The Effect of University Sales Education on the First After-College Sales Job

2 Literature Review . 4 Research Question(s) and Prediction(s) . 9 Methodology . 9 Data analysis . 14 Discussion . 20 Limitations and potential for future research . 23 References . 25 Appendix . 27 Abstract This research investigates the relationship between the amount of sales education and the job performance of the recent UNH graduates on the first after-college sales job. The overarching hypothesis suggests that more sales education leads to better sales job performance. The results of the research found this correlation to be positive and significant. Also, this research found that job performance indicators that are affected the most significantly by the amount of sales education are confidence, passion, commitment, and on-target earnings. Moreover, it identifies the categories of sales education that were determined to be the most crucial in better first aftercollege sales job performance, and it finds that more breadth in sales education tends to have the largest impact.This research investigates the relationship between the amount of sales education and the job performance of the recent UNH graduates on the first after-college sales job. The overarching hypothesis suggests that more sales education leads to better sales job performance. The results of the research found this correlation to be positive and significant. Also, this research found that job performance indicators that are affected the most significantly by the amount of sales education are confidence, passion, commitment, and on-target earnings. Moreover, it identifies the categories of sales education that were determined to be the most crucial in better first aftercollege sales job performance, and it finds that more breadth in sales education tends to have the largest impact. University Sales Education and First After-College Sales Job Introduction This research investigates the correlation between the amount of sales education offered completed by recent UNH alumni and their performance on the first after-college job in sales. This research also examines the extent of participation of the current and previous students at UNH in different sales activities to identify the particular aspects of the sales-job performance that were affected the most significantly. This research attempts to connect various sales practices of UNH (Sales Club, Professional Sales Group, Sales classes and sales minor, Sales internship, and engagement with other sales students) with the results that people achieved on their sales jobs. For this research we refer to the results as sales-job performance. This is a critical field to investigate because sales education has experienced rapid growth in the U.S. (USCA, 2019), but there are little empirical evidence of the aforementioned claims. As a result of this research, future employers and university faculty will have evidence of the relative utility of the various elements of sales education, which in turn may justify the development and future potential growth of other sales activities at UNH. Students will also be able to make more informative decisions regarding their sales activities choices. University Sales Education and First After-College Sales Job Literature Review Are salespeople born or made? From the general observation of the used car dealerships, the majority of people can state that salespeople were born (Martin, 2011). According to the prevailing social perception, this is a "type" of people that know how to buddy with everyone and gain the most out of their customers' wallets (Martin, 2011). However, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (2019a) and conclusions from Daniel Pink's (2012) book "To sell is human: The surprising truth about moving others," the number of new jobs in sales increased by two million from 2013 to 2020, which makes it the highest growth job category in the U.S. So, are these two statements in conflict? How is it possible that people say that they do not like salespeople, but then they actually end up in a sales role? The answer is relatively straightforward. Sales is not "how to sell used cars on Route 66," but rather sales is an essential field of jobs that is, due to increased demand, developing significantly (Spiller, Kim, & Aiken, 2019). What is more, sales jobs currently are the second hardest group of jobs to fulfill in the U.S. (ManpowerGroup, 2018). Indeed, sales have become one of the most common job for more than 50% of graduates of any major (Cespedes & Weinfurter, 2016) and 88% for marketing majors (Stevens & Kinni, 2007). To satisfy growing demand and lack of skilled personnel, some universities, along with the University of New Hampshire (UNH), created specialized sales education programs to help students be prepared for the future job (Deeter-Schmelz & Kennedy, 2011). The first incorporation of sales courses in marketing majors occurred in 1943 but then declined significantly due to the controversy about sales education (Spiller et al., 2019). Starting from the 1980s, the sales education field received enough legitimacy to be studied in universities, and the number of universities offering sales initiatives began to increase significantly. There University Sales Education and First After-College Sales Job were 67 schools offering sales classes in 2007, and almost 300 in 2019 (Sales Education Foundation, 2019). Why was prior sales education in universities identified to be essential for employees from the employers' point of view? According to Cespedes et al. (2016), companies had a turnover rate of 60% with new hires without prior sales education. The Sales Education Foundation in the 2017 annual report stated that students who completed some sales education had a turnover rate less on 30% than those without training. Also, these people are 50% more productive and, as a result, save around $200,000 each to their employer. Research by Bolander, Bonney, and Satornino (2014) tested the hypothesis that sales education leads to better job outcomes and supported it with their research. Summarizing all related literature, these positive outcomes are related to two factors. First is that sales education shapes the perception of the sales career. Second is that sales education helps to develop skills and knowledge for a sales career. Both these factors will be discussed in the next paragraphs. Several articles have demonstrated that students exposed to some extent of sales education do have a positive attitude towards a career in sales (Bristow, Gulati, & Amyx, 2006). Even one sales course helps to spark interest in sales and to make deliberate decisions about the sales career path (Luthy, 2000). Other research has shown that a vital role in increasing student interest and shaping attitude is played by the sales faculty (Peltier, Cummins, Pomirleanu, Cross, & Simon, 2014). Of course, the other important role in sales education is to help students grow skills and knowledge. In the 20th century, sales and marketing were oriented to increase awareness, sell the product, and increase revenue in the short-run (Quintana, 2018). However, "modern-day selling requires a comprehensive, collaborative approach because automation has transformed University Sales Education and First After-College Sales Job traditional face-to-face selling" (Wyner, 2017). The approach of our century is to build and to maintain a personal relationship to increase sales revenue in the long run (Ballestra, 2017). As a result, the University Sales Center Alliance (USCA) requires approved schools to follow an identified curriculum to ensure the quality of sales education. Each program has to be divided into at least two levels basic and advanced sales. Basic level sales education helps to build up the foundation for skills to influence customers, and advanced sales classes help to reinforce these skills (USCA, 2013). Overall, five primary skills and tactics are being taught during sales classes. (DeeterSchmelz et al., 2011). They include the following: establishing a rapport, uncovering customer needs and wants, presenting the product using pain-points identified before, addressing financial incentives, and asking for closing commitment. The most effective way to practice these skills, according to the USCA requirements, is to implement "role-play" the simulation of buyer/seller interaction. However, only Bolander et al. (2014) research has tested the relationship between these particular skills to the actual results of the recent graduates. The research of Bolander et al. (2014) is specifically considered, because their research is the foundation for a relationship that this research will test. They developed seven hypothesizes based on USCA requirements. They proposed that salespeople hired from universities sales programs are more likely to be successful in each particular tactic mentioned before in their dayto-day selling activities compared to the salespeople that were not in sales programs.