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K-State Today

October 23, 2014

New software gives sales students a leg up on the competition

Submitted by Brent Fritzemeier

Thanks to new software in the sales labs of the Kansas State University College of Business Administration's National Strategic Selling Institute, or NSSI, students pursuing a certificate in professional strategic selling now have an edge when meeting with potential employers.

Interact Software from CenergyIT allows students to record themselves during mock sales calls, to get a better understanding of how they are performing in sales situations. The software allows for critique from professors and creates a shareable online profile of their work for potential employers.

"The new technology in the sales labs not only allows us, the students, to view and critique ourselves on our sales role plays, but it also enables us to show off our real-world sales experience to the corporate sponsor's recruiters," said Kevin Donlin, a sophomore in industrial engineering who is pursuing a sales certificate. "Best of all, this is all available at a click of a button for the recruiters, making it easier than ever for them to view our work."

That availability to recruiters gives students in the program a real edge over other potential hires, going above and beyond what can be shown on a traditional paper resume.

"The new NSSI Sales Lab technology has taken our recruiting efforts to the next level," said Mark Carr, Channel Sales Manager at Security Benefit, a corporate partner of the institute. "The video technology provides us with insight to determine how well students perform and interact in simulated sales interactions. This new development is invaluable as it helps us understand how the students will perform in future sales initiatives for our firm."

The software was provided to the National Strategic Selling Institute through a gift from Pat and Larry Kendall, two Kansas State alumni and longtime supporters of the College of Business Administration, who also provide funding to send students to sales competitions throughout the year.

"Thanks to the generosity of Pat and Larry Kendall, we are able to provide our students with a state-of-the-art experience that helps prepare them for a career in sales," said Dawn Deeter, director of the National Strategic Selling Institute. "Both our students and corporate partners benefit from recruiters' ability to watch students' role plays. Employers can see our great students in action, and students get fantastic jobs."