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Saint Rose students who are part of the sales and business professionals club and volunteers from the business world participated in a networking and mock interview competition on April 8, 2022.

Saint Rose students who are part of the sales and business professionals club and volunteers from the business world participated in a networking and mock interview competition on April 8, 2022.

The College of Saint Rose’s BS in Sales Management program, the first of its kind in New York State, was recognized by the Sales Education Foundation (SEF) magazine as a top program in North America for sales education for the fourth year in a row. Saint Rose was the first college in New York to launch a Bachelor of Science in Sales Management major and one of 32 colleges and universities nationally to offer a sales major.

“The Saint Rose Sales Program is truly a hands-on learning experience. On a daily basis our students are putting theory in action,” explained Mark Michalisin, sales professional in residence. “We provide our students with a solid foundation in sales by instilling the following skills: personal selling, negotiation, conflict resolution and leadership. These are not just sales skills, these are life skills they learn each and every day.”

SEF Top Sales ProgramsStudents in the program participate in a variety of sales-related activities throughout the year that offer professional development and networking opportunities to help prepare them for a career in sales. These include regional and national “speed sell” competitions to broaden their skills outside of the classroom while competing against other universities’ sales students and a sales-focused career fair where companies look to fill internships and full-time positions. 

“Our business partners are looking for students who have the foundation from which they can build upon,” said Michalisin. “They understand that the Saint Rose sales student not only has the foundation, but the confidence and ability to accept any challenge and help to increase said company’s market share by putting the theories they have learned in class into action.”

The program has also partnered with a variety of nonprofits so students can gain hands-on experience working as a team to solicit donations and use their sales skills to help others. “Service to the dear neighbor” is a Saint Rose core value, and Michalisin believes it’s important that students who aspire to be the next business leaders learn the importance of also giving back to the community.