In a room filled with industry professionals, University of Kentucky students sit across from experienced sales leaders and begin conversations that look and feel like real business meetings.
There is no script to follow and no guarantee of how the conversation will unfold. In just 20 minutes, students must understand a client’s needs, respond to questions and guide the discussion toward a solution.
For many students, it is their first experience operating in that kind of environment.
For Gatton, it has become one of the clearest examples of how classroom learning translates into professional skills.
The Marketing Sales Competition has grown steadily in both scale and significance, evolving from a small, course-connected exercise into a central part of the college’s approach to experiential learning and employer engagement.
The Marketing Sales Competition began as an effort to give students something they could not fully get in a classroom.
“For years, we only had one sales class, and it was an elective,” said Brian Murtha, Carol Martin Gatton Endowed Chair and professor in the department of marketing and supply chain, who helped establish the competition. “Companies we worked with saw the potential in our students and asked why we didn’t have a competition like other schools. They wanted to see students in action.”
That initial idea—to create a space where students could demonstrate their skills in real time—quickly proved valuable. What started as a relatively small event has developed into a structured program supported by alumni and corporate partners, alongside the introduction of a formal Sales Certificate that now appears on students’ transcripts.
Murtha said that growth has been driven in large part by stronger connections with industry partners and a clearer understanding of what employers are looking for in early-career talent.
“Having consistent corporate partners and giving them a chance to engage directly with students has been key,” he said. “It builds credibility for the program and creates more opportunities for students.”
That foundation has allowed the competition to expand significantly in recent years.
Under the leadership of Michael Johnston, lecturer in the department of marketing and supply chain and seasoned sales professional, the competition has taken on a larger role within Gatton’s sales programming.
Participation has grown from roughly two dozen students to 50 competitors this spring, reaching maximum capacity and reflecting the increasing interest in sales careers across majors.
Students from marketing and management continue to make up a large portion of participants, but the competition now regularly draws students from fields including engineering, finance, communications and even the dental school.
That growth has required more structure and planning, with preparation beginning months in advance and incorporating new tools, including a new event management system to coordinate participants and industry partners.
At its core, however, the experience remains intentionally demanding.
“In a classroom, you can learn a sales framework,” Johnston said. “In a live competition, you have to manage stress, read the situation and respond in real time. That’s where the real learning happens.”
This year’s case, built around a Dell Technologies scenario, required students to think beyond a product pitch and instead diagnose a business problem, mirroring the complexity of modern sales roles.
For employers, the competition offers something traditional recruiting rarely can: the chance to see students operate in a setting that feels much closer to the real work.
Rather than relying only on résumés or elevator pitches, recruiters and hiring managers get to observe how students prepare, communicate, build rapport and respond when a conversation does not go exactly as planned. Those are the traits that matter in sales, and they are often the hardest to measure on paper.
“Events like this combine real-world skill development with career readiness,” said Joe Bower, vice president at Cintas. “We’re not just reviewing résumés, we’re seeing how candidates think, prepare and engage in real time, while also building early relationships with high-potential future sales leaders.”
“Simply choosing to participate shows initiative, passion and a willingness to learn,” said Rachel Brand, talent acquisition manager at Cintas. “It tells employers that a student is motivated to improve early in their career, comfortable being challenged and serious about developing their skills. That level of drive and commitment stands out immediately and leaves a strong impression on employers evaluating future sales talent.”
What stands out most to employers is the mindset of students. “Many come in eager for feedback and focused on getting better,” said Bower. “That growth mindset is critical for long-term success in sales.”
That kind of coachability matters. So does the confidence it takes to enter a live competition, sit across from professionals and try to lead a business conversation in real time.
“It’s especially rewarding to see students who return year after year,” said Bower. “Watching them apply feedback, refine their approach and grow into confident, skilled young professionals highlights the real impact of these competitions and reinforces why they’re so valuable from an employer’s perspective.”
Chelsea Zaboroski, talent acquisition manager at Enterprise Mobility echoed that point, saying competitions like this give employers a firsthand look at communication skills, active listening, rapport-building and confidence — all qualities that may not show up on a résumé but are essential in customer-facing roles.
She said the event also helps companies build stronger relationships with students earlier, creating a more meaningful talent pipeline over time.
“Engaging with students in this setting helps us build a stronger pipeline,” Zaboroski said. “We’re getting to know them before they even begin their job search.”
That connection often continues beyond the competition, through networking events, internships and, in some cases, full-time roles.
While the competition itself is high-pressure, the preparation leading up to it shows a growing collaborative environment at Gatton.
This year, Gatton expanded its approach by introducing peer sales coaches, students who were experienced in the competition who worked with newer competitors to help them prepare.
The result was a noticeable increase in performance across the board.
“Competitors entered the event more prepared and more confident,” Johnston said. “That showed in the quality of conversations we saw.”
For students like Teague Howell, senior marketing major and president of the registered student organization, the Sales Club, that culture of mentorship is central to the program’s success.
“The competition brings together students, faculty and industry professionals who are all invested in helping each other improve,” Howell said.
Howell, competing for the third time, approached this year’s event with a deeper understanding of the process, combining traditional preparation with AI-based tools to refine his approach.
“The biggest skill I gained from this experience was resilience,” he said. “That’s something I’ll carry with me into my career.”
For younger students, the competition often serves as an introduction to professional expectations.
Avery Rudd, a first-year student double majoring in marketing and management with a minor in international business and one of this year’s winners, entered the competition to challenge herself rather than to win.
“I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone,” she said.
When her name was announced, she was surprised. Rudd became the very first first-year student to be a competition winner.
“It really changed how I see what I’m capable of,” Rudd said. “It helped me realize that if I try, I can do more than I expect.”
Experiences like that are part of what continues to draw students into the program, even when the environment feels unfamiliar at first.
From a broader perspective, the competition reflects how Gatton is approaching professional development across its programs.
“It’s one of those rare initiatives that creates value across multiple groups at once,” said Dan Sheehan, chair of the department of marketing and supply chain. “Students apply what they’ve learned, employers see the talent we’re developing, and the college strengthens its connection to industry.”
The skills students develop—communication, problem-solving, adaptability—are reinforced across coursework but take on new meaning in a live setting. In some cases, the impact is immediate. Students move directly from competition rooms into conversations about internships and career opportunities, building connections that extend well beyond the event itself.
For Howell, that connection led directly to professional opportunities.
“The competition put me in front of recruiters who could see how I think and communicate,” he said. “That made a real difference.”
As the Sales Competition continues to grow, so does its role within Gatton. Future plans include expanding participation, introducing more complex competition formats and incorporating new technologies to support student development. But even as the format evolves, the purpose remains consistent.
At its core, the competition is about giving students the opportunity to step into a professional setting, test their abilities and learn from the experience.
“Just get in the room,” Johnston tells students.
For those who do, the impact often extends far beyond the competition itself.
