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WHAT’S INSIDE

2.1

WHY I BECAME A SALES

MAJOR

Margaret Morris

3.1SALES TEAM AND AMBASSADORS

4.1NATIONAL SALES CHAMPION

5.1SALES TEAMWORK

6.1THE PROFESSIONAL

SALES MAJOR

7.1WHERE ARE THEY NOW?Carlos Gaviria & Laura Brown

8.1BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS

THE PROFESSIONAL SALES PROGRAM AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

Director’s UpdateFall 2009 was the first complete semester for the new “official”

professional sales major in the Department of Marketing. Registration

for the new major went from a student count of 2 in August to over 47 by

the end of the fall semester and now in mid-spring to 67 sales majors.

There are many reasons why students would choose the sales major but

the primary reason is the greater opportunity for employment in a well-

paid position with potential advancement into management. Of our Fall

2009 program graduates, several received multiple offers from Fortune

1000 companies and several students who will not graduate untill May

2010 have been offered and accepted positions. See the testimonials on

page 2 for one student’s thoughts on the subject.

As part of the enrichment process for the sales program, a commitment

to attend a fall sales competition was added to our program in addition to

the spring NCSC at Kennesaw State University. FSU will now hold an

internal competition each spring and each fall where sales program

advisory council members will select two competitors to attend a

national competition. After careful review of several of the more

prominent fall collegiate sales competitions, the National Sales

Challenge held at the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at

William Paterson University was selected because of its significant

challenge to our students and its prominence among national companies.

Three FSU students were selected and competed at the event: CJ

Curtsinger, Matt Schaefer and MaryEllen White, who was crowned

national sales champion at the event. See the full story on page 5.

SPRING 2010

Sales program students are highly

sought for management trainee

programs. Here, 5 top sales program

students are whisked away on the City

Furniture corporate jet for interviews

in Ft Lauderdale.

THE PROFESSIONAL SALES PROGRAM AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY! SPRING 2010

In March, we attended our 7th National Collegiate

Sales Competition in Kennesaw where Chelsea

Sargent was crowned NCSC champion and our

team placed second overall. See the article about

“Back-to-Back” on page 8.

The college is in the process of establishing a

university institute in sales that will oversee the

sales curriculum; house sales research efforts and

be a conduit for community outreach in the form of

executive sales education. Two tailored executive

level sales seminars were conducted this past fall.

One was to GTO, a Tallahassee based company

with an experienced national sales force. The other

was to Glade Crop Care, a Florida based

corporation in the process of establishing a sales

force. Both seminars were well received.

A new formal course, “Sales Practicum” was

established to incorporate into one course, the sales

internship, the sales team (formally the “Top 10”)

and a new component of the program, a seminar in

strategic account management. Students who excel

in the Advanced Sales Course are selected for

either the sales team or the new strategic account

management seminar with all other students

completing the program requirements through a

sales-related internship. See the article on page 3

for an introduction to the selected students in both

special programs.

In other happenings, this year, Dr. Chris Plouffe

and Dr. Leff Bonney attended the November

Selling Power Conference in Miami. Chris spoke

as part of a panel called Strategic Sales Leadership.

Chris and Leff also facilitated the first of what will

be many focus groups to initiate the creation of the

“FSU Sales Center/ Selling Power List of High-

Priority Research Areas in Sales.” Additional focus

groups consisting of sales executives from Fortune

1000 companies will be held in 2010. New

research published included, "Customer-Directed

Selling Behaviors and Performance: A

Comparison of Existing Perspectives," in the

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, by

Chris Plouffe, John Hulland and Trent Wachner.

- Pat Pallentino

Chelsea Sargent, 2010 NCSC Champion

I met Pat Pallentino at the 2009 College of

Business Hall of Fame Awards Dinner. I

was introducing one of the inductees and

sitting at a table with him and Mrs.

Pallentino. Shortly after the presentation

had finished, he asked if I knew about the

professional sales program. We spoke about

some of the differences between marketing

and sales and I became intrigued about the

opportunities that came from being in the

sales program.

In the past I always dismissed the idea of a

sales position thinking only of the sleazy

used car salesmen you see in movies. It

wasn’t until I became involved in the sales

program at Florida State University that my

eyes were opened to the opportunities that

can come from a position in sales. I met

many of the students who were on the FSU

Sales Team this past fall, and their passion

for sales really inspired me to change my

major. I know that if I take advantage of all

the opportunities that come from the sales

major, I will have a successful career in

sales.

-Margaret Morris

Why I Became a Sales Major

by Margaret Morris

THE PROFESSIONAL SALES PROGRAM AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY! SPRING 2010

Between the Spring of 2009 and Fall 2009 semesters, over 1,200 students completed a course in the Professional Sales major. Out of approximately 90 students in the Advanced Sales classes during this period, ten students were chosen for the FSU Sales Team and 7 for a Strategic Account Management seminar. Students were selected for their demonstrated sales skills and overall academic achievement. The ten sales team students competed in sales role plays and the top two, Jeff Tacetta and Chelsea Sargent, were chosen to compete in the National Collegiate Sales Competition at Kennesaw State University in early March. The FSU competition took place during Sales and Marketing Day on February 9th. Advisory Council members made the final selections and had the opportunity to meet all sales program students during a series of networking events.

The Spring 2010 Sales Team Students are:

• Whitney Aaron will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degree in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales with a minor in Communications. Whitney has been completely self-sufficient without scholarship help throughout her college career. She has held several full-time positions in local restaurants to complete her college degree. Whitney is a member of the national Honor Society and the National Scholars Society and was on the Dean’s List in the Fall of 2009. She is also a member of the Sales Club and volunteers as a lifeguard for a local youth program.

• Giac Calanni will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degree in Management. On the Dean’s list for the last four semesters, Giac is a member of the CEO student organization and the current president of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), where he manages several community outreach charitable and environmental projects. He has marketing experience from summer jobs at Sea World in Orlando and Target Department Stores. Giac is fluent in German, speaks some Spanish and participates in multiple sports.

• John (JJ) Jankowski will graduate in the Summer of 2010 with a BS degree in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales and in Finance. JJ is a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and participates in FSU Club Roller Hockey. He has significant business experience from his position

as the cremation manager and veterinary

technician for North Florida Animal Hospital, and is gaining sales experience through an internship with Northwestern Mutual Financial

Network.

• April Johnson will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degree in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales. April was on the dean’s list for the past 2 semesters and is a recipient of the FSU 21st Century Scholarship. April has experience in the real estate, customer service, banking and sports promotion industries, which includes the promotion of FSU varsity sports events and group ticket sales. She is a volunteer for a young children’s development program and plays intramural basketball, volleyball and flag football.

• Chelsea Ladd will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degree in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales. Chelsea is consistently on the Dean’s list, is a member of the Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society, and the National Scholars Honor Society. She has experience in both sales and marketing through internships where she was responsible for managing communications with clients and designing and executing marketing programs. Chelsea is also licensed to sell real estate in Florida. She is a member of the sales club, the real estate club and is active in intramural tennis.

• Kyle Lozito will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales. Kyle was awarded multiple academic scholarships, is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and is active in Dance Marathon, intramural football, wrestling. He is also a member of the varsity Rugby team. Kyle has a variety of experience in both sales and management through several internships.

• Chelsea Sargent will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales. Besides having an excellent GPA, Chelsea is actively involved in student life as the Vice President of Marketing for Women in Business, is a member of American Marketing Association and directs the marketing efforts of the FSU Sales Club. She has gained valuable marketing and sales experience in several internships where she was responsible for developing and executing marketing and awareness programs.

Spring 2010 Sales Team and Sales Program

Ambassadors

THE PROFESSIONAL SALES PROGRAM AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY! SPRING 2010

• Shannon Stuckman will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with dual BS degrees in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales and Finance. In addition to her high academic achievement including consistent Dean’s List, Shannon is a member of the varsity track team and won the “Stewie of the Year” award for hardest working athlete. She is also active in student professional life, participating in several associations including Students in Free Enterprise, American Marketing Association and the Black Student Union. Shannon has gained significant marketing and sales experience in an internship with a local law firm and management experience as an office assistant in the FSU Athletic department.

• Jamie Williams will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degree in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales and minoring in Communications. Jamie is part of the Delta Gamma sorority and was most recently their vice president of membership. She has gained a wide variety of business experiences including internships with FOX TV in Atlanta, the Florida State Office of the Governor and was also a marketing representative for a local TV station. In addition, she spends many hours as a volunteer for Services for Sight, where she works with blind and visually impaired local residents.

• Bridgett Woods will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degree in Marketing, majoring in Professional Sales and HR Management and minoring in Communications. In addition to Bright Futures, Bridgett was awarded a Sam Walton and a Burger King scholarship. She is an alumna of the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity and is an active member of Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, where she served as Vice President and Treasurer. As an intern for University Directories, she ranked 7th out of 700 nationwide for individual sales production. Bridgett speaks fluent Spanish and completed a marketing internship in Valencia, Spain with the firm Criteria Marketing & Communications.

The Spring 2010 Strategic Account Managers and Sales

Ambassadors are:

• Rachael Braun will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS Degree in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. Rachel is a member of Delta Gamma Sorority where she has held several leadership positions, including president, and is also a member of the Greek leadership honor

society, Order of Omega. She has worked as a horseback riding instructor and more recently as an event planner for Xtreme Trips.

• Gina Contella will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS Degree in Multinational Business Operations and Professional Sales, as well as a minor in French. Gina is consistently on the Dean’s and President’s lists. She has gained valuable insight into several industries through a variety of jobs and internships, which include working as a manager at a mid-sized motel, an assistant to the CEO of a Florida-based real estate company and director of marketing campaigns for an international law firm in Tallahassee. She has developed a strong clientele base as a certified exercise instructor. Gina is a member of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and a volunteer for Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Habitat for Humanity. She has also volunteered as a Teen Court Attorney in both prosecution and defense in Brevard County.

• Leslie Deslis will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degrees in Marketing and Textiles and Merchandising. She is a member of the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity where she lead several service projects and participated in the Merchandising study abroad program. Leslie has a wide variety of professional experiences gained through internships and as an account manager for the News Service of Florida. Leslie is also fluent in Spanish.

• Ashley Pollard will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degree in Marketing and Professional Sales and a minor in Spanish. Ashley is a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and has held several executive positions, including the student organization and Women in Business, and she is the founder of the non-profit, Greeks in the Streets. Marketing positions she has held include an internship with the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. She is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honorary, Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society and Garnet and Gold Key Leadership.

• Brady Roberts will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degree in Professional Sales. Brady plays an active role in the FSU Sales Club. He has exercised his leadership skills by holding a seasonal position as assistant director of a Summer camp in Auburndale, Florida for the past five years. He has also coached competitive

Fall 2009 Sales Program Ambassadors (con’t)

THE PROFESSIONAL SALES PROGRAM AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY! SPRING 2010

and high school boys soccer, as well as participated in intramural sports. This past year, Brady was selected as an FSU Super Bowl XLIV Ambassador.

• Thomas Strausbaugh will graduate in the Spring of 2010 with a BS degrees in Professional Sales, Finance and Management. Thomas has gained valuable experience through a variety of positions. This includes working as a new business development intern for Onyx Group, a local marketing firm, a finance department intern for the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper and a server and bartender at The Melting Pot. Besides being an active

member of the FSU Sales Club and SIFE, Thomas has made it on to the Dean’s list each semester while working full-time to support himself through college.

• Erik Sunset will graduate in the December 2010 with a BS degrees in Professional Sales and Human Resource Management. Erik has exercised responsibility and developed his skills by working as a barista for Starbucks, a customer service representative for Walgreens and a tennis coach for a group of twelve children. He is a member of the FSU Sales Club and Cycling Club as well as a seasoned veteran in intramural soccer.

FSU student named national champion at sales

competition

FSU College of Business’ Mary Ellen White wins big at National Sales Challenge

Mary Ellen White, a professional Sales major, came home a national champion from the Russ Berrie Institute (RBI) for

Professional Sales at William Paterson University’s National Sales Challenge.

Held every fall, the National Sales Challenge involves three events: the “In Basket” challenge makes students

decide on the priority of their response to simulated customer issues; “Speed Selling” gives students 2 minutes to

present to a group of business leaders the reason that they should be hired as a professional sales person; and

“Role-Play” presents students with a challenging business situation where they must understand the need of the

buyer, present a solution and receive a commitment from the buyer to pursue a relationship.

White is the first national champion that Florida State has had in the RBI Sales Competition.

“Winning National Champion at the RBI Sales Competition was, by far, one of the best experiences I have had at

Florida State,” says White. “It was really neat to achieve a goal that I set for myself two years ago. Although I took

first place individually, I believe that this was a team win for FSU. Not only did I have dedicated coaches to help

me, but the sales team was also very supportive in offering advice and practicing with me. This is something that I

will hold close to me forever.”

The competition, deigned to build sales skills and connect future sales leaders with top business executives, is held

at the Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business in William Paterson University. Each participant is judged in the three

aspects of the competition on their approach, needs identification, object handling, communications &

presentation, and their close for next appointment.

“We are incredibly proud of Mary Ellen and the entire sales team,” said Mike Hartline, Chair of the Marketing

department. “This recognition reaffirms that the FSU College of Business Sales Program is developing the best sales

professionals of tomorrow.”

Sales Teamwork

All ten of our Spring “Top 10” competitive selling class attended the NCSC even though only two were involved in the competition. One of the sales program’s teaching objectives is that professional sales is a team sport so our NCSC strategy is that the two competitors only concentrate on the upcoming round and the rest of the team plan how to make the next sales call. This includes what kind of attention-getting technique to use, what the possible needs of this prospect are and the potential objections that may arise.

2010 Sales Team

The Professional Sales

MajorAs with all FSU College of Business majors, the Professional Sales major requires a minimum 2.9 GPA. The full listing of course requirements to complete the major can be found in the FSU Bulletin. These include lower level prerequisites in economics, statistics and accounting, general business prerequisites in law, business communications and basic marketing. The courses focusing on sales include Professional Selling, Advanced Sales Techniques, Sales Management, Competitive Selling, Strategic Account Management and a sales-related internship. Students completing the program receive a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a major in Professional Sales noted on their record.

THE PROFESSIONAL SALES PROGRAM AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY!

Where Are They Now?My name is Carlos Gaviria and I am a recent FSU graduate and participant in the Sales Program. I am currently

a Sales Associate for Metro 1 Properties selling and leasing commercial real estate. The invaluable lessons and

information I learned in the FSU Sales Program have been crucial to my success in an industry marked by sophisticated

clientele and high value transactions where multimillion-dollar deals are the norm. The training that I received from the

sales faculty was hands on and applicable in the real world. After graduating it soon became apparent to me that the

training I had received while at FSU was on par, if not superior, to any corporate level sales training around. By having

students prepare sales call plans and practice sales techniques live in a role-play environment, I developed the skills

and confidence to properly navigate even the most difficult sales environments. It is no secret that the pros in business,

or any field for that matter, all have one thing in common, the ability to perform the basics better than the rest. The

sales program helped me build a solid foundation by teaching a world-class need based sales approach. I now know

how to properly match a customer’s need with my company’s offering to establish a win-win relationship. For any

student currently attending FSU I highly recommend participating in the Sales Program.

The team prepares for the next round

INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3"THE PROFESSIONAL SALES PROGRAM AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY! Spring 2010

The First Eight Months by Laura Brown, Otis Elevator

With the New Year in full swing, I feel a great sense of accomplishment when looking back on the past eight months. My position as an Account Manager for Otis Elevator is challenging, and each day is filled with new opportunities. As my career begins to take off, I am prepared and excited for what the future holds. The road to this position however, was not as smooth as a new college graduate might imagine.

Crossing the stage on graduation day, I was enthusiastic about starting my career. Equipped with top-notch training from the FSU sales program, I had been offered a position with a Fortune 40 company. How demanding could this really be?

Day one on the job however, my stilettos and freshly pressed suit were quickly traded in for steel-toed boots and a hard hat. In order to learn about our products, I would be spending month one of the six-month training program on a construction site in the dead heat of summer. As I stared at my new get-up in the mirror, I began to question what I had signed up for.

And so I was off. In a new city each week, I had a 5AM wake-up call to be on the construction site by 6AM. Ten-hour days in the field were followed by long nights in my hotel room, studying and preparing presentations for each Friday afternoon.

I was tired, I was dirty, and I was frustrated with building elevators. As I crashed onto my temporary bed covered in sweat and tears, I made the first “what have I gotten myself into?” phone call to my former professor and mentor.

With an improved attitude and some fresh advice from a wise sales veteran, I began the second portion of the program: cold call training. Nothing will improve your ability to face rejection like being repeatedly thrown out of buildings and getting lost in a foreign city for nine hours a day… in the pouring rain.

As I progressed through the training program, I realized how important it is to start at the very bottom. By experiencing the toughest conditions of the job, I developed a greater appreciation for my post-training responsibilities and am excited to take on the next challenge.

Life after college is challenging and requires continuous adjustment. Patchy schedules and forgiving professors are traded in for long days and concrete deadlines. Classrooms full of familiar faces are exchanged for boardrooms filled with seasoned executives. The College of Business could not have done a more outstanding job preparing me for my first six months out of school. The knowledge that I gained from the sales program has proven to be the foundation of my success in the initial stage of my career. As I continue to advance and develop, I will always be grateful for my time spent as a Florida State Seminole.

Where are they now? (con’t)

Our sales team gets a lesson from Don Farr, the FSU Golf Management Program Director.

FSU College of Business wins back-to-back national

sales championships

FSU COB’s Sales Team brings home the Grand Championship…again

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Sales Team in the FSU College of Business was more than prepared when they arrived at Kennesaw State University for the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) -- and it showed. The Sales Team came home with a team 2nd place overall finish, and the Grand Championship, for the second time this year.

Chelsea Sargent achieved a clean sweep, topping each judges list, and was crowned the Grand Champion of the NCSC, the biggest sales competition in the country.

This win comes on the heels of the Sales Team’s achievements at the Russ Berrie Institute (RBI) for Professional Sales at William Paterson University’s National Sales Challenge where Mary Ellen White was named the national champion. This marked the first national championship won by a single FSU COB student, and with the NCSC championship coming just three months later, it’s becoming a regular occurrence.

“The NCSC Sales Competition was an incredible experience from start to finish,” said Sargent. “We were so well prepared by our amazing coaches and advisors: Pat Pallentino, Leff Bonney and Chris Plouffe. I am proud to have represented Florida State, along with Jeff Taccetta and the rest of our amazing Sales Team, at the NCSC. The success we experienced could never been possible without the help and support we received from the entire team, as well as the College of Business.”

The competition ranks each team or individual on several criteria including: approach, needs identification, product/service presentation, overcoming objections, close, communications skills and the overall approach.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled for our Sales Team and for Chelsea,” said Pat Pallentino, associate in marketing and director of the Professional Sales Program. “It is so rewarding to work with these students and to see them succeed at such high levels. Not only does it feel great to have placed 2nd and win the grand championship at NCSC, but it feels even better to have done it twice.”

“It says a lot about the caliber of the students competing when you have companies that are willing to travel across the country to recruit them, even in a down market when very few companies are hiring,” said Dr. Terry Loe, director of the NCSC, as well as director of the Center for Professional Selling at Kennesaw State’s Coles College of Business. “These students are a solid investment for sponsoring companies who want to fill entry-level sales positions with graduates who already have sales training or a degree in professional selling. The extensive sales training these students receive prior to graduating translates to lower turnover and reduced training time and cost for companies.”

THE SALES PROGRAM AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY! SPRING 2010

Chelsea Sargent and Mary Ellen White