Baylor University Sponsors Seminar--The Hard Truth About Professional Selling

by Cynthia Jackson, (254) 710-7628

ATLANTA, Ga. and WACO, Texas - Is there a place in the future for salespeople? Or will they go the way of the streetcar conductor, the iceman and other obsolete service positions? Research recently conducted by The Centers for Professional Selling at Kennesaw State University and Baylor University has addressed the future of selling, and the hard truth is that selling is changing.

"The sales profession is dramatically changing," said Dr. Jeff Tanner, author and associate dean at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business. "Many organizations have cut their vendors by half in the hopes of increasing productivity and decreasing costs. Sales professionals need to adapt to these changing realities."

To address these changing realities, the Centers for Professional Selling at Baylor and Kennesaw State have partnered with BPT Partners to present "The Hard Truth about Professional Selling," a conference based on academic research and decades of real-world experience.

This one-day seminar will be hosted in San Antonio, Atlanta and Dallas this fall and will show sales professionals what and how to use the five trends that are shaping the future of selling.

"This program offers sales executives an opportunity to hear the latest about our profession from the leading researchers and sales leaders," said David Dubrof, executive vice president of sales at Cypress Care.

"This opportunity to team with BPT and the Center for Professional Selling at Kennesaw State University is the best match for sales professionals and our alumni," Tanner said. "When George Dudley and I wrote our book 'The Hard Truth About Soft Selling,' we identified a number of factors that have diminished the sales profession over the past two decades. But our research has led to many best practices that separate the best from the rest. Make no mistake, sales professionals are critical to the success of many businesses. We will show them how to adapt to the new realities of the customer-centric business ecosystem."

"This seminar hones in on the future elements sales executives need to continue to grow their business and be more successful," said Dr. Terry Loe, director for the Center for Professional Selling at Kennesaw State. BPT Partners co-founder and internationally-known business strategist Bruce Culbert, and executive coach and consultant, Dr. Patrick Schul, will join Tanner and Dudley in leading the conference.

Sponsors of the seminar series include: the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State and the Center for Professional Selling at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business.

About Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business

The Hankamer School of Business holds to a visionary standard of excellence whereby integrity stands shoulder to shoulder with analytic and strategic strengths to build leaders, not simply careers. The undergraduate program is ranked 22nd among private business schools by U.S.News and World Report. The Executive MBA program is ranked 25th in the nation among private schools by Financial Times. Baylor's entrepreneurship program is ranked 14th by U.S. News and its accounting program is ranked 24th by Public Accounting Report. Visit the Baylor Business web site for more information.

About the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University

The Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University offers a vibrant, high quality, real-world learning experience unlike any other. Its diverse programs, international experience, technological focus, centers of academic excellence, thriving corporate partnerships and adventurous curriculum prepare students for today's rapidly changing business world. The Coles College is nationally recognized in a number of areas, including its study of family business, accounting and entrepreneurship. Visit the Coles College web site for more information.

About BPT Partners, LLC

BPT Partners is a leading provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) training, education, research and consulting. With offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Washington, D.C., and partnerships that span the globe, BPT Partners offers full-service training from executive education on CRM strategy to "Best Practices" training in the areas of sales, marketing and customer support. BPT Partners provides both the cutting edge and the classic strategies and processes that made CRM one of the most successful business approaches in decades. The trainers and subject matter experts are notable professionals who have won awards for their industry leading thinking and practices. Contact BPT Partners at (404) 460-8454 or tara@bptpartners.com.