In reading the book Lessons Learned: Making the Sale, I had the opportunity to read about some of the most experienced leaders and how they approach obstacles that they face on a daily basis. Although there were 14 important lessons in this book, there were a couple that I wanted to talk more in depth about.
In the beginning of the book, Richard Santulli, Founder and CEO of NetJets, pointed out that salesmen need to prove to their customers that they care. When selling any product or service, it's important to relate to your customers and to know how your product or service will help or change them.
Each and every customer is important and it's essential to treat them like they are as well. Making each customer feel special is simply a matter of spending time with them and getting to know their wants and needs.
Another important lesson that I took away from this book is that TRUST is key to winning business. Director General, Gill Rider, made a valid point stating that it's important to hear from the other person exactly what it is they need, rather than what you think you want to give them. In order to build trust, it's important to set aside both your interests and your company's interests in order to listen to each customer's needs. Trust comes from the ability of people to connect both on a personal and professional level and is vital to being successful.
Along with trust, PERSISTENCE is also a great tool to have in business. If you want something badly enough, you need to learn everything there is about it. You must learn along the way, be prepared to do things that come unnaturally, and definitely be prepared to take risks.
Taking big risks can ultimately lead to losing relationships or deals; however keep in mind that everyone makes mistakes and if we don't make these mistakes we will never learn from them. Some of your best relationships will come from those customers with whom you're willing to take the greatest risks!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Have confidence when handling objections!
In our last class, we had conversed about objections in an interview, which we all have or will come across! In past interviews, I have stiffened up and immediately got nervous when asked an objection question; however, I feel that I will be more confident now that I have the skills to handle them.
When asked an objection question, it usually means that the interviewer is looking for more information from you so it's important to address their concern, provide an answer and present facts as to why I would be a better candidate for the position. One of the questions that came up numerous times in class was the point about how all of us are just graduating college. Why would an employer hire you over someone else who has a little more experience? Don't sell yourself short! Let them know that you understand their concern, then provide facts as to why you would be the best person for the job.
The question I was asked in class was why I was only a minor in hospitality. Not ever being asked that question before, I had to sit back and think about my answer and how I was going to address this concern and be able to provide facts! This is what you need to think about before even going into an interview and what hard evidence you are going to bring in order to show them how prepared you are and what you have accomplished in the past. I answered the question first saying that I understood their concern about myself only being a minor in hospitality and not majoring in the field. Other companies that I have worked for have the felt the same; however, while interning at the Inn by the Bandstand in Exeter, I have had the opportunity to work on projects and have been able to show my organizational skills, have stayed focused on the task at hand and finished each project in a timely manner.
My first project that I had to work on was a business plan for the Inn, as they are trying to open up a Pub that will be connected to the Inn. This is where I can show evidence of this business plan to the interviewer showing how I have helped with the plan. Although we are still trying to get financing for the Pub, and we are not in the process of opening it up yet, it's still great experience for me to see how a business is actually started and what I did to help! So just remember, when handling objections, be confident and address the concern to the best of your ability! Make sure to back up your answer with hard evidence and these objection questions will be a breeze!
When asked an objection question, it usually means that the interviewer is looking for more information from you so it's important to address their concern, provide an answer and present facts as to why I would be a better candidate for the position. One of the questions that came up numerous times in class was the point about how all of us are just graduating college. Why would an employer hire you over someone else who has a little more experience? Don't sell yourself short! Let them know that you understand their concern, then provide facts as to why you would be the best person for the job.
The question I was asked in class was why I was only a minor in hospitality. Not ever being asked that question before, I had to sit back and think about my answer and how I was going to address this concern and be able to provide facts! This is what you need to think about before even going into an interview and what hard evidence you are going to bring in order to show them how prepared you are and what you have accomplished in the past. I answered the question first saying that I understood their concern about myself only being a minor in hospitality and not majoring in the field. Other companies that I have worked for have the felt the same; however, while interning at the Inn by the Bandstand in Exeter, I have had the opportunity to work on projects and have been able to show my organizational skills, have stayed focused on the task at hand and finished each project in a timely manner.
My first project that I had to work on was a business plan for the Inn, as they are trying to open up a Pub that will be connected to the Inn. This is where I can show evidence of this business plan to the interviewer showing how I have helped with the plan. Although we are still trying to get financing for the Pub, and we are not in the process of opening it up yet, it's still great experience for me to see how a business is actually started and what I did to help! So just remember, when handling objections, be confident and address the concern to the best of your ability! Make sure to back up your answer with hard evidence and these objection questions will be a breeze!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
What strengths can I bring to your company?
When going into any interview, it's very important to know your unique strengths and skills that will make an employer want to hire you over anyone else. One of my main strengths is that I'm very focused and am always asking myself the question "Where am I headed next?" I think it's crucial to not only set work goals but to set personal goals as well. When working in teams either at school or at work, I'm usually the one to delegate who's doing what tasks and making sure we get everything done for that day. I don't like chaotic, unstructured sessions where little, if anything, is accomplished. In my personal life, I find it very helpful to have schedules so I know the certain goals I need to accomplish by the end of the day, week, or even month. Some people may find this to be a bit over the top; however, with working 3 jobs and also taking classes, setting goals helps me to prioritize and figure out the important things that I need to accomplish for that day are.
Another strength of mine is positivity as I'm always on the lookout for the positive in each situation. I think it's crucial to celebrate every achievement as celebrating victories, large or small, along the way is an amazingly effective way to keep people engaged in the whole journey. All of the small successes are chances to congratulate the team and boost their spirits for the challenges ahead. It’s also important to create a work environment with just the right balance of achievement and challenge as people need a feeling of success to be excited about work.
A great example of how I possess this strength comes from my past experiences as a waitress. Sometimes I know that the next few hours of my shift could be hard as some of my customers may not be happy with the overall service they have received that night; however, if you dwell on the complainers and don't do your job to the best of your ability, you definitely won't get too much farther at that job! People who possess the positivity strength can't be naive and think that bad things are never going to happen because things do go wrong sometimes. It's important not to dwell on the bad as you will never get any further in your career and in future life challenges. So why not be generous with praise, quick to smile and always on the lookout for the positive in each situation? It will only bring you closer to achieving your goals!
Another strength of mine is positivity as I'm always on the lookout for the positive in each situation. I think it's crucial to celebrate every achievement as celebrating victories, large or small, along the way is an amazingly effective way to keep people engaged in the whole journey. All of the small successes are chances to congratulate the team and boost their spirits for the challenges ahead. It’s also important to create a work environment with just the right balance of achievement and challenge as people need a feeling of success to be excited about work.
A great example of how I possess this strength comes from my past experiences as a waitress. Sometimes I know that the next few hours of my shift could be hard as some of my customers may not be happy with the overall service they have received that night; however, if you dwell on the complainers and don't do your job to the best of your ability, you definitely won't get too much farther at that job! People who possess the positivity strength can't be naive and think that bad things are never going to happen because things do go wrong sometimes. It's important not to dwell on the bad as you will never get any further in your career and in future life challenges. So why not be generous with praise, quick to smile and always on the lookout for the positive in each situation? It will only bring you closer to achieving your goals!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Career Vision
When I came to the University of New Hampshire in 2006, I wanted to major in Finance as that area of business seemed to interest me the most but I soon changed my mind when I took my first introductory finance class and it definitely wasn't what I had expected. As I near the end of my college years, I feel like I have made the right choices as to where I would want to be at this time in my life.
I am majoring in business management with a minor in hospitality and have a great internship where I can utilize my skills in both of these areas. I intern at a bed and breakfast known as the Inn by the Bandstand in Exeter and absolutely love it so far and I hope that this internship will bring me closer as to what I really want to do when I graduate in May. In one of my marketing classes that I'm enrolled in right now (How to sell yourself in a tough economy), our last assignment was to take a quick "strengths finder" quiz to see what qualities and characteristics fit you the most. I thought that this quiz would kind of be repetitive as I've done similar activities in other courses but it opened my eyes as to what kind of a person I am and what career path would be the best option for me with the qualities that I possess.
One of my best strengths is "woo", meaning that I love the challenge of meeting new people and connecting with them. I greatly enjoy discovering what others can contribute and exhibit a genuine fondness for all types of people. I definitely would say that I always surround myself with people and am energized by what I learn about each individual. Maybe in the future, a sales position would fit me best as I love meeting newcomers and trying to win them over. As I still do have a little bit of time to think about my career path, time is dwindling down as we have less than 100 days until graduation! Time has definitely flown these past four years and now I need to start thinking of the next chapter in my life and what career path will fit me best.
I am majoring in business management with a minor in hospitality and have a great internship where I can utilize my skills in both of these areas. I intern at a bed and breakfast known as the Inn by the Bandstand in Exeter and absolutely love it so far and I hope that this internship will bring me closer as to what I really want to do when I graduate in May. In one of my marketing classes that I'm enrolled in right now (How to sell yourself in a tough economy), our last assignment was to take a quick "strengths finder" quiz to see what qualities and characteristics fit you the most. I thought that this quiz would kind of be repetitive as I've done similar activities in other courses but it opened my eyes as to what kind of a person I am and what career path would be the best option for me with the qualities that I possess.
One of my best strengths is "woo", meaning that I love the challenge of meeting new people and connecting with them. I greatly enjoy discovering what others can contribute and exhibit a genuine fondness for all types of people. I definitely would say that I always surround myself with people and am energized by what I learn about each individual. Maybe in the future, a sales position would fit me best as I love meeting newcomers and trying to win them over. As I still do have a little bit of time to think about my career path, time is dwindling down as we have less than 100 days until graduation! Time has definitely flown these past four years and now I need to start thinking of the next chapter in my life and what career path will fit me best.
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