Indiana State Named a Top Sales University

Indiana State’s Sales and Negotiations Center (SNC) has again been named as a top university for Professional Sales Education in the Sales Education Foundation’s 2022 Annual. The current issue also features an article by our Professor Emeritus of Marketing, Jon Hawes on the History of Selling in America.

Elevator Pitch Competition

The Indiana State University Sales & Negotiations Center's Elevator Competition is open to ALL Indiana State University students.

Competition Benefits

By taking part in the competition you will participate in:

• Professional Development
• Scholarships
• Resume Building
• Network with Employers

Spring 2023 Elevator Pitch Competition

A series of Meis Center Workshops will halp perpare you for the competition

Before coming to the workshop, you must:

• Watch both the "How to Create An Elevator Pitch" and "Elevator Pitch Workshop" videos on creating your elevator pitch
• Read the elevator pitch prompt and scoring sheet below
• Prepare elevator pitch response to the prompt to present in the workshop.

For admission into the MEIS event, be prepared to share:

• Student ID Card
• Outline of your Elevator Pitch

During the workshop, you are expected to:

• Discuss ways to improve pitch
• Practice your elevator pitch
• Determine how to use your pitch to prepare for interviews

Prompt: In one minute or less, tell us about a time when you have had to correct one of your teachers or superiors when they were wrong? How did you approach that situation?

After the workshop you are expected to submit your elevator pitch recording to the ISU Elevator Pitch Competition Folder

Use this Scoring Sheet.

Dates Presented:

• Monday, March 13 @ 12:00pm
• Tuesday, March 14 @ 3:30pm
• Wednesday, March 15 @ 12:00pm - Zoom
• Thursday, March 16 @ 11:00am

The Final

• The Spring 2023 Elevator Pitch Competition Final will take place on April 12 at 12:00pm in the Garden Level of Federal Hall

Become Involved

There are benefits to becoming involved with the ISU Sales and Negotiations Center. Download the Value Proposition for the Sales and Negotiations Center at Indiana State University to learn more.

Student Success at RNMKRS

A huge congratulations to our Sycamores who competed in this semester’s RNMKRS Virtual Sales Competition!

Congratulations to Rachel Hildebrand for placing 4th and Nathan Nichols for placing 10th overall in the new RNMKRS Pro competition. A congratulations to Joel Bleskey for being a regional winner for top school score in the standard RNMKRS Competition. Congratulations to Ethan Fruit for being recognized as a member of the 100+ Club, and congratulations to Nathan Nichols for being a regional winner in the speed sell competition.

Additionally, Indiana State University, Scott College of Business and the Sales and Negotiations Center was recognized as the 2nd place school overall in the RNMKRS Pro competition and 10th overall in the RNMKRS Standard competition!

We are so proud of our Sycamores and Sales team work this semester and cannot wait to continue into next semester to see what they achieve!

SCOB Sales Students Among the Best

The Scott College of Business Sales and Negotiations Center student team recently placed among the best in the Rainmakers (RNMKRS) Virtual Sales Competition held November 16th and 17th, 2022. More than 1,300 students at 49 colleges and universities competed in the global virtual sales competition built using the RNMKRS A.I. technology. This unique competition allows students to interact with an intelligent animated bot using their phone and with an animated character during the sales call. The bot responds in real time to voice input. This year’s event introduced a new more challenging pro division for experienced students, which included role play and speed sell rounds, as well as a standard division for new participants. Indiana State University finished second overall in the pro category and tenth in the standard RNMKRS competition.

Congratulations to Rachel Hildebrand (senior - marketing) for placing fourth overall, Melina Tedrow (senior - marketing) fifth, Nathan Nichols (sophomore - business), tenth, and Caleb Needham (senior – engineering) thirteenth in the RNMKRS pro category. In the standard competition, Joel Bleskey (senior – finance) was selected as a regional winner and placed 46th, along with Ethan Fruit (junior – marketing) and Zhana Pickett (senior – marketing) among the top 100.

“Our students continually shine in their representation of the university on this global stage competing against thousands. Their dedication reflects well on the college and helps set them apart from others during the competition, “ says Dr. Ricky Fergurson, Assistant Professor of Marketing and Sales Team Coach.

Students Nathan Nichols, Zhana Pickett, Rachel Hildebrand, and Joel Bleskey

SNC Students Compete in Sales Competition

Three students, Rachel Hildebrand, Connor Lash, and Austin Schwartz-Thrasher competed in the recent Northeast Intercollegiate Sales Competition under the coaching of Dr. Ricky Fergurson.

Congratulations to Connor and Rachel who reached the semi-finals of the role play sales competition, competing against 27 schools and almost 200 competitors!

The competition is organized by Bryant University st Rhode Island and took place November 11 and 12, 2022.

Connor Lash, Dr. Ricky Fergurson, Rachel Hildebrand, and Austin Schwartz-Thrasher

Fall 2022 Elevator Pitch Competition

The Sales and Negotiations Center's Fall 2022 Elevator Sales Pitch Competition took place on Friday, October 28, 2022.

Congratulations to winner Connor Lash and to Kate Gauer, Annika Ehrlich, and Ashlyn Halstead who all tied for second place and Julia Sonntag who came in third! We are proud of the efforts and time they put into the competition! ;Each of our finalists earned a scholarship for their hard work and competition.

We want to extend a special thank you to everyone that helped with this competition, especially our ten amazing judges. Thank you to our amazing friends from Enterprise, State Farm, Midwest Communications, Inc., Cintas, Harba Solutions Inc., Federated Insurance, Joink, Johnson Brothers, Stevens Enterprises, and Sherwin-Williams!!! These events wouldn't be possible without your continued support of our program and our students.

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Learn About SNC

• SNC Factsheet (PDF)

About the Indiana State University Sales and Negotiations Center

• The Sales and Negotiations Center at Indiana State is one of only 25 full members in the University Sales Center Alliance (USCA)
• The mission of the USCA is to advance the sales profession through academic leadership: education, research, and outreach. (https://www.universitysalescenteralliance.org/)
• Employers interested in recruiting college graduates uniquely prepared for success in sales positions should consider graduates from our programs.
• Graduates from sales programs like the one at Indiana State are 30% more likely to stay in the first year and ramp up their productivity 50% faster than their counterparts who were not part of a sales program (Sales Education Foundation)
• The Sales and Negotiations Center can also provide sales and negotiation training and consulting services for interested companies.

Indiana State University's Sales & Negotiations Center
is a Full Member of the USCA.