Baylor ProSales Places Second in National Team Selling Competition
Baylor’s Professional Selling team, comprised of Jackson Hornbeak, Lauren March, Tyler Warner and Paul Worrell, placed second overall in a field of 21 universities in the National Team Selling Competition (NTSC) at Indiana University October 27-28, 2016. The case involved complex analysis of a new product variant in an existing product category within the grocery channel.
“The competition was really a great opportunity for us to challenge ourselves and grow as a team,” said Senior Paul Worrell. “The case pushed us to think outside the box and really analyze the data. Overall, the competition was a great learning experience that helped us grow both professionally and individually.”
Dr. Andrea Dixon, Executive Director of Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling served as Faculty Coach for the team. Professional Selling students Madison Murray and Megan Williams worked with the team as student coaches, and Madeline Giering of 3M served as the on-site Alumni Coach.
Dixon shared that the case analysis and strategy development aspect of the competition allows for great student development, as a team consulting approach is often incorporated into real-life sales scenarios. “The value of the IU NTSC is that the competition scenario requires students to conduct MBA-level case analysis and develop a customer-engagement strategy designed to move an entire category forward for a retailer,” said Dixon. “What this means is that students must take on the real-world role of serving as a category captain for a customer. That’s a fantastic experience for undergraduate students.”
“As a team we had to learn how to be flexible during the preparation and the actual presentation,” shared Junior Lauren March. “By learning about the strengths of each competitor, we worked well as a team to create a final presentation and earn 2nd place.”
Other universities participating in the competition included Ball State University, Indiana University, Michigan State University, Purdue University, St. Mary’s College, St. Catherine University, Tuskegee University, University of Connecticut, University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University of Richmond, University of San Diego, University of Texas at Austin, University of Toledo, University of Virginia, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, University of Wyoming, Villanova University and Xavier University of Louisiana.
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.