Top Student Sales Champs To Compete In Baylor Contest

by Alan Hunt

Students from more than 20 of America's major universities will compete at Baylor University March 15-16 in a contest to decide the nation's top collegiate sales professionals.
Believed to be the only tournament of its kind in the nation, Baylor's fourth annual National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) has attracted teams from all over the country. The two-day program will be held at the Hankamer School of Business and is sponsored by Baylor's Center for Professional Selling.
Student competitors will have to prove themselves before some of America's best sales experts who will be judging their performances, said Baylor marketing professor and contest director, Dr. Terry W. Loe.
The students will participate in two separate presentations -- one to sell a product, the other a service. Following the championship round at 4 p.m. Saturday in Kayser Auditorium, an awards banquet will be held at 7 p.m. in the Blume Conference Center on the fifth floor of the Cashion Academic Building at Hankamer.
Loe said the contest has attracted students from top college sales programs, along with prominent university professors who teach and conduct research in sales. The 24 schools represented at the contest will include Baylor, Ball State University, Bowling Green University, Bradley University, California State University at Bakersfield, California State University at Sacramento, Georgia State University, Illinois State University, Kennesaw State University, Loyola Marymount University, Middle Tennessee State University, Minnesota State University at Mankato, Northern Illinois University, Ohio University, Purdue University, University of Akron, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Central Florida, University of Georgia, University of Houston, University of Louisville, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Western Michigan University.
Corporate sponsors of the contest include Arrow Electronics, Pulte Homes, Carlton-Bates Company, Novartis Animal Health, ELK Corporation, Liberty Mutual Group, Great West Life / New England Financial Employee Benefits, IBM.Com, Kimberly-Clark, Belo Corporation, FedEx, Loomis, Fargo & Co., Edward Jones, Wilsonart International, Sealy, and UniFirst Corporation.
Loe said executives from the sponsoring companies will participate in the contest as judges and also as buyers. Visiting professors also will participate as judges.
The contest will get under way Thursday evening, March 14, with a reception for the participants, followed by opening ceremonies Friday morning. A mini job fair will be held in conjunction with the contest, offering contestants an opportunity to learn about job opportunities with the corporate sponsors.
Loe said a number of job offers in sales for participating students resulted from last year's contest. "Corporate sponsors are on hand to 'scout' those college prospects," he added.
For more information, call Loe at (254) 710-4244 or by e-mail at Terry_Loe@baylor.edu.