Learning through experience: The DeGroote Experience Fund

Dal Hennig and Nathan Gartley

The DeGroote Experience Fund was established through the generosity of donors who saw value in investing in future leaders. Each year, it supports dozens of undergraduate, MBA, and other specialized McMaster students to take full advantage of educational opportunities at home and abroad.

The DeGroote Experience Fund is used to help DeGroote students learn through experience. In 2019, the DeGroote Experience Fund supported 340 students in 34 supported activities, including conferences, case competitions, and service trips.

Dal Hennig was one of the students who received support from the DeGroote Experience Fund. He participated in the International Collegiate Sales Competition (ICSC) and the National Sales Challenge (NSC) in November 2019.

About the experience, Dal says, “competing at the ICSC and NCS has confirmed my passion and intent on pursuing a career in Sales. I met so many amazing people, both competitors and Sales professionals alike, and forged friendships that will last a lifetime.”

DeGroote had the opportunity to sit down with Dal Hennig, to talk about his experience at the International Collegiate Sales Competition.

Who are you?

Dal Hennig

I am a fourth-year student at the McMaster DeGroote School of Business, currently pursuing a career in Technical Sales.

I am an enthusiastic individual who seeks new opportunities and challenges and approaches them with a competitive spirit. In a progressive and ever-changing business environment, I believe that enhancing interpersonal skills and building relationships is a critical factor in attaining success, and this is what I strive for.

I believe in the value of playing sports and, more specifically, being a part of teams. It builds profound character and is a great teacher of finding success in the face of adversity and pursuing a common goal as a team.

What did this experience mean to you?

As a result of attending these competitions, I have developed an assurance that Sales is the career I want to pursue. I have confidence that I will succeed as a salesperson, and I have found my experience very beneficial in getting a job upon graduation.

What happens at the International Collegiate Sales Competition?

Each competition follows a similar process with students involved in sequential role-plays that demonstrated different stages of the B2B buying cycle. Students were observed in the role-plays by a panel of judges. They evaluated their ability to build rapport, conduct needs identification, handle objections, negotiate, and close the sale.

I have had a ton of fun at each competition, and more importantly, I learned a lot. I have made many connections and expanded my network with other sales students and professionals from North America.

What impact did this experience have on your learning?

These competitions have provided me the confidence that I need to succeed as a professional salesperson. I developed a knowledge of the language of sales, which has led to my success in other parts of my student life. The key to my success has been my depth of experience, which would not have been made possible without the DeGroote Experience Fund donors’ generosity.