For six years, the Strategic Sales Competition has provided students an opportunity to gain valuable sales experience and the chance to network with local sales professionals from top companies. This year, though taking a new virtual format, proved no different.
Five students won scholarship money in the sixth annual Strategic Sales Competition on Friday, Oct. 23.
Three of the student winners, Charlie Gilbert, Anya Lacey, and Brady Bayles, will represent TU at the National Shore Sales Competition in March. The other scholarship winners were Michael Carter and Lauren Fluck.
Prior to this year’s competition, contestants received product information to prepare for a 20-minute, one-on-one sales meeting with a potential “buyer.” The contestants present the “need” for the product, propose a solution to the buyer’s need, address the buyer’s concerns, and potentially make a sale. The meeting is recorded and streamed to several judges who score each student’s execution of the stages of sales process.
This year, all 24 judges and six “buyers” were sales managers and recruiters from 14 companies in the area, including McCormick, Stanley Black and Decker, and Sherwin Williams.
“The feedback from the sales professionals in attendance was very positive,” says Plamen Peev, associate professor of marketing. “According to them, the virtual format of this year’s competition reflects the current realities their companies face and may well be a big part of the future of the sales profession going forward.”
by Jenna Harrity ‘20