Wittenborg Students Put Negotiation Skills to the Test in Helsinki

Representatives of Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences recently attended the European Sales Competition 2024, held from 22 to 24 May in Helsinki, Finland, hosted by Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.

It is said that the contemporary job market needs competent and employable graduates, and having sales skills is essential for this purpose, together with negotiation, communication, consulting and other competencies. In this competition, students had the opportunity to rapidly improve their sales skills but also had the opportunity to connect, work, build up careers and have fun with fellow students from different cultures and meet with interesting companies and potential employers.  

And just like in previous years, the European Sales Competition featured a diverse programme, including team presentations and intense sales negotiations.

This year, the competition, which is known for benchmarking international selling skills among university students, attracted participants from prestigious universities across Europe, Asia, and the United States. Among them were Wittenborg's standout students, Fjodors Svinarevs and Beniamin Droukin, who earned their spots after winning Wittenborg's Negotiation Skills Project Week in April 2024.  

Of the experience, Svinarevs said, "From the European Sales Competition, I managed to experience what it actually is like to be in negotiations with buyers. This time I felt a lot more pressure when I participated in the activities compared to the project week at Wittenborg."  

He added, "Entering a room full of judges that I don't know along with a buyer that will ask me unexpected questions made me feel nervous at first. During the first sales negotiation round, I was able to gather the client needs and make an agreement; the negotiation went fairly well. The second negotiation round was quite disappointing because the buyer started asking me strange questions that made my mind go blank and I was not sure how to answer. On the bright side, I managed to reflect on my negotiating skills and see how I can improve them, and this event is something that I can add to my CV. Moreover, the team activity was an activity that I enjoyed the most because I was able to meet new people and network."  

Droukin loved every minute of the competition and said that he participated in roleplays with "representatives" of Teamviewer, and attempt to sell them the services of management events. He had to work with a group of students from Germany, the United States and France, and present how they would meet the CEO of Teamviewer.  

Svinarevs and Droukin were accompanied by Myra Qiu, Head of Executive Affairs, and Alexander Bauer, Associate Professor of Applied Sciences.  

Qiu highlighted the benefits of such competitions: "These competitions are highly beneficial for academic and professional development as they help students refine critical sales skills such as negotiation, communication, active listening and strategic thinking. Participating students gain practical, hands-on experience that can significantly enhance their confidence and competence in real-world sales environments. It is also a great opportunity for our students to expand their networking with other international students."

WUP 07/06/2024 
by Erene Roux 
©WUAS Press