The Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales

Sales Connection Student Preparation

 

Participation Paths

Compete
At Internal Sales Competition (ISC).  Sales Connection is part of ISC.

Coach
Your peers at Internal Sales Competition (ISC).  Sales Connection is part of ISC.

Help run 
Event on Friday morning as an attendant for real deal real choices, open networking brunch, and play-by-play tables at Sales Connection.  Learn, network, help others, and get worker perks like Amazon gift cards and wearing casual UToledo/ESSPS swag all at the same time!

Engage
In real deal real choices, open networking brunch, and play-by-play analyst table at Sales Connection.

 

Why Attend

• Improve sales and related skills in an interactive environment while learning about various sales career opportunities
• Expand your career contact network by talking to firms you might have missed at the college job fair and/or meeting new contacts
• Increase and direct your exposure to the firms that are focused on recruiting sales talent
• Follow-up in person with the firms you are currently targeting for employment
• Meet the individual(s) who might become your next manager!!!
• ...required for those taking a professional sales class this semester because Sales Connection is designed to help with professional development and recruiting.  If you are unable to attend Sales Connection, you need to talk with your instructor ASAP and have documentation in order to receive the alternate assignment.  Otherwise, you are expected to be there.  

Prepare

• Request time off or an altered schedule at work, if needed
• Accept the calendar invite from the Edward Schmidt School of Professional Sales (ESSPS) to make sure the event is on your calendar and that you have important event information and links at your fingertips.  Only students who complete the engagement survey by the deadline will receive the calendar invite and access to Launchpad.  Calendar invites go out during week 3 of the semester.
• Review your Assignment Schedule in Launchpad so you know which real deal real choices room and play-by-play analyst table to go to.  Assignment Schedule is posted 1-2 weeks before the event in the General channel.
• Research the companies using the attendee information found in Launchpad's Corporate Partner Info channel
• Update resume and/or personal business cards
• Compose tailored cover letters for the top firms you are targeting
• Follow ESSPS social media for updates (X, Facebook, Instagram)
• Practice your opening
• Review and choose conversation starters for the opening networking brunch
• Select an appropriate business professional outfit and make sure it is clean and tidy

 

Launchpad

Access to Launchpad/Teams is for registered attendees, key partner contacts, and students that completed their engagement survey by the deadline.  You will receive an email from Microsoft Teams that you have been granted access to the team (ie: Launchpad).  The following channels are helpful when you view their Files/Shared tab. 

• General - Individual Assignment Schedules, real deal scenarios, play-by-play rookie and all star videos, and more.  Role Play Schedule is the back page of your Individual Assignment Schedule and is in CARLOS.  ISC results are shared here after the event.
• Corporate Partner Info - contacts and company information

Assignment schedules (individual and comprehensive) and role play schedule are in Launchpad 1-2 weeks in advance so everyone can prepare.  The Individual Assignment Schedule is in the General channel. 

 

What to Bring and How to Dress

• Resume
• Personal business cards
• Something to take notes on and a pen
• Business professional attire

 

Refreshment

• Brunch provided

 

Real Deal, Real Choices

• Discussions exploring real sales and career decisions and tradeoffs
• Led by corporate attendees
• Scenario possibilities include champion who left, price increase communication, friendly but non-committed buyer, winning back a lost customer, lateral move opportunity, prospecting vs account management, etc
• Students will participate in 2, 30 minute sessions
• Topics and students will be preassigned; refer to the Assignment Schedule in Launchpad (see General channel)
• Remember to check-in by submitting the QR code survey for that company's room

Open Networking Brunch

• Each company will each have their own table.  Branding is provided via a company logo embedded into the QR code check-in.
• Students will receive their brunch ticket from one of the corporate attendees.  Tickets may be passed out during event check-in and Real Deal, Real Choices.  Remaining tickets will be given to the student worker for that company who will stand in the hallway and pass out tickets to students who are still looking for a table to join.
• Participants will go up to the brunch buffet together once all tickets for that company have been passed out or if one of the faculty has released the room
• Students can approach their open networking by focusing on the company, common interests, and/or general relationship.
• Common interests (pets, travel, cooking, volunteering, fitness, etc) will be communicated using a series of colored dots that guests place on their name badges during check-in.  Select the dot that has the color that matches your personal interest so it is easy to find people who share your interests. 
• Remember to check-in by submitting the QR code survey for that company's table.

Company

• Figure out how well you fit with a company by asking questions (see below for some ideas and make up your own):
  • How does this position fit in with Company ABC’s overall strategy?  (ie: What benefits are they expecting to receive?  Why do they use interns?)
  • What are your selection criteria for this position - personality traits, experience, education, etc?  (ie:  How will you be evaluating the different candidates?  What features are they interested in?)
  • What is the next step and associated timeframe?
  • What does a typical day look like?
  • What is your management style?
  • What kinds of training and coaching/mentoring programs do you have?
  • What does the career path look like from the sales intern/account manager?
  • Describe the corporate culture at Company ABC.
  • How did you come to Company ABC?
  • Where do my accounts come from (existing clients, marketing forwarded leads, etc)
  • How many of my accounts will be customers vs. prospects?
  • How are accounts (markets) segmented?
  • How will my performance be evaluated?  How often will I receive feedback?

Common Interests

• Common interests (pets, travel, cooking, volunteering, fitness, etc) will be communicated using a series of colored dots that guests place on their name badges during check-in.  Select the dot that has the color that matches your personal interest so it is easy to find people who share your interests. 

General Relationship

• Ask these Link 20 © questions, over time, in a sincere way, and you will move most people up the pyramid (see below for some ideas and make up your own):
• What do you do when you are not working?
• Where did you go to school (and how did you choose it)?
• Where did you grow up and what was it like growing up there?
• What was your high school like?
• What do you enjoy reading when you have time?
• How did you decide to do (whatever he/she does) for a living?
• Tell me something about your family
• Where is your favorite place to vacation?
• What kind of a vacation would you like to take that you have not taken?
• What community associations, if any, do you have time to be involved with?
• What sports, if any, do you enjoy participating in?
• What sports do you enjoy watching?
• If you could have tickets for any event, what would it be?
• How did you decide to settle in this area?
• Tell me something about you that would surprise me?
• What things would you really want to do more of, but don’t have time for?
• What challenges/issues in your work do you deal with that I, or my company, might be able to help you with?
• What is the most frustrating thing about being in your business today?
• In your opinion, what two or three qualities, make a top notch sales representative (account executive, consultant, etc.)?
• If all work paid the same, and you could go around again, what would you do?

Play-by-Play: The Analyst Table

• Sales process analysts are corporate attendees who will breakdown role play footage play-by-play to a table of students helping them to identify and understand the different stages and elements of a sales meeting.  Audience questions from the students are encouraged.
• Two types of tracks, rookie and all star, will run so the students are in sessions with role play footage and analyst insights that are aligned with their experience.  Sales process analysts and students will be preassigned; refer to the Assignment Schedule in Launchpad (see General channel)
• Remember to check-in by submitting the QR code survey for that play-by-play table.

Follow-up

• Send brief follow-up letters to the business professionals you met thanking them for their time/guidance/information/etc and/or expressing your excitement for pursuing a career with their company
• Follow-up on any next steps that were discussed during the event (send a LinkedIn request, forward a resume, send availability to schedule job shadow or interview, apply online, etc)