Sales students place first at National Sales Challenge
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A team of Western Michigan University sales students continued a winning competition season at the National Sales Challenge hosted by the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. Seniors McKenna Farrell of South Bend, Indiana, and Jack Tungate of Byron Center, Michigan, rose above the competition, placing first overall among students from 20 universities.
This year marks the Haworth College of Business’ best finish in the competition, which is in its 17th year. After several previous finishes in the top ten, this year’s team was ecstatic to emerge victorious in their in-person return to the competition.
Mary Nielsen, faculty specialist II of marketing and coach for the team, was impressed with the students’ professionalism and preparation. “McKenna and Jack have been consistent top performers in their marketing classes, so I was confident they would be excellent representatives of 51¸ŁŔűÉç. They put in the work, pushing each other at all of our practice sessions. They did an excellent job learning about the judging rubrics and dynamics so they were ready for the challenge on competition day. I’m thrilled with their exceptional finishes!”
To earn first place in the overall competition, Farrell and Tungate racked up the most cumulative points in two events: speed selling and sales role-play. They also placed individually in various categories, winning prize money:
- McKenna Farrell received $2,000 for taking first in sales challenge, first in sales role-play and first in speed selling.
- Jack Tungate received $1,000 for taking third in sales challenge and second in sales role-play.
Participating in the competition gave the students a chance to get real-world sales experience, both in the weeks of preparation and the actual day of events. The competition threw some curveballs that gave the students a glimpse of what they could encounter in a professional sales role.
Tungate says, “In our final sales call round, we were given an entirely different scenario than the one we expected. We had to think quickly and deliver an impressive pitch with little preparation. This helped us learn how to prepare for the unexpected and figure out how to handle issues that arise. The adaptability I gained will be valuable as I head into my career.”
Being able to figure out how to deal with unexpected challenges gave the students confidence in their sales skills and reassurance that they have chosen the right path for them.
Farrell says, “I am proud of the way I grew more confident throughout the week. On the first day, I was looking around the room at the faces of my competitors and felt complete imposter syndrome. However, as I made it out of each round and received positive feedback from those around me, I really started to believe that sales is what I’m meant to do and that I was exactly where I needed to be.”
Both Tungate and Farrell enjoyed the experience and credited Nielsen with getting them ready for all the facets of competition week. Farrell says, “Professor Nielsen was the perfect coach to have along with us. Both her professional and coaching experience helped greatly when practicing role-plays and preparing for unforeseen scenarios. She brought the right balance of focus and fun to the week, making sure we were prepared but not stressing ourselves out. Her level-headed demeanor mixed with her playing “Eye of The Tiger” in the car before the competition is exactly the type of energy I needed from a coach to be my best.”
Besides the impressive competition wins, another win for the students was gaining resume-worthy experience prior to graduation. For Farrell, who graduates this semester, this was especially helpful. “This experience helped me launch my career more than I anticipated. The exposure I received to companies opened doors for me that make me feel optimistic about my job hunt and excited for the future.”
To learn more about the sales and business marketing program, visit the website.
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