Test yourself with sales competitions
6th July 2020 | Journal Of Sales Transformation
Sales competitions are attracting the attention of students from around the world because they are a great way for sales course participants to showcase themselves in front of prospective employers.
Equally, many corporate employers have embraced sales competitions as a convenient way of checking out the best of the new crop of sales talent. Competitors who perform well are likely to be offered trainee sales positions with some of the most successful companies in the world.
Originally a US idea, sales competitions have now spread across the globe. They involve students competing against one another to perform business role-plays and to prepare and deliver the best presentations and “elevator pitches” (short sales pitches) about a given topic, product or service. These events are usually judged by senior business executives.
Here is a brief selection of competitions from around the world, so you get the idea.
In the United States, the National Team Selling Competition brings together high-calibre sales talent from 24 US colleges and universities. This two-day event in October 2020 is open to undergraduate students from across the United States. There will be opportunities for participants to work with corporate sponsors and recruiters and compete for $6,000 in cash prizes. Competing teams have the opportunity to bring their classroom knowledge and experience and apply those skills in a selling situation that is realistic and relevant in today’s market. The competition also provides exceptional networking opportunities with corporate partners, students, and faculty.
The European Sales Competition has previously hosted competitors from Kansas State, Perth College, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Liverpool universities. Many of the students who have taken part in previous competitions have been offered internships and work placements.
The South-East Asian Sales Competition (SEASAC) 2020 was hosted by Mahasarakham University, at the end of February 2020 in Thailand. It is part of an initiative to professionalise business-to-business (B2B) sales forces throughout the Southeast Asia region. Four European universities joined with seven universities from Indonesia and Thailand in an event that is expected to expand across Southeast Asia and introduce new methods of sales education to university students across the region.
Click here to see a full list of forthcoming sales-focused events including sales competitions.
NOTE: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many university sales competitions and professional event schedules have been disrupted. Please check with the event host listed for the latest information.
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