Why professional sales starts with listening

For nearly 20 years, Concha Allen has helped Central Michigan University students see sales not as a script or a numbers game, but as a relationship built on listening, trust, and purpose.

Allen, a marketing and professional sales faculty member, is the founding faculty member of CMU’s professional sales program. Her approach to teaching is shaped by experience—including an early sales career that showed her what did not work.

After earning her undergraduate degree in advertising with a marketing minor from Texas Tech, Allen entered sales, like many business graduates do. But without formal sales education, she was trained in a transactional, high-volume model.

“I wanted to spend more time with each customer,” she said. “It took longer, but once you built that relationship, it led to something long term.”

That experience stayed with her. It led her to pursue an MBA, begin teaching, and eventually earn a Ph.D. so she could better understand sales and relationship building—and teach students a more sustainable, human centered approach.

Teaching sales and confidence

Today, Allen primarily teaches Personal Selling, an introductory professional sales course taken by students across the College of Business. While the class covers sales fundamentals, Allen sees it as career preparation for any path.

“The first thing you’re going to sell is yourself,” she said.

Students learn how to ask thoughtful questions, listen actively, and present their skills with confidence—whether they are interviewing for internships, full-time roles, or leadership opportunities. Allen also emphasizes the importance of sales as an entry point into understanding how organizations work.

“In business-to-business sales, you know more about the customer than anyone else,” she said. “That knowledge helps you move up in an organization.”

Leading with gratitude and grace

When asked what she hopes students take away from her courses, Allen points to mindset over metrics.

“An attitude of gratitude,” she said. “That will get you anything you want in life.”

A mother of two, Allen brings empathy and awareness into the classroom, paying close attention to how students are doing – not just how they are performing.

“I care deeply about their wellness,” she said. “You have to meet students where they’re at.”

That philosophy became even more central during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which reshaped her approach to teaching. Where rigor once dominated the conversation, Allen now prioritizes connection, flexibility, and learning that lasts beyond the semester.

“I lead with grace over grades,” she said. “I want students to learn skills they can use in their careers and in life.”

Her recent research reflects that shift, focusing on mindfulness, growth mindset, and mental health–areas she believes are essential to long-term success, not just professional achievement.

Helping students find their path

Allen spends significant time helping students reflect on their strengths and passions, especially those questioning their career direction.

“If you lead with what you’re passionate about, the career will follow,” she said.

Despite a career path that could have led elsewhere, Allen says teaching offers something no other role could.

“What I get from teaching is worth more than any monetary value,” she said.

After two decades at CMU, her favorite part of the job remains simple—the students.