Coastal Carolina University business students were recently presented with a plaque from the Coastal Carolina chapter of the American Red Cross.

Students in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration’s personal selling class, taught by Professor Monica Fine, received this honor for helping raise more than $4,000 to benefit local families affected by war, poverty or who are victims of natural disasters.

The students were given the opportunity to take the skills they learned in the classroom and implement them in the business world in hopes of making a positive impact on the community.

Nanci Conley, director of the local Red Cross, visited the class earlier in the semester, which inspired the students to choose the American Red Cross for their project. They were able to raise money by making a prospect list of businesses in the area, visiting those businesses and soliciting donations. They also created two events that generated revenue: a car wash and a karaoke event at the Tavern in the Forest. The students used the seven steps of the selling process to meet their goals: prospecting; qualifying prospects; setting appointments; presenting; overcoming objections; obtaining commitment; and mailing out thank-you letters to donors and volunteers.

“I am honored to be awarded a plaque by the American Red Cross,” says Ryan Jackson, a student in Fine’s personal selling class. “This project was very beneficial to me as a college student, and I feel like a good Samaritan for raising a significant amount of money for the Grand Strand community.”