The Collat School of Business Sales Competition Team had a tremendous showing at its first National Collegiate Selling Competition (NCSC) appearance recently.
Team members Aiden Garner, Will Rivers, Juliana Swinford and Colby Thacker competed against more than 140 students from 72 universities across the country. Garner and Rivers represented UAB in the long form Discovery Role Play competition, while Swinford and Thacker competed in the Speed Selling Competition.
Garner, who also competed in the Wild Card round and went to the quarterfinals, said it was an tremendous experience.
"Competing in the National Collegiate Sales Competition was an incredible opportunity,” Garner said. “As my first traveling sales competition, there was a lot to take in, but it was inspiring to observe and learn from high performing students while representing UAB."
Collat’s Sales Competition Team launched last year under the direction of David Wilson, director of the school’s Center for Sales Leadership. The team provides hands-on opportunities for students to apply professional selling concepts, gain experience, and develop leadership skills. Team members train in Collat’s state-of-the-art sales classrooms and receive leading edge instruction while gaining practical experience. Throughout the school year, team members meet weekly to practice role plays and case simulations.
“This was UAB’s first time competing at the National Collegiate Sales Competition, and I was extremely proud of how our students showed up,” Wilson said. “They competed with confidence, professionalism, and composure against some of the top sales programs in the country. For a first appearance, it was a strong statement about the direction we’re heading.”
The NCSC is a weekend-long sales event that helps students prepare for future sales careers by tackling real-world situations and connecting with corporate partners and recruiters. This event attracts teams from colleges and universities across the country. Students receive feedback from sales industry experts and network with sponsoring companies, while company representatives observe students competing in live sales role plays and recruit for job openings.
Wilson said the sales competitions accomplish two primary objectives.
“First, we want to get our students in front of top employers for internships and full-time opportunities,” he said. “Second, we want to sharpen their skills by putting them in high-pressure, real-world selling environments.”
Garner said he relied on preparation to overcome the event’s enormous pressure and approached the role play as a natural conversation, which helped his performance.
“Once the conversation began, it felt similar to the role plays and professional conversations we practice at UAB,” Garner said. “Treating it as a genuine conversation rather than a performance helped me stay focused and confident.”
Wilson said Garner’s performance was outstanding and highly competitive, reinforcing that UAB students can compete with anyone in the country.
The competition tested much more than students’ presentation skills. Students must demonstrate strong preparation, business acumen, effective discovery questioning, and the ability to build trust in a live consultative sales conversation. Recruiters judged the competition and evaluated students as they would potential candidates.
Garner said his team felt like their participation cleared a path for future UAB sales students to follow.
“It meant a lot to represent the UAB sales program alongside mentors like Mr. Wilson, who invested a tremendous amount of time and effort preparing us for the competition,” he said.
“His dedication to preparing students for events like NCSC goes far beyond the classroom,” said Garner. “From the time he invests in coaching and preparation to the support he provides during competitions and networking events, he truly wants to see students succeed.”
Wilson said he's looking forward to seeing how students blossom at the next competition.
"They gained confidence, improved their ability to think on their feet, and represented UAB at a high level," he said. "We're excited to build on this momentum as we prepare for our next competition, the International Collegiate Sales Competition this fall."
Participation in the Sales Competition Team is open to all UAB students regardless of major.