University Sales Programs: Growth, Practice, and AI

I’m so excited about this episode. I have a good friend and co-host of our new podcast joining me. We’re here to introduce Sales 101: The B2B Classroom.

It’s a podcast for sales professors on how you can help guide the next generation of sellers in our industry. Students and those already in the industry can still listen in — we share plenty of tips that can help you as well.

Growth of College Sales Programs

·  BJ and I have taught sales at Brigham Young University for years. We’re starting to notice the growth of college sales programs compared to 20 years ago. BJ shares that there’s been a 50% increase in sales programs.

·  What’s so great about this is that students are able to gain sales skills before entering the field. It’s also an untapped recruiting source for modern B2B organizations.

Hands-On Training in Academia

·  College sales programs allow students to gain real-life skills using frameworks like Challenger, SPIN,

and MEDDIC, as well as industry tools (Salesforce, HubSpot).

·  They get time to role-play, use simulations, and gain practical hands-on experience.

·  For example, I shared a story about how students at BYU won sponsorship deals for their local theater.

Integration of AI in Sales Education

·  I play a clip from Professor Barry on how he’s using AI tools to enhance role play, research, and call analysis while teaching his students.

·  This shows how college sales programs can help students learn to use AI-powered techniques for outreach, efficiency, and analytics.

Why Listen to Sales 101: The B2B Classroom

·  Besides hearing our handsome voices, you’ll learn directly from sales college professionals and industry leaders about what’s working and what’s not. You’ll also hear firsthand from students about their real experiences in the field.

·  This podcast bridges thegap between academic sales programs and real-world B2B selling. 

·  We spotlight the latest trends in sales education, share best practices from top university programs, and reveal how savvy companies are tapping into this talent pool to build their sales teams of the future.

“We have one goal and that is to get our students jobs. We understand in order to get our students jobs, that theory doesn’t cut it alone.” - Dr. BJ Allen.

"They're not only getting the book smart. They're getting learning from industry leaders, from guest lecturers, and they're getting practice." - Donald Kelly. 

Resources

Sales 101: The B2B Classroom Podcast

Sponsorship Offers

1. This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2.  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

3.  This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.