“Outside In” to Propel Student Learning: Baylor ProSales Hosts 3M Frontline Sales Conference

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling will co-host the annual 3M Frontline Sales Conference April 13-16, 2016. 3M executives, university professors and college students from across the country will gather at Baylor University for this year’s conference, which focuses on A Customer-Driven Future.

3M’s Frontline Initiative is a collaboration between 3M, four historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and nine other academic institutions to develop university programs and address research issues involving the value-creation process and the people who impact customers. The academic institutions involved in Frontline include: Baylor University, DePaul University, Indiana University, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T State University, San Diego State University, St. Catherine University, Texas State University, Tuskegee University, University of Houston, University of Toledo, Villanova University, and Xavier University of Louisiana.

This year’s conference features an impressive program of speakers representing the leading edge of sales and marketing thought leadership. Raj Rao, Candace Mailand, Jeff Stender and Tim McElroy of 3M will present on sales and marketing in the digital marketplace. Dean Terry Maness will address the future of higher education, while Todd Cione (Oracle), Kim Derricott (3M) and Bob Perkins (American Association of Inside Sales Professionals) will discuss the future of inside sales. Pulitzer-prize nominated journalist and best-selling author Fawn Germer will share advice on getting beyond self-limiting behaviors and will also lead a sales and marketing discussion with panelists Ajax Daugherty (Stream Energy), Barbara Daugherty (Frito-Lay), Jill Shoush (ConAgra) and Karin Thrift (Clif Bar & Company).

In addition to its continued impact on the sales industry, the conference also serves as a launch-event for students selected to participate in 3M’s summer Frontline Sales Internship Program. During Summer 2016, 35 student interns will complete a 10-week, paid internship in one of 3M’s five business groups. Of the 35 interns chosen, four rising seniors were selected from Baylor’s Professional Selling program. Christine Coxon, Jackson Hornbeak, Branden MacKinnon and Megan Williams will represent the Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling at the 2016 conference and as 3M interns this summer.

“The Baylor sales program is truly blessed by its long-standing relationship with 3M. Hosting this conference gives Baylor students the opportunity to engage with thought leaders in industry and meet other dedicated sales students from our sister universities,” says Dr. Andrea Dixon, executive director of the Center for Professional Selling. “3M’s focus on innovation extends far beyond the lab. We are excited that participating students will be exposed to cutting-edge commercialization and go-to-market strategies during this conference.”

Frontline Sales Conference events will be held at the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, Baylor Club at McLane Stadium, Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Baylor Marina.

About the Center for Professional Selling
Dedicated to excellence in sales education and based in the university’s Hankamer School of Business, the Center for Professional Selling is recognized as one of the premier global information resources for the sales profession. For more information on the Center for Professional Selling, visit https://hankamer.baylor.edu/prosales.