AGEC 431 Capstone Prepares Students for Real-World Success in Sales and Marketing
Sales and Marketing seniors enjoy the opportunity to interact with industry during their capstone, AGEC 431, “Advanced Industrial Sales and Marketing.” This fall (2024), 24 seniors split into six groups and ended their semester with final presentations at Corteva, Bane Welker and Advisa. Beyond the industry presentation, students mentioned these activities as some of their other highlights – etiquette dinner with AgXplore, creating lifelong friendships with classmates, breakfast with BASF, learning how to find success in team dynamics and interacting with alumni.
A.J. Klinkhamer (West Lafayette, IN) shared, “This class differs from others in not only the intensity but also the ways in which the class is beneficial. The high effort and high reward manner in which the class is taught lends to students being held more accountable than most other classes with strict start times and attendance policies. The class is fast-paced and requires a lot of attention to both in-class activities and extracurriculars, including setting up professional meetings and lunches, as well as communicating with other industry professionals and executives.”
Marie Mechley (Cincinnati, OH) added, “This class has taught me how to professionally present topics in a way I have never done before. It also taught me how to research topics thoroughly and find good, trustworthy sources. Presenting topics to an audience in a business setting is a conversation, not a lecture. This is something I had not practiced yet in my career. Learning how to involve the audience, using slides as a helpful tool, not as a guide for yourself, and so many other things were so helpful to my future career.”
Ainsley Kratochvil (Fairbury, IL) explained, “This course differs from other academic courses because it allows you to develop and refine a research presentation that addresses real-world sales and marketing issues. Instead of just focusing on the theories behind these challenges, you create a well-researched presentation that offers tangible solutions to agricultural companies who face these specific challenges. You then present these solutions to respected industry professionals.”
Colin Martin (West Lafayette, IN) summarized, “Dr Downey and Professor Cochran are absolutely amazing. Together, they provide a professional environment unlike any other I have had in my time at Purdue. The group work gave us a chance to not only learn how to work and lead a team but also set us up with friendships that will expand beyond class. Throughout the class, we were given multiple opportunities to sit down and have real-world meetings with professional individuals. Having those meetings under your belt brings a level of comfort going into the real world that you typically don’t get in the classroom.”
