December 6, 2021
K-State Sales Program hosts second annual High School Elevator Pitch Competition
One hundred and two high school students competed in the second annual High School Elevator Pitch Competition hosted by the National Strategic Selling Institute, a part of the Kansas State University College of Business.
In the freshman/sophomore division: Rose Dersch, Blue Valley High School, placed first; Catherine Li, Blue Valley High School, placed second; and Aryan Chaudhary, Blue Valley High School, placed third. In the junior/senior division: Evanna Dominic, Blue Valley Southwest High School, placed first; Jackson Somerhalder, Blue Valley High School, placed second; and Abby Taylor, Blue Valley High School, placed third.
The Elevator Pitch Competition was hosted virtually and required students to submit a one-minute video pitching themselves. The event was designed to prepare high school students for their future by developing the skills necessary to introduce themselves and their idea in a clear, concise, and comfortable manner. Competitors were evaluated on their achievement, involvement, delivery of their ideas, and closing. All students who competed received a K-State Sales Program T-Shirt. The top three winners from each division received Visa gift cards for placing in the top three in their division.
"This was such a great opportunity for high school students to showcase their creative abilities in a virtual event and gain experience on how to sell themselves based on their current involvement and skillset," said Kellie Jackson, managing director of the National Strategic Selling Institute. "Having planned and executed a successful elevator pitch provides an incredibly powerful gateway for many situations in the students' collegiate and professional future. We would like to congratulate them again on a job well done and thank everyone for participating. As one of the top sales programs in the country, we look forward to hosting other similar events in the future to help prepare high school students for college success."
Joining Blue Valley High School and Blue Valley Southwest High School in the competition were Colegio Mater Salvatoris, Shawnee Mission East High School, The Independent School, Washington County High School and Wichita East High School.
The National Strategic Selling Institute is housed in the College of Business Administration, which has been named one of the top sales programs in the country for 10 straight years by the Sales Education Foundation. In fall 2018, Kansas State became just the 19th university in the U.S. to offer a major in sales. Students can also earn a certificate in professional strategic selling, which is open to all majors at the university. The professional strategic selling program introduces students to the fundamentals of sales and the innovative curriculum and sales labs allow students to develop the skills needed to be successful.
For more information on the National Strategic Selling Institute or its events, please contact kstatesalesprogram@k-state.edu.