Portfolio

From Waitress To Successful Sales Rep In 30 Days

Hey, y’all! This is a landing page for a month-long challenge I’ve taken on to get hired and learn how to be a successful sales rep. During those 30 days I spent my time:

Building leads lists
Making cold email sequences
Representing a company at a trade show
Networking
Managing this project
Visiting clients
and of course documenting everything as I went

Check out everything I did and learned this month!

Follow My Roadmap to Success Here:

Week 1:Getting the job + Planning out the month

Week 2: Representing the company at a tradeshow +Networking

Week 3: Making a plan for what to target first + Creating a leads list

Week 4: Presentation set up + How to naturally make sales

Why I Created This Project

Landing a role in sales has been my game plan for years, so this project acted as a way for me to learn as much as possible and dedicate a lot of time to building hard and soft skills for sales.

“Learning out loud” which is sharing what I’m working on and learning as I go has been a great way to gain knowledge from others’ experiences. It also gave me practice in the art of documenting everything I do.

Skills I Learned

Networking

The most effective way to make a new connection is with a smile and a handshake. Getting your name and face out there to a variety of people will grow your business. Networking can be accomplished in a professional setting, but I’ve found some of the best connections come from meeting people after an event or taking a client out for a drink.

The point is, you never stop networking. This month I met future clients and assets on a plane, in line for coffee, at the trade show, and even in a waiting room. You never know who you’re talking to, so I’ve learned to treat everyone with kindness and respect.

I wrote an article on networking at the Iges Trade Show. Check it out here!

Representing a brand

When you work for a company or wear their logo, you are now a public representation of that company. How individuals feel about you will reflect back to your job and company. Working at networking events I had a name tag with my company and position for everyone to recognize me quickly. I discovered that people who liked me or found me to be professional would swing by my booth or strike up a sales conversation.

The same went for when I was out in public, having the BMA logo on my jacket gave me the opportunity to show pride in my job.

Creating leads lists

Without leads, a company doesn’t have the ability to make sales and grow its customer base. Companies can’t rely on their intuition; they need developed strategies for the types of customers they are trying to attract. This is where specific leads lists come in handy.

I created a B2B leads list for Grand Rapids brewing companies. Being the sales rep for the lower peninsula of Michigan, breweries are massive markets with beer city USA (Grand Rapids) being in my sales reach.

Check out a full article on how I made the leads list here.

Presenting To Complete Strangers With Ease

Sales had a great appeal to me with the amount of time spent talking to people and helping them accomplish what they want and need. I’m a naturally friendly person, and I find it exciting to talk to new people and help them. After all, sales is service.

With my confidence and drive to help people, I’ve picked up a variety of soft and hard sales and interpersonal skills. This project gave me the opportunity to put the skills to the test and develop them further.

Check out this article I wrote on “How To Naturally Make Sales And Connections, In Person, Without A Script”

Elevator pitch

This month I also revamped my elevator pitch. Realizing how much being friendly and personable meant in a career field, I wanted my elevator pitch to reflect who I am (and hopefully entertain others as well).

Check out my movie trailer-style elevator pitch below!

SetBacks

Originally, going into this project the goal was to be making cold calls and emails by week three. But with complications out of my control, my training and materials got pushed further into the month.

To compensate for this unexpected change, I chose to dive full force into what I could learn and how I could set myself up for success in the months to come.

What “Success” Meant To Me

Typically when I think of success, I think of a trackable metric like how many shirts are sold, or how many cases are closed. As the month progressed and it became clear I wouldn’t have the opportunity to close sales, I had to take a step back and look at what success truly meant.

Success is being confident in who I am and what I’m doing. If I have the courage to move forward with anything, no matter the obstacles, I will be successful. This month I learned invaluable skills in networking, searching for leads, talking to clients, and having trust in myself. Agreeing to fly with a company to a show with no prior training was intimating going in, but it forced me to grow. This month taught me I have the capabilities to be successful no matter what field I’m in.

So, What’s Next

I will be continuing to work as a sales representative for Black Metal Apparel. I want to put all my knowledge to work and see what I can accomplish for this company.

If you want to connect with me, check out my Website, LinkedIn, or Talent Profile!

If you want to stay up to date on new success with BMA after this project, below is an updates section!

Sales Wins and Lessons: The Updates

Coming soon…