By Josh Miranda
Three students in UCF’s Professional Selling Program triumphed over 150+ competitors to win the inaugural KPMG Sales Role Play Competition. Steffano Escudero, Emmanuel Ramos and Laura Rivero delivered the best sales recommendations and were awarded first, second and third place, respectively.
As part of the virtual, tournament-style contest, competitors attempted to sell various KPMG products and services to mock clients. UCF faculty collaborated with KPMG team members to develop a realistic “sales case” for the competition.
“KPMG is an incredible partner of the college and this competition would not be possible without their involvement and support,” said Bill Steiger, Professional Selling Program coordinator. “They helped us every step of the way from attending classes to creating role-play scripts for the competition.”
Along with the top finishers, Alyssa Markey, Makenna Subbert and Jake Brinker also advanced to the final round of the competition. Following a series of preliminary rounds, only 18 students advanced to the semifinals.
KPMG guided students throughout the competition and acted as prospective buyers as the competitors delivered their sales presentations. While KPMG is a longtime partner of the college, the event marks the first formal sales competition hosted by the firm at UCF.
“We’ve enjoyed teaming up with UCF College of Business in this year’s Sales Role Play Competition, which KPMG hosted for the first time. It’s a great opportunity to see talented students apply the latest sales practices and techniques they’ve learned in the classroom to a real-world sales situation,” said KPMG Sales Leader Scott Verschoor. “It’s really a win-win partnership because it helps us to inform our sales training programs and it gives us access to up-and-coming new sales talent.”
The Professional Selling Program is a prestigious, specialized program offered by UCF’s Department of Marketing. The competitive program accepts up to 70 students each year who show potential and promise in the field of sales.
“Through this partnership, our students can experience the process a KPMG sales consultant follows to provide solutions to a client,” Steiger said.
About UCF College of Business
Established in 1968, the UCF College of Business offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and executive levels. All programs, as well as the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting, are accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The college provides high-quality academic programs designed to give students a competitive advantage in the world of business. Learn more at business.ucf.edu.
About KPMG LLP
KPMG LLP is the U.S. firm of the KPMG global organization of independent professional services firms providing audit, tax and advisory services. The KPMG global organization operates in 147 countries and territories and has more than 219,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.
KPMG is widely recognized for being a great place to work and build a career. Our people share a sense of purpose in the work we do, and a strong commitment to community service, inclusion and diversity, and eradicating childhood illiteracy. Learn more at www.kpmg.com/us.