Zachary Hall
Texas Christian University
Neeley School of Business
“Dr. Hall has developed an incredibly hands-on, real world curriculum to develop the foundation for future sales leaders. I was a student of Dr. Hall’s when the Neeley School of Business Sales Program was in its infancy 6 years ago. Through role plays and real world selling skills, I was able to land a coveted Sales Training Role with Johnson & Johnson upon graduation. I have since earned a number of promotions and multiple quotas attained while selling Medical Devices in surgery for J&J. Remaining near TCU, I have been involved through various opportunities and events with the Sales Program, and it has been a pleasure to watch Dr. Hall grow what was once just 2 sales classes within the Marketing curriculum to a highly coveted, highly competitive, highly selective Sales Certificate Program. I would not be in the position I am in without Dr. Hall, nor would the dozens of students developing, graduating and joining the professional world.” – Preston Yale
Zachary Hall, 40, is Associate Professor of Marketing at Texas Christian University Neeley School of Business. He is also director of the TCU Sales Center which he founded in 2018 with the goal of imparting the crucial life skill of selling to all TCU students. Starting with 13 pioneering students, the program has expanded to include over 200 students, and there is currently a waitlist of 100.
Hall has won four teaching awards and been nominated for another six, with his most prized honor being the 2023 American Marketing Association Sales SIG Teaching Award.
His research primarily centers on enhancing the performance of salespeople and sales organizations, and his work has been featured in esteemed journals such as the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, and Industrial Marketing Management. He has received recognition from the American Marketing Association, winning the AMA Sales SIG Sales Excellence in Research Award in 2015, 2016, and 2021, as well as the 2023 James M. Comer Award for Best Contribution to Selling and Sales Management. In 2019, he was honored as an MSI Young Scholar.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2013
Education: Ph.D. in Business Administration, University of Houston; MBA and MSBA in Finance,Texas Tech University
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Foundations of Selling, Consultative Selling, Sales Practicum
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be …A salesperson for two primary reasons.
- At its core, sales is about solving problems for your customer.”
- Outside of sports, there are few professions where there is always a scoreboard that provides you measures and direct feedback of your effort, failures, and successes.
Every day, I would have the opportunity to help people and see a scoreboard of how well I was doing
One word that describes my first time teaching: exhilarating
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? The thing I enjoy most about teaching business students is being a part of their professional (and personal) transformation from sophomore to senior years and beyond, to post-graduation. Nothing makes me happier than reconnecting with a student, their spouse, and family five years after graduation, and hearing how I might have contributed to their success.
What is most challenging? Students in the business school typically have experienced high levels of success in some aspect of their lives—whether in grades, wealth, sports, or through their parents’ success. As a result, these students not only harbor high expectations but are also exceptionally talented. This reality adds an extra layer of pressure on faculty, requiring them to bring their A-game every day.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: scrappy
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: entitled
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … Students would describe me as someone who prioritizes the experience of learning, failure, and reflection over the ‘grade’.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? My hobbies are fairly simple:
- Sports: Every weekend (plus Mondays and Thursdays), you can find me watching the Frogs, Cubs, or Chargers.
- Traveling: As much as possible, I enjoy traveling to watch sports, with an occasional trip to Italy.
- Dogs: I have three amazing fur babies—Gunner (Chiweenie), Basil (Yorkie), and Teddy (Yorkie).
How will you spend your summer? Hopefully, I can kick off the summer at the Piazzale Michelangelo with a glass of Chianti Riserva, a fresh Italian sandwich, and my favorite person in the world, Randi. After that, we would spend most of June in Omaha, Nebraska, watching TCU baseball in the College World Series.
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Florence, Italy
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? You can always catch me listening to EDM, or Electronic Dance Music. It’s a versatile style that suits various activities, whether I’m working out or in the office. There’s always a style or beat that allows me to lose myself and focus.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … sales education. First, more business grads go into sales than any other occupation. Second, sales is the primary revenue-generating function in an organization. Third, sales jobs can be very lucrative, creating generational wealth for business graduates. Lastly, and most importantly, selling is a skill applicable not only to every career but also to every student’s personal life.
Despite all of this, less than 5% of schools in the USA have a formal sales program.
DON’T MISS THE ENTIRE ROSTER OF 2023’S 50 BEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSORS.
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