Students win big as sales competition celebrates 10th anniversary

The Arizona Collegiate Sales Competition challenged students from 14 universities to sharpen their marketing skills through hands-on experience and career-building opportunities.

Celebrating a decade of preparing future sales leaders, the Arizona Collegiate Sales Competition (ACSC) brought together top undergraduate students from 14 universities nationwide to test their skills, gain hands-on experience, and compete for cash prizes at ASU’s Tempe campus last week. More than just a competition, the ACSC has grown into a premier event for aspiring sales professionals, offering career-building opportunities, expert mentorship, and real-world challenges that sharpen students' abilities in high-stakes sales and marketing scenarios.

Now in its 10th year, ACSC continues to expand its impact, providing students with hands-on training through competitive sales role-plays, marketing presentations, and networking events with major corporate recruiters. This year’s competition, held Feb. 20-22, featured keynote speaker Peter Kowalczuk, executive vice president of Canon USA, and was supported by diamond sponsor Canon and premier sponsor the Cialdini Institute. Through a mix of team and individual competitions, students showcased their problem-solving and persuasion skills — essential qualities in the world of sales.

During the kickoff event, Clinical Professor of Marketing Detra Montoya and Vice Dean and President's Professor Amy Ostrom thanked Canon and the Cialdini Institute for supporting the ACSC's 10th-anniversary competition and welcomed students to campus.

"Everybody in this room knows that professional sales skills are highly valued in the marketplace today, so it's wonderful to have you here," said Ostrom. "I wish you all the best as you compete over the next two days."

The competition included small group marketing presentations, an individual sales role-play competition, and corporate networking and career opportunities. Students from ASU; Brigham Young University; California State University, Chico; California State University, Fullerton; Colorado State University; Northern Arizona University; the University of Arizona; San Diego State University; The University of New Mexico; the University of San Diego; the University of Wyoming; Utah State University; Weber State University, and Western Michigan University participated in the competition.

W. P. Carey students Molly Chrisman (BS Marketing Professional Sales '25), Vedika Thareja (BS Supply Chain Management/Business Data Analytics '27), Parker Salisbury (BS Finance '25), and Danielle Niziolek (BS Marketing Professional Sales '25) shared how the ACSC provided hands-on learning and problem-solving opportunities, valuable sales and marketing feedback, and professional development opportunities.

"Competing in ACSC was a privilege. The competition provided an invaluable opportunity to network with students from other universities while gaining new perspectives on the sales industry," said Nizolek. "I am incredibly grateful for the support from ASU’s sponsor companies, faculty, and fellow competitors, which made ACSC an enriching and inspiring experience."

"My number one takeaway is that you can never predict every object or challenge, so the best way to prepare is by deeply understanding your material," said Thareja.

Kowalczuk discussed his early career in sales and the habits he attributes to his success during his keynote address and encouraged students to keep open minds and never stop learning.

"Be a sponge. You're all young. No matter what you do, the first time you're on a sales call you will probably be the youngest in the room. How do you bridge that gap? Knowledge," said Kowalczuk.

The Cialdini Institute sponsored a career networking event where students connected with recruiters from companies including Canon, American Express, Bunzl Distribution, Cintas, Continental, Dell Technologies, DHL Express, FedEx, Samsara, Paradox, Paycom, Plastic Family Americas, Techtronic Industries, Verkada, and Willscot.

"Networking with businesses provided me with great guidance and advice while connecting with students from other universities allowed me to learn from their sales approaches and build lasting professional relationships," said Chrisman.

Showcasing sales expertise

Students competed in two categories throughout the two-day competition: small group marketing team presentations and the individual sales role-play competition.

Students who competed in the marketing presentation competition worked in teams of two to propose solutions to a predetermined prompt: Acting as Canon USA's internal marketing team, teams pitched a company-wide rebrand campaign inspired by Canon's philosophy of Kyosei, which means to live and work together for the common good. Teams were judged on how their campaigns would impact internal culture, engagement, employee and consumer metrics, social and economic sustainability, and cybersecurity.

Teams were given a presentation time limit of 15 minutes, and a budget of $1 million to complete the rebrand requirements and judged by a panel of Canon employees.

Each team's pitch included various strategies to infuse Canon USA with elements of Kyosei, like targeted customer appreciation campaigns, encouraging employee investment in the community through incentives like prizes and paid time off, a social media rebrand, and an internal app to track employee engagement. The three teams with the highest scores at the end of the third round of presentations were presented with an award and cash prize.

Marketing team presentation winners:

• First place: Michael Nichols and Stephanie Golbaum, Brigham Young University
• Second place: Jessica Hardin and Aiden Hamm, University of Arizona
• Third place: Cameron Rogers and Elizabeth Kent, University of New Mexico

Students participating in the individual sales role-play competition were given a predetermined seller role and prompt: Acting as a Canon Sales Representative, students were tasked with selling Canon technology solutions, including cyber security, to a university buyer. During an initial 12-minute needs identification meeting, competitors were challenged to identify how security, privacy, budget, and timeline impacted the buyer's needs.

To create an authentic atmosphere, students met one-on-one with Canon buyers in McCord Hall team rooms, and their pitches were streamed to judges located in a separate classroom. Five students were chosen to move on to the third and final round, where they competed for cash prizes.

Chrisman, who placed fourth out of 28 competitors, says the experience challenged her to think quickly, adapt her sales approach, and learn from her fellow competitors.

"My greatest takeaway was the importance of being adaptable in sales. It is important to come prepared, but the ability to read the conversation and tailor your approach is what truly makes the difference," said Chrisman.

Sales role-play winners:

• First place: Campbell Brown, California State University, Chico
• Second place: Jordan Kana'an, Western Michigan University
• Third place: Annabelle Pierson, University of Wyoming
• Fourth place: Molly Chrisman, ASU
• Fifth place: Trenton Givens, Northern Arizona University

Each competitor received online training through the Cialdini Institute, founded by Robert Cialdini, the globally recognized authority on influence and persuasion. The five finalists received additional certified Cialdini Institute training, and Brown was honored with a signed copy of Cialdini’s groundbreaking book, "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," which has shaped the fields of psychology and marketing for over four decades. Cialdini, professor emeritus of psychology and marketing, continues to lead the institute, advancing research and application of ethical influence strategies.

California State University, Fullerton student Vi Nguyen won the ACSC social media competition for her LinkedIn post about the event, and the student team from Western Michigan University took home the Desert Cup for the fourth year in a row. Overall, students from nine universities were awarded prizes during this year's competition.

Since its founding in 2015, the ACSC has grown significantly from three participants — ASU, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona — to 14 universities and 56 participants.

"For 10 years, ACSC has been a labor of love," says Montoya. "This competition showcases sales talent and cultivates future sales leaders through experiential learning. Win or lose, students gain meaningful experiences that they can build upon as they prepare for careers in sales."