Ready, Set, Sell
23 Professional Salespeople + 70 Students + Mock Sales Calls + Pleasant Dinner
= A Superb Learning Experience
What is Ready, Set, Sell?
Ready, Set, Sell is like improv. The students set the stage by:
- Describing the product or service they are selling
- Giving the prospect an identity, a back story and an occupation
- Specifying a time and place for the sales call
The professional salesperson (playing the role of the prospect) improvises their role in the sales call, showing what can happen with real customers and then providing feedback on the students' performance.
What Happens at Ready, Set, Sell?
- Our volunteers are grouped with three students and assigned a room.
- Each student conducts a mock sales call based on a product they have chosen that they will attempt to sell you.
- You will be assigned a profile, including your current supplier, your backstory and even your most likely objections to the product.
Why Volunteer
Did you have a mentor who was invaluable to your current success? This is your opportunity to become that mentor for someone else.
You might find your next great employee at Ready, Set, Sell!
Are you an OSU alumnus? This is your chance to show you are “loyal and true” to OSU.
We express our gratitude to you and your company on LinkedIn.
It’s surprisingly fun!
“I loved Ready, Set, Sell as a student and love returning to campus each year as a mentor even more!”
- Kaylea Hopfer, Cimarron Consulting
RSS At a Glance
October 29, 2026 | 4:30-9 p.m.
4:15 p.m. | Arrive at the OSU Greenhouse Learning Center. We will be waiting for you with free parking permits.
4:30 p.m. | Meet in the lobby of Agricultural Hall. We will brief you and assign three students to you.
5 p.m. | Conduct the Ready, Set, Sell activity. The students will escort you to a classroom where the Ready, Set, Sell activity begins.
7 p.m. | We all convene at Meditations for a pleasant dinner together (where some say the real mentoring takes place).
Before Ready, Set, Sell night, you will be emailed an information packet with details on the students assigned to you, their products and your profile for the activity.
If you have additional questions about the event or have trouble locating the activity, text Dr. Norwood at (405) 334-0010.
More About Ready, Set, Sell Some students target sales as their ideal career path, while others view it as an option. But sales is a part of everyone’s life, so Ready, Set, Sell is also about developing life skills.
Who are the Students?
The students at Ready, Set, Sell are enrolled in AGEC 3323 - Agricultural Product Marketing and Sales, and most are enrolled in the Ferguson College of Agriculture. It is an eclectic mix of majors including agribusiness, agricultural ecommunications and animal science.
Who Teaches the Course?
The course is taught by Bailey Norwood, professor in the OSU Department of Agricultural Economics and Christy Lusk, wife of OSU Agriculture Vice President and Dean Jayson Lusk. The course is steeped in history with the Ready, Set, Sell activity serving as a cornersone of the class for nearly 30 years.