March 1, 2022
K-State Sales Team places fifth at University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition
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From left: Colton Williams, Hunter Hartner, student coach, and Jack McGuire. |
The Kansas State University Sales Team competed in the University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition, hosted by the University of Toledo, on Feb. 24-26. The competition had 36 universities and 72 students participating in the event. What makes the competition unique is that it is the first and only national sales competition to focus exclusively on non-seniors.
The K-State States Sales Team included Jack McGuire, a sophomore in finance, Shawnee, and Colton Williams, a junior in professional strategic selling, Osage City. Student coach Hunter Hartner, a sophomore in professional strategic selling and marketing, Belleville, helped prepare the student competitors for the competition.
The competition consisted of multiple role-play events that were sponsored by 3M. The team placed fifth overall. Students competed in two different divisions: sophomore/freshman and junior. McGuire finished seventh out of 36 competitors in the freshman/sophomore division. In the junior division, Williams tied for eighth out of 36 competitors.
"The University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition is a great opportunity for students to enhance their sales skills," said Kellie Jackson, managing director of the National Strategic Selling Institute and sales team coach. "With 3M as the sponsor, it provides students the opportunity to sell a technical product with a clear return on investment, unlike other competitions that concentrate on selling a service with perceived value. I was proud of the team's accomplishment, and the leadership that Hartner provided for the team, and look forward to their continued success."
The K-State Sales Team is in the College of Business Administration's National Strategic Selling Institute, which has been named one of the top sales programs in the country for 10 straight years by the Sales Education Foundation. The team consists of students who are enrolled in the certificate or major in professional strategic selling. In fall 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.
The K-State Sales Team will compete in several competitions throughout the school year across the country. For more information on the National Strategic Selling Institute or the K-State Sales Team, please contact kstatesalesprogram@k-state.edu.