Thunder Sales Competition
April 14th, 2026
All day event, see schedule for details
SUU Student Center Ballroom
Welcome to the SUU Annual Thunder Sales Competition! As the highlight of the Professional Sales program every year, Thunder Sales aims to provide experiences for you to practice the sales skills you've been learning all year long and connect you with potential employers. You do not have to be in the sales program or even have taken a sales class to compete! This competition is open to all students on campus, for any major and any class.
Thank you for your interest. 2026 information will be updated soon and registration will open again by March, 2026.
Schedule
(Please note, timing is subject to change)
- 8:30-10:00 am in BUS 243 - Negotiation Workshop
- 1:00-2:30 pm in BUS 250 - Speed Pitch and Sales Role Play Workshop
- 2:30-4:00 pm in BUS 250 - Speed Pitch and Sales Role Play Workshop
(Please note, timing is subject to change)
- 9:00-10:30 am - Negotiation Competition
- 11:00-1:00 pm - Career Fair and Speed Pitch Competition
- 1:00-1:15 pm - Speed Pitch Awards Ceremony
- 1:30-2:30 pm - Professional Sales Advisory Board Luncheon
- 3:30-6:00 pm - Sales Role Play Competition Round 1
- 6:00-6:30 pm - Keynote Speaker
- 6:30-7:30 pm - Dinner for Negotiation and Role Play Competitors and Judges
- 7:30-8:30 pm - Sales Role Play Competition Round 2
- 8:30 pm - Negotiation and Role Play Awards Ceremony
Competition Details
New to 2025, is the Negotiation Competition and the Career Fair. Our Negotiation Competition will be different from any other competition we’ve done and will be completed via multiparty negotiations. Further, we invite representatives from sponsoring companies, judges and others to attend and network with student participants during all aspects of the competition, but primarily during the Career Fair and Speed Pitch Competition.
With the addition of the two other events, Thunder Sales is composed of four main events: the Negotiation Competition, the Career Fair and Speed Pitch Competition, and Rounds 1 and 2 of the Sales Role Play Competition. Details for each of the competitions is provided below.
The Career Fair will run from 11:00 am-1:00 pm and is open to all students on campus and any company who’d like to attend. Please note, priority attendance will be given to companies who are sponsoring and participating in the various Thunder Sales competitions, specifically the Speed Pitch Competition. This opportunity is provided so students can engage with prospective employers and it is a great recruiting tool for our partners.
SUU ProSales is also hosting three Thunder Sales Workshops to help students better prepare for the competition which are open to any and all participants. These workshops are to provide assistance in refining and working speed and role play pitches as well as negotiation tactics. We will have experienced students in attendance to provide sample pitches and aid in the improvement of pitches and negotiation plans.
For further details, please review the competition rules and for a breakdown of the individual parts of the competition see the information below.
As stated, the Negotiation Competition will take place first and will be held as a multiparty negotiation. Students will be divided into 4 groups with up to 5 students in each group, allowing for a total of 20 students to compete. Groups will be assigned after registration.
Competitors are given a case study prior to the competition date to negotiate a contract for one thing or multiple things. This year, students are to compete individually to secure the best terms for themselves within the group. Whether they act as the buyer or seller will vary from year to year, but all details will be provided in the case study.
Student groups are given 90 minutes to complete the negotiation and will be judged based on what items or conditions they can negotiate.
The Negotiation Competition will have only 1 winner out of all students who enter to compete. The winner of the competition will receive a prize for $350. In the case of a tie, the tie will go to the student who acquires the highest total financial benefit.
For this portion of the event, all students are invited to attend to pitch themselves in front of various businesses during our Career Fair. It is a great opportunity to practice sales, introduce yourself to hiring companies, and win prizes for the best personal pitches! Students participating in the Speed Pitch competition are to assume they have a 1-minute job interview with a potential employer. They should be prepared to present themselves, their strengths, attributes, why they should be hired, etc. to the judges in front of them.
Only the first 64 competitors are allowed to compete, though the Career Fair is open to all students whether or not they’re competing. Students participating in this competition will be divided into 4 groups. Your group assignment determines which group you’re scored with and to which judges you present.
Students competing in the Speed Pitch Competition are to complete it anytime during the Career Fair between 11:00 am-1:00 pm. Each group will be assigned 4 judges they need to visit and present to. You are to find your assigned judges throughout the fair, present your 1 minute pitch, and the judges will time and score you. Each student should present their pitch a total of 4 times! Once for each judge assigned to your group. At the end of the fair, judge score sheets will be collected. Student’s final scores will be a cumulative total between all the judges in your assigned group. Each group will then have a first and second place winner for a total of 4 first place winners and 4 second place winners.
The judging criteria for the speed pitch includes only two questions. We ask each judge to answer (1) “how confident were they at selling themselves?” and (2) “would you hire this person?” and rank each participant on a scale of 1-5 for each question. Your scores are totaled from the four judges you pitch to in order to determine your overall score.
8 prizes total will be awarded – 4 first place winners and 4 second place winners. First place winners will receive $100 gift cards, second place will receive $50 gift cards.
View the videos below for examples of a speed pitch.
Speed Pitch Examples
All students are invited to compete in presenting a sales pitch based on a case study, which we will provide, to a panel of judges. Only the first 48 students to register will be allowed to compete. Students enrolled in ProSales classes are required to compete. The case study will become available to you once you’ve registered for the event.
For this first round, you are given 15 minutes to make your presentation and gain the opportunity to advance to the next round, a meeting to close the deal. Each student will privately present one at a time to your assigned judge and buyer, each judge and buyer seeing up to 8 students.
Please view the competition rules for further details. Judges will score each participant based on the criteria found in the competition rubric. The highest scores from each judge will determine the finalists. The top 6 competitors from round 1 will compete in the final round.
All specific instructions for this round can be found in the case study given after registration. A Role Play example video is provided below.
Sales Roleplay Example
The top 6 competitors from the role play competition will pitch again for their chance to win 1st-3rd place. You are to have prepared a closing pitch for this portion, guided by the given case study, and are given another 15 minutes to complete the sale.
The top 6 competitors will be split into two groups of 3, and presenting to 3 judges and each person will take a turn presenting to the judges and a buyer from Round 1. As before, judges will score each participant based on the criteria found in the competition rubric. The cumulative scores from each judge in your assigned group will determine each student's final scores. The top scores from each group determines the overall winners. 1st place will win the grand prize of $1,000 and a unique 3D printed Thor Hammer, 2nd receives $500, and 3rd receives $250.
- The Career Fair is an opportunity for all participants to meet the judges before and after the different competitions. It is an opportunity to network, to meet with friends, and relax so you are better prepared. Though this portion of the competition is not required to be attended by those not competing in the Speed Pitch, it is highly encouraged.
- Dinner will be provided for all Negotiation and Role Play attendees (judges and participants). This year’s caterer is High Voltage BBQ. Advance notice of additional guests is required and space is limited. If extra space is available, it will be provided on a first come first serve basis. Please contact mareebeach1@suu.edu.
- The ProSales program uses this competition to choose the following year’s sales team that travels to competitions across the entire country. At the end of the competition, 4 competitors may be asked to join next year’s (25-26) sales team and receive team jackets.
- Due to the generosity of our competition sponsors, a scholarship fund has been created for our sales students. Funds are still growing and details are still being determined. Stay tuned for more information!
Sponsors
Previous Events
1st: Luke Perkins - $1,000
In the first round of this year’s competition, students were challenged to deliver a 15-minute sales pitch based on a provided case study to a panel consisting of one judge and one buyer. Each student presented privately, with judges and buyers evaluating up to eight students each. This high-stakes round determined who would move on to the final meeting—a simulated deal-closing scenario.
This is the cornerstone event of the competition and was featured prominently. Luke Perkins took home the $1,000 grand prize, making a strong case for both his selling skills and the value of preparation.
Congratulations to our Case Study finalists:
- Luke Perkins
- Josh Miles
- Isaac Iverson
- Penelope Campion
- Tanner Moss
- Tyler Haymond
The winners of this year’s speed pitch competition include the following:
- Abigail Jones
- Dax Hill
- Miranda Garza
- Isaac Van Drimmelen
- Josh Miles
- Alice Annaccarato
- Kade Andra
- Jack Fairchild
For more details about the 2025 competition view the official competition press review.
1st: Luke Perkins - $1,000
2nd: Josh Miles - $500
3rd: Emree Olsen - $250
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the competition shifted to a virtual event. Using online video conferencing, and personal recordings, the program still managed a successful competition despite the challenges.
"Thunder Sales was great! It provided me with the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and really grow my professional sales skills. One of my favorite parts of the competition was the opportunity I had to network and connect with all of the partners and sponsors from some of the top companies in Utah and the nation! Every student should be getting involved with the Professional Sales program at SUU to set themselves up for success after graduation no matter what career path they choose!"
-Luke Perkins, First-place Competition Winner.
Despite having to forego the usual activities for the annual Thunder Sales, such as a career fair, dinner for students, and competing in person, the Professional Sales program still managed a successful competition and offered students valuable experience in their future fields.
For more details about the 2024 competition view the official competition press review.
1st: Marlee Ressler - $500
2nd: Carter Barlow - $350
3rd: Luke Perkins - $200
Out of the 48 people who signed up, a total of 12 awards were handed out, which included $50 and $100 gift cards to the second and first place personal pitch winners, respectively, as well as up to $500 to the role play winners.
Carter Barlow, a recent SUU graduate who studied business management and marketing and served as a Professional Sales Ambassador during the 2022-2023 school year, has done several competitions throughout his time in the program and enjoys the competitive nature of the event. He won one of the $100 first place prizes in the personal pitch along with second place $350 prize in the final role play round.
In Barlow’s experience, the competitions he’s participated in have been highly valuable for developing skills in sales, communication, and networking, and they’ve allowed him to hone his competitive side. According to him, there were a few reasons he participated in this competition.
“I was a Professional Sales ambassador, and I’m in the advanced professional sales class so it was part of our grade as well, but I honestly just competed because I wanted to win,” Barlow says.
His desire to compete and win is what brought him second place in the role play portion, and through his active participation in Professional Sales at SUU, Barlow has learned that preparation is the most important factor in sales and for these competitions. He advises that anyone else interested in these events should prepare as much as they can in order to be prepared for whatever might be thrown at them.
In addition to second place in the role-play competition, Barlow took one of four $100 first place titles in the personal pitch, with the other winners including Marlee Ressler, Dani Nikolashin, and Alexis McIff. The four $50 second place winners were Amberly Mikkelson, Luke Perkins, Miranda Garza, and Chantel Clark. From the role play, Ressler also took both the $500 first place and $100 People’s Choice awards, and Perkins took the $200 third place award.
1st: Matthew Matheson
2nd: Davis Chipman
3rd: Megan Bury
Over 30 students participated in this year’s competition, students Matthew Matheson, Davis Chipman, and Megan Bury earned the top spots. Matheson took home a Thor hammer - a unique prize created by the SUU Makerspace - along with his top choice of prize from Zonos.
“This was an incredible opportunity to get hands-on experience in professional sales,” said Matheson. “It was exciting to have Zonos come and sponsor the competition. Kurt Wankier prepared our class well. We practiced hard and the result was rewarding. I’m so excited to see the Sales Program continue to grow at SUU.”
The competition began with a series of speed pitches to judges from the local business community. Students from disciplines across campus competed and winners included Jo B Shurtliff, Cameron Morgan, Megan Bury, Madelyn Tebbs, Davis Chipman, Jordan Howe, Keiko Schwartz, and Megan Allart.
Following the speed pitch, students of the new Advanced Selling Techniques class presented three minute case study pitches to judges from the event sponsor, Zonos. The night finished with a final round of pitches from five finalists, seniors Isaiah Tate, Megan Bury, and Matthew Matheson and juniors Ethan Vawdrey and Davis Chipman.
Contact
For more information, general competition questions, concerns, etc, please contact Maree Beach at (435) 865-8433 or mareebeach1@suu.edu. For questions regarding the case study and pitches contact Kurt Wankier at kurtiswankier@suu.edu.