The logistics were a little tricky when Caleb Roche started taking business trips.

At 20, the baby-faced marketer for Inspire Brands wasn’t old enough to rent a car. In some locations, he was too young to make a hotel reservation.

“I literally had to have my boss call ahead and say, ‘He’s traveling for business,” Roche laughed. “It was wild.”

Roche, 27, wants Oklahoma State University students to know you can begin a business career at any life stage, whether you’re an adult returning to school or the youngest person in the room, like he once was. His early experience among seasoned professionals prepared him to lead the Center for Sales and Service Excellence in the Spears School of Business.

Roche, who joined OSU in August, also teaches introductory and advanced professional selling courses as an assistant professor of professional practice in the Spears Business School of Marketing and International Business. At 19, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Oklahoma before obtaining his MBA from West Texas A&M University at 21.

His resume might fool someone into thinking he’s several years older, but Roche relates to Generation Z because he’s part of it. He is training the next generation of sales professionals to build trust with customers and create an enjoyable shopping experience, progressing beyond the high-pressure tactics of the industry’s past.

Like a doctor or engineer, a respected sales professional prepares with education and practice, Roche said. On the third floor of OSU’s General Academic Building, the CSSE provides opportunities for students to do just that.

Q: How did you get into marketing, and what did your path to OSU look like?

Roche: I thought it was really interesting just seeing how brands get into the minds of a consumer. From a very young age, I always loved looking at billboards and wondering,
“How do they come up with that?” So, I went to college for marketing.

I went and worked for a company called Inspire Brands right out of college. They own Jimmy John’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, Dunkin’ Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and a couple of other brands. I did market research for them in new product development. We surveyed customers and saw what they wanted. I spent some time there and then started my own consulting firm. I basically grew it from the ground up, just myself, and started doing a lot of sales.

I realized that it’s fun to make a lot of money and be a self-starter, but I got to the point where I wanted more fulfillment in life instead of just increasing shareholder value. I finally realized one of my passions is teaching people, or being a mentor. A door opened a year and a half ago at Oklahoma Baptist University for me to become a professor. I started working there and won the Faculty Mentor of the Year Award. Dr. Justin Lawrence, head of OSU’s School of Marketing and International Business, reached out in May, so that’s how I ended up here.

Q: What is your approach to teaching in a way that resonates with students?

A: I’m going to meet you where you are. We all have good or bad days, but I try to make that bad day into, “Let’s build the energy up, do some in-person sales exercises, get talking and increase our mood.”

I integrate a lot of in-person exercises into the classroom, structured in ways where we start class with an exercise, we learn for 20-25 minutes, then we do another exercise. That way, we’re breaking it up, so from a learning perspective, you’re not just sitting here listening to me talk for an hour.

I try to relate with my students: “I’m a person, and you’re a person. I’m here to teach you, but we all know life is really hard.” I want to make sure that I’m there for them when they’re having that hard moment or they’re thinking about their career. “How can I help in that situation?” is my focus.

Q: So far, what has your experience as the new CSSE director been like?

A: As of right now, we have about 100 students involved in the center. We just wrapped up applications, and we have about 50 applications. We’re hoping to take 30-40 of those, so we should be at about 130-140 students in the center. So, there is that piece where I’m trying to get to know 100 different students and make sure they know I’m there trying to build relationships.

There’s also the sponsor side. Last year, we ended with about 12 sponsors. I technically started on Aug. 1, and I had to hop in to make sure those relationships were off to a good start. We actually were able to grow up to 15 sponsors.

We also have our competitive sales team. We had four students on our sales team coming into this year, so we had to recruit people, and we’re at 16 now. I’ve been booking trips, figuring out where we’re going to go. We’re trying to provide stability for the students but, at the same time, see where we can grow from there.

Q: From the first day a student steps into the center, what can they expect?

A: We’re not geared to a specific classification, but we normally have juniors and seniors because that’s when it makes more sense – junior year, you’re getting internships, and then senior year, you’re looking for your full-time role. So, we have a Sales Development Club that is kind of an offshoot of the CSSE, where freshmen and sophomores can join. There’s no commitment – you don’t have to apply; you can just join. Once they move into the CSSE, we have an application process, and then our executive team and I interview the applicants.

Once they are accepted, we have a meeting on the last Wednesday of every month. We bring in speakers, have pizza or food, and meet for about an hour and a half. We also have a full sales lab that we’re building out right now in the GAB.

The biggest opportunity is networking and overall career advice that the center provides. With 15 sponsors, we have a wide range of companies that are part of it. I was walking around the career fair, seeing our sponsors, and they told me, “Hey, I met three CSSE students today, and they are top-notch.”

It is also a sales certificate program, so at the end of the program, students will have a certificate in sales and service from the CSSE.

Q: What is a fundamental lesson when you’re teaching students how to sell something?

A: Sales is a relationship-based industry. You could be the greatest salesman in the world, but if you don’t have a relationship with that person, it’s going to be much more difficult for them to buy from you. If you walk in the door and you have an established relationship with someone, you’re going to easily make that sale, or at least have a better chance of it, because they have so much trust built with you.

As a salesperson, you’re always practicing conversations. You’re always learning how people communicate through actions – if someone is sitting here looking you in the eyes, or if they’re looking away, what does that mean? It’s a relationship-based game, but at the same time, you always have to practice your craft, too.

FAQ

Who leads the Center for Sales and Service Excellence at Oklahoma State University?

Caleb Roche, 27, directs the Center for Sales and Service Excellence, known as CSSE, in OSU's Spears School of Business. Roche joined OSU on Aug. 1 and also teaches professional selling courses as an assistant professor of professional practice.

Where is the CSSE located?

The CSSE is on the third floor of OSU's General Academic Building.

Can freshmen and sophomores join the CSSE?

Freshmen and sophomores can join the Sales Development Club, an offshoot of the CSSE, with no application or commitment required. The CSSE itself is not limited to a specific class year but typically enrolls juniors and seniors.

What do students get from the CSSE?

CSSE students gain networking opportunities with the center's 15 corporate sponsors, career advice and a certificate in sales and service at the end of the program. Members also attend monthly meetings featuring speakers.

Visit the website to learn more about the CSSE.