Naveen Jindal School of Management marketing sophomore Sam Konings was recently named champion of the freshman/sophomore division during his first external sales competition.
Konings sailed through the first three rounds of the University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition as he delivered presentations on hypothetical sales scenarios to judges. In the final round — the only case students weren’t given beforehand — Konings outscored the other finalists to receive a $1,000 cash prize and be named the top sales sophomore in the country.
“He did a very good job of executing the model we teach with a high degree of precision,” says Dr. Howard Dover, a clinical professor of marketing and director of JSOM’s Professional Sales Concentration. “Many people noted that he was the one student in the finals to stay tight to the sales process that is taught for these competitions.”
Students from UT Dallas earned a sixth-place team finish among the 30 schools competing from around the country.
The JSOM team spent a month preparing for the Toledo competition, meeting twice a week to get familiarized with the product and specific cases.
“I really didn’t do anything special for the competition, so it was great to find out that the sales program is relevant outside of our school and to find what we are learning is really going to be helpful moving forward,” Konings says.
The Milwaukee native says he came to UT Dallas to study business, but it was not until he got involved with the sales program that he narrowed in on a specific interest.
“He is a very driven young man,” Dover says. “[I] don’t see too many underclassmen with drive like his. [He] seems to be very focused and goal oriented.”
Konings plans to pursue a career in sales after he graduates. He enjoys the competitive atmosphere and the opportunity to help people. Participating in competitions has helped him become more confident with the process.
“I really just like the opportunity for dynamic interactions with people,” Konings says. “There’s always something different. No day is the same. You never really know what’s going to happen.”
