Students in the Professional Selling program at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business participated in competitions during the fall semester to sharpen their skills and prepare them for real-world business scenarios. 

The Lariat: As the first sales center in the U.S., The Center for Professional Selling boasts 100% guaranteed job placement for its students after graduation.

WalletHub: This article about car insurance rates in Texas features professor of Marketing and ProSales Stephanie Mangus who discusses the marketing strategies employed by car insurance companies.

At six years of age, Sam Myers developed a love for sales while selling Christmas wreaths and popcorn door-to-door for the Cub Scouts. Now, in ProSales, Sam is grateful for the way the program built his business-to-business sales knowledge and experiences.

Passionate about helping others, Brynn Roper often gives up her free time to connect with people, always considering how she could make a positive impact in another’s life. She is also passionate about learning new skills, and is grateful for the opportunities the ProSales program provides, from networking with executives and job interviews, to making lifelong friendships.

Valuing creativity and stick-to-it-ness, Allie is a ProSales and Entrepreneurship double major who enjoys loving others deeply.

Majoring in ProSales and Marketing, Jordon Ermentraut is a creative and caring person who loves the outdoors, spending quality time with people, and reading. In line with her heart for others, she founded Play4AJ, an organization that fundraises to provide scholarships and support for baseball players in financial need.

Double-majoring in ProSales and Finance, Tyler Spears is passionate about improving himself daily, living out his faith boldly, and being financially stable in life. Playing baseball, football, and basketball during high school, he learned the value of grit and constant improvement for success. Turning down the chance to play baseball at the collegiate level in order to attend Baylor, he currently enjoys golf and weightlifting as competitive outlets, pushing himself to be the best he can be.

Max Kleiner is a ProSales major who serves as president of Baylor University’s Interfraternity Council, acting as a conduit between the university and 14 fraternities. This role has taught him to be mindful of others and their emotions when dealing with difficult situations.

Due to her love for travel, Shelby Clark’s life goal is to visit every continent. History, culture, and her faith serve as her guide as she has visited 10 countries and multiple World War II historical sites, such as the Berlin Wall and the beaches of Normandy. A ProSales and Management double major, Shelby enjoys new experiences and is deeply passionate about her faith. 

A first-generation college student and self-described optimist, Keaton Kechter stepped outside of his comfort zone by attending business school.

Passionate about helping others, Caroline Smith looks forward to a career in sales, where she will be able to meet her customers’ needs and help them attain their goals. 

An outdoorsmen, hunter, competitive shooter, and golfer, Paul Wyatt actively engaging with life and others. He has a passion for people and enjoys hearing the stories every person has to offer, believing everyone brings something unique to life.

A self-described adventurer with a heart for others, Holly Cunningham has traveled on mission trips to Tanzania, Mexico, and New Orleans. In high school, she served as President of the Free the Children club, where she fundraised for those she had networked with in Tanzania. Adventures at home included playing competitive volleyball for nine years where Holly served as a team captain, and participating on Baylor’s wakeboarding team, despite never having ridden a wakeboard before trying out.

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling (ProSales) announced the winners of the 2022 Baylor Business Ethics Competition (BBEC), a ProSales program-specific competition designed to challenge ProSales students with ethical dilemmas evident in sales and distribution.

Over Baylor’s Homecoming weekend, Baylor University took the 1st place team finish at the 2022 National Team Selling Competition (NTSC) hosted by Indiana University-Bloomington.

Deeply passionate about understanding and alleviating the pain of others, Jackson Rhoades chose sales because he can focus on helping clients.

Baylor’s ProSales tied for the 1st place team finish with the University of Kansas at the 2022 Rocky Mountain Madness competition hosted by E.W. Scripps and Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Baylor University took the 1st place team finish at the 2022 Great Northwoods Sales Warmup at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

John Arreola is passionate about creating long-term and meaningful relationships. By joining the ProSales program, his passion and improved business and communication skills have impacted his everyday interactions. He enjoys the program’s networking opportunities, which allow him to practice and build upon his classroom learning.

Double majoring in ProSales and Management Information Systems, Brandon Mellergaard is a confident communicator with a passion for learning. Growing up in a small town with a tight-knit community, he learned at an early age to look for common ground to form deeper relationships with different people.

Chloe Carlson believes that her home-schooled experience sets her apart. She learned from a young age to initiate personal growth to achieve her goals. From learning social skills and developing relationships without the benefit of a classroom, to pitching the idea to intern at a skydiving company and starting the next day, Chloe has always been a self-starter.

A double major in ProSales and Management, Joseph Crump is driven and determined, with a deep passion for sales and ice hockey. Pursuing hockey professionally, he lived with host families all over North America between the ages of 13 and 21.

A native of Oregon who grew up rock climbing, backpacking, and canoeing, Kelsey Boehme is a ProSales and Management Information Systems double major who loves to teach and be taught. She values intellectual curiosity and seeks to better understand the world around her. As a musician, she has been a piano soloist, a jazz musician, and she sang a classical repertoire in a concert choir that took top state honors.

Majoring in both ProSales and Risk Management/Insurance, Cade Bissell seeks to live life to the fullest. Growing up in California, he spent his days surfing and free diving off the coast. While he is unable to enjoy those activities in the heart of Texas, he has channeled his passion and energy into being an active leader on campus, in the classroom and in his fraternity.

Triple majoring in ProSales, Finance, and Supply-Chain Management, Shao Chao came to Baylor from Taiwan where he previously achieved the rank of Corporal in the Taiwanese military. In that leadership role, Shao was responsible for a team of 17 people, where he out-ranked team members who were much older than him. Shao was grateful to be able to learn from their unique backgrounds and gain a broader perspective for leading others. As a servant leader, he values unity among his team and looks for ways to improve the experiences of those entrusted to his leadership. 

Double majoring in ProSales and Entrepreneurship, Haley West is passionate about helping others and loving well. She strives to love others as Christ demonstrates His love for us and to help people in any way she can. Translating this passion to her work, she asks intentional questions to meet the needs of clients and find solutions. A way in which ProSales has supported Haley in her development is by teaching her the power of active listening through role plays. Inside and outside of the classroom, Haley is now thoughtful, attentive, and intentional with her responses.

Triple majoring in ProSales, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship, Grace is a tenacious person who strives to enjoy life. In her spare time, she engages in many activities and hobbies, including water sports, tennis, golf, and piano. She has travelled to twelve countries, and is passionate about fashion and interior design.

Double majoring in ProSales and Entrepreneurship, Caleb Jackson aspires to fuel top-line sales results while learning how to manage a profitable business. Resourceful as he is, Caleb made strides in that direction, hiring out his services and his truck/trailer in a moving and hauling business when COVID-19 caused him to lose his previous summer work plans.

Before coming to Baylor, Jordan Goehring spent five years in the U.S. military. During his time in the service, he underwent BUDS (SEAL) training. After an injury, he became a weapons technician and instructor with the Navy and spent three of those years overseas in Japan.

Baylor Business Review: Women are using their business superpowers to elevate themselves and their companies to unimagined heights.

Growing up around the beauty pageant circuit, Ava Hernandez has a unique ability to connect with people from various backgrounds and cultures. A warm and passionate person, she learned to create similar connections with patients while working at a dental office.

Stephanie Mangus, Ph.D., assistant professor in Baylor University’s Professional Selling program, was recently named the abstracts editor for the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management (JPSSM). According to editor-in-chief Adam Rapp, Ph.D., Professor & Executive Director of the Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Centre at Ohio University, Mangus was selected for the position from a large pool of applicants based on their research records and JPSSM review history.

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling (ProSales) is pleased to announce that Brian Galbraith and Beth Gosnell are the Spring 2022 Outstanding ProSales Student Coaches. ProSales sponsors student involvement in four internal and six external sales competitions each year. In addition to competing, ProSales students serve as student coaches, providing rich learning opportunities for both student competitors and student coaches while building student-peer relationships and the collaborative ProSales culture.

Double majoring in ProSales and Finance, Riley seeks to incorporate her Christian faith into her work and honor God by using her gifts to the best of her ability. With a strong sense of empathy and a passion for people, Riley has tutored children at underperforming schools, worked with mentally and physically disabled kids, and seeks a career in sales primarily to help others.

Double majoring in ProSales and Risk Management & Insurance, Sam Whitaker decided to pursue a career in sales because he wants to help others. Passionate about people, he seeks to build meaningful relationships and add value in every situation.

Baylor University’s ProSales program, supported by Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling, was named a Top University Sales Program by the Sales Education Foundation (SEF) for the thirteenth consecutive year. Top schools for professional sales education are recognized for preparing students for successful careers in sales and for elevating the sales profession.

Majoring in ProSales and Marketing, Crit Scott has passion for life and adventure. A self-described adrenaline junkie who spends his spare time cliff diving, free climbing, and skydiving, Crit enjoys a challenge.

Baylor ProSales recently held the Baylor Business Value Analysis (BBVA) competition, where students completed a value analysis and delivered the results to an existing customer via video. BBVA competitors had to address a supply chain issue involving microchips used in the manufacture of small consumer appliances. The student competitors specifically had to address how best to meet the Fortune 100 company’s manufacturing timetable, given the Taiwanese microchips were not scheduled to arrive at the Midwest plant as promised (a concern for the manufacturer since the appliances exhibit strong sales at Christmas).

One word to describe Luke Scaff would be genuine. Desiring to serve others and finding joy in their success, this passion drives him to give his all in every situation.

Over the weekend, Baylor took the 1st place team finish at the 2022 Challenger Sales Institute (CSI) competition, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma and sponsored by Love's Travel Stops. Student teams participated in three events: a sales management and ethics case competition, sales role play, and speed sell. ProSales Senior Andrea Henderson along with Juniors Cade Bissell, Jordan Goehring, Max Kleiner, Mahak Rajwani, and Sophomore Shane Trevino represented Baylor in this competition.

Valedictorian of her high school and now a double major in ProSales and Finance, Hannah Tobben has made the Dean’s List five out of her six semesters at Baylor. Extremely driven and dedicated, she has achieved this honor while balancing several part-time jobs and extracurriculars.

Familiar with the unfamiliar and practiced at adapting to new situations, Matthew Mouton has moved 14 times and lived in four different states. His unique upbringing allowed him to fuel his competitive nature and participate in a variety of sports, including surfing and mountainboarding.

Dr. Stephanie Mangus, assistant professor in marketing, and her colleagues Dr. Veronica Thomas (Old Dominion University) and Dr. Dora Bock (Auburn University), recently received the Broadening Research and Instruction in Negotiations Grant (BRING) from the Thurmond Negotiations Lab at Old Dominion University’s Strome College of Business.

Double majoring in International Business and ProSales, Alaynah Schaff is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Mexico. Living abroad most of her life and having travelled to 17 countries, she is multi-lingual and passionate about connecting with different cultures, serving others whenever possible.

Baylor’s ProSales was well represented at the 2022 University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition (UTISC) hosted by the University of Toledo and the 3M Corporation. This hybrid competition provided for both in-person and virtual participation, which was helpful for the Baylor team as weather and flight cancellations required the team to compete virtually at the last minute. The UTISC competition involved multiple rounds of role plays.

During his time in the ProSales program, Jake Morrow has learned the critical importance of managing his time, as well as the art of active listening. He understands that success often depends on taking initiative to work ahead, while applying active listening every day has enabled him to build strong relationships with his peers and mentors

With a goal to make the most of her four years at Baylor, Paige McClelland has been actively involved in a number of organizations and served in various leadership positions. She has been a member of the Freshman Leadership Organization and served Kappa Kappa Gamma as the University Events Chairperson and on their Academic Excellence Committee.

Growing up, Hunter Larson enjoyed hunting deer, a hobby he now likens to a career in sales. Hunting and selling both require patience and perseverance. Some days you may go home empty-handed, but with the proper persistence, you will eventually bag that deer or close that deal

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling revealed the final results of the Baylor Business Selling Outside (BBSO) competition on February 11 as students and faculty gathered in-person and executives representing the ProSales Corporate Partners participated via video conference. The BBSO is designed to engage students in a realistic sales situation with business executives. This year, students focused on selling a 3M adhesive material to a spa tub manufacturer who was experiencing growing market demand due to COVID 19. These in-person role-play sales meetings were judged virtually by 140 business executives from around the country, offering students a chance to gain valuable feedback from the Center for Professional Selling’s Corporate Partners.

Between ages 11-18, Islay Lyttle competed internationally in Scottish Highland dancing, performing across the U.S. and in Ireland, Scotland, and Argentina. Now at Baylor, she continues to be active in her community, building relationships, and looking for opportunities to give back.

At age 15, Andres Hernan got his first job working part-time at a local McDonald’s. Over the next three years, he would discover a love for connecting with people and adding value to their experience through positive engagement.

Raised on the border between the U.S. and Mexico, Andrea Henderson has a unique understanding of how diversity plays out across two cultures, which has given her a broadened view of the world. She is passionate about people and makes the most of every opportunity to be a listening ear or offer a piece of advice that might help others widen their perspective.

Two things that make Gavin Hartoonian unique are his multi-cultural heritage, with family from Croatia, Spain, and Iran, and the fact that he is the older brother to triplets. His exposure to different cultures has given him the ability to understand and empathize with people from a variety of backgrounds and having younger siblings has taught him the responsibility of leadership.

Originally from London, Ontario, Beth Gosnell attended high school in Eagan, Minnesota before moving to Baylor. With a love of travel, she has visited countries like Australia, Italy, France, and Spain.

Building his first computer in the 7th grade, Wyatt Hales’ love of technology crosses over into other aspects of his life. A member of the Baylor triathlon team and Alpha Tau Omega’s Videographer and Sing Chair, he uses advanced spreadsheets to track his performance as an athlete and enjoys sharing the music he makes on his computer with others.

This month, Dean Sandeep Mazumder presented a Hankamer School of Business Outstanding Staff award to Brianna Steensen, Program Manager of the Center for Professional Selling.

Baylor ProSales is pleased to announce that Matthew Mouton is the Fall 2021 Outstanding ProSales Student Coach. ProSales sponsors student involvement in five internal and six external sales competitions each year. In addition to competing, ProSales students serve as student coaches, providing rich learning opportunities for both student competitors and student coaches while building student-peer relationships and the collaborative ProSales culture.

A first-generation college student, Erica Ginaven is determined to make the most of her college career. Being a member of six organizations and a leader in four, Erica balances her activities with her studies, making the Dean’s list during her first year at Baylor.

Brian Galbraith has always been determined, goal-driven, and drawn toward competition. Prior to college, he played ice hockey on several varsity and select teams, before taking up powerlifting, snowboarding, and wakeboarding.

Spend just a few minutes with Hannah de la Torre and she will immediately feel like a friend. She is joyful, passionate, and strives to impact others each day. As an officer on the Baylor Wake team, Hannah desires to be a valued teammate and an example to others.

At the age of 16, Alec Galbraith moved away from home to pursue and grow his hockey career. Over the course of five years, he played for five different teams in four states and grew his skills, not just technical hockey skills, but also in teamwork, self-reliance, and motivation.

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling is excited to announce the winners for the 2021 Baylor Business Ethics Competition (BBEC), a ProSales program-specific competition designed to challenge ProSales students with ethical dilemmas evident in real sales organizations. This year’s case, Operation High Performance, centered on the context of a Fortune 100 technology firm where mid-tier (not top-tier) sales professionals created alternative communication channels and shared back-channel misinformation.

Moving multiple times growing up and coupled with taking a gap year to teach English in the Dominican Republic, Amanda Corts values change, proving herself in new situations and building relationships. She cares deeply about people’s individual stories, because through their stories, she finds opportunities to love others in unique ways.

Making the most of his multicultural upbringing and the travel opportunities he was given, Paschal Curlin has surfed with locals in Hawaii, driven motorcycles in the mountain villages of Vietnam, spent childhood summers in a cabin on a river in Slovakia, and hunted ducks with family in the flyways of Tennessee. Through these experiences, Paschal has learned how to relate to people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

Baylor’s ProSales took the 1st place team finish at the 2021 Rocky Mountain Madness competition hosted by E.W. Scripps and Metropolitan State University of Denver. By taking 1st place in this competition, Baylor ProSales wrapped up a fall sales competition season with perfect results garnering three out of three 1st place team finishes: Great Northwoods Sales Warm-Up (coached by Dr. Eric Swan), National Team Selling Competition (coached by Dr. Stephanie Mangus), and the Rocky Mountain Madness competition (coached by Dr. Andrea Dixon).

Baylor University took the 1st place team finish at the 2021 National Team Selling Competition (NTSC) hosted by Indiana University-Bloomington. Student teams from 27 universities participated in this competition which focused on a robotic device for food preparation in convenience stores. Alexa Black, Brian Galbraith, Beth Gosnell, and Gavin Hartoonian, all seniors in the Professional Selling program, represented Baylor in this team-based competition. The Baylor team was coached by Dr. Stephanie Mangus and student coaches, Matthew Mouton and Benjamin Nopper. After two days of competitions involving sales exchanges with executives from 3M and Altria, the Baylor team took the first place finish overall.

A double major in ProSales and Management of Information Systems, Alexa Black has two core passions: learning and making a difference in the lives of others. As a continual learner, Alexa is always open to adventure, whether that be in cooking, hiking, or travelling with friends and family.

Over Homecoming weekend, Baylor University took the 1st place team finish at the 2021 Great Northwoods Sales Warmup at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. Student teams from 23 universities participated in this competition which featured grocery products sold through distribution and retail stores. Trey Compton, Amanda Fernandez, and Alec Galbraith, seniors in the Professional Selling program, represented Baylor in this competition. Alec finished 1st in the field of 69 competitors, while Trey finished 2nd. After placing 4th in the first day of the competition, Amanda rounded out Baylor’s representation and placed 15th overall.

While still in high school, Trey Compton took a management internship with DECA, a non-profit association aimed at developing students’ business and leadership skills. Working at a small convenience store called The Cave, Trey was involved in marketing, finance, and sales where he competed in several shark-tank-style competitions.

Hailing from Florida and having a love of travel and language, Ruby Hernandez enjoys exploring new places where she can practice her Spanish and Italian. Passionate about building meaningful relationships, she has a knack for making others comfortable and is always willing to lend a listening ear or engage in conversation.

This week is the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) Marketing Week, where members can collaborate within their professional community, gaining inspiration to address their marketing challenges. As the academic marketing community kicks off the week, Baylor’s Dr. Stephanie Mangus is featured in the AMA Marketing Week social media video for her leadership role in the Sales Special Interest Group (SIG) and as the Co-Chair for the 2022 Summer AMA Conference.

After networking in-person with executives during the Fall Top Gun Training program, Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling challenged ProSales students through the Baylor Business Business Development (BBBD) competition, an experiential learning exercise focused on the pre-call planning and business development steps of the sales process.

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling launched a fifth competition this year, the Baylor Business Business Acumen (BBBA) competition, designed to focus students on learning the acronyms and technical terminology used in sales and general business.

An avid outdoorsman, Josh Palermo grew up hiking mountains, fishing, and hunting. When he hiked his first fourteener (a mountain peak exceeding 14,000 feet), he did so with his grandparents, who were in their seventies at the time.

Double majoring in ProSales and Finance, Ashton Kresta approaches life with tenacity and a strong work ethic cultivated by summers spent working on a farm. In high school, he was the president of three separate organization and led his Farm Business Management team to the Future Farmers of America national competition.

Growing up in a family with Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage, Amanda Fernandez is completely fluent in Spanish. Proud of her upbringing, she brings this unique cultural understanding to everything she does.

Dr. Andrea Dixon, Executive Director of the Center for Professional Selling, discusses how today’s sales professional must be an orchestrator of the change management process.

The 10th Annual Sales Educators Academy (SEA) took place June 22-24, 2021 with twenty leading teacher-scholars sharing research and practices impacting the sales field. Well represented among the presenters, Baylor Center for Professional Selling’s speakers included Dr. Stephanie Mangus and Dr. Andrea Dixon.

Jacob Wassell loves the outdoors. Coupled with his passion for new experiences, he has been involved in swimming, surfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding, hiking and even skydiving!

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling was named a Top University Sales Program by the Sales Education Foundation (SEF) for the twelfth consecutive year. Top schools for professional sales education are recognized for preparing students for successful careers in sales and for elevating the sales profession.

Having spent 6 years growing up in Doha, Qatar and traveling to over 15 different countries, Victoria Venable has had experiences most others haven’t.

An avid outdoorsman, Garrett Starks found himself in a perilous situation. While dirt bike riding with his father in the Arbuckle mountains of Oklahoma, they discovered they had run out of water and no longer knew the way back to camp.

Nothing makes Riley Strahler feel more fulfilled than knowing she helped someone in need or made people feel better about themselves.

Jake Stammen is a man of many talents. Growing up, he developed an interest in many differing areas, such as music, filmmaking, politics, entrepreneurship and, of course, sales.

Rebeka Shols has used her passion for connecting with others to develop herself and advance her goals.

Riley Smith is not afraid to take risks and is always up for a challenge.

Sarah Vaughn is a committed and passionate individual. Dedicated to maintaining a professional image and completing her tasks to a high standard, she is a teammate and friend others can rely on.

Baylor’s Center for Professional Selling (ProSales) is pleased to announce that Josh Palermo is the Spring 2021 Outstanding ProSales Student Coach. Baylor ProSales sponsors student involvement in four internal and six external sales competitions each year. In addition to competing, ProSales students serve as student coaches, providing rich learning opportunities for both student competitors and student coaches while building student-peer relationships and the collaborative ProSales culture.

Baylor Center for Professional Selling recently held the Baylor Business Value Analysis (BBVA) competition, where students completed a value analysis delivered via video. This competition prompted students to introduce Amazon Fleet Services to 3M’s product vehicle wraps that impact driver safety by increasing visibility. Value videos were judged virtually by 91 Corporate Partners, Advisory and Ambassador board members and business executives from around the country.

First-generation college student, Baylor Payne, has taken full advantage of his college experience and career.

We are excited to announce that Baylor University’s sales team ranked 13th out of 70 universities this month at the 22nd National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC), sponsored by Kennesaw State University. In this competition, 135 students competed in this competition in a virtual format.

Even as an extrovert, Sarah Pieper attests that ProSales has pushed her outside of her comfort zone as students are encouraged, even required, to connect with peers and executives.

Hunter Nessen places value on interacting with people. Knowing how important it is to be intentional with your words and actions, Hunter has learned to apply this intentionality about what he says and does outside of the classroom and with his ProSales peers.

Baylor took the 1st place team finish at the 2021 Challenger Sales Institute (CSI) competition, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma. Student teams from nine universities participated in this competition involving three events: a sales management/ethics case competition, sales role play, and speed sell.

Haley is passionate about meeting new people and she has loved how ProSales fuels this passion.

Baylor took home a 6th place finish from the University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition (UTISC). Sales teams from 33 universities participated in this competition which showcases junior- and sophomore-level talent.

Wyatt Myers’ journey to ProSales is a unique one. He is passionate about his family and the ability to give back to those who have sacrificed for him.

Baylor's Center for Professional Selling revealed the final results of the Baylor Business Selling Outside (BBSO) competition on February 12 in a countdown style Zoom meeting with over 100 participating students, faculty and executives.

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.