Georgia Southern #1 Role-Play University in the RNMKRS Spring 2024 Sales Competition
Top student honors and high-performing universities were recognized on April 15 at the Spring 2024 RNMKRS Results Reveal Ceremony.
STATESBORO, GA (April 23, 2024) – Among nearly 3,300 student competitors across three competitions, totaling 123,000 virtual conversations, Georgia Southern University once again proved to be a powerhouse as the students worked diligently to beat the bot in the AI-powered RNMKRS sales role-play challenge. Competing in two of the three competitions, the Advanced Selling course, led by Dr. Linda Mullen, competed in RNMKRS Pro, while Dr. Billy Jones and Prof. Travis Brickey led their Professional Selling courses into the RNMKRS Standard competition.
In the two role-play competitions, RNMKRS hosted 1,977 student competitors in the Standard role-play competition and 112 students in its Pro Role-Play competition. With 47 different universities represented, students from Georgia Southern’s Parker College of Business competed against some of the nation’s top collegiate sales programs, including, Harvard University, University of Nebraska, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, University of Arkansas, Auburn University, University of Kansas, and Florida State University. Known as a program for producing students with grit and perseverance, Georgia Southern’s Center for Sales Excellence went to work to defend its title, maintaining its reputation as a perennial RNMKRS high-performer and one of the nation’s top sales programs!
“We are so proud of our students and the effort they put into this competition,” explained Linda Mullen, associate professor of marketing and co-director of the Center for Sales Excellence at Georgia Southern University. “Ten semesters in a row, the students of Georgia Southern have excelled in the RNMKRS sales role-play competition. The RNMKRS Pro role-play is extremely challenging and it pushes our students to demonstrate the grit and determination needed to succeed in a career in professional selling. I applaud the efforts of RNMKRS for always staying ahead of the curve and continuing to innovate the field of sales education.”
Notable honors earned in the RNMKRS Pro Role-Play sales competition include:
- RNMKRS Pro Top School – Georgia Southern University (#1 overall) amongst 5 universities
- RNMKRS Pro # 1 Role-Play Sales Competitor – Katie Jebavy (#1 overall) amongst 112 competitors
- Ten students recognized in the RNMKRS Pro Role-Play Top 10 – K. Jebavy (#1), J. Buice (#2), N. Howard (#3), A. Hertel (#4), M. Spigner (#5), A. Meade (#6), B. Davis (#7), J. Wilcox (#8), A. Scott (#9), Amelia Pulley (#10))
- RNMKRS Pro most role-play attempts – Christian Perez (177 total attempts, #1 overall)
- RNMKRS Pro Top Coach Recognition – Linda Mullen, Ph.D.
“The RNMKRS Pro sales role-play has taught me a lot about effective communication in sales, objection handling, as well as, learning how to adapt to various situations, explained Katie Jebavy, a senior marketing major and member of the Georgia Southern women’s soccer team. “The role-play also helped me better understand the buyer’s needs and what it takes to make an effective sale. I’m thankful for Georgia Southern for giving me this opportunity, and grateful for the opportunity to grow, learn, and showcase my skills in my professional sales career.”
Notable honors earned in the RNMKRS Standard Role-Play sales competition include:
- RNMKRS Standard Top School – Georgia Southern University (#1 overall) amongst 46 universities
- Four students recognized in the RNKMRS Role-Play Standard Role-Play Top 20 – Chasen Lewis (#9 overall), Ashley Davis (#10 overall), Ryan Esz (#12 overall), and Riley Ingram (#15 overall) amongst 1,977 total competitors
- RNMKRS Standard Role-Play most role-play attempts – Anna Larsson (280 total attempts, #1 overall)
- RNMKRS Standard Top Coach Recognition – Travis Brickey
- Most Career Connections In-Class Onboarding: 20+ connections with Cintas from Dr. Billy Jones’ Professional Selling course
“Participating in RNMKRS was an awesome experience for me! It pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me resilience and adaptability in a competitive environment,” noted Ashley Davis, a senior business management major with an emphasis in entrepreneurship & innovation. “My advice to future student competitors is to embrace the challenge as an opportunity for growth, remain open to feedback, and always strive for authenticity. Remember, it’s not just about winning, but about the growth and skills you gain along the way that matters most!”
Alex, the AI bot, is programmed to respond to students as they lead a mock sales meeting. Developed and continually enhanced by an alliance of university faculty advisors, the RNMKRS competition scenario has students representing Dell Technologies as they sell the company’s Dell Latitude Rugged laptop computer line to a police or fire department. Students virtually ‘meet’ with Alex, going through the steps of a sales call. RNMKRS evaluates each student based on his or her performance, and the institutions were then ranked based on their students’ results. RNMKRS consists of three competitions, Speed Sell, RNMKRS Role-Play Standard, and RNMKRS Role-Play Pro. The Pro version was introduced in the fall 2022 semester for the Advanced Selling courses.
Center for Sales Excellence, Georgia Southern University
Located within Georgia Southern University’s Parker College of Business, the Center for Sales Excellence is recognized by the University Sales Alliance as one of the nation’s top sales programs. Established in 2007, it is the mission of the Center to have a positive impact on the sales profession through education, research, and service. The B.B.A. in Marketing offers the students of Georgia Southern University an emphasis in Sales and Sales Management.
Through the Center, students gain experience with sales role-play in our dedicated labs, with many going on to compete in some of the nation’s most prestigious sales competitions. The Center also works to bring students together with companies in the industry looking to hire the best and brightest minds. It is the goal of the Center to be the preeminent sales program in the nation.
RNMKRS Virtual Sales Competition
Launched in 2018, RNMKRS empowers students to communicate and influence decisions using bias-free interactive technology. The student competitors compete in role-play challenges that aid in helping them hone their selling skills by speaking with Alex, an artificially intelligent customer bot that listens, adapts, and responds while scoring students and giving them feedback. Students improve their selling skills and refine their communication and empathy skills along the way. All of this activity takes place on their personal digital device.
RNMKRS is utilized in sales classes taught at Georgia Southern University as a means to provide students with an ample amount of sales role-play experience.
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