Presentation Transcript

1. 2010 USCABest Practices in Teaching Advanced SellingandEnsuring Learning Happens

   Presented by Mark C. Johlke of Bradley University
2. Introduction During the late spring and early summer of 2010 the USCA surveyed its members, asking: What is your university or program doing well or what unique approach(es) are you using in the area of: Teaching Advanced Selling? What 1-2 practices do you think would benefit your USCA colleagues to consider? What is your university or program doing well or what unique approach(es) are you using in the area of: Assurance of Learning (AoL)? What 1-2 practices do you think would benefit your USCA colleagues to consider? 14 programs responded
3. Teaching Advanced Selling Edited Responses: Professional salespeople and sales managers as guest speakers, so to provide significant contact with sales professionals. Four role plays with individual review meetings after each, so to provide individualized feedback and coaching. Student teams receive a list of existing clients (for relationship management, account penetration, advancing the sales cycle) and warm leads. Student are also required to make a certain number of cold calls. Using role plays similar to those used in student sales contests.
4. Edited Responses (continued) Using extensive role plays and in-house sales contest. Emphasize negotiating and key-account management. New Negotiation course. Required sales internship. External sales project with a local business. Sales practicum in which students sell advertising space for university newspaper Students coordinate a guest speaker’s visit. Ensuring that students experience rejection during their role plays. In class talks by sales experts. Mock interviews with sales professionals.
5. Edited Responses (continued) Using “Sales Role Play Scripts” by Tom Butler and published by Business Skills Press. Encouraging students to participate in one or more of the various student sales contests. Using sales professionals as role play buyers. Requiring students to prepare a written sales proposal. Requiring students to complete a team-selling role play. Requiring students to complete shadowing exercises. Requiring students to complete persuasive presentations. Requiring students to participate in networking activities. Requiring students to interview a buyer.
6. Advanced Sales Summary Wide range of specific activities with common focus on: More role plays Interacting with sales professionals Experiential learning, including internships Participation in student sales contests Areas not explicitly noted include: Effectively using sales technology The role of social media in professional selling Career development
7. Al Pelham asked Advanced Sales professors and practitioners to rank topic importance Professors: Practitioners: Positioning as a consultant and not as a salesperson. (8) Improving listening/ questioning skills. Techniques to uncover customer problems. Customer problem diagnosis skills. (6) Pre-call planning. Improving listening/ questioning skills. Advanced objection handling techniques. (14) Techniques to uncover customer problems. Pre-call planning. Prospecting to develop and quality leads. (11)
8. Assurance of Learning Edited Responses We don’t include sales classes in AOL program. Nothing. Role play catalog that shows development over courses. I don’t handle this. We have a director of AOL. We have set AOL goals that are linked to program, college and university. We are just beginning to look at AOL. Nothing novel here.
9. Assurance of Learning Summary
10. Assurance of Learning Summary Very little specific actions within USCA sales programs regarding AOL. Can anticipate increased demand for AOL accountability from Deans.

11. USCA 2010Best Practices in Professional Development

    What are you doing well in the area of: Managing Extra Curricular Student Experiences to Ensure Development? Share your best practices in the areas of sales competitions, internships, and professional development. What 1-2 practices do you think would benefit your USCA colleagues to consider? Presented by Ellen Pullins, University of Toledo
12. Core Activities Internships Career Fair Networking Events Using Advanced Sales Students for “Extra” Development Pi Sigma Epsilon and Other Student Organizations Competitions Most programs seemed to include some aspect of each of these core activities
13. Internships Required versus Encouraged Faculty work closely with them in getting (Bradley) Career fairs that promote internship opportunities (Purdue) Innovative Idea: Assigning a text and structuring the internship beyond approval/final report. (Discover Your Sales Strengths) (OU)
14. Career Fairs Sales Specific (GSU, UT) College or University Encouraging students to engage at competitions Innovative Idea: Receptions before campus career fairs (Purdue)
15. Networking Events Specialized campus events Etiquette meal (NIU) Golf Outing (NIU) Networking night (UT) Involvement with SMEI (Akron) Professional Speaker Series (IU) Annual Sales Conference for Young Salespeople (OU) Innovative Ideas: Involvement in Board Meetings (Akron) Professional Development Plan (Baylor)
16. Using Advanced Sales Students for “Extra” Development Students Sell Sales Program (UT) Advanced Sales Students Acting as Buyers (Bradley) Innovative Idea: Using Advanced Sales Students to “Sell” the Program at Community Colleges (WPU)
17. Pi Sigma Epsilon and Other Student Organizations New Chapters of PSE (e.g., MSUM) Active existing chapters (UT) Other organizations To support or not support? Innovative Idea: Student Organization Structured as Corporation (IU)
18. Competitions NCSC RBI National Sales Challenge NIU World Sales Competition IU’s Sales Team Competition Western States Collegiate Sales Competition (CSUC) Great Northwoods Sales Warm UP (MSUM) Internal Competitions How many doing how many? which? Time permitting: How to manage multiple competition entries on thin resources?
19. Now that everything’s illuminated