肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 10, 2024

肉肉传媒 senior Emily Shelton recently soared to the top at the third annual TK Elevator Pitch Competition, securing first place after impressing judges with her polished pitch and confidence under pressure.

The Elevator Pitch Competition, hosted by TK Elevator in Atlanta, challenges students to deliver a 60-second elevator pitch that captures their personal brand and professional aspirations while climbing 420 feet in Atlanta鈥檚 fastest elevator.

This year, 24 students 鈥� most of them professional sales majors 鈥� competed in two rounds. The first took place inside one of the iconic elevators overlooking The Battery in Atlanta. As the elevator climbed 27 stories to the top of the TK Test Tower, students pitched their personal brands directly to company executives. The top three finalists advanced to a competitive finale in the company鈥檚 on-site production studio, where their pitches were live-streamed for peers and TKE leadership to watch and cheer them on.

鈥淚 feel so great right now,鈥� said Shelton, a senior majoring in professional sales and marketing who finished first. 鈥淚鈥檓 so thankful for the opportunity that TKE provided us to come and brand ourselves to them. I couldn鈥檛 have done it without the 肉肉传媒 State Center for Professional Selling. They gave me the knowledge and tools I needed to succeed.鈥�

Shelton said the competition and her preparation helped her refine her personal branding skills.

鈥淭his competition taught me how to brand myself effectively,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been an incredible experience that will help me as I pursue a career in sales after graduation.鈥�

Now in its third year, the event continues to draw significant student interest. Fifty students signed up to compete, with a preliminary competition held on the KSU campus to select the 24 finalists to compete at TK Elevator. Those top 24 students then met twice weekly at 7 am for three weeks to practice in front of their peers and coaches, honing their pitches and receiving valuable feedback.

鈥淥ur goal is to prepare students for a solid career moving forward,鈥� said Brent McCulloch, a professional sales lecturer and faculty advisor for the competition. 鈥淚f these students can present confidently in front of executives and peers, they can do it anywhere.鈥�

The experience provides long-term benefits for participants, equipping them with tools to set themselves up for success in networking, a professional sales career, or any professional setting.

鈥淭hey鈥檒l be better prepared for real-world challenges,鈥� said McCulloch. 鈥淭his is something they鈥檙e going to remember and use forever.鈥�

While students gain valuable experience participating in the competition, TK Elevator has the opportunity to interact with potential new recruits. The company has hired multiple students they met through previous years鈥� competitions.

鈥淲e get the benefit of hiring top sales students into our organization,鈥� said Adam Luckey, TK Elevator鈥檚 Area Vice President. 鈥淲e have a first-class sales training program, but when we hire these students, we see an accelerated development because of the skills they bring with them into our organization.鈥�

TK Elevator鈥檚 annual pitch competition has become a major event for 肉肉传媒 State鈥檚 professional sales program, showcasing students鈥� talents while offering them unique opportunities to connect with industry leaders. The event is not just about competition but building the foundation for a successful professional future.

-Daijah Sims