forums are 60 each (thread 40, replies 20), the three essays 75 each (225), the three sales plan drafts with activity tables 50 each, the final draft 50, the analysis 55, quizzes 280 and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Essays (3) | 225 |
| Discussion Board Forums (4) | 240 |
| Sales Plan Project Drafts (3) | 150 |
| Sales Plan Project Final Draft | 50 |
| Sales Plan Project Analysis | 55 |
| Quizzes (8) | 280 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 900 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Each course module/week (except Module/Week 1) begins on Tuesday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Monday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final module/week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach BUSI 431
Your sales plan group of 3 or 4 forms early, and Draft 1 is due in Week 2; agree on the product or service you will sell and who drafts each section.
Threads are written in Word and pasted or attached, with at least one APA reference each.
Questions students ask
What is the BUSI 431 sales plan project?
A group sales plan that follows the textbook's topic sequence, written in three drafts and a final draft, each with an activity table listing every member's contribution, followed by an individual analysis of another group's plan.
How long are BUSI 431 essays?
At least 1,000 words each, excluding references, in current APA with at least 2 scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.
Working through BUSI 431 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.