KU News Release

Marketing students win first, second places in sales call contest

LAWRENCE — Bradley Marcelles Miller and Vaishali Gala, both students in the School of Business at the University of Kansas, have won first and second place, respectively, in the Northwestern Mutual Sales Call Simulation Contest.

Miller won the $750 first-place prize and Gala won the $250 second-place prize. The contest was held between students in professor Kissan Joseph’s Sales Force Management course and was judged by panelists from Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. Joseph is a marketing professor and Stockton Faculty Fellow.

“This really helps students’ sales pitches for the future, from an objective source,” Joseph said.

Each student participating filled out a pre-sales call information form indicating the product they would be selling and their objectives. Contestants then had 20 minutes to present their product.

Miller, a senior majoring in marketing, chose to pitch the company Google Adwords to Waxman Candles. Miller is also participating in an international online marketing competition sponsored by Google.

“I figured I would get some practice making the sales pitch before meeting with Waxman Candles,” Miller said. “I used the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network sales contest to help me prepare for my Google online marketing contest.”

Gala, a senior majoring in marketing with a concentration in international business, chose to pitch for AIESEC, an international organization for college students in which she is involved. Gala chose to highlight the AIESEC international internship exchange program.

“It was good to have a third party involved, to be able to pitch to neutral people,” Gala said. “Anything having to do with sales is going to be helpful for the future.”

After the contest, Northwestern Mutual judges evaluated the students’ sales pitches. The judges gave them important verbal feedback on their presentations, Joseph said.

“The feedback they provided was really helpful in developing communication skills,” Miller said. “They told me to make more eye contact and to be more confident.”

“As sales people, how do you make a professional sales call? It helps them open the sale and handle rejections, too,” Joseph said. “The products Vaishali and Brad chose were somewhat more complex, which helps their problem-solving abilities.”

Northwestern Mutual Financial Network sponsors similar contests for other schools across the nation. “Their efforts and financial support are much appreciated,” Joseph said.

The School of Business contributes to the success of its graduates through constant innovation. Through experiences such as the Northwestern Mutual Sales Call Simulation Contest, students are able to apply academic knowledge to real-world situations.

The student winners are listed below by hometown, level in school, major, parents’ names and high school.

ELLIS COUNTY
From Hays 67601
Vaishali Gala, senior in marketing, daughter of Jayant and Kalpana Gala; Hays High School.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Olathe 66062
Bradley Marcelles Miller, senior in marketing, son of Stephen Miller; Olathe South High School.

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