Purdue University Northwest student places fifth in international sales competition
Dupree Price
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) student Dupree Price placed fifth in the fall 2025 RNMKRS Cold Call Competition. The Gary, Indiana, native was one of several PNW students who participated in the virtual competitions that included over 350 students from across the United States and Europe.
“I was so surprised,” says Price about his top 1% ranking. “The final results were announced on a slide deck presentation, and when I saw my name and photo, I was ecstatic! As soon as I saw it, I texted my professor, Dr. Claudia Mich, who was an instrumental part of my participation in the competition.”
According to the Sales Education Foundation, 55% of all college students, regardless of their major, start their career in the sales field. That number goes up substantially in business with over 80% of marketing majors starting in sales. The RNMKRS competition is designed to give students hands-on practice and prepare them for real-world sales scenarios in a controlled environment. The competition features three categories – RolePlay Sales, Speedsell and, for the first time, Cold Call.
“Students need to be prepared to have effective conversations and deal with the rejection that comes with a sales role,” says Claudia Mich, a founding director of the Professional Selling Program at PNW and a professor of Marketing. “Cold calling is perhaps the most difficult aspect of sales because you are contacting strangers who have no reason to talk with you. This virtual role-play allowed sales students to practice cold calling in a safe environment.”
One thing that I love about my classes is how they really apply to the real world. It was basically being able to combine what I learned from all my classes and then just go and do it in the competition.
Price competed in the Cold Call category. The exercise featured a sophisticated artificial intelligence-powered bot named Logan, which imitated a skeptical, time-strapped decision maker. The objective was to persuade Logan to agree to a second meeting with only a thin margin of error allowed. Participants were allowed unlimited practice calls, receiving immediate feedback after each attempt, with only their highest score recorded for the final ranking.
“Within the first few seconds you had to establish credibility with Logan or he would hang up,” says Price. “There were certain key words or phrases he was looking for, and if you didn’t hit on them, Logan would hang up the call and you would lose points.”
Competitors were judged in several areas, including gaining credibility, establishing value within the first few seconds, handling objections, professionalism and manners, uncovering needs or hidden objectives, and closing.
Price, a Marketing major with a minor in Sales, credits his success in the competition to his coursework in PNW’s College of Business, emphasizing his success wasn’t just about talent but about the specific skills and tools he learned in class.
“One thing that I love about my classes is how they really apply to the real world,” says Price. “It was basically being able to combine what I learned from all my classes and then just go and do it in the competition.”
Dupree is an exceptionally hard worker. He learned different ways to approach prospects who are complete strangers, took the feedback seriously and continually improved in his performance.
Claudia Mich, a founding director of the Professional Selling Program at PNW and a professor of Marketing
Price credits Mich’s mentorship for influencing his success in the Cold Call competition. “She’s very supportive,” says Price. “She always looks for the best in you and pushes you, so you give it your all every time.”
“Dupree is an exceptionally hard worker,” says Mich. “He learned different ways to approach prospects who are complete strangers, took the feedback seriously and continually improved in his performance. He went through over 30 practices before hitting his high score and placing in the competition.”
In addition to Price’s high ranking, PNW as an institution was also acknowledged at the awards ceremony, ranking fourth overall out of all competing institutions.