Thirty-eight University of Nebraska–Lincoln students recently vied for a share of $5,000 in the Center for Sales Excellence’s Fall Team Role-Play Competition. The students paired up to pitch a health care program to Husker alumni from the Undergraduate Certificate in Sales Excellence program.
“The two-member student teams identified offensive and defensive strategies for selling the human understanding and reputation program from NRC Health to business professionals acting as buyers for the competition,” said Blake Runnalls, assistant professor of marketing, who planned the competition. “All of the buyers were Nebraska graduates who earned their certificates in sales excellence. We are thankful to them and the business partners who served as judges.”
Kylie Eads, a junior marketing major from Elkhorn, and Aidan Kelch, a sophomore marketing major from Omaha, took home the first-place prize of $2,000. The two met as cheerleaders on the Husker Spirit Squad.
“The key for us was understanding the product and the importance of advocating for the patient while making sure to build a strong connection with the buyer,” Eads said. “We also changed up the sales approach as needed during the different rounds of competition. Aidan and I had great chemistry as teammates and were able to anticipate what was needed from each other. Aidan is great at revealing the buyer’s needs through the powerful questions he asks, and I'm able to understand and assess the needs quickly to offer a solution."
Scott Lodes, sales manager at Pacific Life in Omaha, served as a competition judge.
“I've been in sales for 20 years, and there are a lot of little things that go into selling that sometimes you can’t coach,” said Lodes, who has hired interns and full-time employees from Nebraska. “For me, it’s about doing those little things perfectly — being energetic, having conviction in what you’re talking about, laddering up a conversation, asking open-ended questions and not getting upset if you run into a little bit of an objection. These Nebraska students have those little things down.”
Joe Idstein, a sophomore management major from Roscoe, Illinois, and Trey Johnson, a sophomore marketing and management major from Pender, won $1,500 for finishing second. Both gained valuable experience during the competition and plan to work in sales after graduation.
“We had to overcome obstacles and think quickly on our feet since we never knew what problem might be shared by the buyer,” said Johnson, who is taking his second class for the sales certificate. “Having him be one of our own alums of the sales program made it a little less stressful, as we knew he could relate to us and had been in our shoes in the past.”
Joshua Buhr, a junior finance major from Beatrice, and Henry Moberly, a junior management major from Lincoln, won third place and $1,000. The two work together as interns at Sandhills Global in Lincoln.
“It was a little nerve-racking to compete, knowing judges and other business partners are watching us, but it was a great experience, and I definitely want to do it again,” Moberly said. “Since Josh and I work together, we knew each other’s sales abilities, and we are like-minded, so it created a good partnership.”
Charlie McCown and Kate Peterson, both junior marketing majors from Lincoln, won fourth place and $500. The two have known each other since middle school.
“Partnering was easy,” Peterson said. “The challenging part was predicting what the buyer would ask us and adapting to what he shared. Charlie knows how to take charge of the meeting right away and get to know the buyer. I stepped in to help sell the product and answer questions. All three rounds of the competition were different for us, but we helped each other and learned so much for the future. Everyone has to sell themselves in the world, so the sales certificate program is important no matter what major you choose."
Alumnus Parker Merwick of Lincoln, an account development manager at NRC Health, served as the buyer for the final round.
“I was proud to be asked to be part of this competition so I could give back to the students and the Center for Sales Excellence,” he said. “I want to shout out to all the students who participated because they did a great job and all of them have extremely bright futures.”
Students in the Undergraduate Certificate in Sales Excellence program take 15 credit hours to build their sales skills and learn how to influence others. Nebraska has been named a top university for professional sales education by the Sales Education Foundation each year since the program’s inception in 2014-15. Learn more.