The only way a student can learn about the high-stress, high-stakes environment of sales is by living it. For this reason, Dr. Allen Schaefer of the Marketing Department incorporates at least two role-playing competitions in his Advanced Selling course each semester.
In the past, Schaefer has worked with such high-profile companies as Northwestern Mutual and Frito Lay to develop these competitions. This year, he reached out to Cintas.
“The addition of Cintas this semester was significant as they were ranked the past two years as No. 1 on a list of the “Best Service Companies to Sell for Now” by Selling Power magazine. These selections are made based on criteria such as leadership, compensation, career options and promotability,” Schaefer says.
Throughout February, Cintas district sales manager and MSU alumnus Chris Wilson brought in two members of his sales team for a mini-training seminar and to judge the role-playing competition. Thirteen students competed each night in eight-minute rounds. The top three finishers each received award certificates and the top two received gift cards. “I believe the sales role-play competitions are invaluable. They allow us to apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations. We work with sales professionals currently in the field, potentially leading to jobs with excellent companies,” says Sam Bromley, the winner of the second group.
“The competition was fantastic. I was amazed by what your students picked up about our selling process in such a short period of time,” says Wilson. “They were all prepared and did very well with the limited background information we gave them.” When asked what it was like to return to MSU to work with students, he says, “It’s always great to be able to give back if you can. I was honored to be in a position to share information I have gained through life’s experiences.”
Wilson also noted, “Although it is typically everyone’s least favorite thing to do, these are real-life scenarios that the students will encounter if they pursue a career in sales. The more prepared they are for what they will encounter in the marketplace, the more valuable their stock to employers and the faster they will ramp up.”
We offer a big thanks to sponsoring companies such as Cintas, Northwestern Mutual and Frito Lay for the big difference they make in the lives of our future sales professionals.