For the second consecutive year, the UofL College of Business has been named a Top University Sales Education Program by the University Sales Education Foundation. Only 26 schools made the 2008 list, including DePaul University, Indiana University, University of Toledo and Kennesaw State.
     The USEF list, which appeared in an April 2008 supplement to Selling Power magazine (the industry’s leading trade journal), is based on a combination of academic and career performance indicators.  The supplement highlights groundbreaking efforts by universities and corporations to make selling a true profession.

      The report’s introduction noted: “Students from these programs have opportunities to obtain classroom training and hands-on experience specific to professional sales. . . . In addition, students from these programs have demonstrated faster ramp-up time and increased productivity when compared to their peers from other areas of study.”
     Brown-Forman Professor of Marketing Buddy LaForge, who heads up the college’s sales program, believes the honor reflects the extra edge students get from participating in the additional activities in the UofL program.
     “In our program they get the chance to travel to four sales role-playing competitions every year, and get exposed to employers and real-world situations you don’t get in the classroom,” he said. “We’re always looking for ways to expand the experience, like creating the CardShirt Company.”  (The CardShirt Company is a student-run business that develops and markets branded wearables.)
     LaForge said it’s not uncommon for recruiters to seek out students who have performed well in the competitions or other projects.
     “Some get job offers long before they graduate,” he said. “We love seeing students develop as they go through the program. It changes their whole perspective about career options and their potential.”
     The USEF is a non-profit foundation created by The HR Chally Group. Its initiatives include the University Sales Center Alliance, which supports the creation of standards for sales instruction programs at colleges and universities, and raising and managing funds for verified sales education curriculums.  For more information, visit www.saleseducationfoundation.org.