Academia Here to Help!

This blog started with many premises, one that undergraduate curriculums are late to prepare their students for an eventual career in the sales profession.  The outlook is much brighter now in 2014.  Historically, those of us in sales probably just “fell into it” and survived the “in-the-field-boot camp” as an entry-level participant only to realize our dreams later than we expected.  Else, many, many others fell by the wayside…….and we characterized such failure as “chalk it up to not meant for selling”.  We all know the “churn” in sales positions……..what a waste of aspiring human talent!

Here is some research that shows much change in just a few short years.  Our undergraduate and post-graduate curriculums are responding to the demand and look to train and educate aspiring sales professionals with more fervor than ever before:

 
According to BusinessWeek and reference to studies from DePaul University (see below):

 ·       In 2007:  44 undergraduate programs offered curriculum in Sales

·       In 2011:  101 undergraduate programs offered same
·       Now, at least 15 universities offer an MBA with a Sales Concentration.
·       http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-13/sales-hits-the-big-time-at-b-schools

Statistics from 2013/14 are still under research and consideration, but rest assured, more good news is coming.  From my own personal experience, I am teaching in a newly-founded program

 

http://www.bentley.edu/undergraduate/academics/professional-sales/curriculum

delivered from a well-known university that offers a major in the Sales discipline.  It was not mentioned in this study because the program is brand new since this piece was written.

 There is HELP on the way for our aspiring Sales profession thanks to academia…..let’s continue as outlined below! 

Action items for those invested in this profession to consider:

 

1.        Recruiters:  If you’re looking for new talent, do you have these universities in your “cross-hairs”?  You should!  Some of the best sales talent I ever hired came straight from an undergraduate curriculum, advanced super-fast and are now in high-level management.  Where are your next super hires?

o   Canvass universities and colleges that offer curriculum in selling

o   Participate, sponsor and recruit in national sales contest career fairs such as  The National Collegiate Sales Competition   http://www.ncsc-ksu.org/

2.       Sales “Wannabees”:  If you want to be a Sales Pro, do you have the education and training?  Any firm looking at the “cost of hire” is extremely diligent in hiring and that makes your placement goals considerable.  Take the “load” off the hiring manager and show him/her that you’ve already been educated and trained in the basics of Sales.  As such, you will ramp alongside his/her own program much faster, generating more revenue faster for your new employer……

 ·       Look for universities and colleges that offer a program in selling.

·       “Get your feet wet” by enrolling in one of the many commercial programs offered by such firms as Sandler Training.  www.sandler.com

 

3.       Hiring Manager/HR Professional:  Do NOT discount the worth of an entry-level hire from the college ranks when looking for “experience”!  So much in our profession is placed on work experience…..I’ve hired many with “years of experience” with accompanying mediocre performance against those with “no experience”, but with strong undergraduate experience and saw super-charged performance delivered in the short term and beyond.

 ·       Open up your hiring window to those coming from a university-accredited program, no matter your “experience” requirements.  From these programs, identify “High-Pots” and find a way to ramp them quickly through your on-boarding process.  3M and General Electric and many other best-in-class companies have and continue to make this an underpinning of their success.

 

Those of us in this profession must welcome such good news.  Finally, there is structure, discipline and a formal gateway into our profession called Selling.  Tap into it, no matter who you are!