More Than a Class: Collegiate connection inspires partnership to teach sales and life lessons
Friday, December 19, 2025
Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu
On the first day of Sales Class, you can feel the energy before you even find a seat—quick wit flies between the two instructors and students laugh as they settle in. There is an unmistakable sense: This is not your typical lecture.
For decades, eager students have piled into Room 107 in Legacy Hall as the Agricultural Product Marketing and Sales course takes place at Oklahoma State University.
The course, fondly known to students as “Sales Class,” has a long-standing, positive reputation among the OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture students. Now, a duo keeps this tradition alive with a new set of teaching skills and stories to illustrate the art of sales.
Much like this decades-long course, the co-facilitators, Christy Lusk, a Ferguson College of Agriculture instructional volunteer, and Bailey Norwood, agricultural economics professor, share a similar history. Their friendship dates back to 1996 when they were pursuing graduate degrees in the same program at Kansas State University, in Manhattan, Kansas.
“We both started our master’s degree in agricultural economics at K-State at the same time,” Norwood said. “That is where we became very good friends.”
Now, the pair combine their professional expertise and real-world experiences to teach the course, following the retirement of Kim Anderson, former agricultural economics professor.
“We knew we needed to keep the sales class going because it is very successful,” Norwood said. “It is the class we have consistently heard was the most impactful class students take.”
Norwood said he knows the course is vital for students to learn soft skills and real-world sales techniques.
“Sales is a fundamental part of life — professional life, certainly,” Norwood said. “It is embedded in everything you do.”
Sales is a common entry-level position for students beginning their careers after graduation. Even if their first job is not in sales, the skills taught in this class can apply to any role, said Jayson Lusk, OSU Agriculture vice president and dean.
This course does a great job of preparing students, not only to get a job in sales, but also to be more successful in whatever they do, he said.
Norwood teaches the technical aspects of sales, and Christy Lusk conveys applied, real-world skills, Norwood said. Together, they combine sales theory and practice to ensure students are equipped and confident to take on industry roles.
“It is an art to be a good salesperson, but in the modern world, salespeople have to be good data analysts as well,” Norwood said.
A curriculum refresh, now incorporating more technology and data tools such as Excel and Power BI, has proven beneficial for students, said Katie Dillon, an agricultural economics master’s student and former undergraduate teaching assistant for the course.
“Sales is changing, and they wanted to make sure students were equipped to enter the workforce, not just in sales, but in general,” Dillon said. “My employers have been impressed with my Excel skills, and I think that is because of classes like this.”
Additionally, the duo recognizes the importance of professionalism and real-world application.
“The class teaches a lot of life skills, even if you are not going into sales,” Dillon said.
The expertise Christy Lusk provides gives students the interpersonal skills to navigate the business world, Norwood said. She guest lectures for modules such as etiquette, professionalism and relationship building.
All the instruction Norwood and Christy Lusk offer in the classroom leads up to the Ready, Set, Sell event. On RSS night, each student conducts a mock sale of a product to a real-world professional, Norwood said.
Often, those professionals are OSU alumni who were once students in the same class, he added.
Professional industry relationships are a vital part of the program and great example of how relationships with alumni are maintained in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, Jayson Lusk said.
There are mutual benefits when alumni return for RSS night because they want to give back, interact with students and share their knowledge, Jayson Lusk added.
The lessons also extend far beyond sales, Dillon said.
“The class taught me how to have nuanced discussions and realize it is all just business at the end of the day,” Dillon said. “It also taught me how to ask for ‘the close’ and that rejection is okay. It is going to happen often, and you move forward.”
Christy Lusk hopes the life lessons they teach shine through the most. She wants their message of authenticity and service to resonate with students.
“You can be a good person, be yourself, and still be successful,” Christy Lusk said.
What sets the course apart even more is how the duo teaches. The pair are very different people, but they complement each other and create a better experience in the classroom, Jayson Lusk said.
Christy Lusk prioritizes student engagement, Dillon said. She learns every student’s name, asks intentional questions and remembers details.
Christy Lusk values her role in making students feel welcome and building rapport, Jayson Lusk said, adding she is a connector and cares about developing relationships.
“I think that’s just a testament to who she is as a person and how she gets to know people well,” Dillon said.
Norwood flips the script on traditional teaching approaches. Dillon said he uses out-of-box activities to keeps students on their toes.
“Dr. Norwood’s philosophy is that teaching and learning should be fun,” Dillon said.
Together, the co-instructors emphasize the lessons students learn in “Sales Class” should extend beyond the walls of Agricultural Hall.
In a class about closing deals, the duo prove that authentic connections are the key to success.
Story by: Maci Carter | Cowboy Journal