CALGARY, Alberta, June 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Dr. Derek Hassay, assistant professor of marketing in the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary, was recently among 18 educators recognized for their contributions to teaching in a celebration for the inaugural University of Calgary Teaching Awards. Hassay received an Award for Experiential Learning Initiatives in recognition of Selling Smiles 101, a program he developed eight years ago in partnership with Vector Marketing Canada, the Canadian sales division of Cutco Cutlery Corporation , the largest manufacturer of high-end kitchen cutlery in North America. Hassay also serves as a member of Vector Marketing's Academic Advisory Board.
Selling Smiles 101 gives marketing students hands-on experience with direct sales by selling Cutco, while raising money for the Children's Wish Foundation . Student sales teams in Hassay's class are given a small budget and sample Cutco Cutlery kits. They are then asked to develop and implement an effective sales strategy and, most importantly, to actually go out and sell product. To date, students in the course have raised more than $200,000 for Children's Wish and sponsored 13 wishes for families in the Calgary area.
"I am honored to be among the first group of recipients of the teaching awards," Hassay said. "Selling Smiles is a transformative learning experience for students, who have to understand the product, make contact with buyers outside friends and family, and learn to handle rejection. These are all important skills that cannot be learned in a classroom."
The inaugural teaching awards were presented in 11 categories, recognizing faculty, graduate assistants, librarians and non-academic staff.
"Everyone at Vector Marketing feels honored to be able to call upon the knowledge and experience of such an exceptional and dedicated educator," said Joe Cardillo, National Sales Manager of Vector Canada . "We are so happy that the University of Calgary recognizes and supports both the high-caliber of the Selling Smiles program and the importance of experiential learning."
Hassay added that the skills learned in Selling Smiles 101 apply regardless of the field the student chooses to enter into after graduation. "We all run our own personal 'micro-company', whether we work for ourselves or for someone else," he said. "By getting out there in the 'real world', students learn to take responsibility for their own outcome. They learn that success is really up to them and how hard they want to work. They also learn the importance of helping those less fortunate, something that too many people forget about on the road to success."
About Cutco Cutlery Corporation and Vector Marketing
Cutco Cutlery is a 65-year-old company with headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Olean, New York. Vector Marketing is the company's sales division, coordinating all sales for Cutco Cutlery through a national network of college students who sell products through in-home personal demonstrations. More than 15 million US households have a Cutco product.
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Vector Marketing (Cutco) Diana Laverdure +1 561-483-7040
