Sales is not just about closing deals. At its core, it is about building genuine connections and lasting relationships. Joining us is Tammy Katuin, a sales professor at Valley City State University, to share how she is helping students develop networking skills, build authentic relationships, and create a strong foundation for long-term success in sales.

Meet Tammy Katuin

• Tammy Katuin is an educator and sales professional at Valley City State University, where she teaches sales and consumer behavior with a focus on relationship building and authenticity.
• Drawing from her extensive sales experience, she helps students understand that lasting success comes from serving others and building genuine connections rather than simply closing deals.
• Through hands-on networking opportunities, mentorship, and career development tools like LinkedIn, Tammy is dedicated to preparing students for meaningful and successful careers.

Why Relationships Matter in Sales

• Tammy shares why the most effective sales professionals focus on helping people rather than simply closing deals, creating trust that extends far beyond a single transaction.
• She explains how genuine care and consistent follow-through are what separate great salespeople from the rest.

Teaching Trust and Authenticity

• One aspect students often struggle with is building trust. Tammy discusses how she helps students develop confidence through networking opportunities, hands-on experiences, and meaningful conversations that push them outside their comfort zones.
• By modeling authenticity and investing in her students' success, she demonstrates the type of relationship-focused approach that leads to lasting professional growth.

Balancing Technology and Human Connection

• Technology continues to change the sales landscape, but the importance of human connection remains constant.
• The discussion explores how tools like AI and LinkedIn can support relationship-building efforts while reinforcing that trust, authenticity, and genuine engagement cannot be automated.
• Success comes from using technology to strengthen connections, not replace them.

The Foundation of Lasting Success

• Trust is the foundation of every successful relationship. Whether working with clients, colleagues, or future employers, being reliable, open-minded, and genuinely invested in others creates opportunities that extend far beyond a single sale. The result is a sales approach built on connection, credibility, and long-term success.

"If you are in it for the long haul, then relationships are what you need to make so that you can get ongoing business from your clients, not just that one off." - Tammy Katuin

Resources

• Professors interested in curriculum, simulations, lesson plans, and sales education tools can explore Stukent Sales Courseware.
• If you’re interested in learning from Tammy Katuin you can find her on LinkedIn.

How can you get companies genuinely excited about partnering with your sales program? Rob Hammond, Director of the Center for Marketing and Sales Innovation at the University of South Florida, joins us to share how he builds meaningful partnerships between universities and businesses. Instead of treating companies as sponsors or one-time recruiters, he encourages educators to see them as long-term partners who actively contribute to student growth, workforce readiness, and lasting industry impact.

Meet Rob Hammond

• Rob Hammond leads the University of South Florida sales program as Director of the Sales and Marketing Innovation Center.
• After a long career in industry, he brings a practical, product focused approach to sales education. He builds experiential learning opportunities, including top college sales competitions and strong business partnerships.
• His philosophy centers on real world connections between students and companies, helping students gain experience while organizations build lasting relationships and brands through meaningful campus engagement.

Start with Your Value Proposition

• A key idea from this conversation is the importance of clearly defining the value of your program.
• Rob explains that students are the product, and employers are looking for graduates who can contribute from day one.
• When you communicate that value effectively, it becomes much easier to attract business partners who want to engage with your program.

Create Opportunities for Connection

• Rob also shares practical ways to connect students with employers through networking events, classroom visits, internships, sales competitions, and company site visits.
• These experiences allow students to apply what they learn in the classroom while helping employers build relationships with future talent.
• He refers to these interactions as “micro-collisions” that often lead to meaningful opportunities for both students and companies.

Focus on Partnerships, Not Transactions

• Rob reminds us that successful programs are built on partnerships, not hiring quotas.
• Instead of focusing on how many students companies hire, the emphasis should be on helping organizations build their brand on campus and form genuine connections with students who are interested in their mission.

“You have a high-quality product. Be unapologetic about it.” — Rob Hammond

Resources

• Professors interested in curriculum, simulations, lesson plans, and sales education tools can explore Stukent Sales Courseware.

Connect with Rob Hammond on LinkedIn to follow his work in sales education and university–industry partnerships, or reach out directly via email at rwhammond@usf.edu.

What if success in sales starts long before your first prospect call? Before mastering sales techniques, Cheryl Parks believes professionals must first understand who they are. She joins us to explore how self-awareness, personal strengths, and identity influence long-term success in sales.

Meet Cheryl Parks

• Cheryl Parks is a revenue growth advisor, sales leader, and strategic operator who helps founders, executives, and sales teams navigate growth with greater clarity, confidence, and execution. With more than 30 years of experience in B2B enterprise sales, she has sold over $25 million into Fortune 1000 organizations and coached leaders to achieve multi-million-dollar outcomes.
• Known for her journey from "the shyest girl in the room" to trusted advisor, Cheryl brings a practical, human-centered approach to sales and leadership. She helps organizations identify revenue opportunities, align teams, improve decision-making, and build scalable sales systems without sacrificing trust or connection.
• As Chief Revenue Officer at Digital Factory and founder of The Sales Growth Advisor, Cheryl works at the intersection of revenue strategy, leadership alignment, and AI-powered business transformation. She views AI as a tool that enhances human judgment, focus, and performance rather than replacing authentic leadership.
• Today, Cheryl speaks on sales, leadership, AI adoption, and revenue growth, helping professionals build sustainable, high-trust approaches to success in a rapidly changing business landscape.

Sales Success Starts with Self-Awareness

• Cheryl shares practical ways students and new sales professionals can identify their strengths, personality traits, and selling style. From relationship-focused sellers to transactional sales experts, she explains why there is no single path to success in sales.
• We also explored how tools such as CliftonStrengths, DISC, Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, and even AI can help individuals better understand where they fit within the sales profession.

Developing the Seller You Want to Become

• One of Cheryl's most powerful messages is the importance of intentionally creating your future identity. Instead of "fake it until you make it," she advocates for acting like the person you aspire to become while remaining authentic.
• She also discusses the value of mentors, personal mantras, continuous learning, and surrounding yourself with positive influences that support your growth.

Navigating Setbacks and Growth

• Sales careers come with challenges, rejection, and periods of self-doubt. Cheryl offers practical advice for evaluating setbacks, assessing your skills and motivation, and identifying when it's time to pivot, improve, or set new goals.

"Sales completely changed my life, literally. It helped me move forward and grow." — Cheryl Parks

Resources

• Professors interested in curriculum, simulations, lesson plans, and sales education tools can explore Stukent Sales Courseware.

Interested in developing your sales skills or growing your business? Reach out to Cheryl Parks and connect with her on LinkedIn for practical advice on sales, leadership, and personal growth.

Salesforce found that 80% of customers feel salespeople don’t bring enough value to the buying process. At the same time, most sellers think the deal keeps moving forward once the discovery call ends.

What many fail to realize is that the real conversations are often happening behind the scenes. That’s why Dr. BJ Allen and I are breaking down the concept of the “shadow discovery” and how professors can better prepare students for the realities of modern enterprise selling.

The Reality of Modern Buying Committees

• Enterprise selling has become far more complex than it used to be. Buying committees now often involve 8 to 11 stakeholders, and not every influential voice is officially part of the decision-making team.
• We also explain how buyers are doing more independent research before ever speaking with salespeople. Between AI tools, online reviews, and peer recommendations, many prospects already have strong opinions before the first sales conversation even happens.

What Is A Shadow Discovery?

• A shadow discovery is the internal conversation prospects have when the salesperson is no longer in the room.
• These conversations can happen in meetings, Slack messages, Teams chats, or side conversations between executives after a discovery call. One negative opinion or unanswered concern during those moments can quickly stall a deal.
• Dr. Allen explains why students need to understand that selling is no longer just about the conversation happening directly with the prospect. It’s also about preparing for the conversations happening behind closed doors.

How To Better Prepare Students For Enterprise Selling

• We also share strategies professors can teach students to help them navigate modern buying committees more effectively.
• This includes identifying true internal champions, creating tailored content for different stakeholders, using business acumen to align with executive priorities, and helping champions confidently communicate value internally.
• Role plays and real-world sales scenarios can also help students better understand how multi-threading and internal selling actually work during complex deals.

“Shadow discoveries are happening. It's a constant piece of the conversation and we need to make sure we're ready for it.” — Donald C. Kelly

“Shadow discoveries influence purchasing decisions, and they’re problematic because the salesperson isn’t there.” — Dr. BJ Allen

Resources

Connect with Dr. BJ Allen and Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn to continue the conversation or share how you're applying these strategies in your classroom.

What actually makes a sales class effective? Is it the lectures, the role plays, the assignments, or the real-world experience students walk away with?

We’re breaking down how sales professors can better prepare for the next semester by creating a more practical and engaging learning experience for students. We also share how professors can better understand which lessons actually prepare students for real sales roles.

Why Student Feedback Matters More Than You Think

• One strategy you can try is giving students an assignment at the end of every semester where they explain the four most important things they learned in class and how they plan to apply those lessons in their careers.
• That feedback can help identify which concepts students actually find useful in the real world and which topics may need to be adjusted or removed.
• Dr. Allen also shares how often students mentioned time management and planning as lessons that had a major impact on them.
• While it may not seem like the most exciting topic, students repeatedly shared how helpful those planning strategies became in preparing them for real sales roles.

Building a More Practical Sales Classroom

• We also share some of the challenges professors face when trying to balance academic concepts with practical sales training.
• Using role plays, prospecting exercises, and LinkedIn outreach activities can give students hands-on experience and help them better understand how sales actually works outside the classroom.
• Creating an effective sales class also means reducing the workload for professors while still giving students a personalized learning experience.
• Lesson plans, activity banks, simulations, grading tools, and role play exercises can make a major difference for professors teaching sales for the first time.

How AI Is Changing Sales Education

• Dr. Allen explains how AI role play tools now allow students to practice discovery calls, receive instant feedback, and improve their skills in a low-pressure environment.
• Instead of relying only on live role plays or manual grading, AI simulations can create more consistency, repetition, and flexibility for both students and professors.

“There’s nothing like having students tell you what they actually found useful for their career.” — Dr. BJ Allen

“Hands-on activities help students better understand how sales actually works outside the classroom.” — Donald C. Kelly

Resources

• Professors interested in curriculum, simulations, lesson plans, and sales education tools can explore Stukent Sales Courseware.
• Interested in bringing AI role plays and sales simulations into your classroom? Try Copient AI.
• For additional sales education content, listen to The Sales Evangelist.

Connect with Dr. BJ Allen and Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn to continue the conversation or share how you're applying these strategies in your classroom.

How do you teach students to actually use AI effectively instead of just relying on random tools and prompts? We invited Cherilynn Castleman, a sales consultant and professor at Harvard University, to discuss how AI is reshaping sales education. She explains why professors should focus less on specific platforms and more on helping students develop true AI fluency.

Meet Cherilynn Castleman

• Cherilynn Castleman is a sales consultant, AI strategist, and professor at Harvard University, where she teaches courses focused on AI adoption and AI fluency in sales.
• She helps sales professionals and organizations understand how to integrate AI into modern sales workflows while still building authentic human connection.
• Through her teaching, consulting, and content, Cherilynn focuses on helping people move beyond simply using AI tools and instead develop the confidence and clarity needed to succeed in an AI-driven sales environment.

Why AI Fluency Matters More Than Learning Tools

• One of the biggest points Cherilynn shares is how quickly AI tools are changing. She explains that between 50 to 100 new AI sales tools are entering the market every single week. That means professors cannot realistically keep up by teaching tools alone.
• Instead, students need to understand how to think with AI, communicate with it effectively, and integrate it into their sales workflow.
• Cherilynn compares AI fluency to learning a second language. At first, it feels uncomfortable, but over time students develop confidence and clarity in how to use it naturally.

Why Companies Are Struggling With AI

• Even though companies are heavily investing in AI, many are still not seeing results.
• Cherilynn shares that global AI spending is projected to reach $2.5 trillion in 2026, growing 44% year over year. Yet according to MIT research, 95% of organizations report seeing little to no ROI from their AI implementation.
• The reason? Most companies are focused on tools instead of teaching people how to actually use AI strategically.

How AI Can Make Students Better Sellers

• One of the most interesting parts of the conversation focused on how AI can help students become stronger communicators and better sales professionals.
• Cherilynn explains how students can use AI to:
• personalize outreach faster
• improve discovery questions
• research prospects and industries
• create stronger points of view
• identify weaknesses in their sales process
• Instead of replacing sellers, AI helps elevate them.

Teaching Students to Build Better Buyer Relationships

• Cherilynn also shares how AI can help students create stronger emotional connections with buyers by improving the quality of their discovery questions.
• She explains that 87% of B2B buyers want sales professionals to show up as trusted advisors.
• AI can help students prepare better questions, understand customer challenges, and communicate more strategically during conversations.

“AI can help you build trust by improving the questions you ask and strengthening your connection with buyers. Develop a POV because your point of view is how you show up.” — Cherilynn Castleman

Resources

Want to learn more about AI fluency and the future of sales education? Connect with Cherilynn Castleman on LinkedIn and follow her insights on how AI is reshaping the way sales professionals learn, sell, and build stronger customer relationships.

Connect with Dr. BJ Allen and Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn to continue the conversation or share how you're applying these strategies in your classroom.

Over the last few years, AI has made its way into everything. So how do you actually bring it into your sales classroom in a way that prepares students for the real world? We partnered with Stukent to show you how to use it for roleplay in the classroom.

Why AI Is Changing Sales Education

• AI is not just a trend. It is already shaping how sales professionals work every day. The challenge for professors is figuring out how to bring that into the classroom in a way that feels practical and relevant.
• This is where AI roleplay comes in. Instead of relying only on student to student practice, professors can now create more realistic selling environments.

Making Roleplay Feel Real

• One of the biggest challenges in teaching sales is making roleplay feel authentic. Students know when it is just practice.
• With AI, that changes. The buyer responds in real time, asks questions, and even pushes back like a real prospect would.
• That means students are not just memorizing scripts. They are learning how to think, adapt, and respond in the moment.

Better Experience for Students and Professors

• AI roleplay does not just help students. It also makes things easier for professors.
• Instead of reviewing every interaction, AI can handle feedback and evaluation, reducing workload while still giving students a high quality experience.
• It also removes bias and creates a more consistent learning environment.

Preparing Students for the Real World

• The goal is simple. Help students feel what real selling is like before they step into their first role.
• With AI, you can adjust difficulty levels, simulate different buyer personalities, and create scenarios that reflect real sales conversations.

“One of the best things about AI roleplay is you can adjust the difficulty. For beginners, it can be simple, but at advanced levels, it feels real. I’ve seen it hang up on students within 20 seconds, just like real life.” — Dr. BJ Allen

Resources

Connect with Dr. BJ Allen and Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn to continue the conversation or share how you're applying these strategies in your classroom.

Learn how you can bring AI into your classroom and more about Stukent here.

Buyers are making decisions before they ever talk to a seller. If your students are not part of that process, they are already out of the running. How do you teach them to become the go-to seller in today’s buyer journey? We’re breaking down three strategies to help them stand out and stay top of mind.

The Modern Sales Problem

• Thanks to technology, buyers now have a world of information at their fingertips. They are researching solutions, comparing options, and forming opinions long before they ever speak to a seller.
• By the time a conversation happens, many have already made internal decisions or narrowed their shortlist. If your students are not part of that early research phase, they are already at a disadvantage.
• It gets even tougher with Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Many are built around the features of a preferred solution or based on templates from past vendors, which quietly limits opportunities for new sellers to compete.

Classroom Implementation Strategies

• So how do you actually prepare students for this shift? It starts with helping them show up earlier in the buyer’s journey.
• Build Subject Matter Expertise: Encourage students to use LinkedIn as more than a place for cold outreach. When they consistently share insights and engage with industry content, they start to build a presence. Over time, they become someone buyers recognize and trust before a conversation even happens.
• Bring the Buyer Into the Classroom: Let students hear directly from buyers. Invite guest speakers who can walk through how decisions are really made, who is involved, and what their research process looks like. It gives students a clearer picture of what is happening behind the scenes.
• Strengthen Discovery Skills: Teach students how to ask better questions during discovery. The goal is to understand what the buyer actually values and whether they have already been influenced by another solution. When students can uncover that early, they can position themselves more effectively without putting down the competition.

“In this era, it’s no longer about being the best. It’s about being the best known in your space.” — Donald C. Kelly

“It’s great for buyers to have context around what’s happening before they engage.” — Dr. BJ Allen

Resources

Connect with Dr. BJ Allen and Donald C. Kelly on LinkedIn to continue the conversation or share how you're applying these strategies in your classroom.