Digital Marketing and Sales Management Added to BTC’s Degree Options

Students who complete a degree in either Sales Management or Digital Marketing will have the option to either transfer to a four-year college or pursue a career. The two degree programs are new offerings at Blackhawk Technical College this fall. Both programs are being developed and led by faculty member, Rich Fronheiser, and will be offered in flexible delivery formats to meet the needs of students.

According to Rich, “Marketing has changed dramatically over the years. I remember when digital marketing meant having a bare-bones website. Today, digital and social media marketing are a big portion of a company’s marketing efforts. Done well, it can mean quite a lot to a company. Done poorly, it can be very visible, very quickly.” Rich has spent many years as a marketing executive and brings a great deal of knowledge to his classroom at Blackhawk.

Students in the digital marketing program will explore aspects of digital marketing, such as analytics, search engine optimization, social media, and design concepts. Completion of the program will lead to a richer understanding of digital marketing fundamentals and a set of skills to digitally create, distribute, and promote products and services.

Although related to marketing, the sales management program allows students to learn about excellent customer service, sales techniques, and sales force management. The sales management degree gives students a comprehensive background in business practices and principles, finance, marketing, supervision, and project management.

“Sales as a professional has evolved since I started my career. It’s still very relational but now those relationships are built digitally, over-the-phone or via web technology,” said Rich.

The programs are interconnected. Marketing creates campaigns and strategies that the sales team relies upon to generate leads and move prospects through the sales funnel. Both professions have to be data-driven as well as people-driven to be successful. Rich is mindful of this balance and has incorporated this into courses for both programs.

The programs are designed with the busy student in mind. Many courses are offered in a 1-credit hour format. Meaning, students can tackle content more quickly in a modular format. In addition, most courses are being offered via MyEdChoice. This format allows students to attend class face-to-face, watch/participate online or watch later.

Rich concluded, “For individuals looking to improve their career paths or complete a four-year degree, Blackhawk provides an economical pathway for students to complete their goal. It’s a great place for people looking to learn while advancing or building their careers.”

Listen to Rich Fronheiser talk about the Digital Marketing and Sales Management programs: