Our newsletter concentrates mostly on student

activities and alumni success. However the Sales

Institute has two other major components. One is

research conducted by Dr. Leff Bonney and Dr.

Willy Bolander and assisted by several doctorial

candidates focusing on Professional Selling

related research and teaching.

Current research underway includes:

How can sales managers help new

salespeople move past periods of

performance failure?

How do reps choose which accounts to call

on and do reps overvalue the account that is

about to sign with a competitor?

Why do some reps deviate from standard

operating procedures and more importantly,

why are some reps successful when they do

this and others fail miserably?

If, when published, you would like a copy,

send Dr. Bonney an email at

lbonney@cob.fsu.edu.

The second major area for the Sales Institute is

Executive Sales and Sales Management training.

For the past several years, the Institute has

conducted three-day intense seminars in our FSU

training facility. The training is tailored to the

specific products, market place and selling

situations faced by the attendees. The web-

enabled recording offices allow participants to

practice mock sales calls to aid in applying

course material to practical situations. Their

performance can then be reviewed after they

leave the seminar.

An overview of the sales seminar content is now

available online and is meant to be an

introductory course for the newly

hired sales rep. It is meant to orient the

sales rep to key selling methods that

will be taught in subsequent training

sessions. Given that this course is

completed locally, the materials for

the course are compiled in an “Intro to

Selling Manual” by the FSUSI

faculty. In addition to the reading

materials, there are online webinars

that highlight the topics in the

readings. The ideal progression

through this course would be that new

hires are required to read sections of

the manual, watch webinars, complete

corresponding exercises and close the

topic by gaining a passing grade on an

online “quiz”. The completion of this

course should come in the first few

weeks of a new hire’s tenure.

Two new on-campus courses have

been announced as part of the

Executive Certificate in Sales

Management. This is a program that

focuses on providing enhanced

capabilities to sales managers. The

first is “Sales Leadership” to provide

the less experienced sales manager

with the tools to successfully create

and manage a sales team. The second

is “Sales Operation Management”

centered on the technical and

quantitative aspects of management

including designing territories,

evaluating sales person/sales team

effectiveness and forecasting

methodologies.

Director’s Update: What else does the Institute do?

Inside this issue:

Meet the Sales Team 2&3

Fall Showcase Plans 4

Road Runner Award 4

Alumni Spotlight 5

Welcome Sales Majors 5

Advisory Council 6

Spring Showcase Agenda 8

Members of the Fall 2011 Sales

Team remain active by

recruiting new Sales Majors and

assisting with special events.

www.Facebook.com/TheFSUSalesInstitute

Spring 2012

Reid Armor is a senior at pursuing a degree

in Marketing & Professional Sales with mi-

nors in Psychology and Spanish. He is a

brother of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity

and served as new member educator. He has

worked several jobs including an internship

with Northwestern Mutual as a Financial

Representative and promotions for TutoringZone.

Megan Barcia is a senior majoring in Pro-

fessional Sales. She has been inducted into

multiple honor societies for her scholastic

achievements including Phi Eta Sigma and

Order of Omega. Megan currently works at

the university as a graphic designer for the

student newsletter publication.

Catrina Carpenter is a senior majoring in

Marketing. Catrina has maintained a 3.7

GPA throughout her college career and be-

longs to several honor societies including

Honors Students Association and National

Society for Collegiate Scholars. She has

worked at the head of PR for Union Produc-

tions where she managed a team of 7 volunteers.

Tara Cromer is currently a senior study-

ing Marketing and Professional Sales. She

has been recognized as a National Merit

Scholar and has received the Bright Fu-

tures scholarship. Tara is an active member

of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She

currently works as a promoter for Bacardi

where she helps drive sales of new prod-

ucts. Tara also helps organize the campus wide philanthropy

Dance Marathon by serving on the Marketing Committee

Kelli Lampkin is currently a senior triple

majoring in Professional Sales, Entrepre-

neurship and Management. She maintains a

3.9 GPA and has won countless awards. She

also has extensive work experience includ-

ing a summer internship in London working

as a marketing and sales intern for an inter-

net startup called Madbids.com. Kelli has

held several leadership positions while at Florida State including

President of SIFE, Vice President of CEO and Vice President of

Young Entrepreneurs Society.

Andrea M. Noriega is a senior

majoring in Professional Sales with

a minor in Spanish. She has

worked for Aerotek as an Internal

Commercial Recruiter. During this

internship she gained real world

work experience by cold calling on

a daily basis and recruiting candi-

dates.

Katey O’Brien is a junior double majoring in Profes-

sional Sales and Entrepreneurship.

She was one of six students chosen

to attend the ACC Leadership Con-

ference in February 2011. She has

made the Dean’s List four times and

received the Bright Futures Scholar-

ship. Kathryn also owns a small

business called Basket Craze which

creates custom gift baskets.

Jeanette Rouisse has great leader-

ship experience. She won the Semi-

nole Torchbearers award for being

recognized as one of the top 200

student leaders on campus. She also

has experience working for Ceridian

Corporation as a Marketing Intern

where she developed the Lead Development Marketing

Plan.

Bryant Vega has shown past suc-

cess working for Sprint as a sales

associate. He consistently ranked in

the top 10 for all reps in his district

and ranked #1 in activations several

months. He will graduate Spring of

2012 with a degree in Professional

Sales.

Ali Wright is expected to graduate

in the spring of 2012 with a degree

in Professional Sales. She has

worked for several companies in-

cluding Colorado Distribution &

AR Development as a Sales Intern.

Alice consistently earns a spot on

the Dean’s list. In her spare time she is involved with the

Tallahassee Community College Forensics team.

Meet the Spring 2012 Professional Sales Competition Team

The FSU Sales Institute ● Spring 2012 ● Page Two

Milli Aschuer is the quintessential

non-traditional student. With sever-

al years of work experience under

her belt, she returned to Florida

State to complete her undergraduate

degree, majoring in both Account-

ing and Professional Sales. Milli is

fluent in three languages including German and Albani-

an.

Alex Edwards is majoring in Pro-

fessional Sales and plans to gradu-

ate in May 2012. He has extensive

Marketing-related job experience

and even studied abroad in Valen-

cia, Spain. Alex is a member of the

FSU Sales Club and the American

Marketing Association where he

was elected to the Board of Appeals.

Max Lightweis interned with Mo-

tionPoint last summer, calling on

Fortune 500 companies. He is a

member of Phi Delta Theta and the

Student Alumni Association. Max

plans to graduate this Spring with a

major in Professional Sales.

Staci Mihalko is a member of Phi

Theta Kappa Honors Society, the

Dean’s List, and the President’s

List. She has received the Bright

Futures Scholarship since Fall

2008. Staci plans to graduate this

Spring with a Professional Sales

major.

Robert Nimsger is a Professional

Sales major, minoring in Hospitali-

ty. He has excellent work experi-

ence at larger companies such as

Sports Authority, Big Lots, Fort

Myers Miracle Professional Base-

ball, and Seminole ISP Sports Net-

work. Robert is a member of the FSU Sales Club and

American Marketing Association.

Bradley Simpson, also known as Mr.

Dance Marathon 2011, is a member of

Chi Phi fraternity and was voted Fel-

lowship of Christian Athletes ‘Athlete

of the Year’. Bradley interned last sum-

mer at the Ritz Carlton Central Park in

New York. He brings a diverse skill set

to the table with experience in wireless cellular sales, student

dining, and sports management.

Biron Smythe has worked for both Colo-

nial Life and Northwestern Mutual and is

licensed in Florida to sell Life Insurance,

Health Insurance and variable annuities.

He is Vice President of Pi Kappa Phi fra-

ternity and a member of FSU’s 62 Student

Senate, where he is on the Budget Com-

mittee. They are responsible for balancing

a $12.4 million Activities and Service fees budget.

Michael Zucker is majoring in Market-

ing with minors in Communications and

Philosophy. Michael has great customer

service experience, working at both

Kohl’s Department Store and Cherokee

Town & Country Club in Buckhead,

Georgia. He volunteers for Habitat for

Humanity and is the Events Coordinator

for the Hip-Hop Culture Club.

Meet the Spring 2012 Strategic Accounts Team

The FSU Sales Institute ● Spring 2012 ● Page Three

The Strategic Accounts Team is putting what they have learned

in the classroom into real world experience, by making sales

calls to potential Advisory Council members throughout the

state. The team is being mentored by Dr. Leff Bonney.

The Seminole Sales Showcase is GROWING! We have

big plans for the 9th Semi-annual Showcase to be held

this coming October. Stay tuned for more details!

This national competition will be held in the Dunlap Suc-

cess Center’s new state of the art facility. With 36 individ-

ual roll-play rooms and plenty of space for the Job Fair,

individual judging rooms, and group events, this location

is the obvious choice to showcase Florida State Universi-

ty.

In advance of the national Seminole Sales Showcase,

Florida State students hoping to represent FSU will com-

pete in an internal, web-based competition. After judging,

the top two Florida State students will represent FSU at

the national Showcase.

Top sales students throughout the nation will also be in-

vited to attend the competition. Between twenty and thirty

-five universities will be represented in this exciting

event.

The Showcase is also an excellent opportunity for our

valued Advisory Council and invited recruiters. We antic-

ipate between thirty and fifty companies to attend the

three day event.

As we finalize plans, be sure and checkout

www.FSUSalesInstitute.com for the latest information.

Congratulations to Lindsey Mitchell winner of the Fall 2011 "Road Runner" award. This award, a $500 scholarship, is given to the first team member to get a new advisory council member committed to our program. Late in the Fall semester, Liberty Mutual con-firmed that they had submitted an in-voice for payment of $5,000 to partici-pate as a Sales Program Advisory coun-cil member at the Renegade level.

Fall Seminole Sales Showcase

Lindsey Mitchell wins “Road Runner Award”

“What I learned in the sales program has

helped my business out greatly with signing

restaurants and also helping other

GoWaiter franchisees sign restaurants. I

have also used what I've learned from you

to create corporate contracts to help out

my corporate office. I have a great career

and I can say its a success thanks to the

Sales Program.”

James Hardy

Class of 2010,

Marketing Major

Owner/Operator GoWaiter

The FSU Sales Institute ● Spring 2012 ● Page Four

Members of the Fall Professional Sales team enjoy a fun

photo-shoot at the Tallahassee Airport in early December.

These photos are being used for marketing

pieces throughout FSU.

The second annual Sales Educators’

Academy (SEA) will be held May 22-

24, 2012 at Rollins College in Orlando.

This event is coordinated by the FSU

Sales Institute and provides an excel-

lent opportunity for other sales educa-

tors to discuss best practices, new tech-

nology, and sales center growth. More

information can be found at

www.SalesEducatorsAcademy.com

Teaching and working with over 300 students per year

makes it difficult to remember everyone.

Keeping in touch via Facebook or email

helps. However, forging a personal rela-

tionship by positively differentiating

oneself in the classroom means that

years later, it is easy to write a referral

for graduate school. That was the case

recently with Jos Worrell. When Jos

phoned requesting an academic referral,

Professor Pallentino vividly remembered

Jos and said, “You always remember the

outstanding ones.”

Jos graduated from FSU in 2005 with double majors in

Finance and Real Estate. He says, “ The educa-

tion and development that I gained

through the sales course in 2004

laid a foundation of process and

execution which has been essential

for a thriving career in the banking

industry.… I have learned a tre-

mendous amount from the best and

will always value and take great pride in my Florida

State University sales experience.”

Jos is a successful wealth management banker with Mer-

rill Lynch in Atlanta Georgia. In his free time, Jos is a

member of the Atlanta Track Club and hopes to pursue

an MBA in the Fall.

Alumni Spotlight: Jos Worrell

Welcome all Sales Majors

On January 18, 2012, the Tom James Company and the Seminole

Sales Club hosted a welcome reception for all Sales majors. Af-

ter welcoming the new Sales majors, several aspects of Profes-

sionalism were discussed, including appropriate business cards,

behavior, and attire. The students were asked to sign the Profes-

sionalism Pledge. By signing the Pledge, students are commit-

ting to:

Take pride in all they say or do

Take responsibility for their actions and personal develop-

ment

Adhere to the highest standards of academic excellence, in-

tegrity, and to the norms of a serious intellectual community.

Action steps the students will take to further their Professional-

ism as a Sales major include:

1. Be on time to every class and when completing every assign-

ment.

2. Wear the Sales Institute name badge only when conducting

themselves professionally in both behavior and attire

3. Professionally create and print business cards and have them

at all times

4. Dress in business casual at least every Thursday, whenever

visiting the Sales Lab, and for special events such as guest

speakers, the Seminole Sales Showcase and other events as

directed by the Sales Institute.

“I am forever

indebted to Florida

State University’s

world-class

professional sales

program for

introducing me to

the science of

selling. “

The FSU Sales Institute ● Spring 2012 ● Page Five

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

FSU Sales Institute 2012 Advisory Council & friends—Thank you!

Renegade Level

Warrior Level

Chief Level

Benefactors

Seminole Sales Showcase Participants

Access to Students

What can The FSU Sales Institute do for you?

Research

While the number of salespeople has grown at a steady pace, it

is important to note that the role of professional salespeople has

also changed a great deal. No longer are salespeople walking

catalogs whose main functions are to inform customers about

product updates and complete customer order forms. In today’s

business climate, salespeople are heavily involved in new

product and/or service development, supply chain management,

strategic planning, and facilitating international

commerce. Salespeople are becoming important tools for

creating customer value as opposed to simply a conduit by

which customer value is delivered. Despite these interesting

changes in the sales function, some academic sales research has

not kept pace. Therefore, one of our main goals at the FSU

Sales Institute is to actively produce high quality research with

significant implications for both managers and academics.

“…FSU Sales Team is the best in the nation. We are

fortunate to be working with your students,”

Curt Nicholas, Sr. VP, City Furniture

Executive Education The FSU Sales Institute offers a three-day “hands-

on” sales workshop with exercises tailored to your

product line and your market segments. The entire

process begins with interviews of your key sales

personnel and key sales managers to better

understand your sales focus. We then prepare our

sales scenarios working closely with sales

management. This training will provide the less

experienced sales person with an understanding of

“Best in Breed” selling concepts including SPIN

questioning techniques and strategic account

management concepts. It provides the veteran

salesperson with a refresher in disciplined

approaches to prospecting and making efficient and

effective sales calls.

Whether lecturing to a classroom of 200 sales students, or inviting

two or three students to dinner, Advisory Council Members of The

FSU Sales Institute get top priority access to our award-winning

Sales majors. Additional benefits of becoming an Advisory

Council member include: access to the latest research information

and trends concerning salesperson performance and sales force

management; and the opportunity to influence the development of

the program’s problem-focused research .

For more information on joining our Advisory Council, please contact Pat Pallentino at (850) 644-7875 or ppallentino@fsu.edu.

The 8th Semi-annual Seminole Sales Showcase occurred on

February 7th, 8th and 9th. Over 300 students attended the sales

job fair where there were twenty-three companies looking to

hire spring graduates or offer summer internships to College of

Business Juniors.

Over 70 sales majors and 30 plus top corporate executives

attended the Tuesday evening welcome reception at the FSU

Alumni Center. Bryant Vega won an iPad in the memory

competition for remembering the names of more executives than

any other student.

Wednesday and Thursday’s events included the sales role-play

competition to select the two students to represent Florida State

at the National Collegiate Sales Competition. The top four

finalists were Reid Armor, Kelli Lampkin, Jeanette Rouisse and

Bryant Vega. Kelli and Jeanette were winners in the final round

and will represent FSU at NCSC on March 3rd and 4th at

Kennesaw State University in Atlanta.

Andy Mitchell, president and CEO of the Fairwinds Group

presented the winners with the Fairwinds scholarships. Kelli

received $1,250, Jeanette, $750 an Reid and Bryant received

$500 each. The presentations were made via Skype video link

and Mr. Mitchell charged all those attending to listen to the

customer and respond quickly to customer needs.