Learn By Doing: College Courses About Inside Sales

Do you know of any colleges or universities that have hands-on businesses classes that focus on inside sales?

Cold calling, like public speaking, should be a mandatory course for every college student.  In fact, a class in cold calling would be far more effective. 

Remember taking public speaking?  You never really listened to your classmate stumble over the highs and lows of Abe Lincoln because you were too concerned with your own presentation.

But think of the real-life experience college students could gain in an interactive business class.  And I’m not just talking about fundraising for the college.  That’s obvious.  (My alma mater has that down pretty well, maybe too well.)  No, I’m thinking partnerships:  colleges and corporations. 

Students could help companies like Oracle and IBM sell their products and services.  Would the students receive a commission and/or course credit?  Who knows?  That’s for the businesses and the universities to iron out.  Unless I’m missing something here it’s a win-win for both.

This could work in classrooms, large and small.  A phone on every desk, a teacher with his/her own phone.  The teachers would not only teach the finer points of inside sales, but they’d get on the horn as well.  They’ll battle with the Shirleys of the world (gatekeepers) and get hung up on—just like the students. But more importantly they would also lead by example. 

This is teaching in motion, my friends, not your mother’s college days of listening to a creative writing teacher tell the class, “Don’t tell me, show me!”  Yeah, well, guess what?  Don’t tell me, show me—pick up the phone!

Inside Sales classes would cover it all, from lead generation to the pitch to closing.  What an opportunity for those business majors who know that they’re going into sales once they graduate.  And talk about a foot in the door.  I don’t think the hiring manager at IBM is going to overlook a recent graduate’s resume—especially if that graduate made those cold calls for IBM.

I don’t want to date myself, but rotary phones were all the rage when I went to college, and the business courses I took were textbook-driven and dry as toast.

Writing about this has taken me back to those years.  How I wish there’d been an elective called Cold Calling 101 instead of some of the ones I chose -- like "Film Comedy of the 1950s."