Learning case library

Cases and tasks for learning

Browse cases, pick the right tasks and share them as links or embeds in your LMS.

6

cases ready

68

tasks published

Cases

Ohjelma
Bike Lease Finland

Bike Lease Finland

Leasing and maintenance of employee bicycles, digital services.

Ohjelma
Excelence Solutions

Excelence Solutions

Consulting and data analytics, expert services and consulting.

Ohjelma
Finnish Timber Oy

Finnish Timber Oy

Ecological log buildings and construction site processes, project business.

Ohjelma
Green Scape

Green Scape

Customized green wall services for B2B clients, service business.

Ohjelma
Marine Craft

Marine Craft

Customized motorboats, project delivery, manufacturing industry.

Ohjelma
Scandinavian Design

Scandinavian Design

Leasing and maintenance of company bicycles, digital services.

Task

Setting Sales Goals



In this task, the student defines sales goals for a case company at different stages of the sales funnel: leads, meetings, proposals, and deals. They set numerical targets for each stage, assess their interrelationship, and consider where in the sales process there is the most potential for development. Additionally, the student plans how to practically monitor the achievement of these goals. This task develops the ability to lead sales using goals and tracking data.

Learning objectives

After completing the task, the student:
1. Can structure the case company's sales into different stages of the sales funnel (leads, meetings, proposals, deals).
2. Can set numerical sales targets that are both realistic and sufficiently ambitious.
3. Understands the conversions between stages and can assess where in the sales process there is the most room for improvement.
4. Can design a practical way to monitor the achievement of sales goals.

Step by step

  1. Setting sales goals

    Objective:
    The objective of this assignment is for the student to define clear and measurable sales targets for the case company at different stages (leads, meetings, proposals, deals) and to plan how the achievement of these targets is monitored in practice.

    Material:

    • The selected case company's case description from the learning material.

    • The assignment is based on the case description and moderate, logical assumptions about the company's current sales situation (e.g. how often customers are contacted, what the sales cycle is like).

    Assignment process (instructions for the student):

    1. Briefly describe the current sales situation
      Write 5–8 sentences about what sales in the case company are likely like:

      • what is sold and to whom

      • how customer contacts are generated (e.g. marketing leads, direct inquiries, sales prospecting)

      • what challenges may arise based on the case description (e.g. too few meetings, proposals not leading to deals).

    2. Define the sales pipeline stages and related indicators
      Build a simple sales pipeline with at least the following stages:

      • leads (potential customers)

      • sales meetings or presentations

      • proposals made

      • closed deals.
        Briefly describe (2–3 sentences per stage) what happens in each stage and how customers move from one stage to the next.

    3. Set numerical targets for each stage
      Choose a realistic review period (e.g. 1 month or 1 quarter) and set a specific numerical target for each stage, for example:

      • leads: how many new leads are desired

      • meetings: how many meetings the sales team should aim for

      • proposals: how many proposals should be sent

      • deals: how many deals or what sales volume should be achieved.
        Briefly justify why the numbers you chose are both ambitious and realistic for the case company.

    4. Consider the relationships between targets (conversions)
      Assess what kind of conversion rate is realistic from one stage to the next (e.g. how many leads convert into meetings, how many meetings lead to proposals, and how many proposals into deals).
      Write about ½ page in which you:

      • check whether the numerical targets you set are coherent

      • consider where most opportunities are lost

      • reflect on which stage should receive the most improvement efforts (e.g. better lead quality, stronger closing skills).

    5. Plan how the achievement of the targets is monitored
      Describe in ½ page how the case company could practically monitor the achievement of its sales targets:

      • what tools could be used (e.g. CRM system, a simple tracking sheet, weekly reporting)

      • who is responsible for monitoring the numbers and at what frequency (e.g. weekly, monthly)

      • how the sales team reviews what the numbers mean and what should be changed if targets are not met.

    6. Prepare a concise summary and proposal for management
      Write a final 5–7 sentence summary in which you:

      • present the sales targets you set for each stage of the sales pipeline

      • briefly state the assumptions behind the numbers

      • describe how the monitoring of targets is proposed to be implemented

      • highlight one key improvement suggestion that would most likely enhance the case company's sales performance.

    Submission and evaluation:
    Submit a text of approximately 1–2 pages that includes:

    • a description of the current sales situation of the case company

    • the sales pipeline stages and related indicators

    • numerical sales targets for each stage with justifications

    • an assessment of the relationships between targets (conversions)

    • a description of the monitoring plan and a summary with improvement suggestions.

    Evaluation will focus on how well you:

    • set concrete and measurable sales targets at a suitable level for the case company

    • understand the logic of the sales pipeline and the relationships between stages

    • design a functional and realistic way to monitor the achievement of targets

    • write clearly, in a structured and well reasoned way.

    Recommended working time: about 45–60 minutes, individually or in pairs.

Tasks by audience and theme

University of applied sciences

Polytechnics and higher education studies.

68 tasks