Written by Dawn Deeter-Schmelz
For the third year running, the students of the Advanced Sales class, in conjunction with Pi Sigma Epsilon, our sales and marketing business fraternity, are hosting the National Strategic Selling Institute Benefit Auction. Fifty percent of the net proceeds of the auction fund the NSSI Sales Cup Merit Awards for our Sales Certificate students; this year we will award $5000 to students who have earned performance points through their classes and participation in sales competitions, networking events, workshops, and other NSSI-sponsored events.
The remaining 50% of the net proceeds will go to the Manhattan Special Olympics to help athletes compete. Last year our students were able to donate over $5000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Manhattan; we hope to do the same or more for the Special Olympics this year. Plus, the event was great fun, with food from Coco Bolo’s, live music, and the auctioneering talents of The Canny Team!
The NSSI Benefit Auction allows our Advanced Sales students to learn about territory management, prospecting, phone sales, and the sales process in a real-world setting! The students are working together to find items for the auction and sell the tickets to the event. Realistic experiences such as the NSSI Benefit Auction allow our students to hit the ground running once hired. In fact, research has shown that students graduating from university sales programs tend to stay in their first sales job longer and produce more revenue faster than their peers who have not graduated from these programs. The NSSI seeks to provide our students with an outstanding sales education and businesses with outstanding sales recruits.
Important Details:
- Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015
- Location: Houston Street Ballroom, Manhattan
- Time: Doors open at 5:00 p.m., with dinner beginning at 6:00 p.m. The auction starts at 7:00 p.m., and should wrap up by 9:00 p.m.
- Auctioneers: Michelle and Matt Canny, The Canny Team, Johnson City, Kansas.
- Dinner by Coco Bolo’s
- Cash Bar
- Beneficiaries: The net proceeds of the 3rd Annual NSSI Benefit Auction will fund the NSSI Sales Cup Merit Award program for Sales Certificate Students and the Manhattan Special Olympics.Currently we are accepting items for donation and selling tickets to the auction. To donate an item or purchase tickets please contact NSSI Director Dr. Dawn Deeter (ddeeter@k-state.edu); she will put you in contact with a student sales representative. Please see the list below for specific ways to get involved. We appreciate your support, and we hope to see you at the auction!
- How Can You Get Involved?
| Item | Donation Required |
| Auction Tickets | $50 minimum donation per plate |
| Sponsor a Student’s attendance at the auction | $50 minimum donation per student |
| Sponsor a Special Olympics athlete | $50 minimum donation per athlete |
| Sponsor a Special Olympics Team | $250 minimum donation per team |
| Gold Table: eight seats, front row; company highlighted with table tent, in auction program,on signs located at the Houston Street Ballroom entrance, and in an auction slide show (projected on a screen) that will run through dinner (2x per rotation). | $1000 minimum donation |
| Silver Table: eight seats, second and third rows, company highlighted with table tent, in auction program, on signs located at the Houston Street Ballroom entrance and in an auction slide show (projected on a screen) that will run through dinner (1x per rotation). | $750 minimum donation |
| Bronze Table: eight seats, back rows, company highlighted with table tent, in auction program, and on signs located at the Houston Street Ballroom entrance. | $500 minimum donation |
| Donate a Silent Auction Item | |
| Donate a Live Auction Item | |
| Cash donation |