Pursuing听Anderson听University鈥檚 pillars听of Great听Purpose and Great听Academics, the听College of Business and Economics is听instilling in students a mindset of professionalism in business from a biblical perspective听while preparing them for rewarding careers.听听
Business Professor Dr. Bruce Morgan believes that engaging students in intercollegiate sales competitions has become an important part of preparing them with real-world skills while stressing Christian ethics.听The Anderson听University College of Business and Economics plans听to align with the USCA (University Sales Center Alliance), a consortium of colleges and universities that certify collegiate sales programs.听There is also the possibility of听adding a minor over the next couple of years.听听
Dr. Morgan, an adjunct faculty member and longtime sales professional, points to a recent study that approximately 88 percent of marketing majors start careers in sales and 50 percent of all business majors enter sales. Since beginning to teach at Anderson a few years ago, Dr. Morgan is impressed by the initiative of his students and their dedication to thorough preparation for competitions that鈥檚 paid off. Sales competitions take place at 午夜剧场, as well as in Georgia and Rhode Island.
鈥淭his year, our听sales听team is already punching above our weight with Seth Wells reaching the finals in the National Fastenal Sales Competition, James Watson and Jake Baker reaching the second round at the Northeast Regional Intercollegiate Sales Competition at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Eric Moore winning our first on-campus competition, sponsored by our corporate sponsor, Herc Rentals,”听Dr.听Morgan said.听鈥淪ales are where the jobs are at and so听far听every senior who has gone through, or is currently involved in, the听sales听program has received job offers鈥攕ome听before graduation.鈥澨�听
Pictured at the 2024 NISC: Micah Arthur (Spring 鈥�25 Marketing now with Herc Rentals as a sales rep), Taylor Smerkol (Spring 鈥�26 Accounting), Abigail Christy (Spring 鈥�26 Marketing) and Evan Miller (Spring 鈥�25 Marketing now with Bosch Rexroth as a sales rep).听
The program sent four students to their first sales competition during the fall 2024 semester to the Northeastern Intercollegiate Sales Competition (NISC). Also, nine students went to the National Collegiate Sales Competition this past spring. This semester they took eight back to NISC.听
The听AU Sales Team听currently consists of听Seth Wells, Eric Moore, Sofia Polito, Journey Charles, James Watson, James Deadwyler, Pierson Moorhouse, Madison Stutts and Jake Baker.听AU Sales Team听alumni听are听Noah Lay, Evan听Miller听and Glen Mason.听听
Moore鈥檚 interest in sales goes听way back听to his childhood,听knocking听on neighbor鈥檚 doors offering to cut grass and do various jobs for them. As a college student,听Moore听found ways to make extra money reselling clothes.听听
鈥淚f I want to go听golfing听or听go to a Mexican restaurant with friends鈥攁nything like that鈥攊t’s covered that,鈥� Moore said.听听
Moore, who is听graduating this spring and also听interning at a local insurance agent, wants to get licensed and pursue a听career with听State Farm听Insurance, where he听interns.听He feels that听representing听AU in various sales competitions has been great,听and听he听has听built on his sales skills while听gaining听something valuable from听the experience.听
鈥渊ou get to meet all听of听these cool people from across America and a lot of them have similar interests,鈥� Moore commented. 鈥淎 lot of these schools have 50 people who want to go, but they can only take five or six.听So听I think that’s pretty cool that I didn’t have to go through all these rounds of interviews or whatever to get to go. I just got to show up.鈥�听
Moore personally resonates with Professor Morgan鈥檚 teaching approach, which reinforces his own approach to听sales.听
鈥淚f you’re just yourself and you approach every customer or client… with genuine interest and just genuinely see how you could help them鈥擨 think that’s probably what I learned the most,” Moore continued. 鈥淚t’s not always about how many calls you make or what suit you’re wearing to the conference. A lot of it is just, how can I genuinely try to help this person? Dr. Morgan also does a really good job of implementing faith into sales.鈥�听
Evan听Miller听recalls what he learned roleplaying in class and in the sales competitions has found his experiences 鈥渋ncredibly invaluable鈥� as he works with customers in听strategic deals.听Miller, a recent graduate, is a sales account specialist at Bosch Rexroth.听
鈥淚 manage a relationship with a customer, drive new business growth听and support all the business functions as they relate to our customer,鈥澨齅iller said.听He appreciates the ethical and biblical foundation he received from Professor Morgan and others at Anderson, something he feels is crucial to听maintaining听strong relationships with his clients.听
鈥淲hat is virtuous is helping companies excel by giving them the tools they need to succeed, and you can do that by being a great salesperson. You can show them why your product is going to听benefit听them substantially. And听that’s听very rewarding,鈥澨齝ontinued听Miller.听听
Many large corporations involve themselves heavily in these competitions because they consider them a valuable source of talented prospective employees.听Alluding to the professional sports world, Morgan asserts that, from a cost perspective, the sales competitions are seen as a 鈥渨ell-placed farm system鈥� to bring people through and get them into corporate America.听
Corporate Partners听for the听AU Sales Team are听Herc Rentals Regional Sales Manager听Mike Malterer;听also听Charles Gilbert and Mike Rausch of Fastenal.听Herc Rentals is a major supplier of equipment rentals with a variety of customers ranging from construction to entertainment.听Fastenal is听a major supplier of industrial products whose customers听are a large variety of organizations that听include manufacturers and school districts.听
鈥�What I’ve found in the program that 午夜剧场 has is that it听matches听really well with the type of people that we’re looking for,鈥� Malterer听said. 鈥淭here’s a certain type of grit that goes with the student that comes in and learns that type of sales and, the background of the people that I found at 午夜剧场 fit in really well with that.鈥�听
Fastenal Regional Recruiter Charles Gilbert oversees his company鈥檚 recruitment efforts in the Carolinas and Tennessee. He is gratified to see the sales program at Anderson grow and benefit students.听听
鈥淭his is my purpose in life, to help kids that are in college find a career path, find their way, because it’s not easy,” Gilbert said. “I’ve got four kids of my own鈥攁ll of them are from the ages of 24 to听18鈥攕o I听kind of relate听to what the college students are currently going through because my kids are going through it.鈥�听
In the midst of听mounting student debt at graduation and an uncertain job market where AI (Artificial Intelligence) is听negatively听impacting听entry-level opportunities听in many fields,听Dr.听Morgan听fervently believes听in the听professional sales principles he and his colleagues are teaching.听The value of this experience,听he points out, is that students have听a new opportunity听for听study in a field听with the potential for听excellent compensation.听听
鈥淧rofessional Sales is听really just听learning the art of questioning, conversation and persuasion鈥攊t’s听relevant to every area of life鈥攌nowing what questions to ask, how to listen to others, and then find a mutually beneficial solution,”听Dr.听Morgan said. 鈥淪ales is the active听application of applying solutions to problems, whether it is financial,听emotional听or spiritual.鈥�听