Date published: March 17, 2017
Three University of Dallas undergraduate students took home top marks from the FIU Global Bilingual Sales Competition (GBSC) in Miami, Florida. The UD team was led by Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of
Business Associate Professor Laura Munoz and included Rachel Sullivan, BA ’17, Dominic
DelCurto, BA ’18, and Michael Dinh, BA ’17
Each year the GBSC hosts a select group of students from national and international universities to undergo three rounds of intense competition with the goal of preparing them to excel in diverse business environments. The three rounds of competition include simulated role-play scenarios in which students are judged on their professional selling ability.
Professional selling, which goes much deeper than just selling a pre-existing product, requires interpersonal communication and extensive background research such as knowing who the client will be; preparing a line of questions to uncover needs, problems and goals; and creating a solution for the client that will help further the business’ value proposition.
To prepare for the competition, students had to become experts in the service they were selling and understand the benefits their service provided for business owners. UD’s team also designed their own sales materials for the event, which helped them stand out at the national competition. The second key to preparation was to role-play.
“We practiced extensively both on the phone and face to face to emulate the competition,” said Munoz.
Under Munoz’s leadership, a network of individuals stepped up to help the UD team prepare for this competition, including a former GBSC competitor, Nohely Torres, BA ’16, and Sergio Robledo, a Gupta College of Business DBA student with over 25 years of experience in professional selling.
The team’s preparation paid off. Rachel Sullivan took home gold in her group, and the University of Dallas was the only school to advance through each round of competition without a single team member being eliminated.
“In the Gupta College of Business, we emphasize experiential learning,” said Munoz. “Participating and competing in competitions like the GBSC that truly emulate real-world conditions are an essential element of the student experience.”
Individual Student Results (English Track):
Rachel Sullivan: Round 1: first place; Round 2: first place; Round 3: first place in her group.
Dominic DelCurto: Round 1: third place; Round 2: third place; Round 3: first place in his group.
Michael Dinh: Round 1: second place; Round 2: third place; Round 3: third place in his group.
Photo (L to R): Dominic DelCurto, Michael Dinh, Rachel Sullivan, Associate Professor Laura Munoz
In the current COVID-19 crisis, the love of Danny Fitzpatrick, BA '13, for Italy, appreciation for his time there, and a creative collaboration with sculptor Tim Schmalz have led to a specific way of rendering aid to the country beloved by so many UD alumni and one-time Romers.
+ Read MoreEdisson Ramos, BA '20, is one of many students receiving assistance from UD's COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, which has currently raised nearly $90,000; the first of the funds were distributed last week to help students make their April rent, and Director of Financial Aid Taryn Anderson, BA '07, is in the process of distributing a second wave to students with housing or food insecurity or in need of Wi-Fi or other resources for online learning.
+ Read MoreIn our current condition, with most of the U.S. sheltering in place and/or learning and working from our homes, it's hard to imagine that just 20 days ago, teachers and those aspiring to be teachers gathered together for the fourth annual Excellence in Education conference at the University of Dallas, organized, run and sponsored by UD's Education Department, but so they did, and so we will all do -- gather together, that is -- some day again.
+ Read More
