Start ‘em young is always a good philosophy and one that Marriott Vacation Club International employed recently. In late February, the Orlando-based timeshare giant hosted a two-day sales-focused workshop for a group of students from nine colleges with sales-oriented curricula.

Top juniors and seniors enrolled in sales degree or certificate programs were invited to the Collegiate Sales Summit at MVCI's headquarters, where they participated in a variety of interactive workshops to develop their sales skills. Along the way, the group learned about the timeshare business and its vast sales opportunities.

One of the presenters was MVCI's Stan Lewis, who was proclaimed “Best Sales Person in America” as part of the 2006 American Business Awards program. Marriott also has a lot of sales credibility, winning honors from American Business Awards and Selling Power magazine for its sales prowess.