Internal SDR Sales Competition a Valuable Tool for Sales Students

OGDEN – Over 80 Professional Sales students competed in the internal sales competition on Thursday. The event, created to give students yet another real-world perspective, was the first internal sales competition held during the fall semester. Students who competed and placed took home a $100 bookstore gift card for their winnings.

Internal sales competitions are my favorite days at Weber State. You see students overcome fears and gain confidence right before your eyes.” Said Associate Professor, Blake Nielson, and creator of the event. This year’s internal competition was a new type of event, as the case was designed to put students in the role of a sales development representative, SDR, a common job that
many professional sales students will take once they graduate. Out of the 13 sales competitions that students compete in each year, nearly every case is written where students play the role as an account executive. This case gives them the perspective of
an SDR, which makes it such a unique event.

“This was one of my favorite competitions ever because all seven role play rooms were filled with Professional Sales alumni who gave up their time to give back.” Said Nielson. “There was true mentorship from industry.” All of the judges for the events were recent Professional Sales graduates, many of which are currently working in SDR positions in the sales landscape. This internal
competition allowed them to connect with potential graduates and be able to give them relevant feedback on how they can succeed once they enter the workforce full-time.

“Internal competitions help to transfer the student’s education into the application of the knowledge learned.” Said Professor Tim Border. “I believe these competitions are high level sales pedagogy practices. Student involvement always improves student
performance.” The internal sales competition is the first of two internal sales competitions held
annually. The event targeted for February 2024, will be sponsored by Enterprise
Rentals, a corporate partner of the sales center.