BSU Defends Collegiate Sales Competition Championship in Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up`s Biggest Event Yet!
Amy Lytle, Bemidji State University, AGAIN, was named Overall Champion. Lytle was awarded a trophy and $1,500 cash prize sponsored by SuperValu. Amy won it all last year as well! Just a couple points behind was first runner-up Robyn McBrady, Bemidji State University, who received a trophy and $1,000 cash prize sponsored by the Huntsinger Companies.
A School Champions Award went to Bemidji State University Tony Hietalati. Molly Krivarchka, our fourth competitor, finished 14th out of 51.
Fifty-one college students from fourteen schools in seven states competed for cash prizes and title of top salesperson at the Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up competition.
The Warm-Up is a great opportunity for students to test their sales skills prior to heading South to National Sales Competition in Georgia. Bemidji State University`s contingent has now earned its way to the Atlanta nationals for this, their second consecutive year!
All contestants delivered two 20-minute sales presentations - one for a Hormel product, the other for a SuperValu service - to an individual buyer.
Sales calls were evaluated by a panel of sales professionals who viewed presentations via streaming video at a remote location. Students received their evaluation sheets, a computer link to their presentations, and a half-hour debriefing session with one of the sales professionals who evaluated their performance.
This year`s event was attended by 180 people, a number that included competitors, faculty coaches, corporate sponsors and student, faculty and corporate volunteers. A special thanks to the many individuals those who made the event possible. Joe and Dave Lueken`s donated their time, insight, and expertise for the practice sales calls.
Bemidji State University`s Sales Team is sponsored by The Real Mike McKinley, Federated Insurance Co`s, Fastenal, Edward Jones, Amden Corp. and Bemidji State University Department of Business Administration, and was under the very capable and watchful eye of sales coach and Professor Dave Heilig.
Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up SPONSORS, and job fair participants include Cintas, Hormel Foods, SuperValu, Aflac, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Huebsch Services, Huntsinger Companies, Larson Companies Hotel Group, Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Liberty Mutual, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network—Bohannon Group, Sun Life Financial, Tom James and Wells Fargo Financial.
Let`s hear from Coach & Professor Heilig — A lot of the success of the sales team is the result of team effort. Not just the 4 students who competed, but others like Chris Nelson, Martin Hayes and Nic Heilig, who are practicing for the next competitions. They also do the research and practice with the team and work together to bring the best out of everyone involved.
None of this would be possible without financial support and encouragement. Two folks on top of mind would be Joe and Dave Lueken of Lueken`s Village Foods. They were instrumental in setting the team on the correct Feature/Benefit track. Others such as Edward Jones, Fastenal, Amden Corp provided financial support. Our partner companies, Mike McKinley and the Federated Insurance Group offered both unbridled encouragement, and substantial financial resources.
Each year the competition gets stronger. The sponsors of these contests and the volunteers at the host universities are the true hero’s. The sponsors give not only significant financial resources, but also large blocks of time to write scenarios, judge and participate in the job fairs and career workshops.
Sponsor companies such as Hormel and Super Value are always in the market for the best people. What better opportunity for any company, than to be a sponsor and have access to the top young sales people in the nation at these competitions.
Bemidji State University as a whole can take credit for the success of the team. Our business department and every other group on campus can own part of the never ending compliments to the professionalism of our students both during and after the competition. The BSU National Sales Team appreciates everyone’s support and with the right partners, will continue to be champion ambassadors for the University.
CONGRATULATIONS - - AGAIN!