VANCOUVER – Two soon-to-be graduating marketing majors from Washington State University Vancouver suddenly have more job offers than they can sort through, and more arriving in their e-mail inboxes each day.
In the National Collegiate Sales Competition in Atlanta March 16 – 17, Nate Scholz finished first overall out of 88 contestants, and senior Ashley Wayman finished fifth. The WSU Vancouver marketing majors were there representing all of WSU.
Because of Scholz and Wayman’s combined performance, WSU placed first overall, out-selling two-person teams from such university business schools as Harvard, Indiana, Purdue, University of Connecticut, University of Georgia, University of Houston, University of Washington and dozens of others.
The students earned their place in the national competition by winning in the local rounds at WSU Vancouver Dec. 1. In addition to marketing degrees, both students are earning their Certificate in Professional Sales.
At both events, students competed by conducting a 20 minute mock sales call on a mock buyer, a volunteer from the business community. The judges from the real business world scored them on their ability to ask good questions, effectively build rapport with the prospect, present an effective solution and – most importantly – close, or secure a business commitment from the buyer. Recruiters from major businesses were on hand to watch all mock interviews through closed-circuit television. For more information on the NCSC, visit https://coles.kennesaw.edu/ncsc/.
“Sometimes, they would be waiting outside the interview room with a job offer as soon we finished,” said Scholz, a 23 year old who returned to college for after working in numerous sales fields. “I just couldn’t move in to higher level corporate sales without more education.”
“We burned the candle at both ends and in the middle,” said Wayman, 22, of the four months of preparation while going to school full time and working part time. “We worked with Chris Plouffe, our coach, after class three times a week, video taping and critiquing possible competition scenes. He was really there for us.”
For more information on WSU Vancouver business programs, visit https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/programs/bus/home.html.
