For the past four years the College of Business Administration (COBA) at PSU has been competing in the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC). This year Dr. Robert Nadeau, professor in COBA, took Casey Marchaland and Caitlin Swanson down to Atlanta, Georgia March 1-4th to compete against hundreds of other scholars around the country.
The NCSC is the oldest and largest sales competition across the US that students and professionals have to look forward to. Consideration to get into this competition is very competitive and is based upon merit through the Professional Sales Leadership Program that Nadeau created for the university.
Only one and sixty universities in the US include a sales program. Plymouth State’s is very extensive. Marchaland explained, “We had to get a top grade on our sales video role-play project in Professional Selling Skills I and an A in Professional Selling Skills II to be eligible for an invite only course Competitive Selling. Once in the invite only course, all 11 of us competed throughout the semester in a couple of different sales competitions.”
All steps leading up to going to NCSC are strictly based on grades according to Nadeau. “You can see their results in a spreadsheet. Casey and Caitlin were the top two there so they got to go. Anyone who was below them could see on the sheet why they were not chosen.”
This was an exciting opportunity for all three participants. Swanson said, “I was excited and proud but nervous! It’s a big deal, there are over 60 companies there and we competed against 67 schools and the best students in the nation.”
Marchaland and Swanson were judged by their performance in front of a group of nine people and a, “corporate sales professional acting as our buyer. [We] had to sell them our product, ADP Mobile Run, in 20 minutes while being recorded and judged.” Marchaland said. After that the girls were emerged in a sea of job offers.
“They were literally grabbing our hands and asking us to apply for their companies.” Marchaland said and add that she accepted an offer. Swanson and Marchaland both did Plymouth State proud and were honored by being employed by Fortune 500 companies for the fall.
Plymouth State University has a notable sales program that, with recognition at competitions like NCSC, should continue to grow.