Dedicated to excellence in sales education and based in the UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics, the Institute for Sales Excellence is recognized as one of the premier global information resources for the sales profession.
The Institute offers all UW-Whitewater students the opportunity to participate in service and programming opportunities without regard to major or background. Opportunities include:
- Certificate programs
- UW-Whitewater sales competitions
- External sales competition
- Workshop series/training programs
- Sales roundtables/speaker series
- Career fairs
- Mentor program
- Partners in the Classroom
- Internship program
- Job shadowing program
The UW-Whitewater Institute for Sales Excellence is housed in the Department of Marketing. Along with Institute programs and activities, the Department of Marketing offers a Professional Selling Emphasis (marketing majors only), Professional Selling Minor (all majors except marketing), and a Professional Selling Certificate (all majors). To meet the needs of these curricular options, the Department of Marketing has several faculty involved in the teaching of eight different courses. Below we introduce the curricular options and describe the mix of courses.
Professional Selling Emphasis
The Professional Selling Emphasis (marketing majors) serves marketing students interested in specializing in sales. Students in the Professional Selling emphasis are required to take Principles of Selling, Sales Management, Business to Business Marketing, Sales Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Entrepreneurial and Advanced Selling Techniques, plus three credits of electives. The Sales Internship class is recommended, but not required.
Professional Selling Minor
The Professional Selling Minor is open to any major (except marketing) at the university, including business majors. Required courses include Principles of Marketing, Principles of Selling, Sales Management and Entrepreneurial and Advanced Sales Techniques, plus three credits of sales electives and six additional marketing electives.
Professional Selling Certificate
The Professional Selling Certificate is available to any major at the university, including business majors. It is not a major nor a minor, but rather a credential that can be noted on your transcript as a certificate. Required courses include Principles of Marketing, Principles of Selling, and Entrepreneurial and Advanced Sales Techniques, plus three credits of sales electives.
Courses
- Principles of Selling: A seminar in the art and science of selling. Examined and probed in-depth will be the whys and hows of selling theories, principles, techniques, practices, and the basics of sales force management.
- Sales Management: This course examines sales management from a motivational and an institutional perspective. The goal of the course is to examine the elements of operating an effective sales force as the key component to organizational success. Topics include sales force structure, use of technology, and issues in compensating and retaining salespeople.
- Business to Business Marketing: This is an intensive examination of the industrial marketing sector. Emphasis is placed on understanding the unique dimensions of the industrial marketing environment and translating this understanding into effective integrated industrial marketing programs. Attention is given to producer, reseller, and government markets.
- Sales Negotiation and Conflict Resolution: A combination of art and science, negotiation involves securing agreement between interdependent parties. Topics include analyzing and assessing negotiation scenarios, preparing for a negotiation, power and influence strategies, coalitions, and managing conflict. Role-playing, as a key component of the class, offers students the opportunity to develop their negotiating skills.
- Entrepreneurial and Advanced Selling Techniques: Selling is a critical criterion for successful enterprises. This course provides advanced hands-on and practical approaches for selling new products/services, obtaining new customers, launching new enterprises, and creating relationships in other entrepreneurial selling scenarios. Through video and other technologies, students will present interactive solutions for developing strong customer relationships.
- Sales Team Practicum: Membership on the UW-Whitewater Sales Team for a year earns students three credits.
- Internship in Marketing - Sales Emphasis: This course is a structured, supervised work experience within the sales function. The internship experience offers the student an opportunity to merge coursework with day-to-day activities in business. Not more than 3 internship credits will apply towards major or minor.
- Independent Study/UW-Whitewater Sales Team: Three credits for students competing in national sales competitions.
There are numerous sales competition opened to UW-Whitewater students with over $15,000 in cash awards. For more information contact Jimmy Peltier at 608-220-0619 or peltierj@uww.edu.
UW-Whitewater Sales Team
The UW-Whitewater Sales Team is an opportunity made available to students enrolled in the Professional Selling Emphasis, Professional Selling Minor, or Professional Selling Certificate Program; and/or in the Advanced Sales Class.
In past years the UW-Whitewater Sales Team has competed in a variety of sales competitions including (1) UW-Whitewater-Northwestern Mutual Sales Competition, (2) Federated Insurance Sales Competition, (3) UW-Eau Claire Great Northwood's Sales Warm-Up, (4) University of Toledo Sales Competition for Freshmen through Juniors, (5) Florida State University International Collegiate Sales Competition, (6) William Patterson University Sales Competition, (7) Western Collegiate Sales Competition, and the (8) National Collegiate Sales Competition -- the largest and most prestigious sales competition in the country.
AMA and PSE Sales Team
The UW-Whitewater Institute for Sales Excellence also supports the AMA and PSE Sales Teams in attending regional and national sales competitions sponsored by their organizations. These competitions are held in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Chicago, Eau Claire, Michigan, Milwaukee, and other locations.
Other Sales Competition
These competitions are open to all UW-Whitewater students:
- JJ Keller/TEKsystems Outbound Sales Competition (fall and spring)
- Impact/Consolidated Electrical Distributors Perfect Pitch Competition (fall and spring)
- Marine Credit Union/Sherwin Williams Team Selling Competition (fall and spring)
- Northwestern Mutual Sales Competition (fall and spring)
The UW-Whitewater Sales Cup is a points-based system through which active participants are eligible for approximately $20,000 to 25,000 in cash awards, which are graciously provided by our UW-Whitewater Institute for Sales Excellence Partners.
Process
Students earn points by participating in eligible sales competitions, certificate programs, interview days, job shadowing, and company visits. In May of each year, points are totaled and the top 20 to 25 students earn a cash award. December graduates are also considered.
Points System
What activities count and how many points per activity? Points are as follows:
- UW-Whitewater Sales Team = 0 - 50 points
- AMA or PSE Sales Team = 0 - 25 points
- Northwestern Mutual Sales Competition
- Round 1 = 10 points for competing
- Making "Finals Day" = 20 points
- 1st Place = 100 points; 2nd Place = 50 points
- Federated Sales Competition
- Competing = 25 points
- Making Finals = 20 points
- 1st Place = 50 points; 2nd Place = 25 points
- Attending Institute Certificate Programs = 50 points per event
- Attending Institute Interview/Career Fair/Meet and Greet = 50 points per event
- UW-Whitewater Impact and Consolidated Electrical Distributors Perfect Pitch Competition (fall and spring)
- Competing in Round 1 = 50 points
- Making Finals = 25 points
- 1st Place = 50 points; 2nd Place = 25 points
- UW-Whitewater JJ Keller and TEKsystems Outbound Sales Competition (fall and spring)
- Competing in Round 1 = 50 points
- Making Finals = 25 points
- 1st Place = 50 points; 2nd Place = 25 points
- UW-Whitewater Marine Credit Union and Sherwin Williams Team Selling Sales Competition (fall and spring)
- Competing in Round 1 = 50 points
- Making Finals = 25 points
- 1st Place = 50 points; 2nd Place = 25 points
- (1) Great Northwoods Sales Warmup, (2) Florida State Sales Competition,
(3) RBI Sales Competition, (4) University of Toledo Sales Competition.
- Selected to Compete = 50 points
- Placement = 0 - 50 points
- National Collegiate Sales Competition
- Selected to Compete = 100 points
- Placement = 0 - 200 points
- AMA/PSE Sales Competitions
- Competing in Round 1 = 50 points
- Making Finals = 25 points
- 1st Place = 50 points; 2nd Place = 25 points
- Other points based on a number of awards
- Other points based on things that may pop up (coaching, additional competition, etc.)
The Institute for Sales Excellence offers a variety of non-credit extracurricular learning opportunities that bring our corporate sponsors together in an educational and fun networking environment. These programs are offered all year and are co-branded with the student American Marketing Association. All these events are free to students, include some sort of job fair, and free food. Students earn 20 Sales Cup points for attending these events.
Financial Services
Our financial services partners host an extended event of what a career in financial services is all about. The certificate is broken down into three parts: (1) company information and highlights, (2) special skill sets, and (3) closing panel. Companies committed thus far include Federated Insurance, Marine Credit Union, and Northwestern Mutual.
Retail and Supply Chain
Retail management is an extremely interesting and well-paid career choice. This certificate program brings together companies seeking retail management leaders and/or students who can grow their business. Companies committed thus far include CH Robinson, Enterprise, Kohl's, Target, and The Mattress Firm.
Business to Business Marketing
The B2B certificate will have six to seven companies visit to provide career information and key skills and knowledge areas needed for securing a job in the B2B world, including sales and marketing. Companies committed thus far include ABC Supply, Aerotek, Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Impact, JJ Keller, Milwaukee Tool, Sherwin Williams, Software One, and TEKsystems.
