Pitch Perfect: Students Hit the Right Notes in Professional Sales Competition

Like many of her peers, Amber Kiricoples ’25, MBA ’25 began her college journey with no clear idea of what she wanted to study. That changed when she took a Sales Management (PRS 343) course with James “Pouli” Pouliopoulos, MBA ’94, senior lecturer in Marketing and director of Bentley’s Professional Sales program, at the start of her sophomore year. “Within my very first class, I knew this was the career for me,” she says. “I declared my major in Professional Sales the very next day!”

Last month, Kiricoples had the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills she’s learned in the classroom during the university’s 5th Annual Salvatore J. Stile Professional Sales Competition. She and nearly 60 other Bentley students completed two intense rounds of role-play sales conversations, with industry professionals (many of them Bentley alumni) serving as “buyers” and judges. The most successful sellers, competing as both individuals and teams, received cash prizes ranging from $250 to $2,000. Kiricoples and Jared Shea ’26, MSBA ’27 took first place in the team category. (Shea also placed first in the individual category; see box below for a complete list of winners.) 

Bentley’s Annual Sales Competition

Introduced in 2021, the sales competition was created by Pouli and alumnus Salvatore J. Stile II ’92, founder and co-chair of Alba Wheels Up, an international shipping and logistics company. This year’s competition also featured a professional sales career fair organized by Paul Stanish, associate director of Bentley’s Pulsifer Career Development Center. Representatives from more than 20 companies were on hand to connect with students interested in learning about internships and full-time positions.   

One of those companies was Medicus Healthcare Solutions, where Shea — a member of Bentley’s Honors Program and Advanced Standing in Business Analytics program, and a triple major in Business Economics, Data Analytics and Professional Sales — will intern this summer. “This competition pushed me to think strategically, communicate with purpose and apply everything I’ve learned about professional selling in a high-pressure, real-world scenario,” he explains, “and performing well in front of my future employer made it even more meaningful. The networking aspect of the competition is a huge value-add — it’s not just about competing; it’s about building relationships and sharpening communication skills in a professional setting.” 

Self-Empowerment through Sales

According to Pouli, employers consistently walk away from the competition impressed by the capabilities of Bentley students. “Every year, I have volunteers coming up to me, saying things like, ‘These students are better at sales conversations than our current employees’ and ‘They’ve been trained so well, they could step into a job at our company tomorrow,’” he shares. “To me, that’s an amazing testament to the hard work and dedication of our Professional Sales students.”

Not that students need prior sales experience to excel in the competition, Pouli emphasizes: “One of my goals with this event is to make students aware of professional opportunities they might not consider otherwise.” Indeed, of the nine winners of this year’s competition, most are pursuing non-sales majors.

At least, that was true prior to the competition: Julia Michaud ’27, an Honors student and Marketing major who placed second in the individual category, says she’s decided to add Professional Sales as a second major. “During the role plays, I began to appreciate how much overlap there is between marketing and sales,” she explains. “I really enjoy connecting with people on a personal level, and I realized that’s exactly what salespeople do.”  

This awareness was confirmed when Bentley President E. LaBrent Chrite stopped by to observe part of her second session, Michaud adds. Instead of feeling nervous and doubting herself, she became empowered. “I’ve honestly never felt that confident before,” she says. “That’s when I realized this is what I want to do for my career.”