UW-River Falls Named a 2014 Top Sales School as New Professional Sales Program is Introduced

November 7, 2014 -- The College of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls was recently named a 2014 Top North American Sales School by the Sales Education Foundation (SEF) in the 2014 edition of "Sales Education Annual." 

UW-River Falls is one of 83 schools included in the list. Schools are examined according to the following areas:  Graduate Program, Specialty Area, Competition Participant, Internship Required, Total Faculty, and Job Placement. UW-River Falls' recognition is due in large part to the new Professional Sales program. 

In its first year, the Professional Sales program is an emphasis offered within the Business Administration-Marketing major in the Marketing and Management Department of the AACSB-accredited College of Business and Economics. 

The Professional Sales emphasis includes required courses such as Relationship Selling, Sales Analytics, Advanced Selling Techniques, and Negotiation Techniques. Students in the sales program also have the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities, such as sales role-play exercises, collegiate sales competitions, sales internships, and classroom work in the newly-constructed Sales Lab in South Hall. 

"Our sales curriculum was carefully developed with input from businesses, sales professionals, the Sales Education Foundation and top ranking sales programs in the nation" said Ozcan Kilic, professor of management and marketing and primary contact for the program. "Graduates of the Professional Sales Program will be well prepared for a promising sales career and will have a shorter ramp-up time in the sales position they assume. Typically, sales program students have an average of three job offers even before they graduate." 

"I was ecstatic to hear about the new sales courses being offered and decided to take the next one available and I loved it," said Kayla Java, a senior in business administration-management. "Even if you are not majoring in sales, these courses help you with interpersonal skills and teach you about consumer behaviors and how you can impact the people around you. The content in the classes is relatable and helps you develop very useful skills and knowledge that can be applied to any career choice." 

Sales education is essential for students as they enter the competitive business world. The Sales Education Foundation finds that 66% of business graduates and 82% of marketing graduates begin their career in a sales-related position. This program also presents local businesses with the opportunity to hire and strengthen their sales force with UW-River Falls graduates. 

For more information, contact Kilic at 715-425-3335 or ozcan.kilic@uwrf.edu.