Southeastern opens new training room thanks to Northwestern Mutual
Monday, May 24, 2021 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
STUDENTS TO BENEFIT FROM NEW TRAINING ROOM - Students in Southeastern Louisiana University’s new Professional Sales Program will benefit from a recently opened state-of-the-art training room thanks to a $100,000 donation from Northwestern Mutual. Celebrating at the ribbon cutting ceremony are, from left, Southeastern President John L. Crain, Jordyn Eaton, Katy Dugal, Ryan Rhoto, Jason Navarre, Steven Dugal, Paul Hodge, Dicky Lyons (all with Northwestern Mutual), Sales Program Coordinators Assistant Professor April Kemp and Associate Professor Tará Lopez, Miss Southeastern Lily Gayle, Vice President for University Advancement Wendy Lauderdale, and Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller.
HAMMOND – Students in Southeastern Louisiana University’s new Professional Sales
Program will now benefit from a state-of-the-art training room thanks to a $100,000
donation from Northwestern Mutual. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held recently to
celebrate the opening of the Northwestern Mutual Training Room located in Garrett
Hall.
Managing Partner of Louisiana and Mississippi Steven Dugal and Managing Director
of the Mandeville and Gulfport District Offices Paul Hodge were recognized as donors
with matching gifts from Northwestern Mutual’s corporate office.
Southeastern’s Professional Sales Program was created to draw high-ability students
toward selling as a career, better prepare those students for early success in professional
selling careers, and connect them with sales professionals in the region. According
to research conducted by the Sales Education Foundation, more than 50 percent of business
school graduates enter the workforce in a sales-oriented position.
Dean of the College of Business Toni Phillips said the core sales curriculum
consists of courses in personal selling, advanced professional selling and sales management
and is supported with other marketing courses in consumer behavior, marketing research,
and marketing strategy. With the current goal to prepare students for success in the
sales profession, the program has been developed for marketing majors with a future
goal of including those majoring in areas outside of business who wish to pursue a
sales certificate.
“We know that professional sales is not only a starting point for careers, but
is becoming more and more important across all sectors of the economy,” said Phillips.
“The Southeastern Professional Sales Program will help train the next generation of
sales leaders, and the investment that Northwestern Mutual is making demonstrates
that the program is on the right track. We are really appreciative of Northwestern
Mutual.”
An important objective of the program, Phillips added, is to connect sales program
students with sales professionals and organizations through role-play competitions,
internships, guest speakers, panel discussions and career opportunities.
For more information about Southeastern’s Professional Sales Program or how businesses
can get involved, contact Assistant Professor April Kemp at April.Kemp@southeastern.edu, (985) 549-2277, or visit southeastern.edu/sales.
