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The Schey Sales Centre’s Sales Cats Team placed sixth out of 80 teams at the 2021 International Collegiate Sales Competition’s (ICSC) Collegiate World Cup of Sales and finished in the top 10 for the fourth straight time.
The case team of Delaney Allen and Ashley Mullins made it to the finals for the second year in a row and finished sixth out of 32 teams. The role-play team also had individuals place. Alyssa D’Egidio made it to the semifinals and finished top eight out of 160 students, and Reece McLanahan-Schluep made it to the quarterfinals and finished in the top 50.
The International Collegiate Sales Competition is the largest of its kind and consists of a sales management simulation, sales management case competition, speed selling pitch competition and sales role-play competition. Students compete to earn points in the World Cup of Sales standings. Students earn points individually in speed selling and role plays and as a team in sales management events.
Head sales coach Greg Scott said the competition takes a lot of work but helps students solidify their work by applying skills.
“I’m incredibly proud of each of our Sales Cats. They took each obstacle and challenge head on to deliver yet another strong finish for the team,” Scott said.
Allen and Mullins were given a consulting problem for their case study and had around 36 hours to research the problem, come up with recommendations and make a professional deck to present to real sales managers. Allen, a senior studying marketing and finance, said the competition allowed her to apply material learned in class to a real-world situation.
“Our coach, Greg Scott, worked tirelessly to help prepare us and provide guidance leading up to the events,” Allen said. “His dedication to developing students makes an immeasurable impact and he is an asset to sales education at Ohio University.”
Mullins, a senior studying mechanical engineering and mathematics, said competing for a second year allowed her and Allen to see how they improved. She said they felt more prepared and confident in their slide deck and recommendations.
“Sometimes the only way to test yourself and measure your growth is to try the same thing again, and that is what we did by competing for the second consecutive year,” Mullins said.
Mullins applied to Schey, in the College of Business, to gain professional development skills. She has held three different leadership positions and recently secured her full-time job from a Schey corporate partner.
“Whether you are interested in a sales career or not, the Schey can provide you the opportunity to flourish in both your personal and professional development,” Mullins said.
D’Egidio, a senior studying marketing and business analytics, played the role of a sales representative and was presented with mock-up cases. She said competing in the role plays forced her to think strategically while implementing sales knowledge to real-world practice. She plans to use feedback from current sales professionals/coaches to keep developing her skills.
“The Schey Sales Centre has been the most impactful organization I have been involved in at OHIO,” D’Egidio said. “I have grown so much both personally and professionally since joining my freshman year because of the networking events with partners, faculty mentorship, and leadership opportunities.”
McLanahan-Schluep, a junior studying finance and business analytics, was required to do a 15- to 20-minute role play with a corporate partner while other judges scored his selling. He said the competition helped him to keep his cool under pressure and roll with the punches.
“Alyssa, Delaney, Ashley and Greg were in my corner the whole time and the additional support from everyone else that was around helped me to be ready for the competition,” McLanahan-Schluep said.
The Schey Sales Centre is the largest selective sales program in the country and offers a certificate in professional selling to any student on campus regardless of their major, with 30% of the program being from outside the College of Business. The program has a 100% job placement rate among its senior graduating class primarily due to its 45+ corporate partners who donate to fund the program.
“Our top finishes further illustrate that the sales education the Schey Sales Centre provides our students is recognized by business leaders and faculty (who act as judges during each event) around the country as best in class,” Scott said. “OHIO truly is home to some of the best sales education in the world and our finishes demonstrate that.”