Winning Streak
To say that sales and business marketing students are on a winning streak is a bit of an understatement. In one month alone, student teams took top honors at two national sales competitions and an additional team was given the Rookie of the Year award at an international competition. Check out the details on each of the competitions and the students who have represented Western Michigan University so well.
Russ Berrie Institute National Sales Challenge
A student team representing WMU’s sales and business marketing program took first place overall, besting 37 other schools at the Russ Berrie Institute National Sales Challenge. In addition, senior Brian Curlett from Shelby Township, Mich., was the event’s overall individual champion.
Curlett, and fellow senior Kayla Reinhackel from Dexter, Mich., assisted by team alternate, junior Alexa DeVos of Byron Center, Mich., competed in two events—speed selling and role-play. With this win, WMU continues a strong tradition at the seventh annual National Sales Challenge, where sales and business marketing student teams have finished in the top five on three other occasions. This is WMU’s first time as the overall champion.
Read the full story, including student reflections.
State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition
Two WMU students have earned top honors in a national sales competition, jointly securing more than $10,000 in scholarships and landing WMU a second place finish.
Greta Lorr, a senior sales and business marketing student from Jackson, Mich., took second place overall in the 2013 State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition. In addition, Lorr placed second in the sales role-play category. Aaron Anuszkiewicz, a junior sales and business marketing student, also from Jackson, Mich., took third place overall and earned first place in the marketing presentation category.
The State Farm Marketing and Sales Competition brings together high-performing marketing and sales students for a competition consisting of two primary components: an integrated marketing communications plan presentation and two sales role-plays.
Read the full story, including student reflections.
Rookie of the Year
A team of two WMU students earned the Rookie of the Year award at this year’s International Collegiate Sales Competition, a tournament-style series of role-play challenges.
Seniors Cody Schievink, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Lauren Steele, of Livonia, Mich., both sales and business marketing majors, were each awarded $250 for being named the top rookies.
During the competition, teams participated in four rounds of selling challenges, including a business-to-consumer challenge, business-to-business role-plays, selling to an international company and selling via a web conferencing tool. The goals of each round ranged from getting a second appointment to making a sale.