Sales Panel
Written to promote an event held by the BCIT Marketing Association (2015-2016)
Everyone sells. You may not realize it, but selling happens every day and everywhere. Everyone will have to sell themselves and their ideas to others – including you.
Have you ever tried to convince someone – maybe a parent or friend – to do something for you? That is selling.
Why are you here at BCIT? Because someone sold to you the benefits that you will gain.
If you have not figured it out by now, even this article is a form of selling. In fact, someone (you know who you are) had to sell me on why I should write an article that will sell to you why selling is so important. If that initial stage of selling did not happen, you would not be reading this right now.
Thus selling is needed everywhere, because it is what allows everything else to happen. Unfortunately, the pervasiveness of selling is also a reason why it is so misunderstood. Everyone has to sell, but most people are not good at it. The proverbial used car salesman is a representation of how many salespeople resort to harassment, misrepresentation or pressure tactics for the sake of earning their next commission.
Actual professional salespeople are neither pushy nor manipulative. Instead they are collaborators. They listen to clients and help them solve their problems. They communicate well with people (this is not the same as being talkative!). They are driven and ambitious. And they have a lot of fun doing so.
Unfortunately, most people do not understand this. Set yourself apart from others by coming to the BCITMA Sales Panel, where you will learn all about how to sell the correct way.
The BCITMA Sales Panel
The BCITMA Sales Panel is an educational workshop and networking session all rolled into one. This event will take place on November 19th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm in SE2 Town hall A and feature representatives from a number of different companies, including:
Teksystems
Sales Talent Agency
Centra Construction Group
Media Valet
Ricoh
Each representative will be working with you on the different steps of the sales process – a standard procedure that salespeople follow when meeting with a new client. Selling is about more than just making someone buy a product; instead you build up to the sale by understanding client needs and forming a relationship with them.
The skills you will learn at the Sales Panel are applicable to more than just selling. At its core, sales is about understanding people and knowing how to communicate effectively. Whether you want to be a professional salesperson in the future or just want to be better at your relationships, the Sales Panel can help make it happen.
Better yet, all participating companies are known recruiters of BCIT graduates who have hired a number of students in past years. The Sales Panel is a way for these companies to connect with students; they want to find motivated individuals who are willing to learn, willing to improve and willing to put in the time to make it happen. Stand out from everyone else – the people who do not know how to sell themselves – by connecting with these companies and showing them that you are someone worth knowing.
The Great Canadian Sales Competition
Connected to the Sales Panel is the Great Canadian Sales Competition, an annual student competition held by the Sales Talent Agency. Participants submit a thirty-second video pitching anything they want; the participants with the best pitches are selected for a final sales competition in front of leading companies such as Google and Air Canada. The Sales Panel will help you create winning pitches – you can even record the video during the event – that get you noticed by the judges.
Regardless of whether or not you get selected, all the pitches will be reviewed by employers; students with effective sales skills are always in demand by industry. Attending the Sales Panel and participating in the Great Canadian Sales Competition can help you land your next internship, interview or job offering.
In Closing
The Sales Panel represents a great opportunity to hone your selling, interpersonal and communication skills. Everyone has to sell, but not everyone knows how to do so properly; stand out from the crowd by building the professional skills that will need to succeed.
To recap, the Sales Panel will be happening on Thursday, November 19th from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at SE2 Town hall A. Admission is free and the benefits are invaluable, so be sure to attend!
For more information on both the Sales Panel and the Great Canadian Sales Competition, you can contact our VP of Sponsorship Jacquie Kine. Likewise be sure to connect with us on our social media pages for all the latest updates.
