College sales programs are disproportionately low to the number of salespeople. The sales industry is a giant one, and many people who enter the industry aren’t prepared when they graduate. With sales making up so much of the business world, why don’t we have more college sales programs? Daniel P. Strunk, interviewed by John Golden, explains why.
In this expert sales interview, learn about college sales programs, including:
- The number of college sales program opportunities
- Why college sales programs support career development
- Why exploring the reality of sales is uniquely possible through a college sales program
College Sales Program Statistics:
“I think some of these specialty career opportunities aren’t communicated at high schools, and more importantly are not very well known in college advising offices,” said Strunk. “Specialty careers like b2b sales or category management aren’t communicated to these students early enough for them to choose the career tracks, and there aren’t enough schools teaching students.” In fact, there are only 138 schools in the United States that teach sales in some way. About 75 of those schools offer only one sales course and only 13 schools that have six or more sales classes. There are also only 26 sales teaching centers.
Looking for a career:
Business and business related degrees are available at almost every university in the country. But the sales specific courses are few and far between. Many people who enter the sales world graduate with marketing degrees. 80% of marketing students take a sales job for their first position, and they’re not prepared to enter the sales force. 40% of those people end up failing their first year. “They don’t have the right attitudinal mindset,” said Strunk. “They’ve taken a job, always looking for a better one, instead of looking for a career. When students choose a sales program, they are looking for careers.” College sales programs help students foster long-term success by promoting a career, not just a short-term job.
What sales is really like:
Sales have negative connotations in many ways, or it’s seen as a default profession. The misimpression that students have about sales is that it isn’t analytically based. As sales have developed and changed, it has also changed the way that salespeople are viewed, and the value that is placed on sales professionals. Salespeople have gone from disseminators of information about a product to someone that forms relationships with their customers. “When our students begin in our sales programs, we immerse them in business analytics,” said Strunk. “What they come away with is an understanding of what sales is really like.”
A new era of sales:
This understanding of sales breeds salespeople that are more motivated, more equipped, and more-well rounded. Plus, working in sales has shown itself to be far more rewarding than many other business related career options. Once a person sees that they can add value to someone’s life, and understands that sales is about building relationships and managing the resources of their company, they start to understand what sales truly is. This enlightenment is uniquely available through college sales programs, which further highlights the need for them in academia.
For more information on why we need more college sales programs, watch the expert sales interview!
About Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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