5th Annual Salvatore J. Stile (’92)
Professional Sales Competition and Career Fair

Hosted by Bentley University

The 5th Annual Bentley Sales Competition and Career Fair will be held on March 21, 2025, in the LaCava Center on Bentley University’s campus.

This competition is open to all Bentley undergraduate students, regardless of class standing or major. During the career fair portion of the event, employers will be networking and recruiting students for professional sales careers and internships. Registration link is here.

Individual Student Awards

The cash prizes for this year’s event have been expanded!

1st Place: $2,000
2nd Place: $1,500
3rd Place: $1,000
4th Place: $500
Honorable Mention: One competitor from each round of the competition (2 prizes in total): $250/each

Team Awards

Teams are comprised of two (2) student competitors. Each student conducts their own individual sales conversations. The team score is the sum of both student scores. (Note: These prizes are in addition to any other individual awards)

1st Place: $750/person
2nd Place: $500/person
3rd Place: $250/person

Sales Competition Structure

All students will conduct two simulated sales conversations with volunteers playing the role of the buyer in the sales scenario. There will be two rounds of selling as described below. Students must register to compete using the link below.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to compete!

Bentley Sales Competition Logistics

Date: Friday, March 21, 2024

Time: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Location: LaCava 3^rd Floor

Round 1: The student competitor will have an initial conversation with a buyer who is a small business owner. The goal during this first meeting is for the student to learn about challenges and opportunities facing the business owner and to persuade the buyer to agree to meet a second time for a deeper dive into a potential solution.

Round 2: The student meets with the buyer for a deeper discovery conversation. During this round, the student competitor will collect more information about the buyer's situation and help the buyer understand the business outcomes they can achieve by working together. The main objective is for the buyer to agree to become a client and to begin subscribing to the proposed solution service.

The Role Play Scenario

Students will receive the detailed role-play scenario along with a set of tips and suggested techniques by February 28, 2025. This will allow for adequate time for students to review the materials and practice their sales conversations.

Sales Competition Teams

All students will compete as individuals. Students can also form teams by pairing up with another student. The Student Team score will be calculated as the sum of the two individual student competitor scores. Students must register as individual participants for the competition. You will receive an email after registration requesting the name of your teammate and your Team Name.

NOTE: Students who participate as part of a team are eligible to win both individual and team-based awards.

Have Questions?

CORPORATE SPONSORS AND ALUMNI VOLUNTEERS

Thanks to the Volunteers

Special thanks to the corporate partners and the alumni volunteers who joined us for this year's sales competition. We could not have run a successful event without their gift of time and talent! Volunteers served as role-play partners and judges during the simulated sales conversations.

2023 Corporate Volunteers

48LongStems

ALKU

Amazon Web Services

Ansys, Inc.

Axon

Beacon Hill Staffing Group

Bentley University

Black Diamond Networks

Coinbase Inc.

Colonial Staffing Group Inc.

Dalton & Finegold LLP

Dell Technologies

demandDrive

Electric Supply Center

Enterprise Value Associates

Epson America, Inc.

Expertek Systems

Fidelity

Force Management

HubSpot

Marcus & Millichap

Medicus Healthcare Solutions

memoryBlue

Microsoft

Novartis

Oracle NetSuitePTC

Recorded Future

Reveneer

Sauce Labs

ShiftGroup

Southern New Hampshire University

Thought Industries

Tiger Press

Visikol

Selling Points

Salvatore "Sal" Stile '92, a Bentley University alumnus and successful entrepreneur, donated $100,000 to launch an annual sales competition at his alma mater, aiming to elevate it as a premier destination for sales professionals. Despite shifting online due to the pandemic, the competition attracted nearly 25 students who participated in a rigorous three-round contest mirroring real-world sales scenarios: Lead Qualification, Discovery, and Closing. This innovative format provided participants with diverse feedback from judges across industries, fostering a learning environment emphasizing adaptability and continuous improvement.

View Article

Closing the Deal

At the Salvatore J. Stile Professional Sales Competition, students like George Tzimourtos, Paige Alexander, and Amelia Blum refined crucial sales techniques like relationship-building and problem-solving across careers. This year's inaugural in-person event added the challenge of interpreting body language and performing under judges' scrutiny, enriching participants' learning experience. The competition showcased the versatility of sales skills as students navigated simulated transactions to connect with clients and close deals effectively.

View Article

Event History

The Bentley University Sales Competition was launched in 2021 through a generous donation by Salvatore J. Stile (Bentley University, Class of 1992). The sales competition spotlights the professionalism, resilience, and coachability of the Univeristy's outstanding undergraduate students. The competition is open to all undergraduate students at Bentley University regardless of Major or class standing.

2024

4th Annual Salvatore J. Stile (’92) Professional Sales Competition/Career Fair at Bentley University

Hosted by Bentley University

The 4^th Annual Bentley Professional Sales Competition was held on April 9, 2024. This was the largest Bentley Sales Competition to date with 60 student competitors conducting live, simulated sales conversations with volunteers from employers and Bentley alumni. This year’s sales competition also featured a Professional Sales Career Fair with over 20 companies on hand to recruit students for full-time positions and internships. Over 70 volunteers served as buyers, judges, and advisors during the event.

2024 Winners

Individual Awards

1st Place: Giulia Morgan

2nd Place: Andrew Marcus

3rd Place: Audrey Leonard

Honorable Mention (Round 1): Salma Rahmouni

Honorable Mention (Round 2): Gabriela Soto

Team Awards

1st Place team: Ariana Tahmilli and Megan Tucker

2nd Place Team: Sabrina Louro and Natalie Thom

3rd Place Team: Olivia Corshia and Adriana Marrone

2023

3rd Annual Salvatore J. Stile Professional Sales Competition

Hosted by Bentley University

The 3rd Annual Bentley Professional Sales Competition was held on April 2, 2023. Dozens of students, alumni, and corporate volunteers conducted simulated sales conversations in two rounds of role-play. Student competitors were tested for their ability to develop rapport, handle objections, conduct a discovery conversation, present a proposal, and close the sale.