Raymond Katinsky, right, on Friday awaited his chance to close the deal on a Web-based product with a wary prospective buyer. Dressed in a suit, the William Paterson University student pulled out all the stops. He came prepared with quick answers to troublesome questions posed by a faux company executive scrutinizing him from behind a desk. Katinsky was rewarded for poise under pressure, placing first in the championship round of “role play selling” – a contest going on all week at the Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales, part of WPU’s business college. On Monday, about 80 “professional sales” students began the grueling competition. On Friday, it took over an hour for the four finalists to deliver their spiels. At an evening dinner, Katinsky was honored for his “ability to open a conversation, present information, provide solutions and gain a commitment.” That wasn’t all. The students also took part in mock job interviews, trying to sell themselves in two minutes to prospective employers – played by area businesspeople and WPU staff. Finalists in Friday afternoon’s role-plays were observed delivering their 15-minute pitches via remote broadcast to professors, sales professionals and fellow students – all watching on widescreen monitors at a nearby auditorium, above. Each misstep in a presentation was greeted with groans – and hearty laughter. - Patrick Tuohey