2008 PSE Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon
2008 Pro-Am Sell-a-Thon
Featured Author:
Anjuli Grauke
Anjuli is the Director of Membership and Special Projects for Pi Sigma Epsilon. Through her work, she has had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with outstanding sales professionals in a variety of career fields. Anjuli has been involved with PSE for more than 5 years, first serving as the chapter consultant from 2003-2005, then as National Awards Program co-chair from 2005-2007.
During Anjuli’s time working with PSE, she has been instrumental in growing the organization’s membership and chapter base and overhauling the national awards program which has seen increased participation in each of its 19 awards categories each year.
When Anjuli is not doing PSE work, she enjoys creative writing, making greeting cards, volunteering in the community, and camping on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Anjuli Grauke
February 12, 2008
Sponsored by Vector Marketing, Huthwaite, Inc., Kodak and Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, the PSE Pro-Am Sell-a-Thon is a sales competition held at each of the six fall regional conferences and the PSE National Convention. The competition is held twice a year in order to involve as many students as possible, and to allow for a more in-depth study of the sales process.
Purpose: The purpose of the Pro-Am is to provide PSE collegiate members with the opportunity to experience the salesperson’s role in a simulated business-to-business (B2B) sales environment, with coaching from a sales professional. Many of the coaches and judges are PSE’s corporate partners, PSE alumni and other sales professionals.
How the Pro-Am Works: PSE students are first taught selling concepts from SPIN Selling®, a Huthwaite, Inc. publication. Huthwaite is a leading researcher in the field of sales and has joined forces with PSE in a continual effort to improve the Pro-Am Sell-a-Thon. Additionally, concepts from Getting the Second Appointment®, by Tony Parinello, are used. Participants are then paired with sales professionals, who coach, mentor and critique the students on their sales call. The next step of the program is the actual competition. This is a simulated 15 minute sales call in which each student is evaluated on his/her ability to successfully move the customer through the sales process and obtain commitment. Each role-play is judged by a panel of sales professionals and videotaped on DVD so that the student can review it at the end of the event.
Prizes: At each of the six regional conferences, the first and second place finishers receive a trophy, a complimentary PSE National Convention registration (worth $230), and a guaranteed spot to compete at National Convention. Additionally, each first place finisher receives their transportation cost to go to convention.
What’s NEW this year:
• Huthwaite, Inc. has revised the scenarios and has prepared more learning materials that can be accessed via the website. Go to www.pse.org, click on PSE Pro-Am and select “Training Materials.” Huthwaite has even developed a scenario for you to practice within your chapter.
• Huthwaite is also sending trainers, coaches and judges to each regional and the national convention.
• A Vector Marketing product will be sold at all of the regional conferences. Kodak is co-sponsoring the national competition and the students will sell the “value of print.”
• Student sales calls will now be 15 minutes instead of 10 minutes.
• Immediately after your sales call, you will get feedback from the judges.
• All new digital cameras will record your presentation AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK on a DVD. You will receive the DVD after the banquet. You no longer need a tape converter to see your sales call.
• More places will receive money at the National Competition.
Students who wish to compete and professionals who wish to coach and/or judge, must register at www.pse.org, move mouse over PSE Pro-Am Sell-a-Thon and go to “Sign-up.”
