Using Sales Competition Videos in a Principles of Marketing Class to Improve Interest in a Sales Career

Authors

Shannon Cummins, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
Terry Loe, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow
James W. Peltier, University of Wisconsin-WhitewaterFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2016

Publication Title

Journal for Advancement of Marketing Education

Volume

24

Issue

Special Issue on Sales Education

First Page

16

Last Page

21

Abstract

Purpose of the Study: This study describes an easily conducted teaching innovation to enhance introductory marketing students’ perception of sales and selling. Sales jobs are plentiful; yet, many marketing students do not pursue sales courses or sales careers. Our purpose is to describe a classroom intervention that improves students’ intent to pursue a sales career.

Method/Design and Sample: This study tests the classroom inclusion of an actual student sales competition video from the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) to provide visual as well as verbal learning stimuli. Following a 45 minute lecture on sales, students were exposed to the 20-minute final round winning NCSC video. During the video, the instructor stopped the video 12 times to relate specific aspects of the video role-play to the lecture. Students completed a pre- and post-intervention survey of the Intent to Pursue Sales Career Scale (ITPSC).

Results: Results show that the educational intervention positively impacted students’ perceptions of a sales career, salespeople, salesperson ethics, sales knowledge, and intent to pursue a sales career. The largest student perception increases were within the sales knowledge dimension.

Value to Marketing Educators: Graduates with degrees in marketing, business, and other areas often begin their careers in entry level sales positions. Sales skills are transferable and have utility in marketing and other careers. Instructional innovations designed to enhance student interest in a selling career, and that also advance sales training, have tremendous value. The use of an exemplar video from a sales competition is an easy way to accomplish these goals.

Comments

This article was reused with permission. Please visit the journal's homepage: http://www.mmaglobal.org/publications/jame/.

Recommended Citation

Cummins, Shannon; Loe, Terry; and Peltier, James W., "Using Sales Competition Videos in a Principles of Marketing Class to Improve Interest in a Sales Career" (2016). Marketing & Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications. 4.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/marketingfacpub/4