By Mark Gabrino, Contributing Writer

About 40 aspiring sales professionals gathered on Saturday for the annual Sales Club Competition at Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. Both the Sales Club and the Sales Club Competition provide plenty of opportunities to gain experience in the sales world.

Sales Club President senior Eric Skyta joined the club his freshman year and immediately fell in love with it. As the president, he can pass all of the knowledge he has gained from his experience on to his fellow members.

“The goal of the club is to teach kids how to be the best sales person they can be in life and in business,” Skyta said. “The Sales Club is about way more than selling a product. It is about selling yourself. You need to sell yourself in any situation. Whether you are trying to sell an idea to your friends or selling yourself in an interview, there is a science behind it. You are either selling or you are being sold.”

The Sales Competition allows members to network with their judges, who happen to be sales professionals. There is a lot on the line for the competitors, as the sales professionals are recruiting them. Also, there is a large sum of money on the line, with $1,000 in cash prizes being awarded to the winners.

“The competition consisted of 40 competitors and 25 judges,” said Skyta. “Each student and judge is sent a case study a week before the competition. They study and practice the case and on ‘game day’ as we like to call it, the students enter a 10 minute role play with the judge sitting across the table.”

Competitors attended three meetings with judges, and had to sell them on the idea of investing in a company, and ultimately close a deal. The three rounds consisted of 40 people, the “sweet 16”, and the final four.

“The final four are video taped and streamed live into the Great Hall for all to view,” Skyta said.

The judges delivered their scores based on set criteria, consisting of 10 topics: connect, value proposition, questions, how you can help, request feedback, objection handling, close, professionalism, trust and integrity, and confidence. Each had a maximum score that could be obtained, totaling 100 possible points.

Skyta appreciates the significance of this competition, and sees its impact on the competitors.

“It is a wonderful day of networking and practice for our young sales professionals,” he said.