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The OSU Sales Academy opens a new year of learning, engagement and pitch competitions with a strong portfolio of industry sponsors. 2021 brings six new companies to the Sales Academy, and continued or heightened commitments from six current sponsors.
The 2021-22 academic year brings exciting growth and involvement
The OSU Sales Academy opens a new year of learning, engagement and pitch competitions with a strong portfolio of industry sponsors, assuring that the center can leverage the mentorship and networking its students need to hone their skills and talents in sales and graduate with a sales certification. 2021 brings six new companies to the Sales Academy, and continued or heightened commitments from six current sponsors.
The role of sponsors is critical to the success of students in the Sales Academy, and in spring 2021, the sales team won their first national competition. Sponsors directly engage with students, provide class workshops, serve as role players and judges in various academy and college events and competitions, provide program support and hire our graduates.
Sales Academy title sponsor and the 2021 platinum sponsor is Pacific Office Automation, the office management and office information technology solutions provider.
“At Pacific Office Automation, we believe in the development of people,” said Samantha Burby, director of recruiting. “By supporting the OSU Sales Academy, we are assisting with the development of young sales professionals within our community. Our support towards the academy only shows a fraction of the support that we show to our employees within our company. While it is our hope to attract ambitious talent to join our POA family, it is or goal to ensure these students have an exceptional educational experience to prepare them for their future.”
American International Forest Products moved from a Silver sponsorship up to a gold sponsor, and its president, John Vranizan, sees a great opportunity for students of the Sales Academy. Students in the Sales Academy learn to create a sales dialogue and to fully understand the sales process: conversation, negotiation, building rapport, discovery and listening. These are business and life skills.
“The OSU Sales Academy does a tremendous job paving the way for students to grasp the fundamentals in communication, planning and connection,” Vranizan said. “It’s not just about selling product, it’s about preparing members of the Sales Academy to enter their next phase with real-life tools for success.”
TEKsytems returned as a Sales Academy bronze sponsor, and the account manager for the technology and workforce solutions provider, India Bosshardt, experienced firsthand the talents and skills that the sales teams learn and practice.
“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with the Sales Academy for yet another year,” said Bosshardt, account manager for the technology and workforce solutions provider. “Having sat in the judge’s chair for various sales competitions and held workshops for the students in this group, I can’t speak highly enough of the talent that makes up the Sales Academy at OSU. The skills they’re taught early on create the foundation for a successful career in sales.”
Sales Academy is a 30-credit hour certificate program available to all OSU students, and the center’s industry sponsors are the key to creating the authentic interactions and sales environments our students utilize to map an engaging and successful future career for themselves.
“When students graduate from a sales program like ours, the Sales Education Foundation has gathered data showing their ‘ramp-up’ time in their first sales or management position is 50% faster, and companies experience 30% less turnover which equates to an immediate ROI for any sales organization,” said Caitlyn Gill, Sales Academy director.
“The students that graduate from our program enter the sales force prepared to prospect with an expansive knowledge of the sales process, pipeline strategy, practiced skills in active listening and emotional intelligence as it relates to business. We are teaching them business skills that are applicable to any career, not only sales. And our sponsors get to witness their growth and spot talent. It’s a win-win for our students and partners alike.”
The OSU Sales Academy is grateful to all 2021-22 sponsors.