Center for Sales Leadership + Education

Contact Michael Oster, CSLE Director, to get involved: oster398@umn.edu

Collegiate sales competitions provide an excellent opportunity for students who are interested in pursuing a career in professional sales to develop their communication and presentation skills in a highly competitive environment. These events also enable students to network with recruiters and peers from across North America.

External competitions give students an opportunity to apply classroom theory in a real world selling scenario. This competitive aspect of our program is a critical part of the total learning experience and coincides with our teaching mission.

Within the competition, students engage in role plays with business executives. The role play is evaluated and scored on various aspects of the sales call — including approach, overall communication effectiveness, the ability to gather information, identify needs, provide information, present solutions, resolve concerns, and gain a commitment. The Gopher Sales Team will practice in the Sales Labs at CSLE. They will be coached by University of Minnesota faculty and executives of our corporate partners.

Students who participate on the Gopher Sales Team sharpen their selling skills, improve their ability to adapt to changing environments, network with top employers, and have fun competing against peers at rival schools. Throughout the weeks leading up to the sales competitions, students benefit from coaching sessions that prepare them not only for the upcoming competitions, but also to succeed in a sales career. Students who participate in national competitions often receive employment offers from corporations attending competitions.