Program Overview

Major in Professional Sales

Overview

The professional sales major is a specialized curriculum designed for students who desire to excel in a professional selling environment. The program focuses on developing students into future business leaders who understand consultative selling. This, in turn, provides employers with young professionals who have the necessary skills to enhance their sales force and add value to the company. Through coursework, role-playing, and internships, professional sales majors are prepared for sales and sales management positions in all types of organizations and industries.

Program Components

The program has four components:

• Professional Selling: Students are introduced to the basic selling strategies used by today's firms: transaction-based strategies, problem-solving strategies, consultative strategies, and relationship selling. They are exposed to many varieties of selling and career opportunities as well.
• Sales Management: Through the use of computer simulations, students apply knowledge of business-related decision-making in the areas of hiring, territory management, budget control, forecasting, and motivation to successfully run a company.
• Advanced Sales: This component builds upon the professional selling coursework and explores industry-standard strategic selling processes. Students study a variety of customer relationship management strategies as well as the use of cloud-based CRM systems. Through multiple sales role-plays, students further hone their communications and selling skills.
• Sales Internship: The sales internship requirement combines practical sales experience and sales education through participation in a sales internship.

Admission Requirements

The Professional Sales major is a specialized admission program. To be certified to the major, a student must meet the requirements for specialized admission programs in the College of Business. Upon completing all requirements for this major, the student will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a major in Professional Sales.

Course Requirements

Courses for the major are updated each academic year. Students must use the course requirements from the academic year they were certified into the College of Business. Typically, students are certified to the College of Business beginning their junior year, and the academic year runs fall through summer.

Academic Mapping

Mapping is Florida State University's academic advising and monitoring system that provides each student with a recommended eight-semester map for completing their bachelor's degree in four years. Summer semesters are not included in degree mapping, but the student may use summer terms to either get ahead or catch up in their degree program.

Opportunities

Opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom are offered through the internship program and international programs, and numerous networking and leadership opportunities are available through student organizations, such as the American Marketing Association, Sales Club, and the International Business Association, and several events held throughout the academic year. Generous scholarships help support students along the way. Additional information about careers and opportunities for professional sales students can be found on the FSU Sales Institute.