On Friday, March 15th over 15 Lang students competed at the inaugural Canadian National Sports Sales Championship (CNSSC) in Toronto, a march madness style competition presented by Baylor University and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. The CNSSC is an opportunity to showcase sports sales skills in a competitive format. Recruiters role-play as buyers in a bracket-style competition, students pitch a product as the seller.

Ben Hennig, a fourth year Marketing Management student, was the overall winner of CNSSC and Lang was named the top school.

Ben commented this as a highlight of his university career – something he is both grateful for and humbled by. He said it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there but embracing those nerves and challenges and placing yourself in uncomfortable or unfamiliar settings is a fantastic way to learn and grow. “We all left the day having tried something new and experienced what it’s like to try and close a deal with a not-so-friendly buyer, something everyone is sure to encounter at some point in their career,” he said.

Our students often talk about how being collaborative and not competitive is what sets the Lang School apart and both Ben and Nick Metcalfe, the current Lang Students’ Association President, are a true example of that. Ben and Nick spent the night prior to the competition practicing in a McDonalds until 1am only to go head-to-head- in the final-four the next day. Both Ben and Nick said this was a full-circle moment competing against each other but going into that round they felt nothing but respect and support, regardless of who was to move on.

“I could not feel prouder to be a part of the Lang School. Our program and the students within lead through humility, collaboration, and a genuine interest in seeing each other succeed.  This is what I am most proud of when I think about what Lang represents. As far as the sales aspect of the role play goes, my secret to success was having a genuine understanding of the customer and finding a solution that made sense for them. If we did not have a season's ticket package that met their needs and solved their pain, I was not interested in selling to them. I believe that in B2B relationships, long term success comes from the trust you instill in your client and the ability to help them, not sell them,” said Ben.

To learn more about the competition, click here [1].