BBSO Sales Competition Winners Announced

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling revealed the final results of the Baylor Business Selling Outside (BBSO) competition on February 12 in a count-down style Zoom meeting with over 100 participating students, faculty and executives. The BBSO is designed to engage students in a realistic sales situation with a business executive, where this year the meetings were COVID-style (over Zoom). Role-play meetings were judged virtually by 163 business executives from around the country, offering students a chance to gain valuable feedback from the Center for Professional Selling’s Corporate Partners. The 3M Corporation provided the financial and executive support for this competition as students sold a 3M graphic material into an Amazon distribution facility.

This year’s competition consisted of 117 competitors (individual and two-person-teams) who met face-to-face with twelve 3M executives. The top ten individual finishers included:

1. Riley Smith
2. Gavin Hartoonian
3. Maddie McKenzie
4. Paschal Curlin
5. Madi Butler (tie)
5. Riley Walton (tie)
6. Sarah Vaughn
7. Garrett Starks (tie)
7. Jacob Wassell (tie)
8. Islay Lyttle

2021 BBSO WINNERS

First-place finisher, Riley Smith, addresses the competition’s impact on student development as he states: "I am excited to have taken 1st place in my 4th and final BBSO. During my 4 years in the ProSales Program, the BBSO has provided challenging cases and fierce competition amongst my peers. I can’t wait to put the skills I have gained to work after graduation. A special thank you to 3M for sponsoring the competition and Baylor ProSales for organizing and hosting the event."

Students in the ProSales 2 class must compete in the BBSO as individual competitors and as part of a two-person team, thereby gaining understanding of the team sales process. One such student, Junior Gavin Hartoonian placed second as an individual competitor, sharing: "What a privilege to be a part of this prestigious ProSales program, surrounded by amazing people who want each other to succeed. No doubt that the professional development and education offered to my peers and me will take us to incredible heights after Baylor."

Senior Maddie McKenzie acknowledged the interplay between the curricular and co-curricular dimensions of ProSales as she notes: "BBSO is a great opportunity for me to take what I’ve learned from all of my sales classes and incorporate it into a role play. This competition is always a pleasant challenge in continuously learning to position myself competitively."

Paschal Curlin identifies the role that such competitions play in crafting the culture unique to this ProSales program: "ProSales pushes me in ways I wouldn’t have expected, creating an ‘environment of excellence’ through healthy competition; I attribute much of my growth to the professionalism of my peers and the ProSales faculty. For most students, the process of learning to confidently interact with executives begins upon graduation, but for a ProSales student, this process begins the day you join the program."

"Developing this case in partnership with ProSales Alumni – Bryan Baker (BU ‘13), Robert McCandlish (BU ‘15), and Taylor Mills (BU ‘13) – means we stay strongly connected with our Baylor ProSales Alumni. Bryan and Robert represent the graphic product that was featured in the case, which allowed us to create a realistic scenario for student development", according to Dr. Andrea Dixon, Executive Director of the Center for Professional Selling. "As our top-level Corporate Partner, we feature a 3M product in this competition while 3M provides the executives (who serve as buyers and judges). We appreciate the ability to operate as true partners in this process."

The BBSO allows Baylor students to see how they stack up against their peers and allows the center’s Corporate Partners to view Baylor talent as they prepare to enter the job market. In addition, top individual performers are awarded cash prizes.

About the Center for Professional Selling

Dedicated to excellence in sales education and based in the university's Hankamer School of Business, the Center for Professional Selling is recognized as one of the premier global information resources for the sales profession. For more information on the Center for Professional Selling, visit https://www.baylor.edu/business/selling.