Careers in Professional Strategic Selling
The Professional Strategic Selling major helps you develop a skill set desired by employers in a range of industries and positions. In this program, students learn how to effectively build relationships, ask insightful questions to better understand their colleagues and clients, develop problem-solving skills, and become poised professional communicators. The Professional Strategic Selling major helps you develop a valuable skill set to launch your career through unmatched access to leading sales industry experts and high-profile competitions.
Sales Pathways
There are many paths to take in sales, but two key areas of distinction are account management and business development.
Account management focuses on nurturing and growing relationships with existing customers. Professionals in this area work closely with clients after the initial sale to ensure satisfaction, solve problems, and identify opportunities for upselling or renewal. The goal is to build long-term partnerships that maximize customer value and loyalty. Strong communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills are key in this role.
Business development is about creating new opportunities and expanding the company’s client base. This involves identifying potential leads, reaching out to prospects, and setting up initial conversations that can lead to sales. It’s often the first step in the sales process and requires persistence, strategic thinking, and strong networking skills. Business development roles are ideal for individuals who enjoy prospecting and opening doors to new business.
Build Sales Career Skills
- CRM Software – Salesforce, HubSpot
- Analytics & Reporting Tools – Tableau, Power BI, Excel
- Lead Generation & Prospecting Tools – Seamless.ai, ZoomInfo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator
- Presentation Tools – PowerPoint, Canva
- Buyer Persona Analysis Tools – xiQ
- Internships
- Micro-Internships
- Sales Competitions
- Case Competitions
- Study Abroad
- Salesforce Trailhead – Use Salesforce’s free online learning platform to earn credentials in sales technology, AI, data literacy, and more.
- LinkedIn Learning – LinkedIn Learning offers a variety of courses and certifications in both marketing and sales. K-State students can gain free access to LinkedIn Learning with a Manhattan Public Library membership.
- Coursera – You can take courses and earn certifications in Analytics, Sales, and more through Coursera.
- HubSpot – HubSpot offers free training courses and certificates in a variety of sales topics, including sales software and inbound sales.
CBA Student Organizations:
- Alpha Kappa Psi
- Business Ambassadors
- Pi Sigma Epsilon Marketing & Sales Club
- Medical Sales Scholars
- Sales Ambassadors
- Sales Mentors
- Sales Scholars
- Sales Team
National/Regional Organizations:
