Fowler Students Participate in Inaugural Sales Competition Event

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Undergraduate students from the Fowler College of Business who have indicated an interest in pursuing careers in the sales field were invited to compete in the college’s first annual Undergraduate Sales Competition.

The competition was created by marketing professor, Gabriel Gonzalez, to provide students with the communications and relationship-building skills they will need to succeed as they start their careers.    

“I wanted to more completely develop our sales education program and I established this event as an educational experience for students that is also a recruiting event,” said Gonzalez. “This competition helps us extend our sales education efforts outside the classroom in more practice-oriented ways. Plus, the event will have representatives from companies that are currently recruiting to interact and mentor our students.”

One of the companies sponsoring the event, Fastenal, designed a real-world business-to-business sales situation in which students engaged in a sales presentation scenario with the company representatives Fastenal, Cintas, E. & J. Gallo Winery, Triad Components Group and Rite-Hite. Afterward, the representatives offered feedback and advice to students on how to improve their presentations.

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The event was staged on October 18 with company representatives in four separate rooms. Students were assigned to a room to deliver their presentation and the representatives within the room scored the student on their performance. At the conclusion of the student presentations, the representative declared the top three scores for each room. The four winners from each room received a $500 scholarship from Fastenal and the students with the top three scores received an additional cash prize.

Gonzalez called the event a success and he plans to open it to more students and companies next year.

“Every company involved commented how impressed they were with our students, especially with their preparation and innate selling skills,” said Gonzalez. “Conversely, our students expressed their gratitude for having the opportunity to develop professional sales skills in a real-world environment and receive coaching from practicing salespeople and managers.”