Central Michigan University

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

CMU institute to produce industry-trained salespeople

As a demand from industry guides a nationwide trend toward specialized training in sales, Central Michigan University has joined forces with a nationally prominent sales training and consulting organization to offer its students a distinct intense sales training program.

Through the CMU Professional Sales Institute, students will gain skills that are necessary to be successful in the sales field through proprietary training methods and instructional materials from Carew International, a sales training and consulting organization with a 35-year history in sales and sales-leadership development. Classes will begin this fall.

"Carew's involvement will give CMU students access to the same industry-quality sales training that top companies pay Carew to deliver to their own sales staff," said Richard Divine, chair of CMU's marketing and hospitality services administration department. "Our graduates will have a competitive advantage when they enter the market and compete for the many lucrative sales jobs available."

Jeff Seeley, President and CEO of Carew International and a graduate of CMU's College of Business Administration, sees a critical need for this type of program as college students graduate with strong intellectual skills and academic understanding, but lack real world insight, human relations and specific sales skills, and processes necessary in a career in sales.

"Concepts and real world practices taught in the sales institute will be proven skills and strategies that have been implemented in leading international businesses," said Seeley. "Graduates of the program will be armed with experience and knowledge that will make them much better prepared to enter a career in sales, hit the ground running and make a difference quickly for their employers."

CMU will offer both a concentration in professional sales for students majoring in marketing and a minor in professional sales designed for students of any major. Both programs will feature an innovative new curriculum based on Carew's industry seminars and workshops, with classes focusing on personal selling, sales management, advanced selling, and negotiation and organizational selling.

CMU's Professional Sales Institute will have access to career assessment tools from Carew to help students determine specific areas within the sales profession for which they are best suited. This information will be helpful in determining which job opportunities will provide the best match for their skill sets, ultimately improving their likelihood of long-term career success.

For additional information, visit the CMU Professional Sales Institute Web site at http://mkt.cba.cmich.edu/salesminor.

To listen to a podcast about the CMU Professional Sales Institute,
click here.