NSU’s Huizenga Business School Launches Sales Program with Sandler Training®, Unveils Sales Institute

School Drives Push for More Competitive Workforce through first-of-its-kind Sales MBA and Undergraduate Degree Programs in Florida

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, FL  — To meet the demands for a highly competent and proficient sales workforce in today’s business environment, Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business & Entrepreneurship launched a first-of-its-kind Sales Program and Institute this fall semester offering sales education and training.

The Huizenga Business School is the first academic institution in the nation to partner exclusively with Sandler Training^®, the nation’s #1 sales training firm according to Entrepreneur magazine, to develop robust sales-centric curriculums driven by research and innovative methods of instruction. NSU’s Sales Program will offer new undergraduate and graduate business degrees and certificate programs in sales and sales management, and its state-of-the-art Sales Institute will be the foremost professional sales training facility for students and corporations alike.

The Sales Program’s introduction also launches the Huizenga Business School’s market-driven education series of specialty business programs shaped by the trends and opportunities that are driving the marketplace.  “We are reinterpreting the law of ‘supply and demand’ and applying it in academia to provide business students with the skill sets and competencies that are in demand in today’s dynamic economy,” said Michael Fields, Ph.D., dean of the Huizenga Business School. And first on the school’s market-driven education list is professional sales education and training.

Exclusive Partnership with Sandler Training Brings Sales Education Initiative to Forefront

The first job for more than half of all college graduates is in sales, but employers find that most are lacking the communication, management and influential skills to be effective. In an exclusive partnership with Sandler Training – the nation’s leading sales training firm – Huizenga Business School is providing a solution for employers, and bolstering the value of the school’s Sales Program.

NSU’s top business educators and researchers collaborated with Sandler Training to create a “real-world” curriculum based on Sandler’s winning philosophies and strategies.  Relying on an intensive Sandler indoctrination and using well-established Sandler techniques as a consistent foundation, NSU faculty incorporated mock-interviews and sales process rehearsals throughout the sales curriculum.  “Outstanding faculty, the benefits of industry-leading Sandler techniques, and a facility that enables intense practice is a powerful combination,” noted Fields.

“We were impressed by the goals of the Huizenga Business School program and felt it was the right fit with Sandler’s philosophy that growth and change require study and practice,” said Sandler CEO David Mattson.   “Graduates and Corporate America will see a great ROI from this program because of the excellent staff and resources NSU is devoting to it.”

Market-Driven Education Prompts New Curriculums for Dynamic Professions

Fields explained that the Huizenga Business School’s move towards market-driven education initiatives, such as the Sales Program, was prompted by extensive research conducted with Florida’s top companies.  Over a four-month span, the school approached a representative sample of medium to large companies across a variety of industries.  Through in-depth, one-on-one meetings with top-level executives, NSU ascertained the skills and competencies firms need most from their employees so they can add direct immediate value to the company.

“After listening to corporate decision-makers and processing their ‘wish list’ of employee capabilities and expectations, we retooled our business curriculums and created specialty degrees that will provide an immediate response to their business growth needs,” Fields added.

The NSU Sales Program offers sales-specific degrees and courses to undergraduate and graduate students, and working professionals wanting to augment their career advancement potential through continuing education. NSU is setting a new professional standard of practical preparation through specialized curricula blending traditional academic strategies with original methods of instruction. A new degree being rolled-out in the Sales Program is the Bachelor of Business Administration. Other additions to the Huizenga Business School curricula include an undergraduate minor in professional sales, sales and sales management concentrations in the MBA program, graduate-level certificates, and required sales courses for all Bachelor of Science programs.

Through these newly developed curriculums and the strategic partnership with Sandler, students in the Huizenga Sales Program have unrivaled access to the proven techniques and resources that will enhance their career prospects, and increase their ROI quotient for the companies hiring them. Next on the horizon for NSU’s market-driven education platform is the development of an MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management slated for introduction next year.

NSU Unveils First-Class Sales Institute

As the Huizenga Business School launches its new Sales Program, it also unveils its state-of-the-art Sales Institute facility, comprising the entire north wing of the third floor of the Carl DeSantis Building on NSU’s main Ft. Lauderdale-Davie campus.

The 8,200-square-foot sales facility features a multipurpose Grand Room, two main conference rooms, and 16 mock sales presentation/interview rooms.  All are outfitted with LCD monitors (ranging from 42” – 55”), presentation equipment, and sophisticated digital video capture systems to catalog sessions for professor assessments, classroom instruction, and self-evaluations.  With this equipment, students can also create a video portfolio to present to prospective employers.

The Sales Institute was designed for the corporate end-user as well.  Some interview and conference rooms are enabled with live video conferencing to conduct actual job interviews remotely, and give companies a high-tech online meeting venue.  Moreover, the versatile Grand Room and adjacent grand balcony can be arranged to host corporate and social receptions and networking events; or configured as a classroom to accommodate assemblies for seminars, workshops, lectures and presentations for up to 180 guests.

Dean Fields concluded, “The Huizenga Business School Sales Institute is one of the finest sales training facilities in the country.  The education and training resources are in place to give our students every advantage in learning the very best and most effective sales techniques that will elevate their professional career objectives and achievements.”

Media Contact:

Susie Gilden, rbb Public Relations
305-448-7536 Office, susan.gilden@rbbpr.com

Julie Spechler, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5348 Office, 954-591-3361 Cell, julies@nova.edu