The Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon® National Sales Competition, in partnership with Carew International, our sales training partner, and employer partners, Rite-Hite, Vector Marketing and UPS, is available as a year-long competition to train and develop students in all aspects of the selling process, not just in preparing them to make one sales call. The year-long approach also emphasizes that the pursuit of sales excellence is a journey, not a destination.
History of the Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon®
The Pi Sigma Epsilon Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon® was founded in 1992 to provide your business advantage for life. This event is designed to develop professional sales and communication skills, as well as connect students with top companies offering internship and career opportunities.
The Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon® is held at both the Fall Conferences and the National Convention. The competition is centered around a video call and 12-minute role-play simulating real-life business scenarios. Prior to the event, competitors are provided Dimensions of Professional Selling training modules from Carew International. Once on-site, competitors will receive industry leading training led by a Carew International facilitator as well as a coaching session with industry leading sales professionals!
Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon® is the largest sales competition in the nation, with a history of up to 275 competitors from 35 universities. This hallmark event is an outstanding avenue to develop lifelong skills and connect with PSE’s Corporate Members. You will not regret this opportunity to network, learn about career opportunities, and develop skills that will aid in any career!
On-Site
Mandatory training for all student competitors will be held on the morning of the competition, and attendance is required for the entire session. Failure to attend the full training may result in disqualification from the competition. The competition will consist of three rounds of role-play, with participants being eliminated after each round. Winners will be announced, and trophies will be presented during the awards ceremony at the event.
Recognition and Prizes
FALL CONFERENCES
- First Place:
Trophy
Complimentary PSE National Convention
Registration packet ($450 value)
Reimbursement for airfare or driving expenses to National Convention
- Second Place:
Trophy
Complimentary PSE National Convention
Registration packet ($450 value) - At Fall Conferences of 45 competitors or more, Third & Fourth Place will be recognized with a trophy.
NATIONAL CONVENTION
- First Place through Fifth Place – Trophy and National Recognition
YEARLONG COMPETITION
- First Place of the Yearlong competition – Trophy + $1,500
- Second Place of the Yearlong competition – Trophy + $1,250
- Third Place of the Yearlong competition – Trophy + $1,000
- Fourth Place of the Yearlong competition – Trophy + $750
- Fifth Place of the Yearlong competition – Trophy + $500
Disbursement of Prize Money
Winners must complete a Funds Distribution Form to confirm their mailing address within 30 days following the close of the PSE National Convention. The funds will then be disbursed directly to the winning chapter or individual via check. Late submissions may result in delayed payments. Failure to submit the completed Funds Distribution Form prior to June 30th of the convention year will result in a forfeiture of all prize winnings.
Competition Instructions
Step 1: To access all the competition materials and the Carew training, follow these steps to login to the PSE Academy:
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- Go to Academy Website
- Click on “Login” in the top right corner.
- If you have not yet logged into the PSE Academy, please check your inbox for a welcome email from Thinkific with sign-up instructions. If you need assistance accessing the PSE Academy, please contact Kelsey Schneiss at Ke*************@*se.org
Step 2: Register! Complete your event registration and select that you would like to participate in the Pro-Am Competition.
Step 3: After registering, access the PSE Academy where you will find everything you need including the case to prepare for the competition.
Step 4: Complete the Carew International training modules found in the PSE Academy. The training may take up to 10 hours, so be sure to start it well in advance. Carew is the official Training Partner for the Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon® competition and will give you the framework to succeed in this competition and in the professional world! Completing modules by the due date is mandatory to compete. You must complete the training once every academic year.
Step 5: Submit a video call in the PSE Academy requesting an appointment with the buyer by the deadline. This video call is part of your overall score and is mandatory to compete. Develop this essential skill and start out strong in the competition! A rubric for the video call can be found in the Academy as well.
Step 6: Showcase your sales skills during a 12-minute mock role play at the Fall Conference and at the National Convention. At the conclusion of the role play, you will be given feedback from industry professionals to elevate your execution of the professional sales process. Invest in yourself now, and set yourself up for success at your internship/full-time career. See you there!
A Focus on Your Development: The Pro-Am exists first and foremost to help you. Whether this will be your 1st or 7th competition, the Pro-Am is specifically designed to provide you with the opportunity to grow, develop your professional network, and build skills that will help you be successful in any career. From the industry leading sales training to the judges feedback sessions, the competition is designed to help you conquer any fears and develop skills you will use for a lifetime.
A Yearlong Competition Component: Two competitions, three ways to win! You have an opportunity to compete at two competitions: one at the Fall Conference and one at the National Convention in the Spring. Everyone has an equal chance at winning the Fall Conference or National Convention, but those who have excelled at both will be recognized as the best of the best.
The Pro-Am offers students a multitude of opportunities to enhance selling skills, learn to perform under pressure in a competitive environment, and dispel negative perceptions associated with a career in selling. The Pro-Am is unique just in the name itself: pairing Sales Professionals with Amateur students to coach, mentor and judge. On the day of competition, the students are provided one of a kind training by Carew International, the Pro-Am Committee, and Corporate Members to ensure they feel confident and prepared to complete their 12-minute roleplay.
During the Fall Conferences and at the PSE National Convention each spring.
Sign up for the Pro-Am Sell-A-Thon® competition is part of the event registration. There is no other way to access this competition unless you register to attend the event where the competition will take place.
Carew Modules, Video Call. All competitors who register on time and complete the modules and submit a video call are automatically entered into the first round of competition. If there is a wait-list, competitors will be notified of their status one day prior to the competition.
In addition to gaining these soft skills that put them ahead of the competition in the job market, students are exposed to unique internship and full-time offers by our Corporate Members. Just by competing in the Pro-Am, a student can land the career of their dreams!
The Pro-Am is scored based on a comprehensive criteria sheet created based on the Carew sales methodology. The score is completely quantitative, out of 100 possible points, with the top scoring students in each room being named a finalist.
Prior to the Competitions: Competitors will submit a short video call simulating reaching out to the decision maker to secure a meeting. Video communications is an essential skill and growing business trend, as such – it is a prerequisite to the competition on-site.
At Fall Conferences: The top competitor from each room will move onto a 2nd Round of competition, and the Top 2 from each room will be recognized with finalist status. The students are then scored by a set panel of highly experienced judges. These judges will review and score the finalists roleplay videos, and the winners will be announced at Saturday night’s ceremony.
At the National Convention: The Top 2 competitors from each room will move on and complete a second sales call. In Round 2, students will meet the higher-level decision-maker and try to win the sales. The top competitor from each room will then compete in a 3rd and final round, with a sales situation revealed to competitors one hour before they compete. The National Convention competition and Yearlong competition winners will be announced at Friday night’s ceremony.
The sales call is designed to help students prepare for selling in the professional world.
Each student is evaluated on their ability to successfully progress through the sales process and obtain commitment in a 12-minute selling simulation. Each role play is judged by a panel of sales professionals who are also in the competition room. To support continued skill development, each role play is recorded so that the student competitor can review it at the conclusion of the event (or share with recruiters, if desired). The competitor will receive immediate coaching from judges as well as the quantitative scores captured on the scoresheet after the competition.