March 4, 2020
K-State Sales Program hosts inaugural High School Sales Competition
Seventeen students from six high schools across Kansas competed in the first high school sales competition hosted by the National Strategic Selling Institute on Feb. 26, at the Kansas State University College of Business Administration. Hunter Hartner, senior at Republic County High School, placed first; Cameron Ferencz, senior at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, placed second; and Tray Zabokrtsky, senior at Washington County High School, placed third.
This competition was designed to be a learning experience and spark a student's interest in pursuing a career in sales. Students were provided with a role-play scenario at the beginning of the year to begin preparation for the event. For this particular sales competition, they were selling a lunch tray to a school district. The students knew the lunch tray was more expensive than what was currently being used so they had to sell them on the value of the new lunch tray, which included a focus on sustainability and the company they were representing. All students participated in the first round, then based on their performance students advanced to round two and then a final round showcasing the top three students.
"It was a great opportunity to host young talent on campus while showcasing their skills in events very similar to that of which college students participate," said Kellie Jackson, managing director of the National Strategic Selling Institute. "The current sales students that assisted in buying and judging with the event were very impressed at how well the students prepared and engaged. We would like to congratulate them again on a job well done. As one of the top sales programs in the country, we look forward to other similar events in the future to help prepare high school students for college success."
Students from the following high schools competed in the competition:
Marmaton Valley High School
Palco High School
Republic County High School
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Washington County High School
Wichita East High School
To see all the photos from the event, please visit our Facebook page.
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 eight straight years by the Sales Education Foundation. In fall 2018, Kansas State became just the 19th university in the U.S. to offer a major in sales. 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 through the innovative curriculum and sales labs allows students to develop the skills needed to be successful.
For more information on the National Strategic Selling Institute or its events, please contact kstatesalesprogram@k-state.edu.