WMU sales program nationally recognized for excellence for 10th year

Contact: Alyssa Benson
Photo of Steve Newell, sales and business marketing professor.

Steve Newell, sales and business marketing professor

KALAMAZOO—The Western Michigan University sales and business marketing program has once again been identified by the Sales Education Foundation as a top sales program among universities.

This is the 10th consecutive year that WMU's sales program has been recognized by the foundation for preparing students for careers in professional selling and helping to elevate the sales profession. With 280 students and more than 1,500 alumni, the program is one of the largest in the country.

Consistent with the average reported by the Sales Education Foundation, more than 96 percent of WMU sales and business marketing graduates find full-time careers in their field within three months of graduation and report 100 percent satisfaction in those jobs. The WMU sales program is regularly lauded for its achievements in a number of areas.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Student competition successes—Teams from WMU consistently place in the top 10 at national sales competitions, with one student recently placing first in speed selling at the National Sales Challenge.
  • Harold Zeigler Interactive Sales Lab—The program includes recorded role-plays in the Harold Zeigler Interactive Sales Lab.
  • Sales and Business Marketing Association—The association is one of the largest and most active student organizations in the college with more than 125 members. The SBMA engages with industry by hosting a group of employers at each weekly meeting.
  • Study abroad—Sales students are one of the largest groups at WMU to study abroad, gaining a global perspective on business.
  • National recognition—The program is listed as No. 1 on the list of Top U.S. Sales Schools with a Specialized Sales Program by study.com.

"We are very proud of the continued recognition of our sales and business marketing program being named one of the best in the country according to the Sales Education Foundation for the 10th consecutive year," says Dr. Steve Newell, professor of marketing and a member of the sales faculty. "Our excellent reputation is achieved through our rigorous curriculum, unique facilities, top faculty, engaged alumni community, and some of the best and most highly motivated students in the country. We will continue to work hard to maintain our status as the best sales and marketing program in the country."

For more information about the major, visit wmich.edu/marketing/academics/sbm or contact Newell at steve.newell@wmich.edu or (269) 387-6166.

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