Sales Education Foundation

Universities/Colleges Teaching Professional Sales

Professional Sales Education

With more than 50% of business graduates entering a sales role upon graduation, a minimum of three sales courses can make a big difference in future employment. More than a decade ago, very few universities or colleges offered three classes or had a recognized sales education program. We wanted to help change this, so the Sales Education Foundation was founded.

SEF developed the concept of recognizing sales education opportunities and programs in 2007 by publishing a magazine, now called the SEF Annual and establishing a basic set of criteria for universities to be listed as a “Top Sales Program:”

  • Offer students a minimum of three Sales-specific classes
  • Received accreditation from an external source
  • Have university recognition of the Program

The data we collect is available each year in our SEF ANNUAL “Top Universities/Colleges for Professional Sales Education” listing.

Hear how SEF assisted one university:

SEF was instrumental in helping us start the Center for Professional Selling and Sales Management at the University of Cincinnati… their knowledge and their willingness to share their expertise, allowed UC’s Sales Center to grow at a rapid pace.”- Dr. Jane Sojka

Today, university/college sales programs are setting themselves apart by achieving record high job placement rates for their students and ever-increasing sponsorship dollars for research and programming.

SEF assists university/college sales programs by providing worldwide exposure of their offerings, sharing educational opportunities and sponsoring academic conferences.

We provide:

  • Are you wanting to start a Sales program? Check out our Building a University Sales Program PDF for information on statistics, curriculum recommendations and available resources to assist you.
  • A minimum of $10,000 awarded annually with focus on sales research bridging the gap between academia and industry.  A Call for Proposals is issued each Spring and promoted through multiple channels. Past papers are listed on our Sales Research Sales Research page.
  • Access to Chally's Predictive Talent Assessment through our Career Development Program.  The program has assisted over 36,000 students in defining their strengths and developing sales career paths.
  • Visibility and branding of programs as a partner of choice for potential corporate partners and university recruiters worldwide through publication of program data and contact information in our SEF ANNUAL.
  • Promotion of university sales competition events publicized on our website and through the SEF ANNUAL attracting potential corporate partners and university recruiters
  • Faculty development opportunities through supported programs such as the Sales Educators’ Academy.

Visit our Knowledge Center for more information on Career Development and other resources for you and your university/college. Please connect with us via email, info@salesfoundation.org, to learn more or ask questions.