Teaching Communication Skills in the Personal Selling Class

Abstract

Employers and accrediting agencies are demanding better oral communication skills of business students. The authors present a technique for developing such skills in a personal selling class. Through the use of role play materials that include information about a company and its goods or services, a procedure for developing questions, prepared answers for the prospect, a form for recording observations of skills demonstrated, and example scripts showing the sequence of actions to be performed, students are better able to develop an understanding of communication principles and confidence in their questioning and listening skills.