International Insurance Sales Challenge

The International Insurance Sales Challenge (IISC) is an annual team selling competition hosted by the Florida State University Risk Management Program. EKU, being one of the few Universities with both a Risk Management & Insurance (RMI) Program and Sales Program, received an invitation through Dr. Lisa Gardner, Director of EKU RMI. The Berman Center team coached the competition and relied on the expertise of RMI faculty member Dr. John Bratton to help prepare our team. Since the case was about commercial insurance, as well as a team selling event, Camden Ritchie, RMI major, and Tanner Mollett, Marketing Major and Sales Minor, represented EKU. Camden and Tanner participated earlier in the Spring semester in the preliminary round which was judged by our Berman Center Sponsor, Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance.

The IISC is modeled after the ICSC or International Collegiate Sales Challenge, also hosted every Fall by Florida State. EKU will also be participating in this event with Role Play and Sales Case Management teams. The ICSC is always followed by a day at Disney World, therefore,one of the reasons that many of our students work to compete is for a chance to go to Orlando. Our students met hundreds of students from other universities as well as dozens of sponsors with both internships and full-time career opportunities.

As our first team selling event, IISC provided an opportunity to learn how important team selling has become. Leveraging the selling skills of an Account Manager (Tanner) in combination with the Subject Matter Expert in Insurance (Camden), our students learned the importance of planning and reading the reaction of the buyer while coordinating their questions and responses… not an easy task! Based on the positive experience of this competition, we plan on participating in at least one other team selling competition each year.

During our recent IISC trip, Camden and Tanner were able to participate in an in-depth and real world example of Risk Management in action.

They visited the Disney Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and met with the VP and Disney Team in charge of security and emergency operations for the entire 42 acre operation.

It was a fascinating visit to the heart of the Disney EOC…a most unassuming concrete bunker that is at the heart of all threats to and on the Disney Property. The property is twice the size of Manhattan and EOC protects 250,000 guests and 70,000 employees per day. Talk about Risk Management; everything from reuniting lost children with their parents to turning away or confiscating hundreds of firearms from off-duty law enforcement and concealed weapons carriers each day. The decision process to close the parks for weather-related threats is also an amazing exercise… they even leverage the Disney Cruise Lines to provide advanced notice of hurricane conditions heading to Florida.

As a small token of appreciation, Camden and Tanner both received the coveted Disney Security Medallion, something they will always carry on the Disney Property in case they have a run-in with Mickey! On the last day, Tanner and Camden were able to finally relax and spend time at both Top Golf and Universal Studios.