Business students put to the test in sales competition

And it came down to three.

Each with 15 final minutes to lay claim to Bloomsburg University’s second annual BU/UPS Sales Competition that featured 18 student competitors, including representatives from Kings College and Wilkes University.

The day — organized and managed by Monica J. Favia, coordinator of Zeigler College of Business professional sales program — started with a competition round where each student had 15 minutes to present and close. Three finalists were chosen, who then had another 15 minutes for their final presentations with the same judging criteria.

Josh Salak, a senior business administration marketing and finance major, won the competition. Fellow finalists were runner-up Alison DiClemente, a senior business administration marketing major, and third place finisher Chris Mekosh, a senior communication studies major pursuing minors in economics and marketing.

In the competition students were judged on their professional sales ability to:

• Approach – effectively gain attention and build rapport
• Needs Identification – obtaining a clear understanding of a customer’s situation in order to prepare a customized presentation
• Product/Service Presentation – persuasively match your product’s benefit to meet the needs of the buyer
• Overcoming Objections – eliminating concerns or questions to customer’s satisfaction
• Close – taking initiative to understand where you stand with a buyer now and for the future

Judges, who were all industry professionals, also looked at the students’ communication skills and overall performance. The winner received an iPad Pro and custom Tom James suit. Second place received a Go Pro, while third place took home a phone projector.

The competition also featured a career fair featuring UPS, Sprint, Quadrant EPP USA, CED, Gartner, ADP and Tom James.