Employment of sales professionals is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012, with the best job opportunities going to college graduates with related experience, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet, not all colleges offer degree programs tailored to the needs of students who seek careers in sales and sales management. To fill this educational void and help prepare the next generation of sales managers, DePaul University’s College of Commerce is launching an undergraduate marketing concentration in sales leadership with the help of corporate partners.

3M – the global, diversified technology company that makes Post-It notes and a host of other products – has donated $100,000 to become a founding partner of DePaul’s sales leadership program. DePaul hopes to recruit other corporations to become involved through similar donations to fund the program, as well as provide internships and job recruiting support.

While many universities offer general marketing majors or concentrations, DePaul is the first university in Chicago to offer a concentration in sales management, according to David Hoffmeister, the program’s director of corporate relations. “Despite the fact that eight out of 10 marketing graduates end up in positions involving sales, not all colleges offer a major or concentration in sales,” he said. “As a result, graduates who take entry-level positions in the field may not have the right training. At the same time, corporations are having difficulty building well-qualified, diverse pools of candidates for internships and jobs. Our program is beneficial for both students and corporations because it is especially designed to educate students entering the sales field and is bolstered by corporate partners who provide funding, internships and job-recruiting support.”

Jimmiee L. Gaulden, talent manager for 3M’s human resources department, said, “3M is extremely proud to partner with DePaul on a most strategic talent initiative – how we will sell in the 21st century.”

“DePaul has a rich tradition of delivering academic excellence and top graduates who have gone forward to become some of the country’s prominent business leaders,” Gaulden said. “This partnership builds upon this outstanding tradition. Their faculty and our 3M team are building a program that will allow companies like 3M to tap the best students to drive growth and achieve some of the most strategic and challenging business objectives of the future. Clearly DePaul is committed to making the sales profession one of the most ethical and attractive professions in our industry.” Gaulden credited Lisa Rodriguez, a DePaul MBA graduate who is a senior account executive in 3M’s Global Packaging Services Division, with helping to forge a link between the company and her alma mater.

The new program provides students with a strong foundation in communication and selling techniques that leads to a bachelor of science degree in marketing, with a sales concentration. Students take a core curriculum of business and liberal arts courses and four specialized courses in sales and sales management.

The sales courses are taught by faculty with a wealth of practical experience in the field. Hoffmeister, an executive-in-residence who teaches a course called “Sales Organization and Management,” has broad experience in consumer products management for companies that include Proctor & Gamble and Kodak. Marketing Professor Joel Whalen, an expert in business communication who has extensive experience in sales and advertising, teaches a course, “Effective Business Communication,” about which he has authored a book, “I See What You Mean.” Clancy Ryan, a DePaul MBA graduate who is director of business development for 3D Wireless Games, teaches “Fundamentals of Sales and Networking.” And Daniel Strunk, executive-in-residence at DePaul and president of BitterSweet Consulting Partnership, teaches “Sales Strategy and Technology” based on his 25 years experience in sales and marketing.

“Faculty with real-world experience offer insights into the practical side of what academics teach,” said Sue Fogel, chair of DePaul’s marketing department. “They’ve ‘walked the walk,’ not just talked about what the theories are. We have found that students prefer a mix of instructors with hands-on experience and more academically oriented professors. That way, they get the best of both worlds.”

Note: For more information about the sales leadership program, contact DePaul’s College of Commerce: (312) 362-5358.