New Paul College Sales Center of Excellence Announced

The University of New Hampshire in Durham launched a new venture, the Sales Center of Excellence. The professional development program for undergraduates will partner with the business community to leverage the disciplines of marketing, sales, business etiquette, and leadership for undergraduate students interested in a career in sales leadership. Housed in the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, the Sales Center is funded through grants and investments from the business community.
 
"The power of this program is the partnerships we have formed to bring field experience into the classroom, enabling executives to contribute to the professional development of undergraduate students before they begin their first career. The quality of training, mentoring, and coaching students will receive will be on par with world-class corporate sales and leadership training," said Arnold Garron, interim dean of Paul College.
 
Catherine Blake, the center's executive director, is also founder of Sales Protocol. She has more than 20 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies and is currently an adjunct professor at the UNH Paul College.  "Even with the excellent education that UNH and the Paul College provide, the job market remains competitive. The great news is that sales jobs across many industries are readily available. Statistical evidence suggests that starting the sales training process early, as early as the sophomore year, will best prepare students to land, stay, and succeed in their first professional job," Blake said.
 
The center builds on the UNH Sales Club and annual UNH Sales Case Competition, both of which provide students the opportunity to experience a simulated corporate sales environment where they learn about the consultative selling model, principled negotiations, public speaking, and professional etiquette.
 
"We carefully select industry experts who exhibit exemplary character qualities to serve as mentors and coaches for our undergraduate students. We believe that the only way to sell and conduct business is with integrity," she said.
 
This year's UNH Sales Case Competition is Saturday, April 12, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Paul College. The competition is open to all UNH undergraduate students and undergraduates from other New England universities with a sales program. The winning team will receive a $1,000 cash prize. To register, visit www.unhsalesclub.com.