​​​ A galaxy of sales stars in SEASAC 2021

What was in pre-event promotion billed as probably the "Biggest Ever International Higher Education Sales Competition", the South-East Asian Sales Competition SEASAC 2021 saw over 80 registered students from 11 countries. SEASAC 2021 included also experienced business buyers and around 100 judges from 15 countries.

SEASAC sponsored by Salesforce, was held between 3 - 5 March 2021. Hosted by the Universitas Katolik Parahyangan (UNPAR-Indonesia), this exciting event produced a galaxy of potential sales talents from across South-East Asia and Europe. SEASAC is designed to simulate 'real' international business to business (B2B) interactive meetings and this really was the case again in this online edition of the SEASAC.

From the wealth of participants, Singaporean students won two of the four first places. The highest ranking Singaporean student, and overall competition winner, was Sean Tan Zhong Yue, a student of Nanyang Technical University, Singapore.

In second place was Gabrielle Stephanie Siregar, a student of the State Polytechnic of Batam, Indonesia. She was followed by Noel Steven Limbong in third place, a student of the State Polytechnic of Batam, Indonesia; and Ivan Sim Ding Hao in fourth place, a student of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Competition Director, Dr Margaretha Banowati Talim (UNPAR) said "I am delighted that we had a huge number of students participate, they are all stars. My thanks go my own staff and students, the various ministries of education and to the huge number of people from across the globe who helped make this a success".

Universities across South-East Asia joined this initiative in sales education to boost sales resilience. Students used their sales education to enter a 'live' role-play sales meeting in front of an anticipating jury. Due to meet the existing global business environment affected by COVID19 pandemic, the SEASAC 2021 edition was held online in virtual meeting rooms using audio and video connection.

Smooth implementation of SEASAC 2021 was secured thanks to series of carefully choreographed and timed-limited preparation meetings, managed by UNPAR, and supported by a wide range of partners from across South-East Asia and Europe.

SEASAC is a European Commission funded Erasmus+ project created to support the professionalisation of B2B sales throughout the South-East Asian region. Sales education is based on a mixture of research and skills practice. Students' final assessment is to participate in the simulated live sales exercise organised by a conglomerate of Universities under the SEASAC banner.  Competition buyers and judges were drawn from all over the world and have a wide variety of experience from business and pedagogy.

Mr. Harri Lappalainen, the Head of the SEASAC project and representing Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland), says, "We have now in great cooperation with relevant stakeholders created a Community of Practice around B2B sales higher education in South-East Asia. My feeling is that this has still been just a prelude and we expect to see expansion of SEASAC concept to hundreds of universities and polytechnics in coming years".

The sales competition concept, as adopted to South-East Asia, has been developed and tested over many years by a number of European universities. Winners of the European Sales Competition and SEASAC are offered reciprocal opportunities to compete, thereby expanding students' and lecturers' cultural understanding of B2B sales. Furthermore, a joint driver for all higher education operators is to serve better the growing needs of markets for international B2B sales experts.

Source: South-East Asian Sales Competition