National Strategic Selling Institute awards $38,500 in student merit awards at annual benefit auction
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
The National Strategic Selling Institute at Kansas State University hosted the 12th annual benefit auction in May, where money the class raised was awarded to students and charity partner Coming Together for a Cure. Pictured above are the student winners of the Ninja Sales Cat Award, which recognizes the top performers in the Advanced Selling class, with the director of the institute. From left: Charles Kuenzi, Anders Runyan, Bailey Ballard, Dawn Deeter, Francesca Duntz, Hannah Broyles and James Neis. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University students in the Advanced Selling class organized the National Strategic Selling Institute's 12th annual benefit auction, where money the class raised was awarded to students and a charity started by an alumnus.
Students worked together to find items for the auction and sell tickets to the May event. This year, the class raised more than $186,000, which will go back to students through merit awards and scholarships.
An additional $18,613 was raised for Coming Together for a Cure, Wichita, which was chosen as the charity partner for the event. Founded by a K-State graduate, Coming Together for a Cure is a nonprofit organization that provides renewed hope for people with muscular dystrophy and other life-threatening diseases by advancing support, education and access to adult stem cell therapy.
Stan Weber '84, an alumnus of the K-State College of Business Administration, served as emcee of the event. Weber was a K-State quarterback and holds the longest tenure as a K-State radio broadcaster. Lynn Langvardt, owner of the Clay Center and Junction City sale barns, oversaw the auction portion of the evening.
During the auction, 48 students were presented with student merit awards totaling $38,500. These awards are based on student participation and performance in the Advanced Selling class. The six top-performing students earned the Ninja Sales Cat Award in recognition of class performance.
Anders Runyan, senior in professional strategic selling, Weatherby Lake, Missouri, earned top performer in the Ninja Sales Cat Award. Additional winners of the Ninja Sales Cat Award included Hannah Broyles, senior in professional strategic selling, Olathe; Francesca Duntz, senior in professional strategic selling, Overland Park; Charles Kuenzi, senior in professional strategic selling and management, Sabetha; James Neis, senior in professional strategic selling, Topeka; and Bailey Ballard, senior in professional strategic selling and marketing, Rogersville, Missouri.
The Ninja Sales Cat Awards were sponsored by the following companies and individuals, respectively: U-Stop Convenience Shops, owned and operated by Mark and Chris Whitehead; Charlie Morrison; Ron and Janis Jackson; Mike King, Luminous Neon Art & Sign; and Kelly Kitchener, Kelly Kitchener Agency Inc.
The Advanced Selling course is designed to simulate a real-world sales environment in the classroom. Students develop their sales stories and make calls during class with faculty coaching on the spot to improve skill sets. They use the Salesforce platform to track prospects and their sales pipeline as they work toward meeting or exceeding activity and performance quotas.
"I want our students to come out of this class with a full understanding of what it's like to be a member of a sales force," said Dawn Deeter, director of the National Strategic Selling Institute. "I want them to experience the highs and the lows and the realization of the hard work and mental toughness needed to be successful. The fundamental purpose of this class is to give our students a realistic preview of what it is like to be a salesperson so that they hit the ground running in their first sales role and experience success faster than their peers."
Deeter said this class is the first to successfully raise more than $180,000, exceeding the goal they set for themselves.
The National Strategic Selling Institute in the College of Business Administration has been named one of the top sales programs in the country for 12 straight years by the Sales Education Foundation. In the fall of 2018, Kansas State became just the 19thuniversity in the U.S. to offer a major in professional strategic selling. Students can also earn a certificate in professional strategic selling, which is open to all majors at the university. The professional strategic selling program introduces students to the fundamentals of sales, and the innovative curriculum and sales labs allow students to develop the skills they need to be successful.
For more information on the National Strategic Selling Institute, please contact kstatesalesprogram@k-state.edu.
