September 2012: Vol. 7, Issue 6
Marketing Monthly Charles Futrell Receives AMA Teaching Award Charles Futrell [MKTG] is the recipient of the 2012 American Marketing Association Sales Special Interest Group (AMA Sales SIG) Excellence in Teaching Award. He was chosen from among the nominees by a committee of officers of the AMA Sales SIG and previous winners of the Excellence in Teaching Award. The award is given to an individual associated with an AACSB accredited university whose primary teaching responsibilities and interests are in the field of sales. Over an academic career spanning almost four decades, Charles has made several important and seminal contributions to scholarly research, teaching and practice in the fields of personal selling and sales management. Since 1976, he has been teaching personal selling (MKTG 335) and sales management (MKTG 436) at Texas A&M University with distinction at the undergraduate level. It is conceivable that over the past 35 years, at least 10,000 students have taken these courses. All these years, Charles has been tireless in his efforts to ensure that students who enroll in his classes at Texas A&M University (as well as students at other institutions that use his books on personal selling and sales management) get the very best education. He is a believer in providing opportunities for students to put to practice concepts and principles they are exposed to in the classroom. Two initiatives stand out in this regard. Students enrolled in his classes are required to participate in role playing exercises as buyers and sellers. These assignments are videotaped in a state-of-art facility and critiqued. The second initiative is Charles’ involvement in the creation of the Collegiate Sales Competition, a joint initiative
Charles Futrell and his Excellence in Teaching Award
of three departments (marketing, agribusiness and industrial distribution) from three different colleges (business, agriculture and engineering) at Texas A&M University. (See Marketing Monthly Vol. 7 Issue 3 for a report on this year’s Sales Competition.) The award was formally presented during a special awards session at the 2012 AMA Summer Educator’s Conference in Chicago.
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