Marketing professor David Titus with the top finalists in the Professional Selling competition.
The sales competition is designed to provide a venue for St. Cloud State sales students to showcase their selling skills, knowledge and abilities and receive feedback from local sales professionals. It is put on by the Department of Marketing and sponsored by Northwestern Mutual, Anderson Trucking Services, Cintas, Penske and Sherwin Williams.
Eighty-seven students participated in the competition held April 21 in the Northwestern Mutual Sales Lab. About 50 sales professionals representing 25 area, regional, national and international firms participated as judges and buyers in both rounds of the competition.
Marcus Welk, Fargo, North Dakota, took second place in the competition and Amber Youngs, Monticello, took third.
The students were judged on their ability to develop strategic sales openings, ask probing questions to determine the buyer’s needs and develop a strategic needs-based professional selling presentation. They were also judged on their visual aids and ability to handle buyer objections and close the sale.
Marketing Professor David Titus presents Ben Beuch with his first place plaque.
The day also included a Sales Career Fair and a Speed Selling Competition.
Ashlyn Watkins, Rosemount, won the Speed Selling Competition and earned a Professional Selling Specialization scholarship and an award plaque.
In the Speed Selling Competition, each student selected a minimum of five firms participating in the competition or career fair. They researched the firms and then had 90 seconds to promote themselves to the firms’ representatives.
Ashlyn Watkins wins the Speed Selling Competition.
In turn, representatives from the firms had 90 seconds to “sell” their organization to the students by talking about internship and career opportunities or about the firm itself.
During this fast-paced event, the firm representatives judged the Speed Selling participants on their knowledge of the firm, application of their selling skills, verbal and non-verbal communication skills and upon their creativity.
“The Speed Selling competition is designed to help our sales students learn more about opportunities available at firms for which the students might like to work,” said Denny Bristow, marketing professor and Sales Competition organizer. “At the same time, this event allows the participating firms to learn more about our sales students.”
The St. Cloud State Sales Competition and Career Fair is held each December and April in Centennial Hall.
Top 12 finishers
Vanessa Lund
Jacob Benoit
Benjamin Beuch
Camille Knighton
Marcus Welk
Lindsey Klug
Amber Youngs
Anastasia Bykov
Bailey Cossairt
Abigail Albro
Cassandra Kalinowski
Brian Barlow
