November 15, 2024
K-State Sales Team places 24th in 2024 Collegiate World Cup of Sales
The K-State Sales Team recently competed in the International Collegiate Sales Competition hosted by Florida State University on Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, 2024, placing 24th in the 2024 Collegiate World Cup of Sales.
The Collegiate World Cup of Sales is the ultimate measure of a university sales program’s focus on overall business revenue-generating skills. These skills include relationship development skills, sales management problem-solving skills, and presentation and speech skills. Seventy-eight universities worldwide competed in various events, including a role-play competition, sales management case competition, and speed-selling event.
The K-State Sales Team had five students compete in the competition: Bryce Disberger, junior in professional strategic selling and finance, St. George; Halle Hartner, junior in professional strategic selling and economics, Belleville; Taylor Moorman, senior in professional strategic selling, Emporia; Adam Ramirez, senior in professional strategic selling, Shawnee; and Jackson Stewart, sophomore in professional strategic selling, Lenexa.
"Our students’ preparation for this competition truly shone through," shared Kellie Jackson, instructor and K-State Sales Team coach. "They recognized preparation as the cornerstone of success and demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication in the role-play, sales management, and speed selling components. I’m incredibly proud of their hard work competing against talented peers worldwide. This event offered an invaluable opportunity for our students to grow professionally and apply the skills they've honed in the classroom."
The role-play competition had 154 student competitors competing in the event. This four-round, tournament-style role-play scenario is similar to a complex selling situation where needs are developed in early meetings, leading to a solution presentation and final purchase decision. Hartner and Ramirez represented the K-State Sales Team in this event. Both advanced to round two, placing in the top 30 students. The team ranked 15th place overall in this portion of the competition.
Disberger and Moorman represented the K-State Sales Team in the sales management case competition. The team was given a specific sales management situation related to managing a professional sales force at ReliaQuest and asked to present a realistic solution. They competed in the first round, placing third in their room.
The speed-selling competition had 150-plus students competing. For the event, competitors prepared and practiced a 90-second elevator speech to sell themselves to Dexian. Then, they executed the elevator pitch in front of a panel of judges. Disberger and Stewart represented the K-State Sales Team in the event, competing in the first round.
“I want to thank Leff Bonney, Angie Kovarik, Chuck Viosca, Shannon Young, and the rest of the Florida State University team for putting on such a great event once again,” stated Jackson. “Thanks to all the sponsors for helping make this event possible for the student competitors and universities. No other event compares to this one as it offers our students such an invaluable experience.”
The National Strategic Selling Institute is housed in the College of Business Administration, which has been named one of the top sales programs in the country for 13 straight years by the Sales Education Foundation. The team has students enrolled in the certificate or major in professional strategic selling. In the fall of 2018, Kansas State University became just the 19th university 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 needed to be successful.
For more information on the National Strategic Selling Institute, please contact kstatesalesprogram@ksu.edu.