FAMU Celebrates 9th Year of Media Sales Institute
Institute Prepares Young Minority Professionals to be Industry Leaders
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s (FAMU) Media Sales Institute (MSI) is celebrating nearly a decade of providing a gateway to career success for students who desire to enter the media sales industry.
For the last nine years, FAMU’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) and School of Business and Industry (SBI) have joined forces with Personal Selling Principles (PSP), the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) to host the institute, which successfully completed its 2014 session on May 22.
“The Media Sales Institute offers a specialized and valued-added education to its candidates,” said SJGC Dean Ann L. Wead Kimbrough. “The candidates are afforded excellent and unique opportunities to learn, grow and become the top recruits for the media industry.”
The MSI program provides an intensive 10-day sales training program for graduating college seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in media sales. The institute focuses on the fundamentals of media sales in radio, television, cable, print, digital/mobile platforms and emerging technologies.
In order to successfully complete the MSI, each participant must individually present a “real world” sales scenario to leading media companies to qualify and compete for entry-level sales positions. The NABEF and NABOB’s Education Foundation provided funding for this year’s initiative.
MBA candidate and Miami native Kimberly Rowe is a testament to the success of the program. Rowe attended this year’s MSI with a goal of being more equipped to enter the sales and marketing industry. Her expectations were exceeded.
“It was a unique experience,” said Rowe. “I gained knowledge that could take anywhere from six to seven months to acquire in only 10 days. I left the sales institute with multiple job offers.”
According to SBI Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud, the MSI was designed for students just like Rowe.
“The program seeks to fill the void by attracting minorities and women to an industry seeking more diversity,” she said.
NABEF President Marcellus Alexander applauded the institute’s organizers for their commitment to providing career training that will position participants for success throughout their careers.
"We are proud to be a sponsor of the MSI program at Florida A&M University,” Alexander said. “The commitments of the deans and faculty, combined with Personal Selling Principles' efforts have prepared these college graduates for successful careers in media sales.”
NABOB Executive Director James Winston echoed Alexander’s sentiments.
“The Media Sales Institute is a very effective program that is producing graduates who are ready and able to perform at a very high level the day they walk into their first media sales jobs. I am confident that many of the future leaders and station owners in our industry will come from the MSI,” Winston said.
The MSI program was initially developed in 1999 by PSP and launched at Howard University in 2000. The creation of the institute was the joint vision of Professor Ernie Fears, Sr. at Howard University and PSP Principal Jeffrey P. Myers.
Since its inception, the MSI at FAMU has received high marks. Both the participants and industry recruiters have respectively ranked the quality of the institute as above average, with a near 100 percent score.
According to Myers, the institute has established itself as a highly competitive training ground for producing professionals ready to meet the demands of the media sales industry.
“Together, with NABEF, NABOB and FAMU, we are proud to continuously address the needs of media sales departments by properly preparing future sellers to the ever-changing world of media sales,” Myers said. “I am very proud to have developed a program responsible for hundreds of future leaders for the media industry. The impact of the MSI is extremely rewarding for all involved, both professionally and personally.”
About PSP
Personal Selling Principles (PSP) is a media management and sales training company. PSP has implemented and facilitated the FAMU program for the past nine years, using it as an incubator to enhance the quality of the MSI program annually. More information on the MSI can be found at www.themsi.net and PSP at www.pspconsulting.net.
About NABEF
The NAB Education Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in supporting and advocating education and training programs and strategies to increase diversity. Learn more at www.nabef.org.
About NABOB
NABOB is the only trade organization representing the interests of African-American owners of radio and television stations across the country. The NABOB Education Foundation was created to help prepare the next generation of broadcast station owners and managers. Learn more at at www.nabob.org.
About the FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC)
SJGC is comprised of the Division of Journalism and the Division of Graphic Communication. The journalism degree program is the first journalism program at a historically black university in America to be accredited by the Accrediting Council on education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Learn more at sjgc.famu.edu.
About the FAMU School of Business and Industry (SBI)
SBI, a nationally renowned business school, was established in 1974 to prepare talented students from around the nation and the world to not only survive, but to thrive in a competitive global market place. Learn more at www.famu.edu/sbi.
Institute Prepares Young Minority Professionals to be Industry Leaders
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s (FAMU) Media Sales Institute (MSI) is celebrating nearly a decade of providing a gateway to career success for students who desire to enter the media sales industry.
For the last nine years, FAMU’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) and School of Business and Industry (SBI) have joined forces with Personal Selling Principles (PSP), the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) to host the institute, which successfully completed its 2014 session on May 22.
“The Media Sales Institute offers a specialized and valued-added education to its candidates,” said SJGC Dean Ann L. Wead Kimbrough. “The candidates are afforded excellent and unique opportunities to learn, grow and become the top recruits for the media industry.”
The MSI program provides an intensive 10-day sales training program for graduating college seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in media sales. The institute focuses on the fundamentals of media sales in radio, television, cable, print, digital/mobile platforms and emerging technologies.
In order to successfully complete the MSI, each participant must individually present a “real world” sales scenario to leading media companies to qualify and compete for entry-level sales positions. The NABEF and NABOB’s Education Foundation provided funding for this year’s initiative.
MBA candidate and Miami native Kimberly Rowe is a testament to the success of the program. Rowe attended this year’s MSI with a goal of being more equipped to enter the sales and marketing industry. Her expectations were exceeded.
“It was a unique experience,” said Rowe. “I gained knowledge that could take anywhere from six to seven months to acquire in only 10 days. I left the sales institute with multiple job offers.”
According to SBI Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud, the MSI was designed for students just like Rowe.
“The program seeks to fill the void by attracting minorities and women to an industry seeking more diversity,” she said.
NABEF President Marcellus Alexander applauded the institute’s organizers for their commitment to providing career training that will position participants for success throughout their careers.
"We are proud to be a sponsor of the MSI program at Florida A&M University,” Alexander said. “The commitments of the deans and faculty, combined with Personal Selling Principles' efforts have prepared these college graduates for successful careers in media sales.”
NABOB Executive Director James Winston echoed Alexander’s sentiments.
“The Media Sales Institute is a very effective program that is producing graduates who are ready and able to perform at a very high level the day they walk into their first media sales jobs. I am confident that many of the future leaders and station owners in our industry will come from the MSI,” Winston said.
The MSI program was initially developed in 1999 by PSP and launched at Howard University in 2000. The creation of the institute was the joint vision of Professor Ernie Fears, Sr. at Howard University and PSP Principal Jeffrey P. Myers.
Since its inception, the MSI at FAMU has received high marks. Both the participants and industry recruiters have respectively ranked the quality of the institute as above average, with a near 100 percent score.
According to Myers, the institute has established itself as a highly competitive training ground for producing professionals ready to meet the demands of the media sales industry.
“Together, with NABEF, NABOB and FAMU, we are proud to continuously address the needs of media sales departments by properly preparing future sellers to the ever-changing world of media sales,” Myers said. “I am very proud to have developed a program responsible for hundreds of future leaders for the media industry. The impact of the MSI is extremely rewarding for all involved, both professionally and personally.”
About PSP
Personal Selling Principles (PSP) is a media management and sales training company. PSP has implemented and facilitated the FAMU program for the past nine years, using it as an incubator to enhance the quality of the MSI program annually. More information on the MSI can be found at www.themsi.net and PSP at www.pspconsulting.net.
About NABEF
The NAB Education Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in supporting and advocating education and training programs and strategies to increase diversity. Learn more at www.nabef.org.
About NABOB
NABOB is the only trade organization representing the interests of African-American owners of radio and television stations across the country. The NABOB Education Foundation was created to help prepare the next generation of broadcast station owners and managers. Learn more at at www.nabob.org.
About the FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC)
SJGC is comprised of the Division of Journalism and the Division of Graphic Communication. The journalism degree program is the first journalism program at a historically black university in America to be accredited by the Accrediting Council on education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Learn more at sjgc.famu.edu.
About the FAMU School of Business and Industry (SBI)
SBI, a nationally renowned business school, was established in 1974 to prepare talented students from around the nation and the world to not only survive, but to thrive in a competitive global market place. Learn more at www.famu.edu/sbi.