BBA in Professional Sales

Subject Matter Expert

Dr. Lukas Forbes, Western Kentucky University - Dr. Forbes is the chair of the marketing department of Western Kentucky University. He also serves as the director of the nationally recognized WKU Center for Professional Selling, one of only 20 Fully Certified Sales Programs in the United States. Forbes is also a member of the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Selling and previously served on the review board for the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management. His research has appeared in journals including the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, the Journal of Selling, and the Journal of Services Marketing. Forbes earned a B.S. from United States Military Academy at West Point and formally served in the US Army before earning a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky.

Professional Advisors

In addition to working extensively with Forbes, we sought feedback from two major Fortune 500 companies - one insurance company and one technology company, both of which employ over 5,000 salespeople - to ensure that the proper learning outcomes were being achieved. These companies have also compared this Professional Sales major to their own internal training procedures to ensure that students are receiving a sales education that focuses on the most vital areas from an industry standpoint. Both companies have concluded that any student that graduates from this program will have a leg up in the job application and interview process upon graduating.

Curriculum Committee

We've incorporated insights from industry professionals through video transcripts and mentorship conversations, providing students with practical, real-life examples of sales strategies and ethical decision-making. Assignments have been restructured to offer a clear narrative arc, guiding students through a progressive learning journey. This structure ensures each week builds upon the last, culminating in a comprehensive understanding of relationship-driven professional sales. The introduction of detailed, level-based rubrics provides clearer guidelines and expectations, helping students understand precisely how to excel in each assignment and which areas need improvement.

Curriculum Committee Membership

 

While selling is a highly interpersonal skill set, most companies also rely heavily on tools - such as CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software - and replicable processes to greatly improve the efficiencies of their sales cycle.

To that end, the Professional Sales major includes the following certifications, which will give students a competitive advantage over others applying to entry level roles within companies' sales organizations.

• MGMT 366 - Relationship-Driven Professional Selling
• Hubspot - Sales Software Certification
• Note: While Salesforce is more widely adopted than Hubspot, skills are largely transferable between most CRM software, and Hubspot makes a better platform for students to learn CRM best practices for a variety of reasons, including quality of educational resources, greater ease of use, more clearly identifiable best practices and more.
• MGMT 368 - Sales Leadership
• Hubspot - Sales Management Training and Certification
• MGMT 369 - Advanced Relationship-Driven Professional Selling
• Hubspot - Inbound Sales Certification

• Students will be able to apply the principles of relationship-driven selling to sales activities.
• Students will be able to choose the correct approach to manage sales teams.
• Students will be able to provide critical feedback about the selling practices of others.

Why should prospective students choose SXU for their degree?

• The online courses, developed by top management academics and sales professionals, deliver in-demand professional sales knowledge and skills.
• Small class sizes allow for close interaction with your professors and student colleagues.
• You will develop the habit of lifelong learning and be ready to manage in the growing sales industry.
• Saint Xavier University’s core values of service, integrity, and excellence, critically important in the sales industry, support your development as an asset to your employer and community.