MARK GUSTIN ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
January 23, 2013 Dear CNBAM Judges, It gives me great pleasure to recommend an outstanding member of my advertising sales staff, Mark Gustin, for CNBAM’s 2013 Advertising Sales Representative of the Year. Mark has been a member of our staff for just over a year, and has already positioned himself as a leader on the sales floor. Mark is a Professional Sales Major at CMU, and I could tell right from the beginning Mark was different and DRIVEN. He joined our staff in November and went through an accelerated training course because he was a taking over a territory immediately after Christmas break. While I felt comfortable that Mark could sell, what I didn’t expect was his immediate dedication. While the rest of the advertising staff beat a hasty retreat home for Christmas break, Mark stayed on campus for an additional week. He felt he needed that extra week to lay the groundwork for the upcoming back-to-school issue and get a better feel for his new customers. I learned a lot about Mark in that week: he is competitive, self-motivated, and serious, but with a wicked, self-deprecating sense of humor. During that first semester on staff, Mark’s work ethic and sales skills drew attention from the rest of the staff. Mark was immediately called upon to help other ad reps who were having difficulty closing accounts. Mark always stepped up to help. He would go along on team calls and offered to role-play scenarios with peers. At meetings he would offer sales and closing tips. Week by week his voice on the sales floor grew stronger as his confidence with CM LIFE increased. Soon Mark was recruiting new hires from PSE, the professional sales fraternity at CMU and helping us set up major changes to our training program for our returning staff this past fall. Mark was instrumental in bringing in Professor Ken Cherry, Director of the CMU Sales major program to do training sessions with our staff. Beginning last semester, Mark stepped up to assist the managers at weekly sales meetings. He carefully tailored each presentation to match specific specials the staff was working on that month or to answer “struggle bus” objections the staff was encountering in the field. His sales tips would evolve into meetings with individual reps who wanted some extra “Mark” help. This semester Mark has introduced a “Always Be Closing” sales competition into the training process. Now given all these skills, as you look at Mark’s submission, one might wonder why Mark isn’t exceeding goals every month? A few years ago, I would be wondering the same thing. But this is our new reality in the newspaper business, and we are all struggling. Add to that the extremely bad luck of having a strip mall burn to the ground that contained two of Mark’s best customers. That is Mark’s reality this year. The unknown in this is what the numbers would look like if someone with fewer sales skills, less self-motivation and weaker work ethic would have done in the same territory. I have no doubt the numbers would have been worse. But what really sets Mark apart is what he adds to the overall program. There is no doubt that Mark brings energy and enthusiasm to the office the minute he walks in. You can feel it in the air. Voices raise and activity levels increase. Central Michigan Life is truly better for having Mark on our staff. He will leave a legacy of improved sales success through better training and has raised the bar for future advertising staffs. I believe Mark Gustin is an excellent choice for CNBAM’s Advertising Sales Representative of the Year. He demonstrates all of the qualities of an outstanding salesperson and leader. It is my honor to nominate him for this award. Sincerely,
Kathleen Simon Kathleen Simon Assistant Director, Student Publications Central Michigan Life Central Michigan University 436 Moore Hall, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 PHONE: (989) 774-3493 FAX: (989) 774-7804 EMAIL: advertising@cm-life.com
Personal Philosophy Dear CNBAM Judges, Please first let me start by saying thank you for this opportunity to make my case for the Advertising Sales Representative of the Year. As I look back on the past year and a half of my work at Central Michigan Life, I never thought I would be competing for such an honor to close out my career at CM Life and Central Michigan University as a whole. I hope that the following explanation offers a glimpse to all of you as to what I consider one of the most stressful and rewarding experiences of my young professional career. I came to Central Michigan University in the fall of 2009 with one goal in mind. Leave a legacy. It was a simple, yet highly ambitious (and vague for that matter) goal. It may sound cliché, but I consider myself a highly competitive person. This, teamed with my uncanny ability to think quickly on my feet directed me to the field of professional sales within the college of business at CMU. It was through my friend and mentor Eric Blaszczyk that I heard of the real world sales experience offered by working for Central Michigan Life on campus. I had at that time completed multiple sales internships and competed and been recognized in several sales competitions. I went on a ride along to help me understand what the job entailed and I knew that I could excel if given the chance. Referring to my experience prior to joining CM Life, I was placed immediately into a sales territory and hit the ground running as many of my peers were preparing for holiday break of 2011. At first I was overwhelmed by the 30 clients on my account list that I was responsible for. After the initial calls of introduction and discussions of each client’s business goals, challenges, and strengths it still took several weeks to build trust and understanding. Now as I enter my last semester as a Senior Account Executive I am responsible for several large corporate held clients. It is this evolution from entirely small businesses to calling on multiple corporate buyers to set long term adverting plans that I have become the advertising specialist that I am today. The profession of sales is not one of those things that you can give less than your best and do well at. It is a daily struggle between what is easy and what is necessary. I pride myself in the fact that from the time I walk into the office to the time I leave my last sales call for the day that I am constantly executing and analyzing my successes and shortcomings with each lost and closed piece of business. I see myself as a direct reflection of CM Life. It is for this reason that I must take the time to immerse myself in my client’s businesses to fully understand how I can help them meet their needs. From here my job becomes simple as I hold a preferred position within each customers mind for my expertise and results that I bring to the table. Each client has their own personality, target market, and openness to advertising. I rely on constant contact with these individuals to grow my own book of business. Another key point to make in my personal philosophy of sales is the fact that there is literally “nowhere to hide” when on a sales team. Everyone knows who is selling and who is struggling to get by. Each month it is my goal to meet and exceed my quota. Some months are fantastic while others are nearly unbearable. As the economy attempts to revitalize many businesses have cut costs by minimizing advertising. This aside, I have made a commitment to CM Life and work to do everything within my ability to help our entire team meet our overall monthly quota.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Personal Philosophy
(cont.)
Let me be blunt. I am a sales person, not a graphic designer or advertising guru who has all the answers. That being said, I have consistently utilized my advanced questioning selling tactics to work individually with each of my clients to create advertisements that capture attention and drive customer action. I have also been fortunate enough to surround myself with individuals who do possess the gifts of innovative creativity within advertising to ensure that each ad that I sell is visually appealing and gets them excited to watch the results once the ad runs. By delivering this type of product to my client’s I maintain my preferred position as their trusted advertising consultant. It has been anything but easy to sustain excellence in the office and in the classroom. It is with great pride that I tell you that I have been honored to be on the dean’s list for 7 straight semesters. I am also the acting President of the professional sales fraternity, Pi Sigma Epsilon (Zeta Nu chapter). I have served on the executive board of this organization 4 consecutive terms in different functions and have brought my experiences to my work at CM Life. Once I began my position at CM Life it became more of a challenge to earn high grades, perform my duties as President, and be a leader at CM Life, but I have learned to prioritize all of my commitments over the past year and a half. Now with a short five months remaining at CM Life I look back on my goal of leaving a legacy when I first came onto campus 4 years ago. I have come to realize that “leaving a legacy” is about the lasting impression you leave upon those around you. Considering my selling experience outside of CM Life I have done everything I can to help my coworkers in any way I can to improve their own sales numbers. Whether it’s as simple as running through opening statements or role playing an entire sales call I am happy and humbled to offer what I can. I will have achieved my goal of leaving a legacy if CM Life is more successful after I leave because of what I left behind as advice for the future. Thank you again for your time and consideration in reviewing my application. Sincerely,
Mark Gustin Mark Gustin Senior Account Executive Central Michigan Life Central Michigan University
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
APPENDIX
MARK GUSTIN
1. Resume 2. Job Description 3. Goals and Revenue 4. New Business/Growth 5. Sales Training Leader 6. Work Examples 7. Awards
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Mark Gustin
1619 Clark Court, Greenville, MI 48838 (616) 232-9494 Email: mgustin24@gmail.com
EDUCATION
8/09 - Current Central Michigan University (Mount Pleasant, MI) - Degree: Bachelors of Science in Business Administration - Major: Marketing, concentration in Professional Sales - GPA: 3.80/4.0 - Expected Graduation: May 2013
PROFESSIONAL SALES EXPERIENCE
12/11- Current Central Michigan Life: Senior Account Executive - Outside sales representative selling print and online advertisement generating $27,897 to date - Increased revenue by 212% over a 3 month period while securing and managing key accounts - Responsible for prospecting leads and performing needs analysis for over 30 customer contacts - Practiced sales presentation and objection handling procedures to close sales and reach a set monthly quota 5/11 - 8/11 Thomson Reuters: Enterprise Sales Intern - Inside sales intern selling Certified Public Accounting software training products generating $28,341 in new sales - One of four interns to successfully meet 3 month quota - Developed and managed accounts consisting of top 3000 tax and accounting firms nationally - Obtained experience in sales solutions utilizing professional probing and questioning tactics 11/10 - 4/11 Kraft Foods: Sales Service Representative - Dedicated retail merchandiser responsible for insuring an in stock position for Kraft Foods product - Called on major supercenter stores including Meijer, Wal-Mart, and Kroger in the Mid-Michigan area - Experienced in the construction and placement of key promotional product displays to enhance sales
ADDITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
5/12 - 8/12 The HT Hackney Company: Distribution Center Associate - Handler of consumer products in key convenience store distribution center to facilitate on time order fulfillment - Gained time management skills by dealing and interacting with a fast paced work environment - Worked 7 PM to 7 AM shift maximizing summer earning potential 8/10 – 12-11 CMU Campus Dining: Food Crew - Campus meal plan sales consultant delegated the tasks of organizing and executing interactive marketing strategies - Utilized dedicated marketing tactics to communicate and interact with student customers - Enhanced selling skills by promoting and selling the features and benefits of campus meals plans
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
12/09 - Current Pi Sigma Epsilon: President - Manage a team of six vice presidents while coordinating all chapter activities and corporate relations - Generated over $4500 in corporate sponsorships for this organization by networking with employers - Served terms on Executive Board as VP of Professional Development, VP of Administration, and VP of Marketing - Awarded MVP award for spring of 2011
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
8-09 - Current Central Michigan University: Multicultural Advancement Scholar - Involved with campus and local community to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion - Active volunteer in events promoting African American, Asian, Native American, and Hispanic cultures
HONORS AND AWARDS
- 1st Place Pro Am Sell A Thon Regional Competition 2012 - 1st Place NCSC Regional Sales Competition (Ball State Qualifier) 2012 - 2nd Place at Pro Am Sell A Thon Regional Competition 2011 - 6th Place at Pro Am Sell A Thon National Competition 2012 - 9th Place at Pro Am Sell A Thon National Competition 2011 - Qualified for Dean’s list for 7 straight semesters
JOB DESCRIPTON
MARK GUSTIN
An Account Executive at Central Michigan Life is responsible introducing the newspaper, website and niche publications to businesses and organizations in the Central Michigan area. After doing so the Account Executive must actively display value to the customers provided by the different types of media. The primary goal is to increase advertising sales in the executive’s territory by offering customers innovative and effective advertising to reach the student and surrounding market of Mount Pleasant, MI. Advertising Sales Representatives are required to perform the required tasks: • Use sales techniques learned in training to persuade members of the business community to advertise in CM LIFE, cm-life.com and other niche products. There is an emphasis on attaining new businesses and expanding the business of existing accounts. • Maintain and build sales pipeline by calling and meeting with every account on a regular basis (weekly) while prospecting for new accounts. This includes delivering copies of CM Life to each advertiser. • Design sample ads (specs) and ideas to sell to accounts. • Collect payment for advertisements. • Accurately complete necessary paperwork and computer entry for every advertisement. • Track sales and report results to advertising managers and director. • Proof all ads with each advertiser prior to publication. • Service walk-in clients, faxing and emailing information, handing phone inquiries. • Meet daily deadlines. • Attend weekly group and individual sales meetings with managers. By completing all of the above tasks, an advertising account executive can bring business to the publication and gain experience in the field of sales and advertising. Maintaining a position at CM-Life allows for growth of an executive as well as the growth of an executive as well as the growth of the publication throughout the marketing territory.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
GOALS AND REVENUE
MARK GUSTIN
Month
Goal
revenue
% made
January
$2,582.26
$1,759.26
68%
February
$3,581.00
$4,060.68
88%
March
$3,298.54
$3,958.25
102%
April/May
$7,416.63
$5,844.30
78%
August/September
$7,820.21
$6,766.54
87%
October
$6,431.95
$4,550.30
71%
November/December
$4,384.15
$3,851.44
88%
total year goal: $35,514.74 TOTAL YEAR REVENUE: $30,790.77 TOTAL % MADE: 86.70%
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
NEW BUSINESS/GROWTH MARK GUSTIN New Accounts Acquired
revenue earned
Dick’s Sporting Goods
$4,174.20
Tazeh Mediterranean Grill
$688.00
Four Seasons Floral
$683.80
Pizza One
$1,460.00
Qdoba
$490.00
IHOP
$881.25
business growth
new REVENUE
Isabella Community Credit Union
$2,249.37
OINK
$2,178.98
Metro PCS
$1,275.00
Jets Pizza
$7,040.00
Labelle Management
$1,008.50
Midas Muffler
$1,300.00
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
SALES TRAINING LEADER MARK GUSTIN If you’ve ever seen the movie Glengarry Glen Ross you probably have some thoughts regarding effective and ineffective sales training. I don’t subscribe to the idea that I have all the answers, but as one of the three sales majors within our sales team at CM Life I do everything that I can to help my co-workers succeed. Recently our newspaper has been struggling with the tough economic state in our selling market. As soon as our staff returned this fall I began meeting with our Assistant Director and Advertising Managers to brainstorm how to attack our receding sales revenues and breathe new life into our office. During my time at Central Michigan University I have been trained and certified in Carew International (Dimensions of Personal Selling and Advanced Positional Selling) and Miller Heiman sales disciplines. This training along with sales internships at Kraft Foods and Thomson Reuters has given me an established understanding of sales processes and tactics to close business. Along with the managers’ advertising experience we formulated that everyone on our sales floor needed basic sales skills to further increase revenue. We began by implementing a weekly “sales tip” during our Friday Sales Meetings. These tips were relevant to the specific specials our paper was offering that month or objections I had encountered in the field and how I overcame them. This later evolved into my role as a leader within the office. I regularly meet with individual reps and offer insight on specific client pitches and how to maximize sales calls. As a senior member of the staff I have found it very rewarding to give back to less experienced reps; it wasn’t long ago I was in the same position they find themselves in. Currently, we are beginning formal training in which I will dive deeper into each step of a basic sales process (opening through close and follow up). I utilize a half hour on each topic during our weekly sales meeting to explain the best tactics to accomplish each step. Just like Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross I teach the “Always Be Closing” state of sales. Once I complete the entire sales process each sales representative will compete in a sales competition. This is a situational fictional sales call. The Assistant Director will act as the buyer and I will act as a judge analyzing each individual’s execution of each sales step with the ultimate goal being to close the sale and sign a contract. The winner will be awarded with a cash prize and every participant will receive detailed feedback and suggestions to help them improve upon their next “real” sales call in the field.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
WORK EXAMPLES
MARK GUSTIN
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
AWARDS
MARK GUSTIN
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
CNBAM 2013
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University
Katie Amegin
Student Sales Representative of the Year-CNBAM 2013 Nomination
www.mustangdaily.net | 805.756.1143 | advertising@mustangdaily.net
Letter of Recommendation
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University
www.mustangdaily.net | 805.756.1143 | advertising@mustangdaily.net
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Letter of Recommendation
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University
Laura Schmidt, Owner
www.mustangdaily.net | 805.756.1143 | advertising@mustangdaily.net
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Personal Selling Philosophy
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” – Winston Churchill Captured in the above quote from Churchill, the biggest lesson I have learned that has fostered my growth at the Mustang Daily as an ad rep is to never let the word “no” bring you down. This has become a huge part of my selling philosophy and I have realized that most clients can turn their “no” into a “yes”. The key performing a needs analysis and really finding out what will benefit the client. I’ve found that listening and being attentive to my clients needs, even if they are not currently running, sets up a relationship for future success. In fact, most of my success as an account executive came from constant follow-ups and not being intimidated by fear of failure. The highest points in my job came from success that immediately followed failure. I took failure as motivation to work harder and prospect more. I am extremely proud of my sales numbers. My client list did not include any easy sells and some clients decided to minimize their advertising budgets for the year. Instead of getting discouraged by losing revenue on some of my repeat clients, I prospected new clients. I istened to the radio and looked through the local newspapers to see what businesses were advertising around town. I made note of everytime a business went out of town and a new one came in. I even drove out to neighboring cities to expand the reach of the Mustang Daily. I became known in the office for signing unusual clients that most typically wouldn’t think of. These included a traveling anime show, a metaphysical rock shop, a hypnotist, and a medical marijuana dispensary. For the 2011-2012 school year, I led the office in signing cold call clients that had previously never ran. This experience made me appreciate my job and my role as an ad rep. I may not have had the most impressive numbers but I am an effective sales woman who consistently works hard and genuinely cares about her clients and teammates. When I work, my mindset is to be the happy, enthusiastic, and an informed account executive that clients enjoy seeing. Most importantly, I strive to keep this attitude when failure occurs because I truly want to work for the customer and respect their decision. I also make sure to take customer rejections, find the reasons why they occur and solve the issue for the future. In a way, I think of myself as a consultant for my clients. Also, I’ve found that returning to a client, that has previously said no, with a new idea to help their business always turns out positive. No does not always mean no to advertising all together; it means no to a particular type or pitch. It is in this case where I strive to find the packages that my clients will be happy to say yes to. My job as an account executive it to be positive, informed, really listen to customer needs, and not be discourage when I don’t see my desired result. It is this way of working that I have been able to build upon existing relationships and make new ones, which ultimately expand the revenue stream for the Mustang Daily. Thank you for your consideration,
Katie Amegin
Katie Amegin Mustang Daily, Cal Poly www.mustangdaily.net | 805.756.1143 | advertising@mustangdaily.net
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Appendix
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University
Resume.............................................................................. 5 Job Decription..................................................................... 6 Sales Statistics.....................................................................7 Awards and Experience..........................................................8 Getting Involved...................................................................9
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Resume
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University OBJECTIVE Utilize my communication, problem solving, customer service and organizational skills to contribute to the success of the Mustang Daily team. EDUCATION California Polytechnic State University | San Luis Obispo, CA | Expected Graduation: June 2013 B.S.: Economics Concentration: Finance Emphasis: Business Major GPA: 3.50 WORK EXPERIENCE Account Executive/Advertising Manager Mustang Daily | San Luis Obispo, CA | September 2012-Present •Maintained a list of 80+ clients and developed marketing and advertising plans as well as designed promotional media. •Led staff in brand new client accounts for a total of ten contracts with businesses that had previously not ran. •Manage a team of newly hired account executives. •Motivate and train sales team to increase contracts, surpass goals, establish client relationships and devise sustainable new revenue streams. Special Projects Analyst State of California, Department of Health Care Services | Sacramento, CA | June-August 2012 •Researched, analyzed and developed thorough written reports on state health care legislation. •Analyzed and reported on DHCS’s $60,000,000,000 state budget and all funds associated with or to be taken over by DHCS. •Researched and reported on federal and state grants regarding California health care. Sales Representative University Directories | Davis, CA | May-September 2011 •Sold print, online, and mobile advertising by discussing marketing strategies with business owners. •Reached 110% of team sales goal, becoming part of a top 20 school in the nation at University of California, Davis. •Contributed to the #1 region in the nation as a top 10 seller by personally generating over $20,000 in revenue. LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP Member Toastmasters International | San Luis Obispo| February 2011-Present •Format and present impromptu and formal speeches. •Work with a diverse group of people seeking a common goal of enhancing public speaking skills. Member Delta Sigma Pi, Co-ed Professional Business Fraternity |San Luis Obispo | May 2010-Present •Elected Vice President of Fundraising (2012-2013) to develop and lead all fundraising activities.
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Job Description
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University Advertising Account Executive JOB DESCRIPTION Primary responsibilities include introducing the Mustang Daily to businesses in our marketing area, and through relationship sales techniques, introducing advertising opportunities for them in our publication. Primary goal is to increase advertising sales revenue. Basic Functions: 1. Maintain contact with all accounts on your list on a regular (weekly) basis. 2. Look for new accounts to target. 3. Research competing media to find new accounts to cold call. 4. Visit clients at their business on a regular (weekly) basis. 5. Use sales techniques to persuade accounts to place ads in the Mustang Daily. 6. Actively participate in all Mustang Daily events and marketing strategies. 7. Making return calls to customers who say no‌look for opportunities to say yes. 8. Meeting and communicating with many different types of people and personalities in a professional way. 9. Giving and explaining rate card and media kit information to customers. 10. Creating spec ads. 11. Filling out insertion orders. 12. Collecting payments on pre-pay advertisements. 13. Showing advertising proofs to clients. 14. Servicing walk-in clients, faxing information, handling phone inquires. 15. Attend weekly team and group meetings 16. Responsible for signing in and out of all scheduled office hours. 17. Responsible for maintaining a weekly call sheet 18. All other duties as assigned. Hours: 10-20 hours per week. Must be able to work every day, Monday through Friday, and must attend all sales meetings and be present for all deadlines. Advertising Account Executives have to report all days off to Advertising Manager and Advertising Coordinator. Frequent absences will not be tolerated. Pay: Salary and commission based. Bonus and incentives are based on sales.
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Sales Statistics
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University
Cold Call/Inactive Accounts
Over View of New Accounts: Fall 2011-Spring 2012
Sold
San Luis Art Supply Hideo Concerts Ruby Dragon Linnaea's Collgege Storage and Students Barbara Lane Hypnosis Best Western Royal Oak Popolo Prime a Wellness
Green Edition Display Ads Display Ads Winter/Spring Contract Display Ads Winter/Spring Contract Soar Edition Menu Guide Year Contract
Assets Fitness
Spring Contract
Alfano Motors
Graduation/Soar Combo
Total New Revenue from New/Inactive Accounts
• 11 Inactive Accounts Sold • New Revenue: $4,132 Innovation: Prospecting was a huge part of work since most of my clients were not consistent runners. I became known in the office for signing unusual clients that most typically wouldn’t think of. These included a traveling anime show, a metaphysical rock shop, a hypnotist, and a medical marijuana dispensary.
$4,132
Katie Amegin’s Sales: 43% of Total Sales was New Revenue
$4,132 $5,584.75
Total New Revenue from New/Inac4ve Accounts Total Renewed Contracts/Clients
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7
Awards and Experience
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University
CNBAM Sell-Off, 2012 2nd Place Finish
Learning from Experience My experience as an account executive has taught me so much that I now carry over as a manager of four other account executive. I have been able to effectively train and motivate my staff this year and we currently have $46,979.07 scheduled for the 2012-2013 school year.
www.mustangdaily.net | 805.756.1143 | advertising@mustangdaily.net
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Getting Involved
Mustang Daily - California Polytechnic State University To be the best account executive I can be, I also have to be a good teammate. In this case, it is important to participate in activities in and outside of the office with my coworkers. Below are some examples of team bonding at the Daily, exemplifying that the Mustang Daily really is like a family.
Bubblegum Alley with ads & editorial
Open House Booth
Wine Tasting Sales Incentive
CNBAM 2012
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Emmanuel L. Loredo UNC Charlotte Student Niner Media Sales Representative of the Year
January 8, 2013 CNBAM Scholarship Committee: I am recommending Emmanuel Loredo for the CNBAM Sales Representative of the Year Award. Emmanuel has been an account executive for the Niner Times since January 2012. Upon meeting Emmanuel, I knew he would be a great addition to our team. Since then, he has excelled as an account executive, not only meeting sales goals, but also building relationships with clients. Clients have often commented on his level of professionalism. He surpassed his sales goal in his second month of selling and has been an asset to our office. With a great sense of humor and drive for success, Emmanuel brings a winning combination to our team. He’s taken on selling poster advertisements as his area of expertise, bringing in more than $1000 a month in revenue. He has expanded his call list to include new and unexpected clients. He’s run ads for urgent care centers and ads for yogurt shops. In Emmanuel’s mind, everyone is a potential client – he understands our sales process. Anyone can see that he is the ideal student – he balances classes and extracurricular activities with ease. His enthusiasm and great attitude is contagious and I am sure he will share his experiences with others and vice versa. In addition to his responsibilities at Student Niner Media, Emmanuel is also actively involved with his hometown YMCA and the US National Whitewater Center. He’s been involved with the Leaders Club for they YMCA since he was in grade school. He also volunteers for Nineronline. com, our online site that features original and newspaper content. I can think of no other student more deserving of this award. Sincerely, Kelly Merges Assistant Director of Student Media
Student Niner Media • UNC Charlotte 9201 University City Blvd. • Charlotte, NC 28223 • 704-687-7140
January 12, 2013 To whom it may concern, I am proudly nominating Emmanuel Loredo to be the best sales representative. There is no one that deserves this more than Emmanual. I have been working with him for over a year and it has been truly amazing watching him grow as a sales representative. Emmanuel first came into Niner Media as a confident freshman who was willing to do whatever it took to get to the top. He started following in the older, more experienced sale representatives footsteps to really get the hang of how to be more successful with advertisement sales. This “growing” stage of Emmanual took place all in the Spring semester of 2012. But the fall semester of 2012 he became the top sales representative at Niner Media. Instead of following others lead he quickly transitioned to be the one to follow. It has been inspirational to watch how quickly he progressed and did obtain his goal of getting to the top. His sale increase has really been a great help to Niner Media Marketing. Without him, our sales would not be as strong and we wouldn’t have the great relationship with clients that we do. It is very entertaining watching Emmanuel become closer to his clients with every meeting and phone call. Along with being a great sales rep, Emmanuel is an amazing friend. He really encourages the close knit relationship we have with each other at Niner Media Marketing. He always is stopping in my office just to say “hi” and it really makes my day. His positive and easy going attitude is an awesome characteristic that has helped him be the top sales representative that he is. If you are looking for someone who quickly adapts and is just an all-around great guy than Emmanuel is the perfect candidate. He truly deserves this, and his hard work shows that everyday. Thank you, Niki Prestel Creative Director | Layout Editor UNC Charlotte Niner Media
Student Niner Media • UNC Charlotte 9201 University City Blvd. • Charlotte, NC 28223 • 704-687-7140
January 8, 2013 Dear CNBAM Committee, My name is Emmanuel Loredo. If I have nothing else in this world, I have my faith and my name to stand by. My name is my reputation and strong evidence that “my word” is my commitment. By a completion of my actions, I mean what I say. From a young age, like most children, I was introduced to the difference of right and wrong. One of the most important lessons I learned in my life is to not make promises I do not intend to keep. As a highly active youth, I was largely involved with leadership organizations, particularly my local YMCA. For several years, I volunteered in the after school program and physical fitness programs. During that time, I learned a lot about life skills and a lot about myself. During those times, I learned and demonstrated many leadership skills and capabilities. I was known, and continue to be known around my community for my work and successes. The reason for sharing these brief insights of myself is to explain where I believe my sense of professionalism originated. I understand that when you have many people or even a single person counting on you, whether the deed be large or small, your following through speaks much louder than what the action actually was. If you are not a person of your word, then how can one ever expect to be taken seriously or trusted? When I came to UNCC, I had an interest in joining Student Media and took the plunge. Using my leadership skills and my strong work ethic I eagerly absorbed a wealth of information, and I continue to absorb all the lessons and tips offered to me in my sales position. I feel that any job that involves relating to the public and customer service is an ongoing learning experience. To sum it all up, I believe that there are just a few simplistic values and traits one must obtain in order to succeed in the area they desire. These also hold true to anyone wishing to succeed on any level of sales. The first is bluntly stated by Norman Vincent Peale, who said, ”When a person applies enthusiasm to his/her job, the job will itself become alive with exciting new possibilities.” I feel that being an optimist and making the most out of all situations is a great outlook to have and one that will result in many lessons and opportunities. The second is to always demonstrate leadership. The world progresses because of those who are willing to uphold a loyal and dignifying character while stepping forward to do what needs to be done for the greater good. The third and final is respect. Respect is everything in the business world. More importantly it is everything you need to get by in life. Respecting others make you an even wiser person, for listening and learning from the mouths of others and for treating them as you would like be treated makes peace and compassion possible. Being respected by others shows that you have done something right and are capable of many positive influencing things. All these are so much deeper and yet all fit hand in hand just so. Thank you for your consideration, Emmanuel Loredo
Emmanuel Loredo Actual Sales vs. Goals Sales
Goal
$2,865 $2,733 $2,500
$2,000
$1,900
$1,500
Feb '12
$1,595
$1,899 $1,700
$1,500
Mar '12
Apr '12
Oct '12
Nov '12
Emmanuel Loredo 2012 Contract Sales 2% 4% 4% house
4%
Emmanuel
5%
38%
Dalton (graduated) Joe (graduated)
6%
Kayla Vince Richard (graduated) Melissa 24%
Kayla
13%
JOB DESCRIPTION SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Student Media Marketing The Senior Account Executive shall call on and meet with clients to sell advertisements for the publications and service such accounts on a regular basis. Distinguishing Features of the Job: Each Senior Account Executive is hired on a permanent basis and has worked for Student Media Marketing for at least one year unless otherwise determined by the Advertising Sales Manager. Each Senior Account Executive is required to meet all standards and goal and shall have specified monthly sales quotas to meet, as this is a commission-based position. Responsibilities and Duties: • Keeps at least 10 office hours a week between the hours of 8:00 and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday via time clock; these office hours will be posted in the office. If, for some reason, he/she cannot be in the office, he/she must inform the Advertising Sales Manager. Failure to meet office hours requirement will result in deductions in pay. • Makes daily phone calls to the sales office voice mailbox in order to check phone messages from their clients • Maintains weekly and monthly sales quotas established by Advertising Sales Manager • Attends sales workshops when advised. These workshops will be held upon notice of the Advertising Sales Manager and will be conducted by the Advertising Sales Manager and Marketing Director • Attends all sales meetings • Turns in weekly call sheets to the sales manager or receive a $10 deduction each week these sheets are not turned in. • Set up a minimum of two face to face appointments a week with potential advertisers. • Proofs his/her ads before the set deadline. Once the ad is proofed he/she should fill out an ad revision/correction form and turn in for the Creative Director. All correct ads, upon proofing, shall be placed in the bin in the Creative Director’s office • Dresses in a professional manner when meeting with clients or when an occasion deems it necessary and proper • Maintains open communication between client accounts to insure proper service • Helps with any walk-in or call-in client, follows up on leads in a timely manner, and makes outside sales calls • Sells a complete line of UTimes products (Special Sections, UTimes and Nineronline) • Keeps clients informed of any special issues or promotions • Correctly completes all necessary paperwork in a timely manner • Adheres to department deadlines • Monitors contract status of accounts to stay on target and keeps Business Manager informed; obtains signatures on all contacts and insertion orders prior to ads publishing. • Adheres to billing and credit policies as posted by the Business Manager; hand-delivers invoices to clients as deemed necessary • Provides support and help to other Account Executives and serves as a mentor and sources of knowledge for account executives and junior account executives • Understands that at the end of each year all accounts will be reviewed and redistributed. • Does related work as needed Required Knowledge and Skills: • Must be a student currently enrolled at UNC Charlotte • Must possess and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 • Must be in good disciplinary and academic standing with UNC Charlotte • Must work well with others • Must have good communication skills and project professional image The Senior Account Executive reports to the Student Media Marketing Advertising Sales Manager and /or Marketing Director. Questions about this position and its responsibilities should be directed to your supervisor. Grievances may be taken to the Student Media Board and/or Student Media Adviser.
Emmanuel Loredo
400 Woodlawn Avenue, Belmont, NC 28012 (704)-914-8631 eloredo@uncc.edu
Education University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC BSBA in Marketing | May 2015 (expected graduation) South Point High School, Belmont, NC Graduated Summa Cum Laude | 2007 - 2011
Work Experience January 2012 - Present | Senior Sales Coordinator - Student Media Marketing • Attended all training sessions, workshops, conferences and retreats • Maintained current client base and prospected new business • Sold full line of Niner Media products; sold more than $5000 in semester contracts
August 2010 - Present | Dishwasher / Bus Boy - Rivers Edge Bar & Grill • Maintain a clean eating environment for patrons
September 2007 - December 2012 | USFF Soccer Referee - State of North Carolina
• Responsible for refereeing classic, challenge, and recreational level games for participants ages 18 and under
Community March 2010 - 2011 | Recreational Soccer Coach - Belmont, NC Parks and Rec Department • Coached recreational soccer team for children ages 5-9
August 2005 - Present | Leaders Club - YMCA
• YMCA afterschool program, summer camp, and other duties • Currently advising teens in the program
August 2004 - 2011 | Alter Server - Queen of Apostles Catholic Church • Alter Server • Volunteer with the Youth Group for food drives and collecting other donations
June 2007 - 2010 | Catholic Heart Work Camp
• Assist the elderly and infirm by cleaning yards, cutting grass, painting houses, buildings and other tasks as necessary
August 2007 - Present | Catholic Heart Work Camp
• Student Council - helped with school fundraising and working school related events • Beta Club - helped with other school events • National Honor Society - helped with other school events
Achievements • • • • •
Received the Student Niner Media Ruby Sales award for spring sales totaling more than $6500 Selected to attend SUN and CNBAM conferences Awarded CNBAM scholarship to attend conference Received coaches’ award for soccer in 10th, and 12th grades Nominated for Honor Leader at Blue Ridge Leaders School
References Kelly Merges
Assistant Director - UNC Charlotte Niner Media (704)687-7136 | klmerges@uncc.edu
Molly D’Avria Director | YMCA (704)822-6678
CSU Lory Student Center, Box 13 Fort Collins, CO 80523
January 24, 2013 Dear CNBAM Awards Committee: I’m pleased to submit this letter of nomination for Karli Hansen as CNBAM’s Sales Representative of the Year. Karli is an excellent candidate for this honor because of her strong personal attributes, including energy and enthusiasm, excellent selling skills, incredible work ethic, and obvious sense of loyalty and dedication. These attributes clearly have helped her gain the trust, support and loyalty of her clients, and make her an ideal candidate for this award. ACHIEVEMENT Karli’s 2012 sales numbers are very impressive. She brought in more than $78,850 in revenue, exceeded every monthly sales goal in 2012 (with the exception of April) by an average of 13% and met or exceeded six out of seven special edition goals. What’s fascinating is that she is an English major. Sales and/or business are not a part of her future career goals yet she is a sales dynamo. I attributed her success to her incredible work ethic, infectious energy, perseverance, positive attitude and desire to do the best job possible. Karli is a hard working, dedicated sales person. She has added several new clients to her account list this year and is diligent about calling on inactive clients. She has attended three Collegian back-to-school training programs and last year’s CNBAM conference. TERRITORY MANAGEMENT Karli knows our market information better than most anyone in the office and uses this information wisely when preparing sales presentations. She has a talent for turning features into benefits and objections into opportunities. Her success with special editions is an example of how well she communicates our marketing and more specifically, readership information to her clients. I believe Karli’s success not only comes from her thorough knowledge of our market but also consistent follow-up and personal contact with clients. She has excellent relationship building skills, is a good problem solver and creator of new selling opportunities. Karli is genuine. There is nothing fake or pretentious about her. It is for this reason that Karli’s clients adore her. She is meticulous with her daily sales records and files.
Karli has excellent planning and time management skills. She is very good student, is active in the Colorado State University Greek Life community and works approximately 15 hours per week at the Collegian. Despite this hectic schedule Karli cheats no one organization; she gives her all to what ever it is she commits. INTERACTION Karli’s genuine concern for her clients has gained her the support and confidence of numerous customers. She is honest and loyal and goes above and beyond the call of duty to meet her customer’s needs. Karli has been a great asset to our staff and it is without hesitation that I proudly nominate her for CNBAM’s Sales Representative of the Year. Sincerely,
Kim Blumhardt Advertising Director, Rocky Mountain Student Media
To whom it may concern
January 23rd, 2013
It has been my pleasure to work with Karli Hansen from the Collegian for more than the past year and will attest to her commitment to exercising her duties for the paper as efficiently as representatives from the major newspapers I have dealt with currently and in the past 30 years. I find it refreshing that Karli takes control of her responsibilities’, manages her time and covers our needs as a retail advertiser, at a time I find many young adults shirking responsibility and commitment to a trade and/or job. It is also nice to see a young adult that finds a way to utilize humor and personality to make work relationships transparently easy although we have a large generational gap that could be problematic in other working relationships. With most of our communications are by e-‐mail, text message or phone calls, Karli manages to get her school work completed and manage our account, with occasional personal visits to solidify her commitment to excellence. Dennis Dinsmore Managing Partner, Wilbur’s JV, LLC, dba Wilbur’s Total Beverage
My first year as a Junior Sales Advertising Representative for the Rocky Mountain Collegian was a complete learning curve for me. I had never worked in sales or advertising before but was confident in my ability to learn and become a top sales representative for our staff. By the end of my first year I had been promoted to Senior Account Representative and last semester I made my goals every month. I believe it is my personality, perseverance, dedication, and personal selling philosophy that has helped me become the sales representative I am today. My personal philosophy as a sales representative revolves around building relationships with my clients. I pride myself on having confidence in knowing what my clients’ opinions are of different publications and what they like to advertise. I spend a majority of my time getting in contact with my clients even during times that they normally don’t want to advertise. I am dedicated to having relationships with my clients that makes them comfortable talking to me and confident that I am giving them the best opportunities to advertise and the best sales deals we have available. Over the last year and a half I have created relationships with clients so strong that when I pitch them a product, they will agree to it as long as I am confident in it. While my relationships with my current clients are strong and professional, I am also constantly looking for new prospects that would benefit from our publications. Once a prospect is selected I spend time researching their company, determining who my best contact person would be, and setting up a time to meet with them. After a meeting is set up I take the time to really get to know my client and what they desire from working with our publication. From there I take the information back to my staff and look for the advertising opportunities that would best suit their company. This is how I continue to bring growth to our goals on staff. By taking the time to get to know my clients or potential clients I am able to make the sale and bring in profits, monetarily and otherwise. I grow as a sales representative every time I am able to get a new advertiser. I believe in order to sell a product you have to trust in and believe in that product. In regards to advertising I am not only selling our publications but myself. It is extremely important to me to be perceived as a young professional, just because I am a student doesn’t mean I can’t be taken seriously as a consultant. I believe in both the Rocky Mountain Collegian, and myself, and when paired together anything is possible. This year we got almost an entirely new staff. I am now one of the older members as well as the most experienced of the staff that doesn’t hold a managerial position. It has been interesting to be able to share my experiences with the new staff and continue to help them sell. Last year our staff was close-knit and energetic, this year started off with a lot of changes and shifting of the staff to find where everyone would fit. In the end we have become just as close and fun. Taking on a silent leadership position, being the only returning staff member in a territory, has truly shown me what my philosophy to sales is. Ultimately it is important to create relationships with your staff, clients, and the community. I have learned that mistakes will happen, but when handled immediately and with grace become learning experience you can joke around about with your clients.
Being knowledgeable of the community shows your client that you know how, when, and where to advertise in a way that makes you credible.
ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGIAN The mission of the advertising department is to maintain and develop revenue sources to support Student Media and to enhance the educational process for undergraduate CSU students through training and hands-on experience. The department supports student staff members who produce a daily newspaper, the Rocky Mountain Collegian (which includes Collegian.com); College Avenue magazine, CTV; and KCSU-FM. Student Media Department goals are to create and maintain: (1) co-curricular educational and training programs; (2) a learning community that is enriching to students and staff and integrates academic and professional journalistic skills, values, ethics and responsibilities; (3) a welcoming environment for staff and visitors; (4) an organization that demonstrates belief in student capability and potential; and, (5) a development program that recognizes students’ individual needs for personal accomplishment as well as connections with peers, staff, and faculty.
JOB DESCRIPTION: Sales representatives for the Rocky Mountain Collegian serve as a liaison between Fort Collins merchants and the university community. They report to the Student Advertising Manager and are responsible for handling every aspect of a retailer’s advertising from soliciting and conception, to publication and post-publication follow-up. Sales representative generate 100% of the Collegian’s budget, it is the goal of the department to provide sales representatives with the skills they need to accomplish this task and to gain valuable experience in the areas of business and marketing.
RESPONSIBILITIES: * Devote a minimum of 12 hours per week to The Collegian. Sales representatives will not engage in other employment without the knowledge of the Manager. * Strive to meet monthly and special section goals and sell all issues and products published by the Collegian. * Give responsible advice to clients, make the best possible effort to understand our market and our competition and be knowledgeable of all information found in the training handbook and on the Collegian rate card. * Consistently investigate territory for new business, monitor competitive publications for leads and maintain regular contact with active clients. * Provide advertisers with a proof and/or proof the ad yourself for errors. Sales representatives are responsible for seeing that corrections to ads are made prior to publication. * Maintain an up-to-date file for each client including: Name of Business Name and phone number of contact person Any other helpful information (prepay, bill, best time to call, etc) * Meet all deadlines with properly completed paperwork including insertion order, new account information, form of payment and layout. Run lists should be submitted to the Student Advertising Manager every Friday.
* Handle all money in a responsible way. Enforce credit policy and collect from prepay accounts at the time the ad is placed. Respect the property of Student Media. * Be knowledgeable of all advertising policies regarding acceptability of copy or art and strive for high standards of responsible journalism. * Attend all training sessions and staff meetings. * Maintain a professional appearance and attitude at all times.
Karli Hansen 2012 Sales Numbers Sales Month Jan-12 Feb-12 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Aug-12 Sep-12 Oct-12 Nov-12 Dec-12
Goal $9,800.00 $6,150.00 $5,995.00 $8,650.00 $8,050.00 $7,200.00 $11,950.00 $4,950.00 $5,000.00 $3,400.00
Total Sales for Year Average Monthly Sales Increase
Actual $9,889.00 $8,203.00 $6,548.00 $8,346.00 $9,385.00 $8,447.00 $12,392.00 $5,907.00 $5,127.00 $4,612.00
100% 133% 109% 96% 116% 117% 104% 119% 103% 136%
$78,856.00 113%
Wilburs Dennis
Full Page Proposal full page with full color
25 x's/yr Savings/wk 700.00 $228/$303
Regular price for full page/full color at 2000" contract rate and half price color: $1003
Added Exposure 1/8 1/4 half/full Half Price CSU Life ads $60 $115 $195/$360 Full Banner Discounted Online $400/semester 12 x 2 $150 CU v CSU Preview 8/31 15% discount, free color Center of paper inside sports preview across two pages
About the Collegian • Primary source for news and information for Colorado State University Students •Distributed daily Monday through Friday to most every building on campus •Distributed to 75+ locations off campus •Total distribution 10,000 daily •Only daily student produced newspaper in Colorado About our Market •29,000 students •6,140 faculty and staff •Students spend $168 million annually •Students: 23% freshmen; 19% sophomores; 18% juniors; 23% seniors; 17% grad
There is no better way to reach the CSU community than through the Rocky Mountain Collegian.
Karli Hansen 970-491-1775 advertising1@collegian.com
KARLI S. HANSEN Fort Collins, CO 80523 kshansen@rams.colostate.edu • 303.908.8763
E DUCATION Colorado State University- Fort Collins, Colorado. Entered: August 2010; Expected Graduation: May 2014; English Major, Sociology Minor PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Rocky Mountain Collegian – Colorado State University – Fort Collins, Colorado May 2011 to Present Senior Advertising Sales Consultant Manage advertising accounts with the Collegian, and prospect for new clients. During school year position. 10 hours worked per week. Direct Supervisor: Kim Blumhardt 970.491.1146 Eddy Hall – Colorado State University – Fort Collins, Colorado September 2010 to May 2012 Lab Monitor Monitor the Eddy Hall Computer lab, including but not limited to fixing computer and printer problems, and cleaning up stations at the end of the shift. During school year position. 10 hours worked per week. Direct Supervisor: Flannery Lier 970-227-1658
I NVOLVEMENT National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation – Englewood, Colorado May 2009 to Present Executive Assistant/Social Networking Design Power Points, organize and record donations, and help organize and work at foundation events. Direct Supervisor: Rhonda Hatfield 303.908.8763 Panhellenic Executive Council—Colorado State University December 2012 to Present Vice President of Recruitment-Internal Select and train the Recruitment Guides, put together recruitment schedules, assist the Vice President of Recruitment-External Direct Supervisors: Amy Bell Orientation and Transition Programs—Colorado State University August 2012 Ram Welcome Leader Help first-year and transfer students transition into the Colorado State University community by getting them involved in events throughout Ram Welcome Weekend and facilitate small group conversations about diversity and transitioning. Direct Supervisors: Tim Gold and Rachelle Gard (Orientation Leaders) Panhellenic Judicial Board February 2012- Present Pi Beta Phi Delegate Discuss things occurring in the Panhellenic community that can help strengthen it, sit in on mediations, sit in on Panhellenic Judicial Board hearings, understand the rules and regulations of the Panhellenic Council. Direct Supervisor: Liz Vega
C HARACTER R EFERENCES Megan Green 303.618.4746 Bas Wolf 303.324.5995 Amy Bell 785.313.2129
November 14, 2012
I am pleased to nominate Caty Mills, Student Media Advertising Representative at the University of Arkansas The Arkansas Traveler student newspaper for Best Sales Representative.
Caty began working at Student Media in June, 2012. Caty is an Advertising/PR major. Caty has shown great drive and perseverance in selling print and online advertising for The Arkansas Traveler. She is the top sales representative both in total sales, and new clients (to include past clients who have not advertised within 18 months) signed.
Caty is very effective when it comes to closing business. She is a goal-oriented individual who is extremely focused and reliable. I can always count on Caty to get the job done, whether it is closing new business, making sure insertion orders are correct, or working closely her clients to create and build effective advertising campaigns. She has a great relationship with our graphic art department and works closely with them to create and sell new advertising campaigns. Caty has a genuine love of selling and it shows in her sales. Caty’s clients have called me to tell me how much they appreciate her work ethic and forward thinking with regards to their advertising. One client in particular has advertised with Student Media for 20 years and set up a meeting with me to tell me specifically that no other sales rep ever “got the business” like Caty. Caty is clearly a “star” here at the University of Arkansas Student Media, The Arkansas Traveler. She shines bright. Sincerely, Elizabeth Birkinsha Advertising Manager
Appendix: Caty Mills Job Description Advertising Account Executive must devote 20 hours a week, ideally spread over a five-day workweek to the responsibilities of the position. Attend all staff meetings and training sessions. To strive for high professional journalistic standards, advertising ethics, conduct, appearance and behavior while conducting the responsibilities of the position. To promptly answer all messages and correspondence and service accounts as needed. To meet deadlines. To complete daily call sheets and meet sales quotas. To keep account information current. You must be a student of the University of Arkansas in good standing. Sales Records $18,210 Year to Date Sales Last Year $1,100 vs. $2,300 (this is for an existing client) All other sales Caty has closed is new business. Quota Goal for current year is $15,000 ($3,810) over quota Sold most “Football Friday� specials. Caty won a trip to the ACP/CMA conference in Chicago this year. She expressed interest in way to get additional training and selfdevelopment to me. She has a long-term goal of working for a national magazine and asked what she could do while at The Arkansas Traveler to prepare her for that career.
Example of work: Caty’s letter to prospect: Here are a few marketing plans that I came up with. I tried my best to make the most effective marketing plan possible for you. Five 1/8 page ads every 2 weeks (color): $10,521 Five 1/8 page ads every 2 weeks (B&W): $7,014 One 1/8 page ad per week: $6,580 One 2x3 ad in every issue (color): $8100 One 2x3 ad in every issue (B&W): $3600 If you choose to do a 2x3 in every issue I would really recommend choosing the color ad. It is a pretty small ad but I think it could still be very successful because the KFC colors would make it stand out. In black and white I'm afraid that students might just scan over it and miss it. First Security Bank has been very successful with that marketing plan and I think it would be very successful for you too. Let me know what you think! Caty Mills Account Representative
Caty Mills
Resume EDUCATION:University of Arkansas Year: Junior Major: Journalism- Advertising and Public Relations Minor: Spanish and Marketing GPA: 3.633 ACADEMIC HONORS/LEADERSHIP Spring 2012 GPA (most current) 3.612 Fall 2010Walton Honors College present Accepted into the Honors College at the University of Arkansas Business School. Required to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA, take 17 hours of honors level classes, and write an honors thesis upon graduation. Fall 2010present
Leadership Walton Leadership program within the Walton School of Business. Required to complete 42 academic, philanthropic, and career development components upon graduation.
Spring 2011-Fall Internal Community Service Assistant (Kappa 2011 Delta Sorority) Help the Vice President of Community Service organize and run philanthropic events. Help communicate events to the rest of Greek Life and across campus Spring 2011Fall 2010
Vice President Operations (Kappa Delta Sorority) In charge of articulating, assessing, and overseeing the chapter’s overall pursuit of chapter excellence goals. Also plans chapter programming in an effort to ensure the chapter’s resources are being used efficiently and effectively. Facilitates officer transitions each year.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
October 2010 October 2011
Make a Difference Day at University of Arkansas 4 hours per 2010- Painted a mural at the Habitat for Humanity event store in Fayetteville, Arkansas 2011- Set up Halloween carnival for underprivileged children at All Star Sports Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas
September, October, November 2010-2011
Girls Scouts of America 4 hours per Partnered with Kappa Delta Sorority to assist with event the Girl Scout sleepover, pumpkin carving, and confidence coalition events. The main purpose of each Girl Scout event was to instill confidence in the Girl Scout troops in Fayetteville.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Fall 2010Freshman Hall Senate Spring 2011 Treasurer Oversee the budget allotted to my dormitory and help allocate funds for improvement of dorm life and dorm social events.
1 hour per week + bimonthly events lasting 2 hours each
Fall 2011present
National Retail Federation Student Association (NRFSA)
2 meetings per month
Fall 2010Present
Kappa Delta Sorority Member Participate in weekly meetings, philanthropy events, social events, and sisterhood bonding activities. Must maintain an acceptable GPA to remain on good standing within the sorority.
2-6 hours per week
Spring 2011Fall 2011
SET Leader Help to educate new members on the history of Kappa Delta Sorority, act as a mentor, attend all new member events, and plan the new member retreat in the Fall 2011 semester. Attended weekly training meetings in the Spring 2011 semester to prepare for Fall semester.
1 hour per week in Spring semester/ 5 hours per week in Fall semester
January 2011 Shamrock Committee -March 2011 Helped plan the annual Kappa Delta philanthropy dinner and talent show and raised over $16,000 for Kappa Delta’s two national philanthropies.
1 hour per week + two 3 hour events
WORK EXPERIENCE December Libby Lu 2007-August Club Counselor 2008 Organized and hosted birthday parties for young girls. August 2008 Sample House and Candle Shop August 2011 sales associate Assist customers with merchandise, make transfers to other stores, organize, price, and display new stock.
April 2012 - New York and Company August 2012 sales associate work register, clean fitting rooms, inform customers about the New York and Company credit card benefits, organize displays, customer service June 2012Present
University of Arkansas-Marketing and Advertising
account representative Sell ad space for the student newspaper at the University of Arkansas, assist graphic designers in designing ads.
Caty Mills Statement: I think the most important aspect of selling ads is to really focus on what is best for the client. If you really have their best interest at heart they will be able to tell. Before I even contact a potential client I do research on the business, see what kind of designs their website and social media sites have, and, if possible, I research the owner or manager of the business. I start to think of what kind of advertising would benefit their business the best and then start to come up with a rough advertising campaign for them. This shows the client that I have really put some thought into their business and that I want to help them to grow their business even more. Selling ads isn’t just about getting the money for me. It is about finding creative ways to help businesses succeed. The same size ads or run dates don’t work for every business. It takes careful consideration to find the right combination of ads. I also love the detective work it takes to find new clients. I get excited any time I am driving around and find a bakery or store that is opening up. I immediately get online and find out any information that I can because being proactive is important. Even if a store isn’t opening up for months I still like to show the client what we have to offer in terms of advertising. It’s fun to see a new business succeed partly due to the advertising campaign that I have come up with. My personal selling philosophy is that the best sales people truly have an interest in what is best for their clients and they build strong relationships with those clients based on trust.
Caty Mills, Account Representative, The Arkansas Traveler, The University of Arkansas
Claire Potts
ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA
Student Media University of South Carolina Student Life January 16, 2013 Dear CNBAM Judges, It is my great pleasure to nominate Claire Potts for the CNBAM Advertising Representative of the Year. She is currently our Campus Account Executive and as I type this she has booked $96,262 for our 2012-2013 academic year in advertising revenue. Claire started her career in Student Media as a New Business Development Representative in January 2012. She proved early on to be a quick study and impressed me with her attention to detail and eagerness to learn. She was quick to learn the importance of building relationships and creating a sense of trust with potential and existing clients. When the announcement was made that the Campus AE position was opening up she approached me with her intentions of applying. As you may have gathered from the stats stated above, the Campus AE is unlike any other sales position. This position typically averages 30 active clients a month who place upwards of 200 ads per month. She came behind a very strong campus rep and I cautioned her that she would be up against some very big numbers. That has not been a problem for Claire as she has exceeded all monthly goals since her tenure began in the summer of 2012. Our total revenue for Fall 2012 was $291,904, Claire brought in $80,321 of that. Comparing her performance to that of her predecessor, she increased campus revenue 108%. Now in her junior year, Claire has approached me about another opportunity and plans to run for Student Ad Manager in the spring. Claire is one of those students that I wish I could clone. She is ambitious, driven and more than capable of taking on any challenge and succeeding. Having been an active member of CNBAM for 11 years, I have seen the caliber of students who rise to the top within the organization and I can tell you without a doubt that Claire is more than worthy of being named CNBAM Advertising Representative of the Year. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,
Advertising Manager Student Media University of South Carolina Student Life 1400 Greene Street, Russell House Suite 343, Columbia, SC, 29208 Phone: (803) 777-3888 Email: smadsales@sc.edu Online: www.sa.sc.edu/studentmedia
Student Health Services
University of South Carolina Student Life November 16, 2012 Dear CNBAM Judges, I am writing to you to express my sincere support for Claire Potts’ application for CNBAM’s 2013 Advertising Sales Representative of the Year. Claire has been my account representative for the University of South Carolina’s flagship student publication, The Daily Gamecock, since the beginning of the 2012-2013 academic school year. I am the University’s Student Health Services Public Relations Coordinator, and as such, I am charged with placing all advertising for our organization, which includes general medicine, women’s care, counseling and psychiatric services, violence prevention, wellness and pharmacy services. Claire has an incredible amount of knowledge about optimal media placement and customer benefits, and she always works to do what is right for us, which isn’t the typical experience when purchasing media. She operates with great professionalism and courtesy. From day one, Claire has understood both our needs as advertisers and the unique benefits The Daily Gamecock provides us. Because of this, her services have been incredibly valuable to us throughout the year. With such a wide range of programs and services, opportunities to strategically place advertising in the Daily Gamecock to the word out about the health center truly abound. Claire always lets me know when such as opportunity exists, and she always checks to see if I placed advertising the year prior for the event or package deal. We are incredibly understaffed at the health center, and therefore are not the best at meeting deadlines. Claire has been an incredible help to us on this front. She has several times pulled advertising from a previous year and had her designers make it current for us and contacted me to say “It’s done. All we need is your signature,” which I sincerely appreciate! Without The Daily Gamecock, we wouldn’t have half the business we do at Student Health Services. But without Claire, we wouldn’t have the constant, consistent, high-level visibility campus-wide that her expertise, patience and professionalism has allowed us. And we thank her for that. We all sincerely hope you consider Claire for this award! Thank you,
Public Relations Coordinator Student Health Services University of South Carolina Student Affairs Thomson Student Health Center, 1409 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29208 Phone: (803) 777-3175 Email: need email!!! Online: http://www.sa.sc.edu/shs/
Personal Philosophy When I started working for The Daily Gamecock, I knew I would be selling ads. The way I pictured it, I would be walking around the city trying to sell local businesses something they didn’t even want. So on my first day, that’s what I did. I walked into Revente (a high-end thrift store) and tried to sell advertising only to find that they weren’t interested. I ended up walking out without leaving a business card or getting a manager’s email address. Not so hot for my first day. This experience led me to understand what sales representatives are not. Being a sales representative is not about making sales. It is how you can build bridges between needs and wants. Every client has something they need and every consumer has something they want. The most rewarding part of being a sales representative is knowing that by helping your client find the right way to advertise, you’re helping consumers find the product they have been looking for. During my first semester at The Daily Gamecock, I worked as a New Business Representative to build relationships with inactive clients and new businesses. After meeting several times with my clients to talk about special publications, I realized that they were all looking for unique markets. The tapas bar was looking for USC faculty and staff, the salon was looking for sorority women, and the cupcake shop needed more students in their store. When these businesses saw that I was trying to help them reach their specific markets, they began to trust me. I gained sponsorships for a readership poll we conducted and eventually turned these inactive clients into clients who were purchasing advertising. Now as an account representative, I manage the campus territory which includes all university departments and student organizations. Both my boss and the previous campus representative warned me of the size of this territory, saying it was a lot to manage. Being afraid I would forget a client or get lost in production orders, I spent the summer meeting with my clients to get to know them. I organized their files, looked at their old ads, and really got to know who they wanted to reach. One of my clients, Student Health Services, began a new campaign focusing on how most of the USC community does not smoke or use tobacco products. This campaign displayed statistics on how many students don’t smoke and how Carolina is proud of the choices they make. When my client let me know of the campaign and her interest in placing print advertising, I worked with her to create a schedule for the newspaper. However, I worked with her to add in web advertising as well as how to optimize our new mobile app. By understanding the importance of the campaign and that it really needed high viewership, I helped my client expand her expectations of how The Daily Gamecock can serve her advertising needs.
University of
South Carolina Student Life
(cont.)
Personal Philosophy My selling philosophy stems from the challenges of working with inactive and new businesses during my first semester at The Daily Gamecock. I had the privilege of attending CNBAM in 2012 which really pushed me to get the most out of my experience at The Daily Gamecock. At the 2012 conference, I attended sessions about mobile app development since we were interested in starting one. Because we came back with ideas and hopes for the app, we were able to launch it for the fall semester at University of South Carolina. It is still growing and we are still learning how to make it useful for our students, faculty, and staff. As an account representative, I have learned that great sales representatives are more of a consultant than a salesperson. Several of my clients give me their budget and calendars and trust me to schedule their advertising effectively. I believe that this basis of trust is the key to any healthy relationship – including my relationships with my clients. Currently, I continue to manage the campus territory and work with my clients to schedule their advertising effectively. I am applying for the Student Advertising Manager position which will last for one full academic year. I also plan on attending a Professional Development Certification Program offered through the university. This will help prepare me for taking on a leadership position at The Daily Gamecock. I would like to thank you for taking the time to view my application and am gracious for this opportunity.
Thank you,
Advertising Account Representative The Daily Gamecock University of South Carolina Student Life
University of
South Carolina Student Life
Appendix Job Description Sales Records Examples of Work Resume
University of
South Carolina Student Life
Claire Potts
pg pg pg pg
7 8 9-10 11
Job Description Title: Campus Account Representative Department: The Daily Gamecock Advertising Department Summary Description: The Campus Account Representative is responsible for account management of all University departments and registered student organizations. Each Account Representative is given a monthly revenue goal that is based on that territories previous history. Account Representatives sell advertising for The Daily Gamecock newspaper, dailygamecock.com, the Garnet and Black magazine and Discover Carolina. Compensation: Campus Account Representatives are paid 6% commission on all ads sold. If the Campus Account Representative goes $500 over goal they will be paid 8%. Bonuses are factored in with monthly goals. Specific Duties and Responsibilities: • Solicits university departments and student organizations to advertise in The Daily Gamecock, dailygamecock.com, Garnet and Black and Discover Carolina. • Keeps approximately 15-18 office hours a week. • Is aware of business activity in the assigned territory. • Represents the Office of Student Media in a professional manner. • Provide top-notch customer service. • Keeps and organizes accurate client information. • Will handle any walk in clientele when necessary. • Completes all necessary paper work in an efficient and timely manner. • Attends all sales meetings. • Keeps clients informed on all special packages and promotions. • Adheres to all rules, regulations and financial policies of Student Media. • Meets monthly sales goals. • Brings in a minimum of 2 new businesses a month beginning with your second month of employment. A new business is one that you brought in, no call ins. • After two months of employment if you have not met your goals and not brought in the required 2 businesses a month for two months in a row you will be on probation. It you finish a third month without meeting your goal or bringing in two new businesses you will be let go.
University of
South Carolina Student Life
Sales Records 2011 2012 2012 Goal Revenue % Made Sales August $20,540 $21,000 $21,911 104.34% September $19,494 $20,000 $18,664 93.32% October $12,364 $13,000 $20,352 156.55% November $19,376 $19,000 $16,426 86.45% December $2,985 $3,500 $2,965 84.71% Special Pubs $10,441 $11,500 $15,117 131.45% Total Accounts 2011/59 + 2012/73 = 23%
more business
2011 Total Sales $74,759 2012 Total Goal $76,500 2012 Total Revenue $80,318 2012 Total % Made 104.99%
University of
South Carolina Student Life
Examples of Work
University of
South Carolina Student Life
(cont.)
Carolina’s
Examples of Work Career Center Great American Smokeout The Center of your network.
Tables on Greene St.
In front of the Russell House 11 am - 1 pm Join Healthy Carolina, Student Health Services Campus Wellness, Palmetto Health & the American Cancer Society for quit resources, to support a tobacco-free campus, and do a mini-yoga session
“Addiction Incorporated”
Movie viewing at Public Health Research Center Auditorium 7 pm In the late 1970s, a researcher was hired by a major tobacco company to create a cigarette with fewer health risks, but was just as addictive as the company’s current products. At the same time, the firm was insisting publicly there was no evidence smoking was addictive.
15
Nov.
Be sure to get prepared for our spring job fairs coming up on Tuesday, January 29th! Employers & Career Center staff will be available to help you prepare through the January Jumpstart events held January 22nd - 25th. Visit the Upcoming Events section of our homepage at www.sc.edu/career for more information.
803-777-1650 www.sc.edu/healthycarolina #Tobacco FreeUSC
OTING GAMECOCKS
LEAD THE WAY
Election Day is Nov. 6
Register to vote online at www.nonprofitvote.org
Deadline to register in SC is Oct. 6
Not from SC? Visit www.nonprofitvote.org for registration and absentee ballot information.
University of
South Carolina Student Life
Claire Potts
Resume
309 East Springs Rd. Columbia, SC • Phone: 803.608.6134 • Email: clairepotts@gmail.com
Education University of South Carolina – Columbia, SC Expected May 2014 Bachelor of Arts in Advertising, Minor in Sociology GPA: 3.766
Experience
Account Representative, The Daily Gamecock, Columbia, SC May 2012-Present Sell advertising space to university departments and student organizations, a list of over 80 clients. Meet monthly goals and deadlines. Increase annual revenue for all special publications. Surpassed semester goal of $79,000. Work with clients to schedule ads for the entire semester, securing space to best fit their budgets. New Business Representative, The Daily Gamecock, Columbia, SC Jan.-May 2012 Worked from a list of 20 new/inactive clients to gain and maintain relationships. Gained 2 sponsorships and turned those businesses into active clients. Intern, Post No Bills (Creative Agency), Columbia, SC Aug.-Dec. 2011 Researched Customer Relationship Management Systems from other Columbia agencies for our clients. Worked with account executives to brainstorm creative marketing strategies for clients including: South Carolina State Fair, TNT Crime Scene Novel Package, and The Famously Hot New Years Eve celebration. Intern, SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Columbia, SC May-Aug. 2011 Maintained membership renewals for the Chamber. Redesigned HTML design and organization of the Chamber’s website. Telecounselor, USC Admissions, Columbia, SC Jan.-May 2011 Called accepted high school students to remind them of upcoming dates and deadlines at USC. Recruited 2 students from out of state to the Capstone Scholars program.
Conferences Attended College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers Attended sessions on sales tactics and iPhone/Android application development.
Mar. 2012
Skills Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, HTML/CSS Web Design, Microsoft Excel
University of
South Carolina Student Life
Fatima Mehr ! LSU Student Media ! March 2012- Present Day
Nomination: Sales Representative of the Year Â
Letter of Recommendation – Kodi Wilson, Advertising Advisor
Date: November 13, 2012 To Whom It May Concern, I have had the pleasure of working with Fatima Mehr in the Office of Student Media at Louisiana State University, in the Advertising Department. As the Advertising Advisor I had the opportunity to see Fatima dive in, head first and never look back as she has begun a career in integrated media sales. Like many new sales people, Fatima doubted her ability to do the job successfully in the beginning. But once Fatima got past making her first few sales, she immediately moved into the more sophisticated and complicated area of integrated media, and I am thoroughly impressed with her ability to comprehend complex client solutions, and make recommendations that make the most sense for a client. Fatima is responsible for helping her clients develop short-term and long-term campaigns. These campaigns were often disseminated across multiple media platforms, so the campaign messaging or creative would need to be altered to best serve that medium and its audience. She does the work of a salesperson without constant monitoring and individual motivation, and constantly exceeds minimum expectations. An account executive at LSU Student Media must solicit advertisers for multiple media platforms, solicit sponsors for student-run campus events and must be flexible in how that advertiser’s message is communicated to an audience. This requires establishing a relationship with a client deep enough to uncover needs and offer solutions that will benefit the advertiser within our means. It means finding creative solutions and not always offering a cookie-cutter solution. Fatima has surpassed my expectations from day one, as she is not your typical “extrovert” salesperson. Fatima is more quiet and reserved, but she has determination that’s nearly unmatched by most of my staff. Fatima’s ability to handle school, a social life and personal life is nearly unfathomable for most college students I deal with. Her mother has been facing life and death health issues since she started her job here. But Fatima manages to be a caregiver to her mother in failing health, hold down a second job, complete her schoolwork and still exceeds weekly expectations here at Student Media. Her real-life drama allows her to keep issues, problems and concerns here all in perspective. I have moved her up in to the management role, when our outgoing manager really left her high & dry to figure out the job on her own. Once again, Fatima has risen to the occasion and exceeded my expectations. Every day Fatima brings a new idea to the table – for sales, for team motivation, for strategy. She has an endless supply of enthusiasm. Her team members and her co-workers are thoroughly impressed by her work ethic and willingness to work through problems as a team player. She is approachable, friendly and inspirational to her team members. She really knows how to apply what she has learned here, translate that into sales transactions and demonstrate to her team how they can do it too. She is working with other team
members to grow small accounts into big spenders, is managing some of our largest client accounts, and is responsible for bringing in new business. She is already moving up into a leadership role after a little more than a semester & a half of working here. Fatima has the potential to be that student who can really knock your socks off with her abilities, and I can’t wait to see what she will be able to accomplish in the coming year. Please consider this as a recommendation and nomination for Sales Person of the Year. Sincerely,
Kodi Wilson Advertising Advisor Office of Student Media B41 Hodges Hall 225-578-3007 klwilson@lsu.edu
Letter of Recommendation – Mary Wallace, Client
January 10, 2013
Our department has done advertising with the Daily Reveille for years. And every year we have the opportunity to work with some wonderful students, but occasionally I get the chance to work with some extremely impressive individuals. One of those bright students is Fatima Mehr. She is an impressive young lady, mature beyond her years and impressive as a sales professional.
Fatima took over my account mid-semester, and she got things in order for us immediately. I found it difficult to track where we were on our contract, but now I get weekly updates on precisely where we are on our column inches use, and how close we are to fulfilling our contract. Fatima has us very organized and even sends me my insertion orders so that I can keep track of all my orders as we go.
Fatima also brings much more to the table as an account executive. She has been a very helpful asset to planning our ads, bringing the perspective we need to reach students, and understand what they will respond most to. She has assisted me with design direction for some of our campaigns, and the students positively received them.
Fatima brings a level of organization to our account that is unlike the customer service we are accustomed to. I wish she would never graduate, as I truly appreciate the kind of service she has provided and will have extremely large shoes to fill when she graduates. Please consider Fatima for this incredible award, I can tell you she is absolutely deserving of it and would represent your organization very well.
Mary Wallace, Ph.D. Associate Dean of Students Director of Campus Life Louisiana State University 350 Student Union Baton Rouge, LA 70803 mwallace@lsu.edu 225-578-5160
Appendix 1-Resume Fatima Mehr Fmehr1@tigers.lsu.edu ! 550 West Lee Drive #217! 985-710-0577
Experience LSU Student Media Print Sales Manager [Oct.2012-Present Day] " " " " "
Lead sales team to achieve sales goals Manage and develop print sales staff Create individual goals for each sales representative Execute weekly sales staff meetings
Individual Highlight: Turned around on- campus revenues in less than 2 months from a 1% loss, to a 26% increase over last year
Assistant Sales Manager [Aug.2012-Oct.2012] " " "
Trained new account executives Collaborated with Sales Manager to create office competition to motivate sales staff Maintained and promote efficiency and organization within the advertising office
Individual Highlight: Motivated sales team to sell the most number of ads ever sold in Legacy, a student magazine.
Account Executive [March.2012-Aug.2012] " " "
Prospected for new business in the Baton Rouge area Maintained past and current advertising clients Created and maintain relationships with clients, superiors and coworkers
Individual Highlight: Promoted to Assistant Sales Manager after seven months based on sales performance and demonstration of leadership abilities.
786 Foods Marketing Coordinator [Jan.2012-Present Day] " " "
Oversee the design for advertisements and promotional items Implement marketing and advertising campaigns Update Event Calendar
Education Louisiana State University Expected Graduation Date: May 2014 BA in Mass Communication: Public Relations Minor: Business Administration
Skills "
Financial Planning
"
People Management
"
Sales Planning
"
Client Relationship
Appendix 2- Sales Philosophy Dear CNBAM Committee, I am honored to be nominated for Sales Representative of the Year. My experience at LSU Student Media has been both exciting and life changing. I started working at LSU Student Media about a year ago as a new sales representative. I was hired on a volunteer basis until I made my first sale. From the time I was hired and until I made my first sale, I discovered both my weaknesses and strengths. Never in my life did I think that I would be in sales, or that I would actually be good at it. I stumbled upon this job as I was trying to find something that would allow me to have valuable experience for my resume. As I struggled to make my first sale, I learned some of the most important and basic things about sales. For me sales is all about developing, and maintaining relationships. It is about forming a mutual trust with clients, and taking care of their needs. I have excelled in sales by learning about our products inside and out, and then communicating that knowledge to my clients. I never try to sell anything to a client over the phone. My main goal during the phone call is to set an appointment with the client. I always do research do about a client before making a phone call. I look into any recent advertisement the client might have done and try to analyze what the client is trying to achieve through their advertisements. Is the client trying to raise awareness about his or her products or services? Is the client trying to stay on top of the consumers’ mind or is the client trying to stand out among their competition? After understanding why the client is advertising, I make a list of our products, which can help the client achieve their advertising goals. After I am finished with my research, I call on the client and offer them suitable products. My goal is always to help them see how our products enhance their advertising efforts. My focus is always on the client, and making sure that they are aware of every opportunity available to them. I have a simple strategy, if I am genuinely excited about our products, the client will be too. One thing that has helped me tremendously in my success is to always smile when I am on the phone with a client. The positive energy I feel, transfers to my clients and allows them to trust me. On my meetings, I never directly go to my pitch. I always try to make a personal connection with the client first. When I am meeting a client for the first time, I quickly glance around to get some clues about what the client’s personality or what he or she might like. I also try to read the client’s body language and analyze how he or she responds to me. One time I was on a meeting with a client, and I saw a picture of the client participating in a 5k. I started talking to the client about the upcoming 5k’s in our area, and if she was participating in any. The client was then much more warmer and responsive to me. Till this date, I email the client about new and exciting 5k’s in our area. An important thing about establishing a connection is to be genuine. I like to take an interest in my clients and learn more about them. This keeps my job both exciting and personal. Once I have established a connection, I move on to talking about the client’s needs. This is where I talk about any research I have done on my client. I talk to them about their recent advertisement efforts, and ask probing questions which will allow me to better understand the client’s needs. Once I learn about the client’s needs, I then make my pitch. The sales process does not end with the closing of a sale but rather transforms into a long-term
relationship with a client. I always try to be in constant touch with my clients. I can achieve this by simple yet meaningful gestures such as sending Thank You cards, or emailing a client about something relevant to their interest. I also make sure every client of mine sees me at least once a month. Every Friday, I pick a few of my clients and personally drop off their tear sheets. This allows me to be face to face with the client, and maintain our relationship. My ability to maintain positive relationships with my clients has played a large part in my success. Sales is a dynamic field and in order to continously improve my performance, I must grasp new trends and constantly educate myself. I can do this by reading books, watching videos, and networking with other professionals in the field. The knowledge I gain from these efforts is not only beneficial to my sales goal, but also helps me lead and motivate my team. I don’t focus solely on my individual success, but rather on the success of my team. It is always a joyous moment when I am able to help my team members reach their personal and team goals. I could not have achieved such success without my advisor, Kodi Wilson. She has gone beyond her role as an advisor to help me understand the world of sales and develop a strong foundation for my career options for the future. He belief in my work and me has been a great source of motivation throughout my journey at LSU Student Media. Thank you for considering my nomination.
Sincerely, Fatima Mehr
Appendix 3 - Job Description ! Solicit local and on-campus businesses and organizations to advertise with LSU LSU Student Media ! Create personalized proposals and packages for current and potential clients ! Maintain relationship with all clients ! Help develop ad campaigns for current and potential clients ! Send out weekly tear-sheets and invoices to all clients along with monthly statements ! Responsible for leading sales team to achieve goals outlined by Advertising Advisor ! Hire and train new sales representatives ! Motivate sales staff by creating contests ! Create individual goals and budgets for sales staff ! Keep a report of all account executives and their progress ! Collaborate with marketing team to raise brand awareness and develop hiring campaigns ! Execute weekly sales team meetings ! Attend weekly managers’ meetings ! Attend all comprehensive training sessions for student staff ! Maintain a productive and fair work environment
Appendix 4- Personal Sales Growth
TOTAL SALES: $53,990.34
Appendix 5- Growth in Number of Clients
New Clients: !Extreme Nutrition !Alpha Omega Creations !Mugshots Grill and Bar !Casa Maria !Pearson’s Travel World !Gino’s
Appendix 6- growth in Number of Inches Sold Growth in Inches Sold 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Inches sold
March 2012 - June 2012
June 2012 - Sept. 2012
Sept 2012 - Dec. 2012
19.5
352.8
4,198
Appendix 7- Largest Contracts Top 5 Clients ! All American Campus Communities: $ 23, 803. 64 ! East Baton Rouge Parish Library: $ 21, 750. 00 ! Fairway View: $ 17, 298.00 ! Varsity Theatre: $ 16, 348. 50 ! Fred’s Bar: $ 13, 311. 00
Appendix 8-Expanding Former Accounts
Princeton Review I acquired Princeton Review in Spring 2012. After working with them for a few months, I learned that this account had potential for growth. For their next contract, I proposed to them running color ads, instead of black and white. I presented several graphs to showing the returns on color ads vs. black and white ads. The client was impressed and signed up for color ads for their next contract. When I recently met with the client, She was pleased with her choice to run color ads, and has already signed the contract for next year. I am now working with her to incorporate digital and transit ads in her marketing plan. Overall, I was able to increase over 2,000 dollars of revenue from this client
Reggie’s Bar I acquired Reggie’s Bar as a dormant account in Spring 2012. After doing some research on the client, it became clear that the client had trouble keeping up with payments in the past, and therefore was no longer advertising with us. I met with the client and discussed pre-pay options to make keeping up with payments easier. Also, I suggested that we stick with a basic ad design and change the copy as the bar’s special change. I would be responsible for pulling the bar’s specials from the website. This would eliminate work on the client’s part and would still allow him to advertise his business. The client was impressed and signed a contract for the year.