As Tyler Cohen prepares to graduate from the University of Delaware in May 2020, he is learning to apply the lessons of his new minor to one of the most important aspects of his post-graduate life: his first job.

Cohen decided to add a minor in professional selling and sales management last spring when he was a junior. From public speaking and negotiation to business insights and marketing, sales minor students pick up skills and knowledge that can help regardless of the careers they choose to pursue. 

“As an operations management major, I'm learning more about analytical decision making, how to better a business with process improvement,” Cohen said. “I wanted to get a little bit of a different background as well, so in sales I am gaining broader skills that could be applicable in any business setting.”

The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics introduced the minor in professional selling and sales management in fall 2018 to better prepare all UD students, regardless of their major or college, for unique career opportunities across a variety of industries. Students are finding them.

In the spring of 2019, the first sales minor cohort graduated with 14 students, and the program continues to draw strong interest from students who are looking for skills that will help them be valued and sought-after employees. Spring 2019 graduates are currently working in sales-related positions at companies such as Yelp, Paychex, Enterprise Holdings, Indeed.com, Hungry, United Rentals, Citi, Home Advisor and Kirkland’s, to name a few.

The role of an individual working in sales is to understand what someone is looking for, said Suresh Sundaram, an assistant professor of marketing and faculty director of the professional selling and sales management minor. Telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and finance are all industries in which a sales minor could end up.

“The ideal word for a salesperson is a problem-solver,” said Sundaram. “A salesperson’s role is to understand the customer’s pain points, needs, and come up with practical ways of solving client’s problems. The same solution rarely, if at all, works for everyone, and hence, it is extremely important for students to gain real-world experience from industry experts.”

Philanthropic support through Delaware First: The Campaign for the University of Delaware will help create new opportunities to connect students with experts in the field. Through programming like a speaker series, sales career networking nights and career fairs focused on sales positions, as well as faculty experience, students will have an opportunity to obtain firsthand information about industry best practices and innovations in the profession.

For example, in one of Cohen’s classes — taught by John Scott, an adjunct professor who has worked in national and global sales management positions at companies like HP and Panzura — students examine case studies based on Scott’s own business experiences.

“We come up with ideas based on what we learn in class to see what changes can be made if a sales quota is not being made because of something in the pipeline being disrupted or not prospecting the right clients,” said Cohen, who during his UD career has also had the opportunity to intern with Aramark and work with clients dealing with sales and catering requests at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Recently, a Sales Career Networking Night helped about 40 Blue Hens connect with representatives from 10 companies. It was a chance for students to find out more about possible careers — and employers left impressed with how prepared and eager the UD students were to enter sales, said Sundaram. That’s important, he added, since effectively preparing students while in college could make them ready to hit the ground running as new employees after graduation.

“Our goal is to connect with employers who will be actively engaged with students by coming into our classrooms, talking about their organization, serving as judges on sales competitions and providing feedback for our students,” said Sundaram. “At the same time, they get to see students in the sales minor and facilitate their development, potentially identifying talent early on.”

Sundaram said he continues to hear from and connect with possible partners who can help mentor students. Continued philanthropy will allow the Lerner College to create an on-campus sales competition for UD students, help support a travel fund for students to compete at national and regional collegiate sales competitions and consider the addition of enhanced workspaces, such as state-f-the-art innovative sales labs.

Companies interested in helping students succeed in sales or supporting enhanced programming should contact Angelica Howard at ayhoward@udel.edu.

Minor in Professional Selling and Sales Management

The minor in professional selling and sales management is designed to provide undergraduate students with the concepts and language of personal selling and sales management, no matter their major. Although based in the Lerner College of Business and Economics, students from across campus may add the minor. Professional sales knowledge and techniques can improve a student’s ability to realize desired results in many different careers, whether they are responsible for selling products and services to the public or selling recommendations to teams within an organization.

For further information, please email Suresh Sundaram at ssuresh@udel.edu.

About the Campaign

Delaware First: The Campaign for the University of Delaware was publicly launched on Nov. 10, 2017. The comprehensive engagement and fundraising campaign unites Blue Hens across the nation to accelerate UD’s mission of cultivating tomorrow’s leaders, creating solutions to grand challenges, inspiring innovations and transforming lives. The united effort will help create an extraordinary student experience at UD and extend its impact on the region and the world.

For more information, call 302-831-2104 or email campaign-info@udel.edu.