UM sales course equips students with professional skills
Kyle Spurr
(UM News Service) A new professional sales class at the University of Montana teaches students valuable skills beyond the cliche approach of the door-to-door salesman.
Peter Anzollitto, an assistant professor of management in the College of Business, teaches the course “Professional Sales, Relationship Management and Business Development” to give students training and real-life examples of high-end sales and negotiations.
The course instructs students in the Spin Selling Technique, a scientifically proven method that prioritizes asking questions and learning a buyer’s needs rather than pushing a product. It’s a technique often used in longer-term consultative sales and in business-to-business transactions.
Anzollitto’s class has gained popularity with students from all business majors who are drawn to the practical nature of the class. The skills they learn can be used in their future careers, whether they become financial advisers, commercial lenders or partners in professional service firms.
“No matter what discipline you are in, if you want to move into leadership eventually you are probably going to have to do some business development and sales,” Anzollitto said.
A highlight of the class are frequent roleplay simulations where students act as buyers and sellers in different scenarios. The students start with a script about buying and selling goods like pest control products, bus benches and security dogs. The scripts include detailed questions that can throw off a seller or buyer.
Last month, the class did a negotiation roleplay where half the class acted as agents representing a fictional opera singer and the other half were business managers for an opera house. The goal was to agree to a fair contract for the opera singer.
“As they are doing the simulations, they are having a real experience,” Anzollitto said. “They have a plan, but the conversation goes in different directions. They have to be ready to pivot and think on their feet.”
Schafer Bungay, a junior marketing major from Kalispell, said the roleplays can get rowdy and competitive as students try to land a sale or agree to a negotiation. He appreciates that real-world experience offered in the classroom.
“I get super competitive because I want to demonstrate and show myself I understand these concepts and can apply them,” Bungay said. “I think it’s a ton of fun.”
Bungay enrolled in the class this past semester to learn new skills that will translate to his own advertising agency, Bungay Advertising. The course also offered an opportunity to connect with other classmates and several UM alumni who visited as guest speakers.
“Classes like this are one of the main reasons I go to college,” Bungay said. “You get so much out of it, and make so many connections. It’s the perfect class for me.”
Guest speakers in the class have come from local Missoula businesses and national organizations like Oracle, Google and the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals.
Seth Blasingim, a personal insurance consultant at the Glidewell insurance agency in Missoula, took the professional sales class his senior year at UM in the spring of 2023, which was the first semester the class was available.
“It really helped build my foundation for what I use today,” Blasingim said. “On all of my calls, I focus on talking to my client and figuring out what is actually important to them before making any sort of recommendation.”
Blasingim returned to the class this fall as part of a young UM alumni panel to share his experiences. He said it was a good opportunity for him and the students to connect. Some sales students have gained internships and jobs from connecting with the guest speakers.
“What’s cool about being in the sales class for a student is they are getting much more one-on-one time with these different professionals,” Blasingim said. “And it gives us a better understanding of what they are looking for and if they will be a good fit for an internship or full-time role.”
Anzollitto plans to keep offering the professional sales course each academic year, and eventually he would like to see it grow into a professional sales certificate, where students would take an additional sales leadership class.
For now, he is focused on sharing his expertise with students in hopes it gives them the tools to succeed in their chosen career paths.
“I think the reason it’s picked up steam is because it’s an extremely practical class, and students are developing skills they will take with them,” Anzollitto said. “They see the value in that.”