Student sales stars are real deal

25th June 2019 |   Journal Of Sales Transformation

Winner Max Hampapa (centre) with Dr Tony Douglas (competition director) and Kaye Miller (Textron Aviation).

Scotland’s Edinburgh Napier University recently hosted rising sales stars from both sides of the Atlantic at a two-day sales contest. A team from the University of Texas Dallas jetted in to take on talent from Coventry, Sheffield Hallam and the home university at the UK University Sales Competition, sponsored by Textron Aviation.

Edinburgh Napier third-year student Max Hampapa emerged as the winner of the main sales role-play competition after two intense days of pitching to and negotiating with a panel of seasoned business professionals.

He had been inspired by the presence of Calum Hutchison, Murray Black and Niobe Derksen, Edinburgh Napier graduates who were recruited to the sponsor’s US-based sales development programme following last year’s event.

Hampapa, from Stuttgart, Germany, shone in a contest which saw competitors play the role of prospective sellers of a company jet. He narrowly beat Jordan Murphy from University of Texas Dallas, with two other Edinburgh Napier students, Martine Assen and Falk Lewedog, completing the shortlist.

Hampapa and Assen were also selected from the UK competition to represent Edinburgh Napier’s Business School in the 6th European Sales Competition at Avans University in Den Bosch in Holland in May.

A separate quickfire Sales SpeedSell competition, which acted as a curtain raiser to the main event, was won by Tyra Banks of University of Texas Dallas.