Cameron University Professional Sales Center launched as new resource for students and industry

Cameron University has announced the creation of a professional sales center that will prepare students for successful careers in professional selling. Students completing the program will help consumers and businesses define their needs, understand and evaluate buying options, facilitate effective purchase decisions, and forge enduring relationships.

"There is a tremendous unmet need for professional sales training," says faculty member Steve Brammer, a sales professional whose expertise in pharmaceutical sales has garnered top-level awards throughout his 40-year career. Brammer has shared his knowledge with college students for more than 25 years. He will serve as the strategic lead of the CU Professional Sales Center, a division of the university's Department of Business.

"More than half of business graduates will spend at least some time in their career in a sales-related position," he says. "But less than 5 percent of colleges and universities across the nation offer formal sales training. Even marketing majors ― 80 percent of whom will start their career in sales ― often graduate without the skills they need to succeed. My goal is to make Cameron University the premier institution in southwest Oklahoma to meet this need and create the next generation of top-level sales professionals."

The CU Professional Sales Center is open to all Cameron students, regardless of major. Students who participate in the program will learn about the many opportunities associated with a career in professional selling. After completing the program, students will be equipped with the concepts, skills and mindsets required for consultative selling.

Developmental activities will be available to students, including sales and promotion of advertisements at Aggie sporting events, creation of social media content, professional role-play selling competitions such as the annual National Collegiate Sales Competition, internships and sales "shadow days."

In addition to being a vital educational and co-curricular resource for business students, the program will serve industry partners.

"Businesses, from large to small and profit or not-for-profit, are always on the lookout for energetic and persuasive individuals who have the ability to introduce products, services and ideas to prospective buyers or business executives and then, most importantly, close the deal," says Dr. Krystal Brue, dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. "The CU Professional Sales Center will provide our students with the tools they need to be successful in sales so that hiring managers identify them as quality candidates."

Industry partners will have the opportunity to become closely involved in certifying competencies that will prepare CU students for sales positions across industries. The program will also identify CU graduates who have an interest and aptitude in professional selling.

Students interested in joining the CU Professional Sales Center and businesses interested in becoming industry partners should contact Brammer at [email protected] or (580) 581-6771.

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