Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Conference Track

Marketing Education/ The Dynamic Business School

Publication Date

2016

Abstract

Oftentimes sales faculty seek to build real-world opportunities into their coursework that will allow students to observe first-hand the material presented in the classroom. While these kinds of experiential learning projects are assumed to be beneficial to sales classes, research on the actual benefits derived from these opportunities is limited. The current paper describes a 7-step shadowing opportunity for students within a University Sales program, and reports findings with quantitative and qualitative assessment data. Over five academic semesters between 2012 through 2015, 131 students within an advanced sales course at a Southeastern University were each asked to locate and shadow a sales manager. Outcomes are reported in terms of the number of industries shadowed, the number of interviews and job offers directly attributed to the experience, and the response of those sales managers involved in the project. Findings suggest long-term benefits to students, companies and University Sales Centers.

About the Authors

Dr. Linda G. Mullen serves as Associate Professor of Marketing for Georgia Southern University’s College of Business. She received her Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University of Carbondale in Marketing.

Dr. Lindsay R.L. Larson serves as Assistant Professor of Marketing for Georgia Southern University’s College of Business. She received her Ph.D. from Yale University in Social Psychology, and a post-doctoral certificate in Marketing from the University of Florida’s Hough Graduate School of Business.

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Digital Commons@Georgia Southern License

Included in

Marketing Commons

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