Fiore Talarico Center for Professional Selling

Fiore Talarico ('74), a retired Houston businessman with a history of nearly 40 company acquisitions and sales — ranging from pharmaceuticals to pizza — invested $1 million in 2011 to establish UD's Center for Professional Selling. This Center provides students with a vital, safe space to develop and practice business-to-business, consultative sales techniques, preparing them for their careers.

The Talarico Center is supported by nine corporate sponsors: Reynolds & Reynolds, Crown Corporation, TEKsystems, Henry Schein Dental, Gartner, IGS Energy, Altafiber, Parker-Hannifin, and Tarkett. These corporate partners not only provide financial backing — their sales professionals also serve as invaluable coaches and mentors, offering students real-world insights and guidance.

Role-Playing Experiences

Students in the principles of selling gain real-world experience by role-playing sales calls with business partners who act as buyers. Students are also required to job shadow an outside business-to-business sales representative for at least half a day and submit a paper about the experience.

Sales management students must conduct a comprehensive face-to-face interview with a sales manager who has at least 3 direct reports, and also participate in two practice sales calls:

• As a purchasing director or buyer
• As a sales manager who is conducting a post-sales call performance review

Pi Sigma Epsilon

The Eta Delta Chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon has 75 members. It's backed by sponsors like Crown, Gartner, TEK systems, Taylor Corporation, Tarkett, IGS Energy, Parker Hannifin, Reynolds and Reynolds, and Henry Schein.

Members gain hands-on experience through mock interviews, sales presentations and networking opportunities. Signature events include the annual Flyer Sales Challenge, where members compete with peers for the chance to earn a spot on the UD team that advances to regional and national competitions. The organization also engages in community service activities, alumni events and career preparation.

In the Words of Our Alumni

• "The Sales Center was the most transformative part of my college experience and professional development at UD. It pushed me to step outside my comfort zone, apply what I learned in the classroom, and embrace the challenge of getting better and learning through failure. The skills, mindset, and confidence I gained there continue to shape how I approach my career." — Mitch Fowler
• "The University of Dayton Sales Center has been instrumental in shaping my career, providing me with real-world sales experience and foundational training that set me up for long-term success. From entering the field post-grad with confidence to now leading sales for a Strategic Business Unit across the U.S. and Canada at Henry Schein, the impact that the Sales Center has had on me has been transformative." — Caroline Crabtree

• Access to Professionals: Students have access to more than 20 employee representatives from the Center's sponsors: Reynolds & Reynolds, Crown Corporation, TEKsystems, Henry Schein Dental, Gartner, IGS Energy, Altafiber, Parker-Hannifin, and Tarkett.
• Student Coaches: Upper-level students involved with the Center have the opportunity to step into a leadership role to help competing students practice and prepare for competitions.

The Talarico Center offers a state-of-art facility in which to hone your skills in a variety of role-play settings: office-sized sales labs, a large conference room for group or team sales presentations and even a lobby area, where you can practice pitches that will get you past the front door and into a meeting.

Schedule an academic visit with the School of Business Administration today.