Service Learning Inputs and Outcomes in a Personal Selling Course

To improve the use of service learning in the marketing curriculum, Petkus (2000) recommended that future research focus on empirical studies of service learning in specific marketing courses. Personal selling represents a key component of marketing that is quite amenable to service learning, yet very little research has examined the use of service learning in a personal selling course. This study seeks to remedy this omission by describing the inputs and outcomes of a service learning-based Sales Project that forms the cornerstone of a unique approach to teaching personal selling. Quantitative and qualitative analysis provide evidence that the class Sales Project is associated with numerous benefits for the course's students and nonprofit partners.