For the sixth consecutive year, Gartner is proud to be the product sponsor at the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC). Regarded as the “Super Bowl of Collegiate Selling,” NCSC is the longest-running university sales role-play competition in existence. NCSC exposes college students to a real-world sales environment, allowing them to put their studies into practice, all while networking and gaining exposure to industry sales professionals.
Through this partnership, Gartner supports the development of future sales professionals with training opportunities and real-time feedback during the competition. In addition, our partnership also helps fuel the future of Gartner by connecting talented future sales professionals with our current associates. Chelsea Whitten, Regional Vice President, explains “Professional sales programs fuel our growth internally and externally by consistently driving top talent from the bottom up. Gartner’s value proposition is built upon an environment of continued learning and innovation, which is displayed in our culture. Each team member contributes to the limitless opportunity we bring to our clients and ourselves holistically as a channel.” Watch the video below to learn more.
Will you be competing this year? As the event’s product sponsor, our team knows what good looks like. Read on to discover our top 10 tips for NCSC success:
- Curate your elevator pitch: Be prepared to share a quick synopsis of your background and experiences. You will go further if you find a way to make it memorable.
- Do your research: Read up on the companies you are interested in networking -this will show you came prepared.
- Be an active listener: When speaking with company representatives, listen to the information they share. You never know when you’ll need to strike up another conversation.
- Storytelling is powerful: Connect the dots and keep your audience engaged. Remember it's important to be able to clearly articulate the ‘why’ when detailing your career journey and where you want to go.
- Know your audience: This will not only help you figure out what to say, but also how to say it. In doing so, you can share your message in the best way possible.
- Look the part: Dressing for success helps you feel confident and act accordingly. Be sure to put your best foot forward during the competition.
- Embrace adversity: In the world of sales, you’ll often find that many doors close before the right one opens. Don’t be afraid of a challenge.
- Ask for feedback: Use this experience as a learning opportunity. Take feedback, iterate and continue to deliver results.
- It takes teamwork: Partner with your teams and university peers to prepare ahead of time. Work together to achieve more.
- Never stop networking: Make meaningful connections during the event, but don’t stop there. Continue to foster relationships after the event to stand out from the crowd.