Marketing Students Top National Sales Competition

Megan Martin, junior marketing student from New Iberia, Louisiana, and Michelle Menard, senior marketing student from St. Martinville, Louisiana, proved to be a dynamic sales duo at the annual collegiate National Sales Challenge, hosted by the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at William Patterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, from November 13 – 15, 2013.

Photo information: From left: Michelle Menard, Dr. Duleep Delpechitre, and Megan Martin

Facing off against teams from 42 universities from around the United States, the pair completed the challenge with a 3rd place national finish.  In addition, Megan Martin received 1st Place Overall for her individual performance as well as the Viewers’ Choice Award.

The three-day event involves two components:  a sales call role-play with a business executive and then a two-minute sales pitch the student develops to sell him or herself.  While more than eighty students competed in the first round of events, Ms. Martin was one of only four selected for the final round.  On her way to winning the entire competition, Ms. Martin also won the Viewers’ Choice Award by receiving 100% of the votes cast by other competing students, coaches, and business representatives.
The students were coached by Dr. Duleep Delpechitre, Assistant Professor of Marketing and Director of the Northwestern Mutual Sales & Research Lab.  “We cannot underscore how proud we are of Dr. Delpechitre and our team.  Over the last several weeks, they trained extremely hard and represented our university with great pride.  Megan and Michelle both agreed that our local, qualifying sales competition was tougher than the Russ Berrie Institute’s competition, and that the feedback and engagement by local business leaders really helped them,” says Dr. Geoffrey Stewart, department head for the Marketing and Hospitality Programs.

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