SLU Annual Report 23-24

LETTERS FROM THE LEADERS

We are excited to celebrate another successful year of Southeastern’s Professional Sales Program. This year we applied and received approval to offer a Sales Leadership Certificate so students across the college and university will now be able to improve their marketability and job readiness by adding this certificate to their degree program.

We are proud to have trained 200+ students this year in professional selling classes. Through the sales curriculum combined with specialized events, we have also been able to provide a recruiting pipeline of work-ready talent for our corporate sponsors. We are fortunate to partner with 13 amazing company sponsors who provide career opportunities but also work directly with us to develop our students.

Our newly formed Sales Alumni Chapter has been approved by the Southeastern Alumni Association and alumni are already giving back by mentoring our students and attending events.

We look forward to continuing to grow the Southeastern Professional Sales Program and offering more opportunities for our students to be successful during their time at Southeastern and beyond. I am blessed to work with the best students and professionals.

Letter from the Dean

I continue to be amazed by the impact of the Southeastern Professional Sales Program, and it truly is a crown jewel in the Southeastern College of Business. Although in recent years my role has shifted to Dean, I still consider creating and building this program to be one of the greatest highlights of my career.

To see it continue to grow and change students’ lives is a wonderful sight. I have and will continue to offer this program all the support it deserves so it can thrive well into the future.

I have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the impactful work we are fortunate to do. This year, we’ve seen our sales students continue to have great success in sales competitions, network with our great corporate sponsors and mentors, and earn life-changing career opportunities. Our students amaze us each day with their dedication to developing their skills and abilities.

With great dedication from Co-Coordinator Dr. April Kemp, Dean Tará Lopez, our amazing GA Gabriel Pevey, and our student interns Katelynn Brady and Blake Arceneaux, it’s truly been a team effort.

As the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. We certainly have gone very far this year with such a strong team working together.

Without the contributions of our corporate sponsors, mentors, alumni, and other supporters, we wouldn’t be able to have made such progress this year and every year. Thank you!

It truly aligns with our college’s mission: Engaging and growing a community of learners through quality experiences while positively impacting the region we serve. This annual report celebrates another successful year, and I look forward to seeing this program’s continued success for years to come.

Thank you all for your support,

Dr. Tará Lopez

Lion Up!

Dr. Tim Butler

Dr. April Kemp

CHANGING LIVES: A STUDENT’S REFLECTION

Nearing the end of my junior year here at Southeastern, I was required to take an elective course in personal selling taught by Dr. April Kemp. I was very skeptical and preferred to focus my energies on my chosen Management major. I sat in the back of the class and didn’t take it too seriously at first. But Dr. Kemp recognized something in me and she recruited me to take the advanced sales course. She had to follow up several times, but like a good salesperson, she was persistent.

Flash forward to November 5th, 2022. That morning I competed in the Final Four of the International Collegiate Sales Competition, largely known as the World Cup of Sales. The competition started with 160 of the best sales students in the world from 80 universities. Later that day I was the ICSC Role Play champion, the first for the Southeastern Professional Sales Program. Looking back, I couldn’t believe how much I grew and how much value I had received in just over one short year.

After graduation, I decided to stay at Southeastern to try to earn my MBA. During this time, I had the opportunity to continue my involvement as a Graduate Assistant for the sales program. I have been able to coach students, help plan and execute program activities, and network with so many great companies. This program and my experience in the College of Business, truly changed my life. Soon, I will achieve my MBA from Southeastern and I am happy to say that I will be starting as a Field Sales Consultant for Henry Schein’s medical division this summer.

My story, like anyone’s, is unique, but the lesson is clear. You never know when you might encounter a situation that will change the trajectory of your life. Be open, be ready, and life can open doors for you that you might never imagine. Thanks to Dr. April Kemp and Dr. Tim Butler, along with our Dean Tará Lopez, for all their work building this world class sales program! The memories I made here are something I will always treasure.

Lion Up, Gabe Pevey

With their belief and involvement in the Sales Program since the beginning, United Rentals wanted to find another way to support the program by being the first to name one of the three role play rooms. We had a ribbon cutting ceremony in the Fall semester. We are grateful for all of United Rentals’ support throughout the years.

On hand from United Rentals we had Allie Stewart, Robin Deloach, Brady Morris and Amanda Hughes; from the Southeastern Foundation Katherine Rose, Dean Tará Lopez, and Southeastern Sales Program directors Dr. Tim Butler and Dr. April Kemp and Graduate Assistant Gabriel Pevey.

Competitors

Hezekiah

CELEBRATING

6 YEARS

80 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SALES CONCENTRATION

13

SALES COMPETITIONS

This year has seen continued success from our nationally ranked Southeastern Professional Sales Team. Highlights this year include our second straight Top 10 finish in the World Cup of Sales, our 3rd straight Top 15 finish and Sweet 16 appearance in the National Collegiate Sales Competition, a second straight #1 performance in the Lagniappe Sales Challenge, and much more.

Southeastern Sales Challenge Fall

L-R Dr. Tim Butler; Top Rookie Hezekiah Chatelain; 2nd Runner Up

Alayna Montgomery; 3rd Runner Up Victoria Hickey; 1st Runner Up

Kalynn Granier, Overall Champion Caleb Peppers, Dr. April Kemp

Southeastern Sales Challenge Spring

L-R Dr. April Kemp; fifth runner-up Alexis Lowery; first runner-up Kalynn Granier; third runner-up Ben Robichaux; fourth runner-up Hezekiah Chatelain; second runner-up Katelynn Brady; overall champion Victoria Hickey; and Dr. Tim Butler.

Lagniappe Sales Challenge Results

1st Place- Caleb Peppers (SLU)

2nd Place- Alayna Montgomery (SLU)

3rd Place- Kathryn Draughon (LSU)

4th Place- Victoria Hickey (SLU)

Back to Back Team Champion

Southeastern Louisiana University

Bayou Sales Challenge

Katelynn Brady, Victoria Hickey, Kalynn Granier, Hezekiah Chatelain, Ben Robicheaux, and Connor Wilkinson participated in this regional sales competition, coached by Dr. Tim Butler, Dr. April Kemp, and Gabriel Pevey. Hickey and Chatelain finished as semifinalists, putting them in the top 10 of all competitors.

Adobe Sales Academy Student Sales Competition

Zander Diaz competed in the Adobe Sales Academy Student Sales Competition. Diaz made it through two virtual rounds to become a Top 5 finalist, and traveled to Adobe Headquarters in San Jose, CA to compete in the Final Round.

Katelynn Brady, Kalynn Granier, and Victoria Hickey competed in the Redbird National Sales Competition, hosted by Illinois State University. The three competitors competed against 135 top sales students and all three made the semifinal round. Southeastern’s team placed third out of 45 universities, another school-record performance. Redbird National Sales Competition

SALES COMPETITIONS

20

students placed in the top 15 of competitions

2

straight Top 10 performances at ICSC

International Collegiate Sales Competition- Orlando, FL

Alayna Montgomery, Kalynn Granier, Katelynn Brady, Victoria Hickey, Caleb Peppers and Hezekiah Chatelain competed in three competitions: role-play, speed sell and sales management case. Their scores collectively slated them in the Top 10 in the World Cup of Sales for the second straight year! Peppers individually placed in the role play competition as a top 12 semifinalist out of 160 competitors from 80 universities.

Pi Sigma Epsilon Regional Conference-Denver, CO

Blake Arceneaux, Matthew Castillo, Jeffery Cavin, Brendan Scripter, Kirsten Pecot and Aubrie Lewis competed in the PSE Sales Pro-Am Sell-AThon. Southeastern was the only university with two finalists, Arceneaux and Castillo! Arceneaux placed third among all competitors.

3

straight Top 15 performances at NCSC

3 straight Sweet 16 competitors at NCSC

National Collegiate Sales Competition- Kennesaw, GA

Sales Team members

Victoria Hickey, Caleb Peppers, Katelynn Brady, Kalynn Granier, and Hezekiah Chatelain, coached by Dr. Tim Butler, competed at this year’s NCSC. Brady, Peppers, and Chatelain represented us well in the Speed Sell Competition. In the role play competition, competing among 142 students from 72 universities, Granier finished as a quarterfinalist and ranked #34 in the country. Hickey finished as a semifinalist and ranked #16 in the country.

As a team, Southeastern Louisiana University finished #12 overall, the best finish in school history. This year’s performance at NCSC was the 3rd straight Top 15 finish and 3rd straight Sweet 16 appearance.

Pi Sigma Epsilon National Convention- St Louis, MO

Four Southeastern students made it to the semifinal round, Sarah Pennington, Blake Arceneaux, Matthew Castillo and Kalynn Granier. Granier finished in the Top 10 in the Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon.

Ben Robichaux, Blake Arceneaux and Victoria Hickey were finalists in the Case Competition.

Pi Sigma Epsilon, Eta Tau Chapter ORGANIZATIONS | PSE

It has been another action-packed year coming off the Eta Tau Southeastern chapter being named the Top New Chapter by Pi Sigma Epsilon at the Spring 2023 National Convention. This year, under the leadership of PSE President Blake Arceneaux, we have 35 active members, and have had great events on-campus as well as traveled to a PSE regional conference and the PSE national convention.

In the Fall semester, PSE worked with AMA to donate 30+ toys for the Toys of Hope drive to help Hispanic families in the community. In addition, PSE raised $5,000 for the Career Closet, whose mission involves providing under-resourced students with free access to professional attire.

Also in the Fall, a group of students led by MBA graduate assistants Emily Wiltz and Emily Wilson including Blake Arceneaux, Matthew Castillo, Jeffery Cavin, Kirsten Pecot and Aubrie Lewis attended the PSE Regional Conference in Denver, Colorado. At this event, these students competed in the PSE Sales Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon. Southeastern was the only university with two finalists, Arceneaux and Castillo! Arceneaux placed third among all competitors.

This Spring, the PSE chapter has hosted several member meetings, a new member initiation, and guest speaker meetings including a medical sales panel. Further, Dr. April Kemp and Emily Wiltz took a group of students including Blake Arceneaux, Matthew Castillo, Jeffery Cavin, Victoria Hickey, Katelynn Brady, Kalynn Granier, Charles Lopez, Sarah Pennington and Ben Robichaux to the PSE National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. In the Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon, four Southeastern students, Pennington, Arceneaux, Castillo and Granier made it to the semifinal round, and Granier finished as a Top 10 finalist. Additionally, Ben Robichaux, Blake Arceneaux and Victoria Hickey were finalists in the Case Competition. Our Eta Tau chapter of PSE is poised for continued success and student engagement moving forward.

American Marketing Association, Southeastern Louisiana University Chapter

The Southeastern Chapter of the American Marketing Association is finishing its second year of existence and is advised by Dr. Juliana White, Ms. Cally Berner, and Dr. Tim Butler.

Last year, two students attended the International Collegiate Conference. This year, under the leadership of President Alexis Lowery, Executive VP Amber Hodges, and a fantastic team of officers, the chapter saw remarkable growth, and had record attendance at their meetings and other events. They brought a robust group of 12 (9 students and 3 faculty) to the International Collegiate Conference in April 2024, where they networked with peers and professionals, and took advantage of various professional development opportunities (competitions, workshops, keynote speakers, etc.)

At this event, our chapter received Outstanding Recognition for our Chapter Planning, Membership, and Fundraising efforts. VP of Operations Hezekiah Chatelain finished #1 out of 120 students in the Sherwin Williams Sales Role Play competition. They recently announced their new leadership team for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. They are positioned for even greater success under the incoming President Hayley Perez and Executive VP Hezekiah Chatelain.

*The American Marketing Association has ~10,000 undergraduate student members and 320 active collegiate chapters at college campuses across North America.

FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

Faculty Deliver Insights Through Sales Research

The sales faculty have been busy and have two articles slated to be published later this year.

One study investigates the effectiveness of corporate guest speakers in the classroom, finding that factors like similarity, credibility, presentation delivery quality, and content relevance play a significant role in recruiting success.

The second study explores the Gen Z Job Hopping Phenomenon, identifying four key retention factors

• Transparent And Competitive Compensation

• Collaborative Feedback

• Clear Career Development

• Supportive Work Environment

Butler, Timothy D., Jen Riley, Andrew Pueschel, Jimmy Peltier & Ryan Johnson “Recruiting the Next Generation of Sales Talent: Resonating with Gen Z Audiences” - Journal of Selling

Kemp, April, Timothy D. Butler, David Wyld, David Brauer, and Tará Lopez “Understanding the Gen Z Job Hopping Phenomenon: An Exploration of the Next Generation of Sales Professionals” - Journal of Selling

Classes in the Sales Concentration

Introduction to Professional Sales

• Sales Process

• Identifying Customer Needs

• SPIN Sales Technique

• Introduction to Role-playing

• Handling Objections

Advanced Professional Sales

• Role Playing Competitions - local, regional, national

• Exposure to Different Sales Models

• Sales Professionals as Speakers

• Professional Mentor Program

Sales Leadership

• Management of Teams

• Real Sales Goals, Quotas, Deadlines

• Golf Tournament

• Customer Relationship Management

Dr. Kemp Scores Hat Trick with Three Awards

At the Fall Faculty Awards Banquet, Dr. April Kemp was recognized for all three major facets of higher education: research, teaching, and service.

Outstanding Research Award for her Business Horizons article titled “Storytelling is not just for Marketing: Implementing Storytelling Throughout the Organization.”

Outstanding Teaching Award for being one of the top faculty members in the College of Business based on students’ evaluation of her courses and teaching ability.

Outstanding Service Award for the plethora of initiatives focused on student engagement she has spearheaded in the College of Business. Examples include receiving recognition as a Top New Pi Sigma Epsilon Chapter, developing a DECA Day to recruit potential high school students to Southeastern, and creating a Sales Leadership Certificate to make the training the Sales Program offers accessible to more students.

Congratulations to Dr. Kemp on this well-deserved recognition!

150+ play in Southeastern Professional Selling Golf Tournament

The fourth annual Sales Program Golf Tournament, our live selling project that our MRKT 425 Sales Leadership students participate in, was a huge success! The Sales Leadership class allows students to use real-life sales tactics through a competitive real-world sales environment to learn how to deliver value, build relationships, execute a large-scale event, and close real sponsorship sales. Each student has an individual quota tied to their grade and employs a cadence-based sales process to learn how B2B sales relationships work. More experienced sales students serve as team leads and are responsible for team quota attainment. This year the class brought in $55K in revenue and made $30K in profit. 150+ Professionals played in the tournament and attended the networking dinner with students. The team from Louisiana CAT won the tournament.

Top Performers in the Class

Top Seller: Ben Robichaux, 660% Quota attainment ($6,600 revenue)

Runner-Up: Samantha Thompson 515% Quota attainment ($5,150 revenue)

Top Team: Aubrie Lewis, Kalynn Granier, Victoria Hickey, and Samantha Thompson 236% Quota attainment ($11,800 revenue)

$55K

150+ professionals played in the tournament & networked with students raised in revenue $30K made in profit

4 years of the Southeastern Golf Tournament

Volunteer Judges, Buyers, and Mentors: The Lifeblood of the Sales Program

We have a wonderful network of corporate sponsors and sales professionals that serve as buyers and judges for our internal and regional competitions as well as mentors for our sales students. Thanks!

L-R Andrew Zeringue, Quantum Surgical, Jared Savoy, LA Cat, Dickie Whitson, Emily Stark, Sazerac, Mike Dubois, Mackenzie Brooks, Fastenal, Cameron Duhon, Fastenal, Colette Boudreaux, Sazerac, Grace Babin, Sazerac, Benton Thames, State Farm, Travis Gaylor, Sherwin Williams, Charlie Durand, RCI, Maya Aufdermauer, Sherwin Williams, Daniel Smith, Tasch Construction, Ashley O’Quin, Republic Finance, Daniel Kiggins, Republic Finance, Dominick Gendusa, Gendusa Insurance Agency

The Southeastern Professional Sales Program has been an associate member of the University Sales Center Alliance since 2022!

The USCA is a consortium of 72 universities from the U.S. and Europe sales educators who are dedicated to advancing the sales profession through teaching, research, and outreach. Membership to the USCA is only extended to those sales programs that meet a set of high-quality standards.

The Southeastern Professional Sales Program has been named a Top Sales University by the Sales Education Foundation for a seventh year for 2024!

The Sales Education Foundation is a non-profit that seeks to elevate the sales profession by planting the seed of providing sales education through colleges and universities both in the US and worldwide.

For more information and how to get involved in the program contact April Kemp at april.kemp@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-2277