Every year, a few CRMBA students have diligently pulled themselves away from their studies and friends to attend a prestigious training program across the harbour in Dartmouth. This program, known as Sandler Training Nova Scotia, has provided hundreds of business professionals with sales and leadership training; and for the past ten years, its been generously offered to a select number of students free of charge.

Those lucky enough to be selected are put through an intense training program (September-January) consisting of theory, role playing, and more. For some, the experience can be completely new: immersive and challenging at the same time. The common refrain though? You get out what you put in:

I was told by the students I consulted – as well as instructors – that you get out what you put in. At first, it was a bit tricky diving into the theory and getting the hang of role playing when I was not actually representing a business. So I decided to tailor each topic to the “role” that would provide me the most benefit, whether it be Camille the applicant or Camille the employee. Overall, the experience has been a unique opportunity to push the envelope and engage in an area I had no formal training in. – Camille Chandra, MBA Class of 2017 

But beyond the obvious application that training in sales can provide, students have walked away with other (sometimes surprising) lessons from the experience:

I think this program is best suited for somebody who may see sales as a part of their career interests, but needs to bridge the gap between workplace and formalized experience. The neat part is where you can apply the methodology to yourself (i.e. seeking job opportunities). Whatever the reason, there are numerous applications of the curriculum, and the instructors are happy to tailor your experience to your specific needs. – Camille Chandra

Why Sandler?

But what makes students keep coming back? Speaking with past graduates of the program, the common theme was the many unexpected ways the program has helped them in their professional career. While many of these individuals have ended up in sales/sales-related positions, others have gone into unrelated fields, but still carry the lessons they learned so many years ago in Dartmouth with them:

Moving forward I am eager to include Sandler training on my resume and to discuss my skills with prospective employers. My participation in the program has given me the confidence to pursue a sales oriented career path. An important insight has been that sales isn’t about product features, but instead about solving problems – this can be applied in so many corporate scenarios. – Celia Peters, MBA Class of 2017