Entry-level Salesperson Selection: An Engaging Experiential Exercise for Sales Management Students

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative recruitment and resume screening simulation that has been used and tested for many years in sales management courses. Method/Design and Sample: The Entry-level Salesperson Selection Exercise engages sales management students in a realistic activity where they review resumes submitted by their peers (anonymized) and select the most ideal candidate for the position. The "applicants" are then ranked and the top three choices from each student are shared with the class along with the reasoning behind the choice. The sample consists of undergraduate sales management students who have completed a Professional Selling course. Results: The project consistently engages and challenges sales management students. Reviews from students indicate their appreciation of the realism involved in the exercise and the resume evaluation techniques they discover. It is simple enough for faculty to implement immediately with very little preparation time. Value to Marketing Educators: This project is an innovative improvement to other sales management simulations that sales management faculty can use in class that also provides a great learning experience to their students.