Liberty team finishes in first place at automotive sales competition

Liberty University’s School of Business Sales Competition Team earned a first-place finish at the Stevenson-Hendrick/UNCW Sales Competition in Wilmington, N.C., with four students recording a Top 10 finish in a pool of over 100 competitors.

Liberty’s squad, composed of eight students and led by Business Professor Chris Huseman, bested fellow competitors from NC State, East Carolina University, UNC-Wilmington, and UNC-Greensboro, on Oct. 18 to take home the team trophy and earn a combined $10,000 in prize money. Senior Valerie Flores paced the team in second place and won $5,000. Freshman junior Kacy Smith placed fourth, earning $2,000. Senior Joel Douglas placed fifth, also earning $2,000. Kelly Hause was named one of the remaining Top 10 finishers (no places were determined outside the top five) and won $1,000.

The competition, held each semester, consists of three rounds in which students pose as salespeople in front of prospective clients. A judge panel of active sales professionals observed the interaction, scored the contestants, and provided helpful feedback.

“It’s definitely valuable experience to practice the things that we studied in the classroom,” said Smith, who is studying business administration with a focus in sales management. “It’s very different to go out there and actually put the learning into action. You could know all the right things to say, but are you charming, convincing, earnest, and persuasive? Those are things that you can’t study in the textbook, and you can only gain from practicing yourself and watching other people in action. It’s invaluable experience for going into any business-related career.”

In the final round of 10 students, each contestant presented on what sets them apart and why they would be a valuable asset to the Stevenson-Hendrick sales team.

In addition to the competition, students were also afforded opportunities to meet each other at a reception hosted by UNC-Wilmington the day before.

Although Liberty had previously competed in the event the past two semesters, this marked the first year the school finished first as a team. Last October, Douglas finished first overall and earned $9,000, in addition to a summer internship offer from Stevenson-Hendrick in the company’s management training program.

The event continues Liberty’s longstanding partnership with Hendrick Automotive Group, which supports a variety of student programs, including Hendrick Motorsports’ support of the annual student-run auto show, Liberty’s automotive dealership management programs, and support of the School of Engineering’s Formula SAE effort. Liberty University provides educational opportunities for Hendrick employees and families.

Flores, who recorded a second-round finish at the sales competition last spring, said that she felt much more prepared this semester, in part due to help from her Liberty classmates.

“This year, Liberty brought a really solid team with a really great team dynamic,” she said. “Everyone was helping each other out the night before the competition. (Douglas) had worked with the team over the summer, so he was excited to answer all our questions. We went into the competition very well prepared.”

To prepare, the team studied different aspects of the cars and even met with representatives from Stevenson-Hendrick.

While students no doubt felt compelled to finish strong, they were also encouraged by an environment that prioritized learning over cutthroat competition.

“The team that they have at Hendrick values integrity and doing well, and they are very encouraging,” Flores said. “It wasn’t a competitive environment. There was still a competition, but everyone was there to help each other.”

Outside of valuable real-world experience, the trip also provided the students with opportunities to share the Gospel. Smith said the first instance of this took place at Starbucks before the competition when her and a fellow teammate prayed with a woman who was in need of comfort. On another occasion, Smith shared Jesus with a fellow competitor who asked her the reason for her joyful personality.

“I was just glad that I was able to be an encouragement to (that student),” she said. “Even in my presentations when I was on the hot seat, just that I got to shine for Christ is most important to me.”