Once again the professional sales program at Nicholls State University has been named one of the best in the nation by a national sales publication, according to a press release from the school.

The critical acclaim comes from the Sales Education Foundation, a non-profit that has been offering support, information, and guidance to universities and prospective students alike since 2007. The 2021 edition of Sales Education Foundation Annual Magazine praised the professional sales education programs of several universities, and Nicholls was one of the five Louisiana institutions to top the list. The other schools were Southeastern Louisiana University, Louisiana State University, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and  Xavier University of Louisiana.

The publication praised Nicholls’ College of Business Administration for its specialization, sales lab, and job replacement rate of 80%. Specifically, SEF’s publication said of the school, “this program utilizes a professional, corporate-style training facility including five role-play rooms that enhance the sales and behavioral skills of students in the program. Nicholls also has a cross-disciplinary degree program with Finance to prepare students for a career in Financial Services Marketing.”

While students who are enrolled in the College of Business Administration can earn degrees in  Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Finance, Management, and Marketing, it’s the two latter programs that often attract students across the school’s various departments.

Laura Valenti, the assistant professor of marketing and a faculty sales advisor, told Nicholls press that the Marketing program often attracts students of various disciplines. The acclaimed program is known to attract more than marketing students with students earning degrees in human resources, mass communications, and music who have benefitted from the faculty, curriculum, and resources from the department over the years.

The College of Business Administration holds an accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s largest business education alliance and the gold standard in quality accreditations for all Colleges of Business. In fact, less than 5% of Colleges across the world hold this accreditation, and the College of Business Administration at Nicholls State University has held this respected distinction for over 30 years.

Valenti said of her department, “this program is unique because it embraces the diversity of the Nicholls student. Personal selling is a universal skill set and all are welcome to learn in the sales class. The outcome is a student who in three months can approach the real world with the ability to sell themselves as well as a product or service.”

Also praised by the SEF was the school’s Annual Bayou Sales Challenge, a regional, intercollegiate sales competition hosted by the College of Business each spring. The annual sales challenge is famous in the state for offering an opportunity for students who are interested in pursuing a sales career to showcase their professional selling skills through role-play. The 2021 competition saw competitors from Florida State University, Louisiana State University, Nicholls State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The Bayou Sales Challenge began in 2003 after Nicholls’ state-of-the-art and interactive sales lab was built thanks to a generous donation from Northwestern Mutual. This past February marked the 17th year of competition as participating universities sent their top sales students to showcase their sales talent and knowledge in front of company representatives who served as judges of the competition.

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