Business student rides to first place in car sales competition

Seven Liberty University School of Business students competed in the semiannual Stevenson-Hendrick Sales Competition on Nov. 3, with all of them advancing to the second round and one student taking home first place.

The competition, hosted by the Stevenson-Hendrick Honda dealership in Wilmington, N.C., each semester, consists of three rounds in which students are asked to complete mock car sales. The students are then judged by a panel of judges, with 30 students advancing to the second round and 10 advancing to the third round before a champion is crowned. In each successive round, students are further challenged by the mock customers and are required to counter any objections or concerns that arise. This semester’s contestants consisted of over 70 students from East Carolina University, University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and first-time contestant Liberty University.

Liberty freshman Joel Douglas led Liberty’s representation with a first-place finish, earning him a cash prize of $9,000 and a summer internship offer from Stevenson-Hendrick in the company’s management training program. Douglas, from Greensboro, N.C., is pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration & Data Analysis – Sales Management & Professional Selling.

“I’m just excited to see where God puts me and what opportunities arise,” he said. “It’s really cool to be able to do this (internship) out the gate. I wasn’t expecting this. I really went to the competition to get feedback; I wasn’t expecting to make it into the second round.”

Acknowledging that the sales industry often carries a negative reputation of deceitfulness, Douglas said he will aim to properly serve customers through the internship and wherever he works after graduation.

“As a follower of Christ, especially using the knowledge that I get here at Liberty, one of my goals is to ultimately break down that stigma,” he said. “I know that that is something that Hendrick talks about as well with focusing on the customer instead of the product. Being able to implement my faith into my career hopefully will change that stigma, at least where I work, but ultimately for the entire industry.”

After the event, Douglas received a call from Rick Hendrick, founder of Hendrick Automotive Group, congratulating him on the victory. The company is the nation’s largest privately held automotive retail organization.

Brian Porta, vice president of education and training for Hendrick Automotive Group, said he enjoyed welcoming Liberty students to the competition.

“It was great seeing the Liberty students attend the Hendrick sales competition in Wilmington. The LU students were incredibly well prepared. They joined some tough competition from East Carolina and UNC Wilmington. During the breaks, it was fun to watch the students share and coach each other, offering feedback and encouragement. I hope the excitement from this event spreads to the other students and we see more in the spring.”

The event continues the long-lasting partnership that the university has had with Hendrick Automotive Group.

“The School of Business marketing program is just one of many areas where both Liberty University and Hendrick Automotive Group collaborate,” said School of Business Interim Dean Richard Diddams. “Liberty University provides educational opportunities for Hendrick employees and families, and Hendrick in turn supports a variety of student programs. Examples include Hendrick Motorsports’ support of our annual student-run auto show; our automotive dealership management programs, and their support of the School of Engineering’s Formula SAE effort, which focuses on electric car technology.”

In preparation for the competition, students met twice each week in the three weeks prior to the event to practice scenarios and sales techniques. They also visited a Lynchburg Honda dealership the night before the competition to meet with Liberty alumnus Jacob Van Wingerden Jr. (’23), who showed them some of the vehicle models that they would be “selling” the next day.

While the competition opened doors for internship offers, it also enabled them to gain firsthand experience in the workplace.

“It’s a great testament to the things that we teach sometimes theoretical and practical in the sales cognate,” said School of Business Professor Dr. Christopher Huseman, who helped students prepare and accompanied them to the event. “(This competition is) bridging that gap from what students are learning in the classroom compared to what they have to do when they get out into the workforce. A lot of times, there is this big unknown for students of what it’s going to be like when they get out into the workforce. These seven students here now know exactly what that is.”

Senior Grace Miller, a strategic marketing management student, said although she didn’t have much experience or knowledge in car sales, the competition was an opportunity to strengthen her sales expertise.

“It was a really good learning experience. … It was very applicable to any career you may have in evaluating the person’s needs, what they are looking for from you, and how you can cater something specific to them.”