Over a heated three-days of competition, Broad College of Business student Patrick Conway (BA Marketing, Sales Leadership Minor ‘17) boldly reached the semi-finals of the 2017 National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC).
The NCSC, founded in 1999, is an event that includes a live tournament-style student sales role-play competition, networking opportunities, and sales-exclusive career fair. The mission of the event is to promote and enhance the practice and professionalism of selling. The 2017 NCSC was Located at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, just 20 miles northwest of Atlanta.
NCSC team Douglas Hughes (advisor, interim marketing department chair), Commet, Clark, Gallagher and Conway.
In a series of 20-minute exercises, based on selling scenarios involving the sale of a product to small businesses, students assessed a prospect’s needs, presented solutions, negotiated concerns, and sought commitment from the buyer.
Out of a 144 student competitors from across the country, Conway tied for 5th place overall. Also representing the Broad College of Business was Rachel Gallagher (BA Finance, Sales Leadership Minor ‘17), who competed strongly and narrowly missed the quarter-finals.
“The talent exhibited at NCSC is extremely impressive,” said Doug Hughes, Interim Chair of Marketing and United Shore Faculty Fellow in Sales Leadership. “The fact that MSU perennially places at or near the top of this prestigious competition is a testament to the quality of our students, their diligence in preparation, and the excellence of our program in Sales Leadership.”
Conway and Gallagher’s combined scores positioned MSU in the top 10 out of 72 universities competing. Kylie Commet (BA Marketing, Sales Leadership Minor ‘17) and Rachel Clark (BA Advertising, Sales Leadership Minor ‘18) served as alternates and played an important role on the team in helping Conway and Gallagher prepare.
A Michigan State University student has reached the semifinals in five of the nine years MSU has participated in NCSC and at least the quarterfinals in every year but one, while capturing the national championship in 2016.
