Indiana State University Newsroom

A prominent author and sales expert will discuss his latest insights in the sales industry at Indiana State University on March 27.

Mike Bosworth, founder of the solution selling concept and co-author of "What Great Salespeople Do: The Science of Selling through Emotional Connection and the Power of Story," will present "The Power of Story" in Hulman Memorial Student Union, Dede I. Bosworth will discuss the success behind the sales approach, including how people can utilize it. His visit is part of the State Farm Circle of Influence Speaker Series.

"There's some momentum building for getting away from too much use of technology during the sales interaction," said Jon Hawes, director of the Sales and Negotiations Center in the Scott College of Business at ISU. "It's a little bit of getting back to the more interpersonal relationship. People are getting tired of reading e-mails and looking at PowerPoint presentations and watching webinars. The value of the personal contact and the face to face interaction is significant."

Bosworth has been influential in developing several different schools of thought in the sales field through the last several decades, Hawes said. Bosworth was involved in the creation of spin selling, which emphasizes salespeople asking questions of potential clients in a sales call to determine how to best suit their needs, Hawes said. Bosworth also created "solution selling," which is well-known and commonly used by salespeople in the technology industry, Hawes said.

People attending Bosworth's presentation "are going to get an opportunity to hear a great presentation from somebody who's been involved in some landmark discoveries within the field of sales," Hawes said.

The event costs $50 to attend, which includes a buffet dinner, social hour, Bosworth's presentation and an autographed copy of "What Great Salespeople Do." Sponsorships, which start at $350 are also available and will include an additional roundtable session following the presentation, where representatives from sponsoring companies can recruit Indiana State students in the sales program.

More than 150 people have already registered for the event.

"Having a speaker of this caliber come to Terre Haute is really a treat," Hawes said of Bosworth. "We couldn't be happier to have him involved with our sales program."For more information about the ISU Sales and Negotiations Center or to register for the event, contact Jon Hawes at 812-237-2286.

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Other/Media-Services/Bangalore-Conference-2012/i-jgX3D8T/0/L/Bosworth_Michael_150%5B1%5D-L.jpg (Submitted photo)Mike Bosworth

Contact: Jon Hawes, professor of sales and director, Sales and Negotiations Center, Scott College of Business, Indiana State University, 812-237-2286 or jon.hawes@indstate.edu

Writer: Austin Arceo, assistant director of media relations, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or austin.arceo-negrich@indstate.edu