Entering its third year at Virginia Tech, the marketing sales technology class continues to evolve with the constant changes happening in today’s technology. The course, MKTG 4054 – Sales Technology, taught by Professor Mark Michalisin, is a 3-credit course focused on the integration of technology and data analytics to advance sales with an emphasis given to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategies, benefits, operations, and application across the customer life cycle. To continue to evolve, previous semester feedback is invaluable. This semester the course has integrated the use of AI based on student recommendations. Students are using AI to create their sales pitches, help them generate questions for their case studies, as well as formulating their presentations based on the projects they work on during the semester. This feedback and ideology align perfectly with the Pamplin Plus curriculum as the push for more experiential learning and AI in classrooms are both being done in this course.

Students practice experiential learning by earning sales certificates in Salesforce and HubSpot – Salesforce is the number one CRM system companies are using today. Now every organization, whether that be sales, marketing, or management uses some type of CRM system. This has been proven by asking our board of advisors, sales partners, along with different companies who all say now more than ever they are looking for students with this foundation when coming out of college. The specific CRM system trained in is null, however; some background is preferred as they can then further train them on their own CRM system. Along with the background in CRM, this course allows students to thrive entering today’s business environment because of their added value with receiving third-party certifications in Salesforce and HubSpot. Many students they are competing with do not have these. Because the sales technology course is included in the sales minor where students take other classes including Principals of Sales, Professional Selling Sales Technology, and Advanced Sales Force Managment, they earn even more certificates. Taking all these courses gives students a total of 7 third-party certificates to add to their resume, differentiating them from other candidates.

To professor Michalisin, sales can be looked at as four pillars: personal selling, negotiation, conflict resolution, and leadership. Those four pillars are critical sales skills, but also life skills, so as a professor, Michalisin, wants to teach students that no matter what life throws their way, they can overcome it or any objection. One of his words of wisdom is, “I don’t care if you fall down 100 times. I care you get back up 101; Keep moving forward and never quit.” 

In addition to sales technology, Professor Michalisin teaches principles of professional selling and this semester started teaching careers in marketing. As a professor, his favorite part is interacting with each student he teaches. He has a great passion in coming to class, being on campus, and motivating each student with the inspiration to do their best.

For all interested students, MKTG 4054 will be offered in Spring 2026. The prerequisite for this course is MKTG 3104 and has a corequisite of MKTG 4554.