You'd like to see some evidence on the growth of Professional Sales education?
Let's take a look back 10 years to 2011. If you know much about the SEF Annual magazine, you know we survey universities, collect data and publish that data in the Annual magazines. We've been doing this for 15 years! But what about our 5th magazine in 2011?
The 2011 Annual listed 53 universities (worldwide) teaching Professional Sales - slightly over 25% of what we listed in 2021. Also, in 2011, we could find only 18 majors and 18 minors in Professional Sales. Compare that with 2021 - 37 majors and 81 minors - in only 10 years time!
Our Annual magazine provides concrete evidence that universities are embracing Professional Sales education - and there numbers are growing! We now find sales courses as part of not only Colleges of Business, but Agri-Business and Entrepreneurship. Focus options include Communication/Broadcast Sales, Entrepreneurship, Financial Services, Industrial Distribution, Insurance, International Business, Media, Medical/Health Care, Technology and the list goes on.
Professional Sales is growing and the Sales Education Foundation is contributing to that growth by providing universities a platform for promotion (the Annual), offering research grants, providing scholarships, helping students find their strengths and best fit through the Chally Assessment and sponsoring unique academic events and workshops. For a list of the 2021 Professional Sales majors and minors, check out this quick reference list.
For the other 82 universities listed we find students can earn a Professional Sales certificate, concentration or emphasis along with their chosen major.
Yes, Professional Sales education is growing and - thanks to the hundreds of educators providing high quality education and companies willing to put dollars into helping this discipline grow - we are truly - "elevating the Sales profession through university education."