April 21, 2021
K-State Sales Program hosts second high school sales competition
Students from Kansas and Texas competed in the second high school sales competition hosted virtually by the National Strategic Selling Institute on April 14.
CJ Fernandes, senior at Marcus High School, Flower Mound, Texas, placed first; Chase Williams, a freshman at Osage City High School, Osage City, placed second; Manas Madambedu, a sophomore at Wichita East High School, Wichita, placed third; and Lane Sage, a freshman at Osage City High School, Osage City, placed fourth.
The 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 offering T-Mobile for Business fleet management solutions to an HVAC company. All students participated in the first and second rounds, then based on their performance students advanced to the final round showcasing the top four students.
"It was a great opportunity to host young talent virtually 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 who 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. We look forward to other similar events in the future to help prepare high school students for college success."
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 nine 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 their events, please contact kstatesalesprogram@k-state.edu.