The Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at William Paterson University

Offering the First Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Sales in the World

Univ. Pres. Arnold Speert, Angelica and Russ Berrie, and RBI Exec. Dir. Jim Brown

Russ Berrie was passionate about the field of sales. His dream was to create an innovative world-class center dedicated to elevating and advancing the field of sales as a profession.

In early 2003, The Russell Berrie Foundation committed over $6 million to establish The Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at William Paterson University. It also made a grant of over $2 million to build a state-of-the-art professional sales laboratory at the RBI. The Institute is housed within William Paterson University’s Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business.

The RBI is dedicated to advancing the field of professional sales through three means:

1. Offering a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Sales to students majoring in sales, the first of its kind in the world. Students gain skills not only in the classroom but through hands-on learning experiences, such as role playing in the Russ Berrie Professional Sales Lab and sales internships at area corporations. They come away with a solid education in sales, and the ability to enter a sales position at an advanced level.
   
   
2. Offering customized and innovative sales training and consulting to practicing business professionals in corporations, to help them improve their performance and gain a competitive edge.
   
   
3. Offering students and working professionals, through the Russ Berrie Professional Sales Laboratory, the opportunity to develop sales skills and perfect key sales behaviors in a unique interactive business environment that simulates real-world settings. Some of the modules taught to students and working professionals include coaching, business acumen, strategic account management, negotiation, customer relationships and management systems. The Sales Lab features a state-of-the-art conference room and five sales practice rooms which contain:
   
   • Robotic digital cameras to record students practicing sales presentations
   • Plasma screens to display the interactions on single or split screens
   • An editing room for creating electronic DVD portfolios that can be used as digital resumes for students
   • One-way mirrors to allow viewing by professors
   • Computer-based stations for teaching inside sales
   • Distance learning and videoconferencing capability

Professional sales students hone their sales skills in the Russ Berrie Professional Sales Laboratory

“This bachelor of science degree in professional sales offers the broad-based curriculum and the practical skills to meet the challenges of the fast-changing business world,” said RBI executive director Jim Brown.

The Institute’s team of leading academic sales faculty and experienced sales professionals have been the key drivers to developing high quality academic and corporate training programs. The combination of the RBI’s expert team, the Sales Lab and the commitment of William Paterson University has proved to be a winning formula for developing successful educational programs that challenge and motivate young people and professionals in innovative and exciting ways.

At the opening of the Russ Berrie Institute in December of 2002, Russ Berrie described his vision for RBI: "to create the most successful selling program in the nation." After only three years operation, the RBI is on the right path to fulfilling his goal.

http://www.wpunj.edu/rbisales/