Research Description

Sales Education at Universities

My primary object for this research project would be to determine the feasibility of implementing a sales degree program through colleges.

Universities offer a variety of degree programs. These degrees are designed to better prepare college students for their future occupations. No matter what profession one is trying to pursue, eventually they will have to sell themselves to a potential employer, their ideas to subordinates, peers and management and potentially their company’s products or services to customers. Selling is critical to any business. Nobody has a job unless something is sold.

At the University of Florida, you cannot obtain a degree in sales. A sales minor is offered, but only if you are an engineering major. This research would explore why universities do not offer a degree in sales.

First, what is the reasoning behind not offering a sales degree from the point of view of a college administrator? In this section of the research, college administrators would be interviewed about their views of a sales degree. Through these interviews the demand for a sales degree and possible course offerings would be discussed. The result of this section would be to determine if a university should offer a degree in sales. During April through May I would conduct my college administrator interviews.

Secondly, how would companies view a college graduate with a sales degree? This section of the research would include interviews with top ranking members of companies, both public and private. The goal would be to interview executives responsible for the sales efforts of their company. These interviews would identify what the executives look for in a sales person, if these traits can be learned, and what their views would be on a sales degree from a college. The goal of this section would be to determine if executives would have a demand for college graduates with a degree in sales. I have already contacted and gained commitments for interviews from Lisa Binder, COO of Associated Bank, and Rob Slee, board member of numerous professional organizations. I would complete these interviews in the months June through August.

Finally, do sales professionals feel a need for universities to offer a degree in sales or even a master’s degree in sales? This part of the study would include interviews from current sales professionals. This set of interviews would be to determine the amount of training the sales professionals received prior to starting their occupations, where they received the training from, and their opinions on a sales degree. The object of this section is to establish whether or not a sales degree in college would have better prepared them for their professions. These interviews would also be completed in June thorough August.

In conclusion, this research study would determine if a sales degree in college is feasible and if this degree would be beneficial to current college students. This study will examine this topic in three different areas: college administrators, company executives, and current sales professionals.