Winter 2007

Donor sold on challenge

With nearly 75 percent of the graduates of the Richard Farmer School of Business going directly into sales, it has become more critical to provide sales training as part of the curriculum. But book learning wasn’t enough.

Thanks to a gift from Jeannie and Tom Flesch of Columbus, parents of Patrick `02 and Mark `04, Miami recently hosted its first Sales Challenge to help marketing students explore effective ways to win customers first-hand.

At the December event, 62 students, faculty and business representatives took part - including Mark Flesch, who represented CH Robinson and played a role as a “customer” alongside his parents.

The challenge allows student teams to prepare and then make effective sales presentations to the “customers” played by industry-leading sales executives. The sales leaders represent companies that recruit at Miami.

According to Markley Visiting Professor in Marketing Todd Stollberg, the sales challenge was similar to that done in business environments. The professionals in the room – which included representatives from Procter & Gamble, Hershey’s, Abbott and Cintas, in addition to CH Robinson – all said they would come back to participate again, ranking the event a 4.6 on a 5.0 scale. Stollberg said the enthusiasm inspired him to expand the event this spring and include about 150 students, tying the challenge to recruitment.

“I wish there had been something like this when I was in school,” Stollberg said. “It was a blast.”

Flesch, whose office supply business depends on sales, agreed, and said that’s why his family supported the program. “Our kids received a wonderful education at Miami,” he said. “And we have hired Miami grads in our office. Adding this to the business school really got us involved and excited.”

In business, Flesch said, everything hinges on sales. “Even in accounting, you do some kind of sales,” he said.

“I really enjoyed listening to the students, working with them,” Flesch said. “They had prepared well and were an impressive group.”

Dean Roger Jenkins described the event as “inspiring.”

“It is what makes the Farmer School so special: our special students, innovative faculty, special experiential learning opportunities and alignment of alumni support,” he said.

Stollberg said his students commented on the life skills they learned through the project, the ability to manage relationships and becoming better communicators. “We had one team where there was one student who was very quiet, and had been very stressed. But on the day of the challenge, he just blew everyone away. It just clicked.”

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