Sales is an excellent choice for anyone interested in launching their business career. Sales professionals are in great demand and companies find it challenging to recruit qualified candidates. Students completing the Marian University School of Business Professional Selling program have achieved a 100% job placement rate each year since 2020, and have averaged starting salaries well above the national average (NACE, 2020) for business school graduates.
Program Recognition and Awards
The School of Business Professional Selling Program has been recognized by the Sales Education Foundation as one of the Top University Sales Programs for five years in a row. In 2023, it was ranked #5 nationally on top performers by RNMKRS.
We Prepare Students for Success
A combination of curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities are part of the selling program. Class sizes range from 10-24 to allow for one-on-one role play practice throughout the course. An internship is required for every business student, and a sales internship can contribute toward your degree.
You will complete the following courses and activities as part of the program.
- MKT342: Professional Selling, including an internal sales competition judged by industry sales leaders. Presentations and coaching from local business leaders are part of the course.
- MKT374: Sales Technology and Analytics, including instruction on CRM systems from Salesforce and HubSpot, and participation in a research symposium for Artificial Intelligence use in sales and marketing
- MKT442: Advanced Professional Selling, including sales competition opportunities for every student in the course, interaction with top companies as part of course activities, and exposure to virtual selling that provides practice with AI characters, giving you unlimited role-play opportunities. Learning about ethical sales practices and earning a sales ethics badge from Salesforce are part of the course curriculum.
- MKT444: Negotiation, where you will work one on one with sales leaders from local businesses to fine tune your negotiation skills
- BUS360: Sales Internship, where you can earn and learn with a 3-credit internship that counts toward your program requirements
National Awards
- First Place: IU National Team Selling Competition, 2020, 2023, 2024
- First Place: AMA Individual Role Play Competition, 2024; 3rd place 2022
- First Place: Enterprise Mobility Regional Team Selling Competition, 2023
- Regional Champion: RNMKRS SpeedSell Competition, 2023
- National Finalist (Individual): Fastenal National Sales Invitational hosted by West Virginia University, 2023 & 2024
- National Finalists: Global Bilingual Sales Competition hosted by Florida International University, 2022 & 2023
- Honorable Mention: AMA Perfect Pitch Competition, 2022
Expert Sales Faculty
The program is led by Dr. Lori Rumreich, who has been nationally recognized in the Top 1 percent of university sales coaches. Dr. Rumreich has coached her students to many regional and national championship titles, both in team and individual selling competitions.
Dr. Rumreich’s expertise includes research on designing and assessing university professional selling programs, as well as more than 10 years of industry experience managing an inside sales team and customer relationship management systems. She is the head coach of the competitive selling team, traveling to national and regional competitions throughout the US.
Mr. Robert Kubacki serves as the Executive-in-Residence, leading the introductory selling course and as an assistant coach for the competitive selling team. Mr. Kubacki held executive sales leadership positions at Delta Faucet and Pella Windows, among others, throughout his successful selling career.
Cutting-Edge Sales Technology
State of the Art digital technology offered by the sales program equips students with the tools necessary to become successful salespeople.
- Digital Sales Lab with Cisco Technology: Our sales leadership laboratory has digital remote viewing and recording capabilities, allowing students to interact real-time to practice skills, compete in national competitions, and interview for internships and full-time positions
- Sales Software: Students in the program practice with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software from Salesforce and HubSpot, learning to use these powerful programs while still in school.
- Industry Certifications: As a HubSpot Education Program Partner, our students earn industry recognized certifications such as Inbound Sales Certification, Sales Software Certification, and Sales Manager Training.
- Artificial Intelligence: Students use AI technology to practice elevator pitches and role-plays, with unlimited practice opportunities
- Four role-play rooms: Students use these rooms, equipped with flat-screen technology, for peer coaching, role plays, and practicing elevator pitches
Student Organizations and Clubs
Our student chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) participates in a variety of regional conferences offering sales workshops, webinars, speakers, and sales competitions throughout the year. We also participate in the AMA national sales competitions at the AMA International Collegiate Conference each year.
We partner with organizations such as the student organization Women In Business (WIB). This organization offers events, speakers, and activities to support women interested in business careers, including sales. The AMA and WIB groups host an annual Perfect Pitch competition with cash prizes for the winners.
Program Partners
We partner with a variety of local and national businesses who visit classrooms to speak about sales careers and opportunities.
Partners such as Enterprise Mobility and Fastenal financially support our program so that student fees and travel costs are covered when participating in national competition experiences and conferences.
Our Students and Alumni are Successful
We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion. Through initiatives such as coaching and supporting attendance at an annual international bilingual sales competition, utilizing bias-free AI characters for practice and evaluation, and promoting diversity of students in our recruiting practices, including 35% of our sales students coming from underrepresented groups, we strive to create an inclusive environment where all students can thrive and succeed.
