September 25, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama Board of Trustees approved the creation of the Center for Sales Leadership at UAB during its regular meeting Friday, Sept. 19. With a physical address at the Innovation Depot in downtown Birmingham, the center will be just the second of its kind in the Southeast to offer training beyond the classroom to business professionals from a range of companies throughout the region.
"The center for sales leadership at UAB is designed to allow us to produce better trained professional salespeople who, when they leave the program, are prepared to go to work quicker and be more efficient in professional sales situations" said Bob Robicheaux, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Marketing and Industrial Distribution.
BUILDING ON TRADITION
The center builds on the recent creation of the UAB School of Business Sales Certificate Program, which offers students intensive professional sales instruction that counts for as much as 20 hours of undergraduate academic credit. The center will offer the same style of sales training but to current business professionals who want to upgrade their skills or need to learn the latest tools and trends in professional selling. The center's instructional focus will be helping professionals understand all elements of the business-to-business selling process in order to deliver value to customers.
"This sales center allows us the structure to offer instructional opportunities to business people outside of the university system," said Karen Kennedy, the Director of the Center for Sales Leadership and Associate Dean of UAB's School of Business. "It is non-academic credit but important credit."
THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE
UAB is in the best position to support the Center for Sales Leadership because nearly 20 percent of the state's business economy is based in Birmingham alone. The center's creation comes at a time when demand for sales professionals at those companies is peeking. A report from Manpower Inc. that surveyed 37,000 companies in 27 countries showed that employers are having the greatest difficulty filling sales professionals' positions.
"Many of the suppliers to the state's steel plants, automotive plants and to the hospital industry are locating sales offices in Birmingham," Robicheaux said. "They have people here that want training in professional selling or desire to learn something about sales management, and we are trying to meet that need."
PARTNERING FOR SUCCESS
The Center for Sales Leadership will partner UAB with outside companies to develop and instruct a range of ongoing-education classes and training programs. Newly established partnerships with companies like Regions Bank, Mayer Electric and O'Neal Steel will offer those companies' employees a chance for continuing education to further build their professional resumes.
"What we'll be able to do is put together customized programs for companies, and we may offer larger public programs to benefit the region's business people that require or desire specialized sales training," Kennedy said.
Overtime, and as its programs and curriculum grow, faculty hope the Center for Sales Leadership will become a destination for all levels of business professionals in the Southeast looking to develop or hone their sales skills.
"We have attempted to build on our strengths and to offer programs that are in high demand in the market place," Robicheaux said.