University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas McCombs School of Business was launching a new Professional Sales and Business Development minor and needed to generate interest among undergraduate business students. While the program offered strong long-term career value, initial awareness and enrollment interest were extremely low.
Sales as a career path carries negative perceptions among students, often seen as low-status or misaligned with long-term executive goals. Early outreach resulted in minimal traction, with only three students expressing interest. The challenge was not the quality of the program, but how it was positioned for a highly ambitious, outcomes-driven student audience.
Through extensive student research and interviews, we identified that McCombs students were primarily motivated by earning potential, career trajectory, and professional status. We reframed the program messaging to align with those motivators, highlighting successful CEOs, founders, and business leaders whose careers either began in sales or were accelerated by sales skills. The branding and messaging focused on sales as a foundational skill for leadership rather than a standalone job, positioning the minor as a launchpad for high-income and high-influence careers.
The reframed strategy transformed student perception and demand for the program. Interest grew from just 3 students to over 90 at each info session, allowing McCombs to consistently fill full cohorts across three consecutive semesters. The sustained enrollment success demonstrated how targeted research-driven messaging and differentiated branding can completely change how a program is perceived and adopted by a competitive student population.
