SLU sales team experiences success at Bayou Sales Challenge
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
SUCCESSFUL SALES TEAM – Members of the Southeastern Louisiana University student sales team recently competed in the Bayou Sales Challenge. Overall Southeastern earned three of the top five spots after the first round of competition and four of the top 10 spots after the wildcard round against seven other universities. From left, are Tara’ Lopez, associate professor of marketing, sales team members India Williams, Danyel James, Mary Graves, Alee Hess, Austin Rogers, Garrett Buras, Taylor Windom, and April Kemp, marketing and sales instructor.
HAMMOND – A team of seven Southeastern Louisiana University students successfully
competed in the Bayou Sales Challenge, a role-play competition held recently at Nicholls
State University.
Members of the sales team included Mary Graves of Kentwood, Alee Hess of Belle
Chasse, Austin Rogers of Denham Springs, India Williams of Baton Rouge, and Garrett
Buras, Danyel James, and Taylor Windom, all of Covington.
In only Southeastern’s second time participating in the competition, Hess won
the Individual Sales Competition, the highest honor of the sales challenge, while
Buras and Graves won the Team Selling Competition, said April Kemp, marketing and
sales instructor and professional sales program coach.
Overall Southeastern earned three of the top five spots after the first round
of competition and four of the top 10 spots after the wildcard round against six other
universities, including Florida State, LSU, Nicholls, Southern, University of Louisiana
- Lafayette, and Xavier.
“I am so proud of our students’ performance at the Bayou Sales Challenge. Their
hard work and preparation did not go unnoticed,” Kemp said. “Having success in these
competitions brings recognition to what we are doing at Southeastern to prepare students
for sales careers.”
During the competition, Kemp added, the participants gain real-world sales experience
through complex role-play scenarios.
“It encourages the students to develop essential sales skills and business acumen,
while interacting with business professionals who sponsor and judge the event,” she
said. “It also gives them an opportunity to interview with companies who are looking
to hire graduates to work in sales.”
Kemp said 44 students competed in the event. Students engaged in a series of
15-minute sales calls, taking on the role of sales personnel for Gartner, the world’s
leading information technology research and advisory company. Participants advanced
through a series of three rounds of role-playing, each increasing in difficulty and
competition.
For more information about the professional sales program, visit southeastern.edu/sales.
