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National Collegiate Sales Competition
TCNJ students Michael Heaney (Finance/Professional Selling Minor) and Allen Soriano (Marketing/Sales Emphasis) did very well, advancing to the quarter finals, in the National Collegiate Sales Competitipon at Kennesaw State University on March 14-15, 2008. They were competing against 98 other students from fifty universities. They were awarded a $300 prize of a gift certificate for Tom James apparel, and both were heavily recruited by Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, Standard Register, and Johnson and Johnson.
Michael and Allen were accompanied by Dr. Alfred Pelham, Associate Professor of Marketing. Information about NCSC van be viewed at: 2008 National Collegiate Sales Competition.
Allen Soriano,
Junior Marketing Major, commented:
The National Collegiate Sales Competition prepares you for the real
world like a classroom experience never could.
Just before we would go on to compete, we would get this eager rush.
To calm our nerves and pump us up before show time, we would play AC/ DC’s Thunderstruck. We go over closes and objection handling skills just before knocking on the door to our buyer. But once that door
closes behind you, you’re in the zone.
The career fair is unlike anything I had ever seen. With some of the
best sales candidates in the country in one place, the event attracts
a lot of big name companies like Johnson & Johnson, Liberty Mutual,
Standard Register, CNR, Xerox, AT&T, State Farm and Hewlett Packard.
The sales skills that we learned in class, and then developed in
preparation for the event are recognized by all of the sponsors. After
competing, there were Fortune 500 companies hunting us down to let us know more about their programs. Who wouldn’t love having HP come find you to go out to dinner?
The prizes were great, but the real prize comes after graduation.
All of the contestants have won just by being there.
Left to right: Michael Heaney, Dr. Al Pelham, and Allen Soriano
Mike Heaney, Junior Finance Major, said about his experiences at the National Collegiate Sales Competition:
The National Collegiate Sales Competition is the perfect venue for any student of business to finely tune their public speaking, networking, and interviewing skills. The event bursts with abundant opportunities for students to grow personally and professionally. Every student in the School of Business should be jumping at the chance to be interviewed by companies like Johnson & Johnson, Xerox, AT&T, FedEx, UPS, Edward Jones, Liberty Mutual, Hewlett-Packard and a few dozen other firms. There are so many companies at this competition that most schools bring extra non-competing students with resumes in hand.
After I interviewed with J&J, we spent ten minutes discussing my performance and ways in which I could improve my interviewing skills. It was not a session of tips and tricks like “take notes” and “come with a few questions about the company”; however, it was a look at how I could better convey the value I have to offer, the skills I should highlight, and the areas of improvement I should primarily focus my efforts. I don’t know any student who could not use a personalized interview preparation session like the one I had at the NCSC.
If you are reading this and thinking “I don’t know it’s over Spring Break” or anything else along the lines of “it’s not for me”, you are missing out on one of the best free trips you could possibly attend in your undergraduate career. Yes that’s right, the competition pays for you to get your resume in front of over forty corporations. The competition also pays for you to hang out with a hundred other motivated, positive, and interesting students. It also pays for you to meet in a relaxed social setting with professional recruiters earning the salaries you hope to make and speaking the language you need to learn. Is there a more comfortable way to become acclimated to the world of networking than by bowling with sales managers, human resource managers, marketing managers, and even a few CEOs?
This trip has already made a difference in my earning and learning potential. I had a blast the entire time I was there. I would recommend it to anyone.”
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