Inside Sales Lab

Mark Schlimme | VP of Marketing | SCREEN Americas

When did your business join the Inside Sales Lab program?
SCREEN may have been the first commitment to the Inside Sales Lab program in the fall of 2019; however, with the onset of the pandemic, we did not fully launch our program until the spring and fall of 2021.

Can you describe your experience with the Inside Sales Lab?
The Inside Sales Lab has been a valuable resource for SCREEN. We have a small direct sales team covering all of the US and Canada and our marketing budgets aren’t comparable to the competitors in our space for a variety of reasons. We don’t deploy our interns in the Inside Sales Lab program in “direct selling” efforts; rather, we use our interns to expand the reach and personal touch of our sales team and amplify and reinforce our other marketing efforts with a personal approach. The industry we serve is under transition and our customers and prospects are intrigued when they’re contacted by young representatives of our company. In this way our messenger IS our message as it demonstrates our commitment to the next generation of professionals in our industry.  

How has your business benefitted from participating in this program?
In a very direct way. The work the interns perform for us in communicating with our customers and prospects “stretch” my marketing budget by reinforcing and amplifying our messaging. But I have also hired two graduates from the University of Missouri into full-time positions with our company, including a woman who was originally an intern for us with the Inside Sales Lab. I can say with confidence that if I had not had the opportunity to expose her to our company while she was still a student that I would not have had the opportunity to gain her confidence once she was in the workforce. 

What makes students at the Trulaske College of Business unique?
I think there is a realness, a genuineness, in the middle America values and work ethic that connects and resonates with our customers. The interns we’ve had at MU project a very approachable yet professional image. Mizzou, and the students it attracts, embody this appeal.

What do you hope students take from the experience?
I think the experience we provide of talking to decision makers and business owners is valuable for students. Getting over the jitterness and nerves that comes with that is a big part of the experience. Personally, having sold capital equipment myself for over 15 years, I know that one of the main challenges in selling is dealing with rejection and “no”. If a student is serious about a career in sales, they are going to hear some version of “no” a lot! The Inside Sales Lab provides a low-risk and forgiving environment to learn how to manage this.

Gabrielle Buccieri | Business Administration – Emphasis in Marketing, Graduated May of 2023

Experience with the Inside Sales Lab: 
I worked in the Inside Sales Lab my junior and senior year. I was able to work alongside other interns who also worked for the same company and learn from interns that were also working in the Sales Lab for different companies. It was great to network with my fellow students and bounce ideas off each other to make our calls as successful as possible. 

What did you gain from the program? 
I gained real world experience prior to graduation, which helped me when I entered my professional career. I felt like I already had my foot in the door with comfortability when speaking to new customers or prospects and I was able to build relationships quickly on the phone because of my experience in the Inside Sales Lab.

How did my participation in the Inside Sales Lab help me achieve my goals after your graduation?
 My participation in the Inside Sales Lab helped me achieve my goals after graduation by giving me the tools to prepare for cold calling when I entered the sales world, and it allowed me to fail and learn the importance of practice as a student, which many students do not have the luxury of having prior to graduation. I wouldn’t trade my experience in the Inside Sales Lab for anything! It definitely contributed to my success in relationship building, cold calling, and communication skills that have helped my professional career post-graduation immensely.

WHAT TO EXPECT BEING AN INTERN IN OUR INSIDE SALES LAB

Students who conduct their internship in the Inside Sales Lab will gain the valuable experience of calling on and developing business relationships for our Lab Partner firms. These companies hire and train, develop and lead their inside sales lab interns to generate new business opportunities as well as to conduct market research into industry trends, growing brand awareness and building account relationships. 

With the latest technology and customer service relationship management integration, our Inside Sales Lab Interns develop the necessary technical and communication talents to increase brand awareness, build client profiles, produce new business and get a jump on the competition. 

Students enjoy the Inside Sales Lab experience because of its flexibility—students can schedule their weekly internship time around their daily class schedule.  The Inside Sales Lab offers a convenient, immersive, yet adaptive internship experience that prepares students for many of the hybrid/remote and inside sales functions that are more and more prevalent. 

If you would like to be considered for the Inside Sales Lab Internship, please fill out the following survey and attach your resume, and one of our faculty/staff will be in touch.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY NOW