You Never Know Who You’re Talking To

The guy in front of you in line for coffee could be a CEO of a company you’re dying to work for. The woman you stopped and held the door open for could be the hiring manager of a company you’ve been applying to.

The point is, you never know who you are talking to and whether they are taking note of how you handle yourself. 

I learned this lesson when some of my favorite regulars came into the brewery the other night, but this time the couple wasn’t alone. They had brought some friends along, and we all made playful banter.

 My regulars talked me up to them because we always have a fun ongoing conversation. What I didn’t notice till the end of their meal was that this new couple had been teasing my memory, because I never had to write anything down, I just remembered their food orders and what they were drinking. They had made jokes about how I could upsell anything, and they had asked me about my education and career path.

None of these things are abnormal, most tables strike up a conversation and ask about education. But this couple had been studying me and handed me a business card, telling me to call Monday morning.

I got offered a sales rep position by the owner of Black Metal Apparel, a thriving local t-shirt company.

Potential Employers

It is a common occurrence to be offered jobs as a server. Every job I’ve had the last 3 years has come from someone scouting me while I wait on their table. From getting hired out to other restaurants to working at a car wash selling memberships, I’ve had a variety of jobs and opportunities. 

In the service industry, it is imperative to be efficient and friendly, but you’re also given the opportunity to practice and showcase a variety of soft skills. Active listening, kindness, communication, salesmanship, multitasking, self-regulation, and teamwork are just a few of the soft skills at play. Serving in breweries we get a lot of businessmen and women having meetings or catching a beer after work, so this gives space for job opportunities.

It’s not just serving, you can run into CEOs, hiring managers, and owners of companies anywhere you go. Learning to keep a professional appearance and carry yourself well can change your life.

Landing an Interview From A Conversation Alone

Walking into a professional setting with a casual introduction requires care to present yourself well. 

Before my interview with the owner of BMA, I sent him my portfolio and resume. In my portfolio, I put my project of How I Grew Instagram Engagement by 206% In A Month on the top of the page, since we had discussed how prominent social media was for this day and age. That way when I sat down with him face-to-face for my interview he had a handle on what my skill set was. 

Doing my homework was also imperative. I looked up the owner, the company, and some of the shops that sold their apparel. Having this grasp on who he was and what his company did gave me an advantage. Before the conversation, I’d never once put thought into t-shirt vendors, but he didn’t need to know that, so I did research.

By the end of the interview, I had a job offer. This businessman was willing to teach me new skills because he believed in me. He had seen my work, and we had such a friendly conversation he thought I’d make a nice fit for his team.

Creating Value For The Company

After that meeting and before I took the job, I decided to create a lead list and email sequence for Black Metal Apparel to contact zoos. Partly to show what I could do, but mostly to see how I liked the process. 

What I discovered was that creating cold email sequences is fun.

No, that wasn’t satire. The product BMA put out was so strong that all I had to do to sell it was write a well-written copy. I enjoyed crafting emails and creating MailChimp sequences. Using Hunter.io to speed up the process was fun, tracking down leads is a game with a promising reward. You can check out the full article on the project here!

Now that I’ve accepted the job, I can use the lead list I created.

Navigating Where This Opportunity Fits

Taking this position is a way for me to skyrocket my growth in the sales field. In my first month on the job, I plan to represent the company well, learn how to network with existing and new clients, and create some killer cold email and call lists.

If you want to track my progress keep an eye out for my blog!

Even with this opportunity, I plan to continue to demonstrate soft skills at my workplace and in my everyday life.