‘Tis the season of giving, and students in NC’s School of Business honed their sales skills while supporting the homeless within our community.

As part of an assignment in the Professional Selling Course, 70 students in the Business – Sales and Marketing program participated in Raising the Roof’s Toque Campaign. This charity has been leading the way in finding long-term solutions to homelessness across Canada through the creation of affordable housing, employment opportunities for people at risk of homelessness, and fundraising through its annual Toque Campaign.

For this term, Raising the Roof challenged NC sales students to sell ball caps instead of their traditional winter toques. Each student was given a package of five ball caps and tasked with selling as many as they could in approximately one month, raising money for the campaign. This assignment provided hands-on sales experience, allowing students to practice various sales tactics learned in the classroom.

“They really get to experience the challenge and exhilaration of closing sales,” said Monique Finley, Professor in the School of Business & Management at Niagara College, who has been involved in leading students in this project for several years. “They experience every element of the sales process, including product presentation, transaction, pitch, and close. With the Toque Campaign project, students also exercise different sales approaches based on what their ‘client’ was interested in, whether it was the hats themselves or the charitable element.”

First-year Sales and Marketing student Rebeca Jimenez de Bonilla explained how she used different sales tactics to overcome challenges and secure ten hat sales, raising $200.

“Some customers were not inclined to buy the caps for various reasons: the season, fit, price, and more,” she said. “But no matter the objections, I found benefits or features that could make the customers want to purchase them. It wasn’t just about the product but about what the organization represents, so I used nostalgia as my sales strategy, and I really believed in what I was selling.”

Students raised a total of $5,894, with some individuals raising over $300 worth of hats. They were graded on their ability to sell and assessed on the success of their sales.

All money raised from the sales goes back to the charity’s Raising the Roof Toque Campaign, supporting their RESIDE program. This program renovates vacant properties into homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The renovations also provide training and employment for youth with barriers to employment in the trades, tackling homelessness through both affordable housing and job opportunities.

For first-year Sales and Marketing student Bryar Baughman, who graduated from NC’s Welding Technician program in 2022, the most rewarding aspect of the project was the chance to research and educate people about the Raising the Roof cause.

Baughman, who sold 14 ball caps raising a total of $280, learned that effective sales require more communication and persuasion than she originally thought.

“When communicating with people, I learned how some process new information through subtle cues and body language,” she said. “I could tell if they were intrigued or not and adjusted my sales techniques accordingly to secure sales”

After she earns her Business diploma from NC in 2026, Baughman hopes to create her own line of women’s workwear. As a welder, it has always been her dream to weld in garments meant to fit properly, as there is not enough inclusivity in the trades for women.

“I assume one day I will pitch my line of clothes to people, and the skills I learned through this project will help me,” she said. “This experience taught me more about myself than I anticipated. I had to dig deep and give each sales pitch my all to make the sale.”

Niagara College has partnered with Raising the Roof for over nine years, integrating the fundraiser into the Professional Selling course within the School of Business and Management. NC students have raised more than $180,000, supporting this great cause while refining their sales and marketing skills.

“We were very happy to partner with Niagara College sales students to provide them with a real-life sales opportunity that has the added bonus of making a difference in the community,” said Leslie Bellingham, Director of Resource Development and Communications at Raising the Roof. “The funds raised go toward creating homes and employment opportunities for those who need them the most. The students proved to be excellent salespeople for the ball caps, a testament to the great education they are getting at Niagara College.”

“I’m very proud of these students,” said Finley. “Practicing sales can push someone outside their comfort zone. They’ll never know if they have an affinity for it unless they try it, and these students welcomed the opportunity, working hard to achieve great results for a good cause while enhancing their sales skills.”

NC Sales and Marketing students will partner with Raising the Roof’s Toque Campaign again in the winter term, continuing to practice their sales expertise while giving back to the community.