Before you ask and answer the question “is sales for me?” consider this:

By some credible estimates, 70% or more of University Graduates – regardless of College, Major, or discipline(s) of study -- will “end up” in a sales role within the first decade of their careers (Bolander et al. 2014; Damast, 2012). According to Harvard Business Review, half of all US College graduates (again, regardless of major) will work in sales at some point of their career, prior to retirement. And yet, few of these students will have had any deliberate training in sales in their college careers (Cespedes and Weinfurter 2016; Lytle 2012).

Research is clear that if individuals are exposed to solid training and education in sales prior to graduating college, then -- in the event they either elect to pursue a sales career or if they “end up” in one -- with such training in hand, they:  (i) perform far better than their peers with no such training; (ii) exhibit significantly higher job satisfaction; and (iii) show a markedly lower propensity to burnout or otherwise quit their job and/or leave the workforce (Badrinarayanan et al. 2015; Bolander et al. 2014; Cespedes and Weinfurter 2016).

Sales is also a TERRIFIC career with many advantages (Davidson, 2013), including:

• Income potential is amongst the highest of any profession, with 6-figure incomes common only a few years after college graduation
• “No-Set-Routine” (day-to-day) and little “Office Time” required in many sales organizations; your office is wherever you are!
• Advancement to senior sales roles or the executive suite (e.g., CEO, VP Sales, VP Marketing) is common for sales graduates later in their careers
• Virtually 100% job placement; professional salespeople are seldom unemployed, or for long
• Competitive Instincts satisfied; in sales, you compete everyday – it’s never boring!

At UTC, there are TWO Sales Education Credentials to pursue in the Sales Program:

• Minor in Professional Selling  – is for all UTC Majors and Programs of study, both within the RCOB and all other colleges {i.e., this is for all UTC students with one exception: MKT (Marketing) majors; see next entry}} Learn More
• Concentration in Professional Selling  – is solely for RCOB Marketing (MKT) majors Learn More

Both the Minor and Concentration in Professional Selling are designed so that needed courses are offered virtually every semester, ensuring an expedient time-to-graduation for UTC students.

What will I Study in the Sales Program? 

The coursework and required courses in the Minor and Concentration in Professional Sales provide students with a complete, robust education in “Sales” (i.e., both the theory and best practices associated with exemplary selling and serving customers and prospects today). The curriculum and coursework in Sales at UTC is also fully consistent with the best-practices and recommendations of the two top governing bodies and accreditation standards organizations who oversee Sales Education, or:  (i) the University Sales Center Alliance (USCA, see:  https://www.universitysalescenteralliance.org/), and (ii) the Sales Education Foundation (SEF, see: https://salesfoundation.org/). Infused throughout the four required courses in the Minor and Concentration in Professional Sales (i.e., the 12.0 required credit hours) are heavy amounts of experiential learning in the form of simulated sales calls and buying/purchasing scenarios; case studies; simulations; and mock negotiations and bargaining scenarios. These learning approaches have been shown to be “best-of-breed” in terms preparing students for success in sales roles after college graduation (Bolander et al. 2014; Nielson and Cummins 2019; Peltier and Deeter-Schmelz 2020; Spiller et al. 2019). {See also: (i) the USCA:  https://www.universitysalescenteralliance.org/), and (ii) the SEF: https://salesfoundation.org/).

Questions?  Want to discuss your individual situation?  Advisors in the RCOB can assist, and are ready to provide counsel and advice on both the Minor and Concentration in Professional Sales.

For individual consultations with Sales Faculty, please reach out to us to schedule an appointment:  [email protected]

We can’t wait to speak with you!

 

References

Badrinarayanan, Vishag, Andrea Dixon, Vicki L West, and Gail M Zank (2015), "Professional Sales Coaching:  An Integrative Review and Research Agenda," European Journal of Marketing, 49 (7/8), 1087-113.

Bolander, William, Leff Bonney, and Cinthia Satornino (2014), "Sales Education Efficacy Examining the Relationship between Sales Education and Sales Success," Journal of Marketing Education, 36 (2), 169 –81.

Cespedes, Frank V. and Daniel Weinfurter (2016), "More Universities Need to Teach Sales," Harvard Business Review (https://hbr.org/2016/04/more-universities-need-to-teach-sales), April 26, 2016.

Damast, Allison (2012), "Sales Hits the Big Time at B-Schools," Bloomberg BusinessWeek, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-08-13/sales-hits-the-big-time-at-b-schools.

Davidson, Paul (2013), "Sales Rep Wanted:  Inquire Anyplace -- Businesses Struggle to Fill Sales Positions as Economy Picks Up," USA Today, Monday July 22, A1.

Lytle, Chris (2012), The Accidental Salesperson:  How to Take Control of Your Sales Career and Earn the Respect and Income You Deserve. New York, NY: Amacom.

Nielson, Blake and Shannon Cummins (2019), "Recruiting Sales Students: The Value of Professionals in the Classroom," Marketing Education Review, 29 (1), 65-74.

Peltier, James and Dawn Deeter-Schmelz (2020), "Sales Education and Training 2.0," Journal of Marketing Education, 0273475320952316.

Spiller, Lisa D, Dae-Hee Kim, and Troy Aitken (2019), "Sales Education in the United States: Perspectives on Curriculum and Teaching Practices," Journal of Marketing Education (https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475319852756).