On September 20 and 21, htw saar in cooperation with gwSaar, Saarland Economic Promotion Corporation, have organized a Sales Summer School dealing with the repercussions of digitalization on the sales team. Addressees were executives and sales and purchasing staff as well as persons in the key account, marketing and product management. With over 60 participants a new attendance record could be booked once more.
For Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Appel, especially the fact that sales staff targeted is of relevance because this only rarely happens in everyday university life but offers many chances for graduates in economics. Prof. Dr. Frank Hälsig stresses the networking opportunities within the community. `Our concept to introduce special deep-dive sessions where participants could have an intensive exchange with university representatives, speakers and economic promotion specialists but also directly with each other has worked`.
In one and a half day, the participants got impulses and suggestions on today´s challenges to sales activities, expected trends and the real influence of buzzword dgitalization in their respective working areas. Special focus was on site marketing – a topic where gwSaar wants to activate networks of estate agents and sales people. For the first time, also the real estate branch was addressed as, in the light of digitalization, this sector will have to master special challenges. `Soon already, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and Blockchain Technology will dramatically change this sector and confront builders and tenants with completely new requirements`, sums up gwSaar´s Marketing Director Anja Petschauer. `The flat viewing in Saarbrücken can then also be followed live from New York. Our Saarland estate and area portal does not yet go that far. But we offer easy interfaces to this additional sales channel`. https://portal.germanys.saarland
Among the participants, the event received a positive feedback. Jörg Dombrowski, Project Manager at Entiac GmbH, attended the Sales Summer School already for the third time. `I appreciate the familiar atmosphere, the exciting mixture of topics, the quality of the lectures and the excellent networking opportunities. For me, also the combination of university knowledge and practical know-how is a strong aspect.´
Atmosphere and contents also convinced Andreas Müller, Managing Director of deltatecc, for whom it was the first Sales Summer School. `Effective networking, an interesting exchange of ideas and cross-sectoral themes – that´s what makes the Sales Summer School unique.`
