UC names new academic director for Grau Center for Professional Selling

“Sales to me is a noble profession. It’s a ‘helping’ professional,” said Sojka. “We teach students that sales is not about being pushy and it’s not about ‘sell me this pen’ from ‘The Wolf of Wall Street.’ It’s about asking really good questions, listening, being trustworthy, being likeable and then solving a problem where everybody feels like they’ve won. That’s what sales is all about. And it’s a really rewarding, lucrative career.”

Sojka brings a distinctive combination of academic, coaching and professional experience to her new role. She has taught Lindner marketing and sales courses for several years, and has more than a decade of professional sales and retail experience through spells with Dell Technologies, ALDI and Kroger. Sojka also competed on Indiana University’s sales team as an undergraduate student and served as a Varsity Sales Team coach while earning her Master of Science in Marketing at Lindner.

Designing and implementing the sales curriculum is Sojka’s primary charge.

“I'm really excited about the opportunity to impact more students. Sellers are not born, they’re made,” Sojka said. “We want more people to learn sales skills because they are life skills; they’re not just important if you go into professional selling. How do you negotiate your first salary? How do you have a difficult conversation with a co-worker? These skills are transferable.”

“The very first day, I made the mistake of asking students, ‘How many of you want to go into sales after graduation?’” she recalled. “I could literally see the students slinking down their chairs. Not one student raised a hand, and I never asked that question again. From that humble beginning, students have learned that sales is a critical life skill and a gateway to a productive career.”

Each semester, more than 450 students enroll in Lindner sales courses detailing confident selling, insight-based selling, sales management and strategic selling. Engagement opportunities include sales-focused student organizations and the Grau Center Professional Sellling Lab, which was dedicated in April. And students are now heavily recruited by leading sales firms for full-time jobs.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Jane for her constant focus on student success in the sales field and everything she has done to make the center such a success,” said Karen Machleit, PhD, marketing professor and department head.

Featured image: Ann Sojka stands outside the Grau Center Professional Sales Lab. Photo/Danielle Lawrence