The soiree was held to announce that 3M has designated LSBE as one of only 14 universities in its Frontline Sales Initiative Program that will provide students with a high caliber experiential learning initiative in the sales industry. Approximately 300 donors, alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends of LSBE gathered at the historic and newly restored Norshor Theatre to watch the worldwide business school premier of the full-length film The Story of Sales and to hear the news of LSBE’s new program. Produced by Salesforce.com, the film explores the history, evolution, complexity, contribution, and future of sales.
Lively audience Q & A followed the film with insights provided by Mike Bosworth, film cast member, best-selling author, authoritative leader of selling principles and owner of Mike Bosworth Leadership, along with Andy Boyd, Product (P&L) Marketing Manager at 3M and John Hastings, Senior Vice President of Sales at Loffler.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, sales workers in the services and wholesale sectors will continue to be in demand through 2026 because these occupations remain critical in building and maintaining customer bases for businesses.
“Sales is the backbone of the business world, and LSBE is delighted to have a sales component for our curriculum,” said Amy B. Hietapelto, LSBE Dean. “The 3M Frontline Sales Initiative Program is the type of immersive endeavor that we want to incorporate into our array of exemplary programs.”
More than a basic internship, 3M’s Frontline Sales Initiative Program provides students the opportunity to work in sales for a Fortune 500 company that has $30 billion in sales and 90,000 employees worldwide.
The eleven-week program couples a two-week orientation and training period with nine weeks of selling in a designated assignment for one of the company’s divisions in one of five business groups: Consumer, Energy and Electronics, Health Care, Industrial or Safety, and Graphics.
While LSBE will officially institute the Frontline Sales program this summer, several of its students have participated in the program. Most recently, one of the school’s students, Karly Weber, was hired by 3M permanently after participating in the Frontline Sales Initiative last summer.
“I was able to make an impact on my customers’ businesses in just a couple of months,” said Weber about her experience. “I was able to improve processes, make the production cycle more efficient, and create a safer environment for the employees!”
The experience opened Weber’s eyes to a career in sales.
“I never thought I would work in sales, and here I am now with a full-time job working for 3M’s Personal Safety Division as a Core Sales Representative, and I absolutely love what I do!”
The Frontline Sales program enables 3M to address its needs for attracting a diverse talent pool of “performance ready” entry-level sales candidates, which is reflective of 3M’s current culture.
For information regarding the program contact Rajiv Vaidyanathan, Head of LSBE’s Marketing Department at [email protected] or 218-726-6817.