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idea exchange Cameras record students' every gesture and expression as they practice their sales techniques. Selling Solutions TEACHING BUSINESS STUDENTS the art of selling can be an art in itself, and business schools with sales programs are looking for the best methods to give their students an edge. That's what faculty had in mind at the Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneur- ship at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida, when they designed a new sales curriculum and the 8,200-square-foot Huizenga Sales Institute. The school interviewed HR and training professionals at 37 companies to ask what skill they valued most in their employees. "Communication and sales skills were at the top of their lists," says Dennis Dannacher, associ- ate dean of enrollment services and program operations. The school's new sales curriculum helps students master sales techniques in three ways: • Adopting a philosophy of selling. Huizenga facul- ty collaborated with the Sandler Sales Institute based in Owings Mills, Maryland, to design a curriculum based on buyer-centric techniques that David Sandler created in the 1960s. "He thought salespeople should do 30 percent of the talking and 70 percent of the listening," says Charlie Pettijohn, director of the institute. That philosophy lined up with what employers were saying, which is why Michael Fields, Huizenga's dean, based the curriculum on Sandler's methods. "Few things could benefit our students more than to learn to better lis- 72 July/August 2011 BizEd ten and to more effectively tailor products, services, and ideas" to client needs, he says. • Providing more time for practice. The institute includes 16 interview rooms, each equipped with cameras to record students as they complete sales scenarios. Faculty can view students' body language and expres- sions on LCD monitors. The screens also can be turned off to minimize distractions. Students can use the rooms on their own to practice and review their perfor- mances. "It would take four hours for 30 students to each do an eight-minute in-class presentation. Now, we don't have to use class time, and students can practice more often," says Pettijohn. • Creating video portfolios. Dur- ing the semester, students will complete about 16 different role-play presentations. They'll save their best work in DVD portfolios to show to employers, says Pettijohn. The institute will support several new programs in sales, including a BBA, an undergraduate minor, MBA concentrations in sales and sales management, and grad- uate-level certificate programs. The school also will rent its interview rooms, two 14-seat conference rooms, and a 170-seat auditorium to corporate users for sales train- ing, remote job interviews, and receptions. Overall, the facility creates more ways for students to learn, for faculty to teach, and for the school to attract companies to its campus, says Pettijohn. "As more companies use the institute, they'll see the skills our students are developing," he adds. "Our goal is to help our students get placed." "What skills are of most value to your company?" The question Huizenga faculty asked more than 400 HR and training profes- sionals at 37 companies. At the top of their lists: Listening, communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.