Career Exploration Assignment

Individually or in a small group $($up to $3$ students max$),$ interview a salesperson of your choice and prepare a career investigation report on your findings. Your grade will be based on eight different criteria $($see evaluation breakdown$).$

It is quite common for this interview to turn itself into a job shadowing experience as well. Many students will get to watch their salesperson in action the day they meet to interview $($depending on the salesperson and type of sales they are involved in$,$ of course$).$ It is not uncommon for students to follow their salesperson around for a couple of hours and ask them the questions necessary to complete their report at the same time.

Make the most of this assignment! The more you see and do$,$ the easier and more informative your report will be$.$ Try, if possible, to interview a salesperson from one the types of sales areas you are most interested in $-$ make the most of this assignment! $-$ you never know, your experience might just get your foot in the door for potential future employment with that company. I have seen this happen on several occasions!!

Salesperson Proiect $-$ Criteria

Salesperson Information $($mandatory$,$ no marks$)$

$-$business card and$/$or

$-$letter$/$email from salesperson on company letterhead confirming participation

Background Information $(10$ marks$)$

$-$company$/$industry

$-$nature of business; size of business; nature of customer$/$product sold

$-$salesperson's experience, reporting structure, territory size

Success $(10$ marks$)$

$-$discussion of what it takes to be successful in the salesperson's field

$-$why the salesperson works in sales

$-$what the salesperson likes$/$dislikes about career

$-$insight that student$($s$)$ add to discussion $($try to build on the conversation$)$

Product Knowledge $(10$ marks$)$

$-$a description of salesperson's initial training

$-$a description of on$-$going training

$-$discussion re: value of product knowledge$/$importance of being current

Thought $\backslash$& Detail, Sales Methodology $(5$ marks$)$

$-$accurate use of sales process terminology

$-$description of salesperson's sales methodology

Demonstrated Understanding of Sales Methodology $(5$ marks$)$

$-$Identification of key steps $($pre$-$approach, approach, presentation, trail close, objections, close, follow$-$up$)$

and discuss which steps of the sales process the salesperson uses$/$does not use

$-$discussion of impact$/$importance of post$-$selling follow$-$up$/$service

Personal Reflection $(5$ marks$)$

$-$what did I learn? $($if working with other students, this should be a separate paragraph$($s$)$ for each student

$-$did this experience change your thoughts on pursuing a career in sales?

Paper Presentation $(5$ marks$)$

$-$organized presentation of information$/$easy to read and follow

$-$logical arrangement of ideas

$-$spelling$/$grammatical errors

$-$proper punctuation

$-8-$page limit $($double$-$spaced$)/4-$page limit $($single$-$spaced$)$

Total Marks: $50$

Worth $15\backslash \%$

All assignments are to be submitted via Blackboard by $11$:$59$PM$,$ November $8,2024($Word or PDF $-$ PDF preferred$)$