Show and Sell: Teaching Sales Through Hands-on Selling

Abstract

There is a shortage of qualified salespeople, which creates a challenge for educators to prepare more students for a sales career. One of the most common teaching techniques used in preparing students is role playing, which mirrors real-world selling. However, role plays are not necessarily authentic because the players and conditions are not a real sales environment. “Show and Sell,” a teaching innovation, overcomes this limitation through a project-centered approach, whereby students sell a product to business and consumer prospects. The project can be applied across formats (hybrid, online, and in-person) to meet curricular objectives that teach students how to sell.