Senior places Top 13 in national sales competition

The art of being a good salesperson is more than just asking someone to buy a product or service. It’s a learned skill. For Bloomsburg University senior Brendan Matthews a mock sales pitch in his advanced selling class evolved into competing in the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) this spring.

Matthews, who is a management major with a minor in professional sales, competed against 144 students from 72 universities finishing 13th overall, the best placement ever for a BU student. As a team in its eighth year competing, BU placed in the top 16 among the schools.

“We have been competing here for eight years,” said Monica Favia, chair of the Department of Marketing and Professional Sales. “While Unfortunately, Brendan did not make the final four, it was still gave an outstanding showing. Most importantly, every student who attends usually has at least one job offer and frequently more, depending on the degree that they pursue it. Every BU student competing this this year has at least one job offer and in some cases two or three.”

Matthews went into the competition with a strategy for his success despite waking up ill the morning of the competition.

“Each round I was selling the same product to a different group of buyers,” he said. “Some buyers were very nice and others were difficult, so I started by introducing myself to develop a personal connection. I then set an agenda for the pitch so they knew what to expect.”

The NCSC offers students the opportunity to display their skills in sales which often times leaves them with many opportunities for their future.

“It’s a great experience to put yourself out there,” said Matthews. “There are a ton of employers there actively looking to hire students for full time jobs upon graduation. It’s also a great opportunity for students to connect from all over the country and learn more about themselves, their sales programs, and what they are looking for in a career.”

Following his May 2018 graduation, Matthews will begin a position at CH Robinson, a supply chain logistic company located in Conshohocken, working with their full sales cycle.

In addition to Matthews’ efforts, junior Britny Keyes played a large role in BU’s ranking. Other team members included Brittany Satiago, Asia Harding and graduate students, Joe Devine and Josh Salak.

BU’s sales program is the only one in the State System.