Twelve Universities to Compete in Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up

Forty-eight students from marketing programs at twelve colleges and universities will gather at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Nov. 12-14 for the third annual Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up, a regional sales competition hosted by UW-Eau Claire's Department of Management and Marketing.

Students will hone their selling skills, network with sales professionals and recruiters, and meet other students who share their interest in sales. The event will also give students an opportunity to “warm-up” for the National Collegiate Sales Competition which is held every spring at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga.

Schools participating in the UW-Eau Claire event include Ball State University, Bemidji State University, Elon University (near Greensboro, North Carolina), Indiana University, Minnesota State University-Mankato, St. Catherine University, St. Cloud State University, University of Louisville, University of Northern Iowa, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and University of Wisconsin-Stout.

All contestants at the Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up will deliver two 20-minute sales presentations—one for a Hormel product, the other for a SuperValu service—to an individual buyer. Sales calls will be evaluated by a panel of sales professionals who will view presentations via cablecast at a remote location. Students will receive their evaluation sheets, a CD of their presentations, and a half-hour debriefing session with one of the sales professionals who evaluated their performance.

Individual prizes at The Warm-Up include $1,500 for best overall salesperson, $1,000 for first runner-up, and $750 for second runner-up. Also, the highest scoring individual from each university will receive $150 and a trophy.

To learn how you can become a competitor at the 2009 Warm-Up, contact Dr. Bob Erffmeyer at erffmerc@uwec.edu, 836-4644; or LaNette Flunker at flunkelm@uwec.edu, 836-2088.