Classwork that sets you apart
Description of the video:
Sales Development & Training – “SII and the Indianapolis Indians Sales Team”
Garrett Rosh: We’re up here on our newly renovated impact networking suite level at Victory Field, where we have the IUPUI sales class, 40 kids strong, making outbound sales calls to our internet buyers from the 2017 season, trying to upgrade them into packages and to come out to more games in 2018.
David Pierce, Ph.D.: So we’ve developed a really solid partnership with the Indianapolis Indians, and they’ve seen value in our students coming out and generating additional revenue for the organization.
Brendan Wright: When I graduate, I hope to go into sales. I actually clearly enjoy it and this is kind of the first time I’ve ever done it, so I’m getting my first experience but I actually enjoy how it’s going.
Pierce: So each student has a sales goal that they’re focused on. We have a goal as a class and last year we actually set a record with over $20,000 in new revenue generated for the Indians.
Rosh: This is about the fourth year, I believe, working with Dr. Pierce. It’s been great every single year, but it’s gotten better and better each year as he continues to hone his craft. He came out with the first ever sports sales textbook, and the kids seem to be loving it and they’ve grown by leaps and bounds from year to year.
Pierce: There’s only really a handful of others Sport Management programs in the United States that have an outbound experiential sales center like the one we have set up here that really gives students that real world inside sales experience.
Wright: Through this experience, I’ve definitely gained respect for the Indians organization. It helps to sell the product when it’s a great product to sell, so it’s been good.
Sports sales
Thirty-six percent of jobs in sports are in the area of sales, but only 22 percent of programs offer a sport sales course. David Pierce’s sport-sales class prepares you to successfully launch your career by completing sales training based on his textbook, then getting hands-on experience selling for the Indy Fuel or Indianapolis Indians.
The Sports Innovation Institute gives IU Indy sports management students the opportunity to work for/with great sports businesses in a way that most students will never experience, taking education beyond the classroom in awesome ways.
Kevin Feller, B.S. Sports Management 2018
Capstone course
The capstone class introduces you to how human-centered design can be used to creatively solve problems and develop innovative solutions. You’ll think differently after taking this class and set yourself apart as a creative problem solver. You may even leave with a business idea you want to pursue after graduation. Take a look at last year's projects and some of our other results.
