skillsoft project combined - final
TRANSCRIPT
Running Head: Team A - Final 1
General Education Assignment/Team Project
Skillsoft® and Amgen®, Inc.
Team A
Autumn Clark, Zachary Conley, Samuel Hernandez, Elizabeth Krupa, Skip Spoerke
Professional Selling: MKT 270-07127
Professor Micheline Anstey
December 10, 2015
Team A - Final 2
Author Certification
We certify that we are the authors of this General Education Assignment. Any assistance
we received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed within this document. We
certify that we have not received help from any unauthorized persons. We have cited all sources,
both print and electronic, from which we have used data, ideas, or words, either quoted or
paraphrased. Our cited sources are indicated within this document using APA citation style. We
also certify that this assignment was prepared by us specifically for this course.
_____________________________________________
Autumn Clark
______________________________________________
Zachary Conley
______________________________________________
Samuel Hernandez
______________________________________________
Elizabeth Krupa
______________________________________________
Skip Spoerke
Team A - Final 3
Table of Contents
Author Certification.............................................................................................................2
General Education Assignment/Team Project.....................................................................6
Skillsoft® Profile.................................................................................................................6
Direct Competitors...............................................................................................................6
Skillsoft® Leadership Advantage™....................................................................................8
Value Proposition.................................................................................................................9
Amgen®, Inc. Profile.........................................................................................................11
Strengths........................................................................................................................11
Large product portfolio..............................................................................................11
Innovative leader........................................................................................................12
Year-over-year growth...............................................................................................12
Strong collaborative arrangements............................................................................12
Focus and increased investment in research and development.................................12
Weaknesses....................................................................................................................12
Discontinued development programs........................................................................12
Neupogen lost its patent protection...........................................................................12
Patent infringement lawsuits......................................................................................13
Significant debt obligations.......................................................................................13
Alleged involvement in misbranding activities.........................................................13
Team A - Final 4
Opportunities.................................................................................................................13
Growing market for branded biosimilars...................................................................13
Collaborative strategic agreements............................................................................13
New products build a stronger portfolio....................................................................14
Threats...........................................................................................................................14
The competitive environment of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies......14
Narrow distributor base.............................................................................................14
Patent expirations across the industry........................................................................14
Cost containment.......................................................................................................15
Current Training Programs............................................................................................15
Underlying Needs for Leadership Advantage™................................................................15
Sales Call...........................................................................................................................17
Team A Social Styles.....................................................................................................17
Driver.........................................................................................................................17
Analytical...................................................................................................................17
Amiable......................................................................................................................18
Expressive..................................................................................................................18
Objections for Leadership Advantage™............................................................................19
We Do It All In-House...................................................................................................19
Don’t Believe E-Learning is Effective..........................................................................19
Team A - Final 5
No Buy-In from Executives...........................................................................................20
No Budget......................................................................................................................21
Not Ready Right Now...................................................................................................22
References..........................................................................................................................23
Appendix A........................................................................................................................26
Team Attendance Policy....................................................................................................26
Foundation.....................................................................................................................26
Flexibility.......................................................................................................................26
Failure to follow this policy...........................................................................................26
Appendix B........................................................................................................................27
Appendix C........................................................................................................................28
Appendix D........................................................................................................................29
Team A - Final 6
General Education Assignment/Team Project
Skillsoft® Profile
Founded in 1998 ("About Skillsoft," n.d., para. 5), Skillsoft® is headquartered in Nashua,
New Hampshire ("Contact us," n.d., para. 6) and is a provider of online learning and e-learning
solutions designed to provide training in small and medium size businesses, global enterprises,
government, and education. Skillsoft® offers programs in leadership, information technology,
compliance and risk management, talent management, and project management, among others.
The programs offer easy access to a variety of learning modules ("Skillport®," n.d.).
Skillsoft®’s programs are unique to the industry because they can be modified to meet
the specific needs of their client companies, and the company takes a fairly simple approach,
using cloud-based technology (Hoovers, Inc., n.d.). Skillsoft® targets companies looking to
improve the leadership skills of employees—in hopes that these leaders will disseminate their
skills and training amongst other employees and encourage innovation in the workplace. This
company provides a valuable tool for the business world because it offers a balanced approach to
training.
Direct Competitors
Skillsoft® has several competitors throughout the market. One of the top competitors is
Harvard ManageMentor®; its use of current technology provides ease of access and a variety of
learning opportunities. Ease of access includes being available whenever and wherever a client
may need. Updated content and lesson simplicity are ways that Harvard ManageMentor®
maintains its variety of learning opportunities.
Team A - Final 7
One of the core strengths of Harvard ManageMentor® is the setup of its training videos:
videos last 15-20 minutes and allow the user to learn the subject, practice it and then reflect on it
all within one sitting (Harvard ManageMentor®, producer, n.d.). Although it has many positive
attributes, it also has things to work on as a company. One weakness it has encountered is being a
very text heavy company having around 75% of its program text-driven. Harvard
ManageMentor™ also only offers one-third of the videos that are available to Skillsoft® users
and doesn’t have as many resources (D. Ponsant-Fillion, Personal communication, September 21,
2015).
Skillsoft® must also compete with instructor-led training, which is traditional training
that takes place in person. Training instructors are typically either contracted by the company or
within the company to instruct others in a training room, office, or similar space. Group training
sessions are standard due to the expensive nature of training an employee one-on-one. (Mind
Tools, n.d.) Having employees train in a group setting, however, does not make this method
inferior. On the contrary, having employees work together in a classroom setting gives them an
opportunity to bond and learn how to work as a team (Schlenker, 2015).
The ideal use of instructor-led training is for new or complex material where the
employees may need additional elaboration and questions answered. Instructor-led training can,
unfortunately, cause slow learners to fall behind, and quick learners to stop paying attention to
the instruction. The most effective instructor-led training solution requires overcoming the
weaknesses, which often involves acknowledging that some learners will lose focus (Mind Tools,
n.d.).
Team A - Final 8
Skillsoft® Leadership Advantage™
Leadership Advantage™ is a fully adaptable, easy-to-use e-learning development
program that provides leadership instruction using a variety of methods, including video, audio,
text, and interactive activities. Because Leadership Advantage™ is specifically targeted at "mid
to upper-level executives, aspiring executives, leaders, and other high-potential employees,” this
program is shaped to meet the career growth needs of those employees. Each level offers real-
world content presented by diverse business leaders and challenges learners to become actively
engaged in becoming better leaders (Product Overview, n.d.).
While there are different levels to Leadership Advantage™ representing the leadership
level of each employee, customizing the program to meet specific needs requires an additional
fee-based service. This service includes aligning the program with specific values, such as
patient value and innovation—both of which are important to Amgen®—or aligning Leadership
Advantage™ with development programs already in place, such as workshops and facilitator-led
sessions. Branding the homepage to align with any business, and adding company messages,
documents, and media can be done through the editor and the fee-based service (Data Sheet,
n.d.).
The time commitment for each track is about two hours, but employees don’t have to
complete an entire track in one session. The tracks are broken down into resources that typically
require less than five minutes. Progression through each track is dependent entirely on the
learner. The executive version is a faster option--aimed at providing busy users with a twenty-
minute version of the track. At the conclusion of each track, the user will be presented with a
challenge and post-test to determine mastery of the subject (Product Overview, n.d.).
Team A - Final 9
Amgen® has approximately 18,000 employees, according to its fact sheet, “About
Amgen.” To secure the best prices for Leadership Advantage™, Amgen® only needs to enroll
200 employees in the program. The price for 200 or more employees is $125 per user for a three-
year contract. That's less than half the cost per user of enrolling less than 50 employees for the
same three-year contract. If three years are too long, the price for a two-year contract would be
$144 per user or the price for a one-year contract would be $192 per user with 200 or more
enrolled employees (Pricing, n.d.).
Value Proposition
Leadership Advantage™ trains leaders to become great leaders. This leadership program
—built with the learner and business in mind—not only offers different methods to deliver
content but also keeps time management at the forefront. The program uses interactive activities,
video, audio, and text to provide real-world content through diverse business leaders that
Amgen® leaders can immediately implement. Leadership Advantage™ allows the user to work
as long or as short as they have time for without losing their place, and even offers an executive
version for those users with very little time. Neither Harvard ManageMentor® nor instructor-led
training possesses the flexibility of Leadership Advantage™.
For full access to Harvard ManageMentor®, $399.95 per year needs to be paid per user
(Harvard Business Review, n.d.). For full access to Skillsoft® Leadership Advantage™, a pricing
tier helps ensure affordability, with the best price being about a third that of Harvard
ManageMentor®. If the need is for a fully customized solution, Skillsoft® offers a fee-based
service to ensure that Leadership Advantage™ meets those particular needs. In other words,
Amgen® leaders will be given an opportunity to become great leaders and engaged through a
Team A - Final 10
variety of learning methods, at affordable prices, and potentially on a customized platform
specifically for Amgen®.
Team A - Final 11
Amgen®, Inc. Profile
Amgen® incorporated on April 8, 1980, as Applied Molecular Genetics, Inc. (AMGen) in
Thousand Oaks, California. After incorporating, the company named George B. Rathmann—
referred to as “Mr. Biotech” by Red Herring magazine—as its first CEO. It was decided, after
three years of experimenting, that Amgen®, Inc. would focus its efforts on treating and curing
disease ("The Amgen story," n.d., pars. 1-3).
A gene discovery by Fu-Kuen Lin’s research team in 1983 led to the creation of
Epogen®, which has been one of the most successful drugs in the history of biotechnology ("The
Amgen story," n.d., para. 5). Less than ten years after the 1983 gene discovery, Amgen®, Inc.
was featured on the Fortune 500 list with sales from Epogen® reaching one billion dollars ("The
Amgen story," n.d., para. 13).
Amgen®, Inc. has continued to foster a strong commitment to science and biotechnology;
in 2015 alone, the company has been recognized by eleven firms around the world for its
achievements and corporate culture. These awards and accolades include being named the “Best
Healthcare Company to Work for in America” by Business Insider; listed among the "Top 10
Leading Pipelines” within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry by MedAdNews; and
being awarded “2015 Best Biotech Company” by MedReps ("Awards and accolades," n.d.).
Strengths
Large product portfolio. Through its growing portfolio of products, Amgen®, Inc. has
helped millions of people fight against cancer, arthritis, kidney disease, bone disease, and other
serious illnesses (Global Markets Direct, April 06, 2015, p. 2).
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Innovative leader. Amgen®, Inc. has distinguished itself as being one of the most
innovative biotechnology leaders in the identification, isolation, production, and use of human
proteins as therapeutic agents (Global Markets Direct, April 06, 2015, p. 2).
Year-over-year growth. With products like Enbrel and Neulasta leading the biotech
industry, Amgen®, Inc. has seen significant growth year-over-year. Between 2013 and 2014, for
instance, Amgen®, Inc. reported an increase in revenue from $18.67 billion to $20.06 billion
(Global Markets Direct, April 06, 2015, p. 2).
Strong collaborative arrangements. Amgen®, Inc. has collaborative arrangements for
research and development with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, and Kirin
Holdings Company. Such arrangements allow Amgen®, Inc. to maintain a healthy pipeline for
product distribution on a global scale (MarketLine, September 24, 2015, p. 27).
Focus and increased investment in research and development. Amgen®, Inc. is an
expert in the discovery and development of protein therapeutics, which are used for the treatment
of illnesses in the areas of oncology, hematology, inflammation, bone health, nephrology,
cardiovascular, and general medicine. Between 2010 and 2014, Amgen®, Inc. had a compound
annual growth rate of ten percent (MarketLine, September 24, 2015, pp. 27-28).
Weaknesses
Discontinued development programs. Monetary and intellectual resources are lost each
time Amgen®, Inc. stops development of a product, such as the clinical trial discontinuation of
Rilotumumab in November of 2014 (Global Markets Direct, April 06, 2015, p. 2).
Neupogen lost its patent protection. When Neupogen lost its patent protection in 2013,
Amgen®, Inc. recognized declining sales of the product. In the United States, Neupogen sales
Team A - Final 13
declined roughly twenty-eight percent between 2013 and 2014 (Global Markets Direct, April 06,
2015, pp. 2-3).
Patent infringement lawsuits. In October 2014, Amgen®, Inc. filed patent infringement
lawsuits against Regeneron and Sanofi, and Sandoz, Inc. for infringement of U.S. Patents. Legal
proceedings like these consume time and money, and may result in the company being unable to
introduce products and generate revenue (Global Markets Direct, April 06, 2015, p. 3).
Significant debt obligations. Amgen®, Inc. had a debt of $13,362 million in 2010 and
finished 2014 with a debt of $30,715 million. Debt restricts the company’s financial ability to
fund expansion (MarketLine, September 24, 2015, p. 28).
Alleged involvement in misbranding activities. Amgen®, Inc. was guilty of
misbranding its drug Aranesp by promoting it differently than indicated on the label. The
settlement (2012) required Amgen®, Inc. to maintain its corporate compliance program and
abide by corporate integrity obligations for five years (MarketLine, September 24, 2015, p. 28).
Opportunities
Growing market for branded biosimilars. A growing dependence on biologics for the
effective treatment of numerous diseases indicates a continued increase in sales, from $176.1
billion in 2014 to $262 billion by 2019. The acceptance of biosimilars is also expected to
increase in markets outside the US (Global Markets Direct, April 06, 2015, p. 3).
Collaborative strategic agreements. Strategic agreements with other leading companies
help Amgen®, Inc. enhance its business operations and drive revenue (Global Markets Direct,
April 06, 2015, p. 3).
Team A - Final 14
New products build a stronger portfolio. Between 2014 and 2015, the company has
received approvals for numerous new products, to include Repatha, Neulasta delivery kit, and
Corlanor (MarketLine, September 24, 2015, pp. 28-29).
Threats
The competitive environment of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are subject to rapid and vast technological
changes, and products are subject to heavy competition. Amgen®, Inc. competes with large
biotechnology companies such as Biogen Idec, Celgene, and Gilead Sciences (Fuhrmann, 2014,
para. 3). Demand for Amgen®, Inc. products relies on the timely development and introduction
of new and competitive products, and the response to falling prices. Demand for Amgen®, Inc.
depends on its ability to compete with companies with more experience, improved research and
development capabilities, and greater resources for manufacturing, marketing, financial growth,
and managerial operations (Global Markets Direct, April 06, 2015, pp. 3-4).
Narrow distributor base. Having three distributors that each accounts for more than ten
percent of annual revenue is risky for Amgen®, Inc. If one distributor were to terminate its
contract, Amgen®, Inc. stands to lose a significant amount of revenue (Global Markets Direct,
April 06, 2015, p. 4).
Patent expirations across the industry. There are expected to be many patent
expirations over the next few years for innovative medications, which will result in a severe
increase in prescriptions for generic medications (Global Markets Direct, April 06, 2015, p. 4).
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Cost containment. Healthcare reform, third-party reimbursement, government price
regulations, etc. may have negative effects on product sales and operations (MarketLine,
September 24, 2015, pp. 30-31).
Current Training Programs
According to the State of California Employment Training Panel proposal from 2013,
Amgen®, Inc. planned to use classroom/lab instruction and computer-based learning with a
combination of WebEx, instructor-led e-learning, and Microsoft Lync—now Skype for Business
(p. 4). The anticipated program cost in 2013 was $458,000 ($630 to $800 per employee) for
training an estimated seven hundred employees (pp. 1-2).
Amgen®, Inc. intended to invest more than $7 million into employee training, which
focused on these core topics: business skills, computer skills, continuous improvement,
hazardous materials, and manufacturing skills (Webb, March 22, 2013, pp. 3-4). Expected
training under the core topics would be anti-harassment, basic job skills, basic safety skills,
diversity, ethics, interviewing/hiring skills, introductory computer skills, new employee
orientation, performance management training, and regulatory training (p. 4).
Underlying Needs for Leadership Advantage™
The underlying need first identified is to provide a consistent and ethical standard of
leadership to restore the reputation of the Amgen®, Inc. brand. Despite all of the awards and
accolades Amgen®, Inc. has received during the past year, the corporate culture was severely
disrupted by the alleged involvement with misbranding in 2012. Leadership Advantage™ will
Team A - Final 16
aid in the internal construction of a strong corporate culture by encouraging leadership growth,
which will externally promote a more favorable brand image (Leadership Advantage, n.d.).
The second underlying need is to reduce operating costs for Amgen®, Inc. while
increasing revenue to counter significant debt obligations. In 2013, Amgen®, Inc. anticipated
program costs of $458,000 to train approximately seven hundred employees, which did not
include leadership training. While Leadership Advantage™ cannot replace every training
program that Amgen®, Inc. has used, it can be customized to replace a few programs while
developing effective leaders with skills to improve efficiency and increase revenue (Leadership
Advantage, n.d.).
Team A - Final 17
Sales Call
Team A Social Styles
Driver. Liz Krupa has a driver social style. She likes to be in a position of power and
control, does not appreciate discussing irrelevant points, and prefers to make purchasing
decisions on her own (LifeHealthPro, 2013, p. 2). She requires a seller who is direct, prioritizes
the delivery of facts and information, and allows Liz to feel that she controls the tempo of the
sale (TRACOM Group, "Driving style," n.d., para. 5).
Cues that Liz is a driver include possessing a technical background, wearing conservative
attire, displaying indications of her achievements, not displaying posters nor slogans on the
walls, and arranging her desk to allow a clear channel for communication. Her ideal seller
provides concrete facts, useful information, and viable options while explaining what the product
can do (Poole, "How to sell to drivers," 2011, pars. 4-5).
Analytical. Autumn Clark and Sam Hernandez have analytical social styles. Logic and
accuracy motivate them, tendencies toward perfectionism are likely, and Autumn and Sam are
indecisive when they believe key information is missing (Avidian Technologies, Inc., 2014, para.
5). They require a seller who dutifully presents the facts and other verifiable information
(TRACOM Group, "Analytical style," n.d., pars. 3-5).
Cues that Autumn and Sam are analytical include conservative attire, possessing technical
backgrounds, displaying achievements on the wall, a work-focused office with a significant
amount of activity, and preference of solitary activities rather than team activities. Their ideal
seller is extremely thorough, explains how the product will solve a problem, and supports every
claim with verifiable evidence (Anstey, n.d., pp. 11, 14).
Team A - Final 18
Amiable. Zack Conley has an amiable social style and works well in a team environment,
can be quick to make decisions, is empathetic to the feelings of other people, and is dependable
and loyal to family, friends, and coworkers (Hayes, n.d., para. 7). He requires a seller who will
take the time to develop a relationship (Anstey, n.d., p. 14).
Cues that Zack is an amiable include photos of family and friends on his desk, frequent
use of team-related words, and relaxed composure. His ideal seller focuses on teamwork,
explains why the product will best solve a problem, and removes the risk from the sale (Poole,
"How to sell to amiables," 2011, pars. 4-5).
Expressive. Skip Spoerke has an expressive social style. He is impulsive with a short
attention span and is motivated by ideas and concepts more than information and facts
(TRACOM Group, "Expressive style," n.d., para. 7). He requires a seller who is engaging, uses
testimonials from influential people to support the product, and maintains a high energy level
throughout the sales cycle (Avidian Technologies, Inc., 2014, pars. 17-21).
Cues that Skip is an expressive include the use of a lot of hand gestures, high level of
enthusiasm and energy, frequent use of the word “I,” disorganized office, and sharing of big-
picture ideas (LifeHealthPro, 2013, p. 4). His ideal seller shows sincere interest in shared
ideasbeing shared, has plenty of stories and testimonials to share about who has used the product,
and enjoys talking about friends and family (Poole, "How to sell to expressives," 2011, para. 5).
Team A - Final 19
Objections for Leadership Advantage™
The five most relevant objections that Danielle Ponsant-Fillion introduced during her
presentation about Skillsoft® and Leadership Advantage™ on September 21, 2015 are below.
Following each objection is a corresponding conversation between buyer and seller.
We Do It All In-House
Buyer: We don't need this training program; we handle it all in-house.
Seller: I admire that you have been able to handle all of your training in-house. How
much do you spend per year maintaining your program?
Buyer: I'm not sure, but I think we spend about $500,000 per year.
Seller: $500,000 is a significant annual investment. Let me ask you, though, if money
were not a concern, what could you improve to take your training program to the next level?
Don’t Believe E-Learning is Effective
Buyer: I'm a skeptic of e-learning ever since the early 2000s when my previous company
tried it for employee training. It didn’t work.
Seller: If I understand correctly, an experience you had with your previous company has
led you to believe that e-learning is not effective, right? What would have made that e-learning
experience more effective?
Buyer: There was no accountability of employees to do the work. It was common that
someone would start a video, go to lunch, come back after lunch, take the test, and get credit for
completing the training. I found e-learning to be a waste of company funds and time and vowed
to invest more in instructor-led training than e-learning in the future.
Team A - Final 20
Seller: I’m sorry to hear that the e-learning program you were using before made it
difficult to hold your employees accountable for completing the work. I understand why you
would believe that kind of e-learning would be a waste of company funds and time. Leadership
Advantage™ addresses accountability for you in a couple of ways that I think you’ll appreciate.
Because each learning track can be broken into small pieces—requiring just a few
minutes each session—your employees will be able to fit this into their schedules very easily. At
the end of each track, they will be assessed to measure how much they have retained from the
track (Leadership Advantage, n.d., p. 2). The challenges and post-tests are designed to determine
the mastery of each track, but they also are not the only opportunities to hold employees
accountable.
Leadership Advantage™ can be integrated with other training programs you have. Say, for
instance, you want to continue your instructor-led training. With Leadership Advantage™, you
could incorporate a Leader Led Activity into each training, where you can observe the growth of
each leader (Leadership Advantage, n.d., p. 2). Would introducing these accountability tools to e-
learning make it more effective for you?
No Buy-In from Executives
Buyer: Our executives are not interested in adding a new leadership training program.
Seller: What are some of the hesitations of your executives about using Leadership
Advantage™?
Buyer: They don't have any experience with your program, so it's difficult to know how
it would work with our current development programs. Would we need to revamp all of our
programs to make this work, will adding this one replace another program, or what?
Team A - Final 21
Seller: Allow me to put your mind at ease a little regarding how this program might fit
with your other development programs. Leadership Advantage™ can be customized for
Amgen®, Inc. to work seamlessly with the programs you already have in place, including
classroom instruction and computer-based learning (Leadership Advantage, n.d., p. 1). You may
also discover that Leadership Advantage™ can replace one or more of your programs, or that
you want to revamp another program to supplement this one (Leadership Advantage, n.d., p. 2).
Perhaps meeting with your executives to address their specific concerns would be best, so that
we may put them at ease about how Leadership Advantage™ will work. Would it be possible to
schedule a meeting with some of your executives so that I may answer their questions directly?
No Budget
Buyer: Since we’re so close to the end of this year, we cannot fit anything else into our
budget right now.
Seller: I understand that Leadership Advantage™ does not fit into your budget this year,
correct? Have you started budgeting for next year?
Buyer: Yes, and I don’t think we can fit it in next year’s budget, either.
Seller: I understand that you feel that Leadership Advantage™ will be difficult to fit into
your budget. Other companies that have transitioned to this program have also felt that way.
They have found, however, that Leadership Advantage™ makes it easy to consolidate and
streamline leadership training programs—resulting in a reduction of programs being used. What
leadership training programs are currently being used at Amgen®?
Team A - Final 22
Not Ready Right Now
Buyer: This is not a good time for us to invest in leadership training.
Seller: Would you mind elaborating on why you feel this is not the right time for you to
invest in leadership training?
Buyer: We are in the process of hiring several employees who would be ideal candidates
for this program, but we do not see any benefit to this program until they are all in-house.
Seller: I can certainly appreciate that you recognize the benefits of Leadership
Advantage™ for your new employees; however, I would like to demonstrate how Leadership
Advantage™ can benefit all of your leaders—even those who have been with Amgen®, Inc.
since day one. Do you mind if we take a few minutes to discuss how other companies in similar
industries have used Leadership Advantage™ to develop leaders?
Team A - Final 23
References
Amgen® Inc. (2015, September 1). About Amgen [PDF].
Amgen® Inc. (n.d.). The Amgen story: Celebrating 35 years of unlocking the potential of
biology for patients. Retrieved October 10, 2015, from http://www.amgenhistory.com/
Amgen® Inc. (n.d.). Awards and accolades. Retrieved October 10, 2015, from
http://www.amgen.com/about/awards-and-accolades/
Anstey, M. (n.d.). Learning module 2 understanding the business customer [PPT].
Avidian Technologies, Inc. (2014, October 09). The 4 types of buyers and how to sell them.
Retrieved November 09, 2015, from https://www.avidian.com/blog/the-4-types-of-
buyers-and-how-to-sell-them
Fuhrmann, R. C. (2014, August 27). Who are Amgen Inc.'s main competitors? Retrieved
December 4, 2015, from http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/082714/who-are-
amgen-incs-amgn-main-competitors.asp
Global Markets Direct. (2015, April 06). Amgen Inc. - financial and strategic analysis review
[PDF]. GlobalData.
Harvard Business Review. (n.d.). Harvard Managementor Full Access. Retrieved October 2,
2015, from https://hbr.org/harvardmanagementor/full-access
Harvard ManageMentor® (Director). (n.d.). Watch an overview of Harvard ManageMentor®
[Video file]. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from https://hbr.org/harvardmanagementor/full-
access
Hayes, A. (n.d.). If you only understood your customer's personality style. Retrieved November
10, 2015, from http://www.ahfx.net/weblog/37
Team A - Final 24
Hoovers, Inc. (n.d.). Skillsoft® company profile. Retrieved September 28, 2015, from
http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-
profile.Skillsoft_Corporation.3b3a38b54083591d.html
LifeHealthPro. (2013, May 13). The 4 social styles. Retrieved November 09, 2015, from
http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/05/13/the-4-social-styles
MarketLine. (2015, September 24). Company profile Amgen, Inc. [PDF]. MarketLine.
Mind Tools. (n.d.). Instructor-Led Training: Creating an Effective Learning Experience.
Retrieved October 2, 2015, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/instructor-led-
training.htm
Ponsant-Fillion, D. (2015, September 21). Skillsoft® [Personal interview].
Poole, B. (2011, December 08). How to sell to amiables. Retrieved November 10, 2015, from
http://bobpoole.com/2011/12/08/how-to-sell-to-amiables/
Poole, B. (2011, December 09). How to sell to expressives. Retrieved November 09, 2011, from
http://bobpoole.com/2011/12/09/how-to-sell-to-expressives/
Poole, B. (2011, December 07). How to sell to drivers. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from
http://bobpoole.com/2011/12/07/how-to-sell-to-drivers/
Schlenker, B. (2015, March 17). 5 reasons to embrace instructor-led training. Retrieved October
2, 2015, from http://www.litmos.com/blog/social-learning/5-reasons-embrace-instructor-
led-training
Skillsoft® Inc. (n.d.). About Skillsoft. Retrieved December 4, 2015, from
http://www.skillsoft.com/learning-company.asp
Skillsoft® Inc. (n.d.). Contact us. Retrieved December 3, 2015, from
http://www.skillsoft.com/contact-us.asp
Team A - Final 25
Skillsoft® Inc. (n.d.). Data Sheet [Pamphlet].
Skillsoft® Inc. (n.d.). Leadership Advantage [Pamphlet].
Skillsoft® Inc. (n.d.). [Pricing]. Unpublished raw data.
Skillsoft® Inc. (n.d.). Skillport®. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from
http://www.skillsoft.com/business-solutions/skillport.asp
TRACOM Group. (n.d.). Analytical style. Retrieved November 10, 2015, from
http://www.tracomcorp.com/solutions/by-element/social-style/model/four-social-styles-
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TRACOM Group. (n.d.). Driving style. Retrieved November 10, 2015, from
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of California Employment Training Panel.
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Appendix A
Team Attendance Policy
Foundation
On-time attendance for all scheduled team meetings is mandatory. It is the responsibility of each team member to inform the team of any anticipated
absence at least 24 hours in advance. If there is an emergency that does not allow 24-hour notification, then the team must be
informed at the earliest opportunity. Meetings that this policy applies to will be scheduled—according to team availability—
no less than seven days prior.
Flexibility
There will be a 10-minute allowance before starting each meeting in the event someone is running a few minutes late.
Emergencies are not controllable, regardless of the type of emergency, so missed meetings due to emergencies will not be in violation of this policy.
The reasons for violating this policy will determine the consequences that will be presented with the verbal warning.
Peer assessments may or may not reflect violations, regardless of any verbal warning given. Peer assessments remain under the discretion of the person writing the assessment.
Failure to follow this policy
Missing one team meeting without proper notification will result in a verbal warning. Missing two team meetings due to other obligations will result in a verbal warning
(emergencies excluded). Being more than 10 minutes late for two meetings will result in a verbal warning
(emergencies excluded). The verbal warning will include the consequences if the same action is taken again.
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Appendix B
Team Progress Reports
Not included with the digital file.
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Appendix C
Previous Parts to the General Education Assignment/Team Project
Not included with the digital file.
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Appendix D
Reflection
This team project has allowed each of us to retain and utilize the concepts and processes
of selling in ways that we couldn’t visualize at the beginning of the semester. More important to
our team, however, is how each of us has developed individually throughout this course and how
easily our new individual knowledge has helped produce high-quality teamwork. We motivated,
praised, disciplined, and challenged each other every step of the way; we used team strength to
lift up perceived individual weaknesses; and we determined that we are an incredibly effective
team that gets the job done well.
Had we been given a second opportunity to do this project, we would have started by
immediately developing a team attendance policy and working harder to establish a time to meet
in preparation of working on part one. We did not have any problems working together to
quickly and effectively correct our mistakes preparing for part one, and we held everything else
to a standard the entire team is proud of. Sure, mistakes were made along the way, but we are all
leaving this course feeling more confident about our individual selling skills and with an
improved expectation of how a great team functions.