Up-close learning at Salesforce, world-leading CRM technology

Q: How do you complement the already robust curriculum in the Larry L. Luing School of Business^® at Berkeley College?

A: You bring students to the heart of the business world—the global headquarters of Salesforce, the world’s leading customer relationship management (CRM) technology.

Connecting theoretical learning with real-world applications

“The primary objectives of this visit were to provide my students with insights and an opportunity to connect theoretical learning with real-world applications,” according to Professor Kim Malcolm, who accompanied students from the Professional Selling course. “Additionally, to enhance the content of a “Group Sales Proposal Project” assignment, the students had to develop a comprehensive sales proposal for Contacts, Inc., a fictitious company that manufactures Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, to present to the Vice President of Sales at Allied Bank,” Malcolm continued.

Insights from experienced professionals

Students from Dr. Sylvia Ephraim’s Sales Management course were also part of the field trip, a prime example of the focus on experiential learning at Berkeley College. The day included presentations from key associates from several areas of the Salesforce, organization, including Daphne Charles, Senior Software Engineer; Alexa Ricard Leoto, Associate Solutions Engineer; and Apurva Panidhar, Signature Success Sales Executive.

Students recognize the value

Students agreed that the visit was an overwhelming success, offering comments such as:

“The Salesforce presentations were informative, and the Q&A session helped clarify some topics discussed in class.”

“The visit was insightful, and I learned a lot about Salesforce's sales operations and various career paths.”

“It was good to learn and understand the day-to-day work of professionals in this field.”

“This was a great opportunity to network with Salesforce professionals and build connections" and “It was good to learn and understand the day-to-day work of professionals in this field.”

Experiential learning at Berkeley College

Learning doesn’t only take place in the classroom at Berkeley College. Through internships, guest speakers, field trips, and other industry-related events, experiential learning allows students to learn firsthand from leading professionals and engage in hands-on activities that provide important insights into current trends in the workplace. These experiences also provide valuable opportunities to build their resumes and cultivate meaningful connections that support their professional growth. The focus on experiential learning aligns with Berkeley's mission of empowering each student to achieve lifelong success by equipping them with practical skills, networking opportunities, and real-world, hands-on experiences.

The views and/or opinions in this article are those of the individuals interviewed. The academic achievements and/or employment outcomes described in this article are specific to each individual and are not a guarantee of similar results for past or current students. For up-to-date and detailed information, please visit BerkeleyCollege.edu and view our catalogs at BerkeleyCollege.edu/publications.