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K-State Today

February 26, 2020

K-State Sales Team competes in University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition

Submitted by Dana Parker

From left to right: Landon King, Kellie Jackson and Quin Napier.

The Kansas State University Sales Team competed in the University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition Feb. 20-22 in Toledo, Ohio. The competition is the nation's first and only national sales competition dedicated exclusively to non-seniors with 36 universities participating. The team placed 14th overall in the competition.

The K-State Sales Team sent two students to compete. The team consisted of Quin Napier, a freshman in business administration, Fairway, and Landen King, junior in professional strategic selling, Overland Park. Preston Maurer, senior in finance, Overland Park, served as a student coach and prepared the students for the competition.

Students competed in two different divisions: sophomore/freshman and junior. Napier placed 10th in the sophomore/freshman division out of 36 student competitors. King finished 21st in the junior division out of 36 student competitors.

"This competition is very valuable to our program as we expose young students to a sales competition that focuses on developing their skills and networking," said Kellie Jackson, coach of the K-State Sales Team. "The students' success at this competition would not have been possible without the peer coaching provided by Preston Maurer, which is fundamental in growing our young sales talent at K-State. He helped the students navigate through this sales competition by refining their sales skills and educating them on how to show value when selling a very technical product. I'm very proud of everyone’s efforts in this sales competition and look forward to continued success."

The K-State Sales Team is in the College of Business Administration's National Strategic Selling Institute, which has been named one of the top sales programs in the country for eight straight years by the Sales Education Foundation. The team consists of students who are enrolled in the certificate or major in professional strategic selling. In fall 2018, Kansas State became just the 19th university in the U.S. to offer a major in professional strategic selling. 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 through the innovative curriculum and sales labs allows students to develop the skills needed to be successful.

The K-State Sales Team will be competing in several competitions throughout the school year across the country. For more information on the National Strategic Selling Institute or the K-State Sales Team, please contact kstatesalesprogram@k-state.edu.