To add value to the course, the Department of Marketing Management liaised with the Human Resources Development (Learning and Development) team from South African Breweries to expose students to valuable selling skills. Topics covered through this partnership over a three-week period included the anatomy of a sales presentation, handling objections and negotiating a sale.

Students had to do practical exercises which included playing the part of a customer or a sales representative in front of the class. They had to set objectives for their sales call, present the product, handle objections and negotiate a sale. The participants as well as the observers in the class learned a lot from these exercises.

SAB team member Christo Geldenhuys was impressed with the students’ participation in the activities and the quality of their feedback.

Here are some quotes by the students:

“SAB, you guys did a great job in our practical classes. You were fun, enthusiastic and entertaining. You provided valuable insight to all the students. We really appreciate all your effort and time.” – Angie Thompson

“Your knowledge and expertise in your field was inspiring to witness. I cherished every moment. It was very interesting to gain some insight into this company. I really enjoyed it! SAB is definitely a prospective company I want to be part of.” – Thando Cele

“Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time with us! I enjoyed the class a lot. It brought some energy and fun into class. I hope that you will keep sharing your knowledge with future students!” – Ji-Ling Suen

From left to right: The SAB team, Jaco Malan, Pamela Chetty, Lin Macfarlane, Sonja Snyman and Christo Geldenhuys.

Students doing a practical exercise.