Sales and business marketing earns national top program accolades

Students in the Robert S. Kaiser Sales, Negotiation and Leadership Lab

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University's sales and business marketing program, housed within the Haworth College of Business, has once again been named a top national program by the Sales Education Foundation. For the 14th consecutive year, WMU's program was recognized for preparing students for careers in professional selling as well as elevating the sales profession. Home to 320 majors and nearly 1,700 alumni, WMU's program is one of the largest and most renowned in the country.

"WMU students consistently excel thanks to the hard work of our faculty, a rigorous curriculum, a state-of-the-art sales lab and multiple opportunities to practice their skills," says Dr. Steve Newell, associate dean of operations and graduate programs for the business college, and professor of marketing. "Our students and faculty have shown their adaptability and resiliency by embracing virtual methods of teaching and learning in addition to in-person interactions, giving students even more experiences to demonstrate their skill and expertise. This latest recognition from the Sales Education Foundation proves once again that WMU is exceptional in preparing students for meaningful careers in the sales field."

WMU's sales and business marketing program is frequently lauded for its achievements in career placement, experiential learning, student competitions and more. According to the University's most recent post-graduation activity report, 100% of sales and business marketing students find full-time careers or are continuing their education within three months of graduation, and 99% of these graduates are engaged in a job related to their degree. Program highlights include:

Student competition success—Students from WMU consistently finish at or near the top at a number of sales competitions including: The National Collegiate Sales Competition, the National Sales Challenge, the State Farm Sales and Marketing Competition, and the Quicken Loans National Sales Competition.
Robert S. Kaiser Sales, Negotiation and Leadership Lab—Students role-play and demonstrate their skills and expertise in the state-of-the-art Robert S. Kaiser Sales, Negotiation and Leadership Lab. The lab includes enhanced ability to pinpoint areas for student improvement with detailed notes embedded in videos of the exercises. Students also have the opportunity to share footage with prospective hiring managers.
Sales and Business Marketing Association—The association is one of the largest and most active student organizations in the college of business. The group regularly networks with top employers, giving students an opportunity to engage with industry professionals.
National recognition—The program has been listed as a top U.S. sales school by study.com since 2007 and is currently ranked No. 1 on this list.

ABOUT SALES EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Since its beginning in 2007, the nonprofit Sales Education Foundation has elevated the sales profession through college and university programs. The foundation proudly partners with academic trailblazers and industry professionals to establish and support effective sales education around the world. To learn more, visit the foundation website.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.