Professional sales fraternity competes at nationals, will host regional competition in fall
Pi Sigma Epsilon has been taking competitions by storm ever since its inception less than three years ago.
Starting with nine members in fall 2009, the Central Michigan University chapter has been winning regional competitions ever since its first year. This year, from March 13 to 18, eight PSE students were selected by a panel of three recruiters to go to a national competition in Indianapolis.
Three students — Nick Otis, Mark Gustin and Mike Nixon — left a day early to present for the award category of Top Silver Chapter, and the other five students took the five-and-a-half-hour drive the next day with Assistant Professor of Marketing and Professional Sales Ken Cherry, the fraternity's faculty adviser.
"Every year we continue to be successful," Cherry said. "We’re the power to beat in our region, but now we’re on a national stage, and our students are putting themselves on that stage to compete with schools not only in our region, but outside of our region, so this is a huge breakthrough, I think, for our fraternity."
The national competition had two aspects; the competition for recognition in the categories of Top Salesperson, Top Sales Project and the William H. Harris Top Silver Chapter Award and a Pro-Am-Sell-a-Thon.
PSE placed in the top five for all three of the categories it competed in.
In the selling competition, four of the students placed in the top 20 out of 200 students. Otis, a Coleman senior and the chapter's president, placed fifth. He also won a scholarship for his performance.
Otis said although his chapter placed in the top five for the top chapter award, he and his presenting group learned a hard lesson.
The group had two minutes to set up for their presentation. They put their collection of trophies in front of the judges and started the presentation Otis said he had spent more than 20 hours preparing over spring break. He said he wanted to start with a video. He went to open it and then; no audio. They had forgotten a cord for the speakers.
"Instantly your heart sinks," Otis said. "This is exactly why they tell you to prepare — and then it happens."
He said he did his part, handed off the presentation and walked out of the room.
"I literally left the room during the biggest presentation of my life. And I took the elevator up (to my room), grabbed the cord, panicked because the elevator was too slow, apologized again, tied it all back in and played the video and ended it strong," he said.
Otis said he thought the judges would be impressed with the group's ability to keep their composure under stress, but in the end, he attributed the loss to not having the cord.
"The smallest things have the hugest impact on your life," he said.
Still, the performance at nationals is significant for the chapter, Cherry said.
In the past two years, the chapter has gone to nationals and had one student place each year. This year, students placed in seven categories.
The PSE students also nominated Cherry for the award of Top Faculty Adviser, which he won and accepted at the conference.
The walls of his office are lined with plaques and trophies from his years in business. But he said the trophy he received for being the top faculty adviser meant the most to him.
"They understand I’m not getting paid for this and they’re not getting paid for this, yet (for them to) say 'Cherry, you’ve worked hard on our behalf,' and for them to nominate me to win it is a huge honor for me," he said. "And it’s very humbling."
Over spring break, Cherry said he put much of his own time into helping the students prepare for competition. He said he did it out of pride.
"I talk to them a lot about it in classes; you know, money is a good motivator. But it's what you have in your heart that drives you, to be good at what you do, and that’s what I see for my students," Cherry said. "Maybe this PSE is a reflection of me in that I expect a lot."
Otis said Cherry does set the bar high for his students.
"Some people aren’t used to his unconventional style; he’s very in-your-face and has very high expectations, especially with following through on your word — if you say you’re going to do something, he expects you to do it," Otis said.
However, Otis said Cherry's high expectations were instrumental to his success. Although Otis will graduate in May, he has already been hired by AT&T. He said he knows of others who have been recently offered full time positions before they graduate.
"If it wasn’t for Professor Cherry, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in right now," he said.
In the fall, CMU will be hosting the regional competition. The planning for that has already begun, and Cherry said it will be a great opportunity for the university and the fraternity.
"It’s a good chance to show off CMU, and ideally, to keep beating everyone," he said.
