1.12 Exercises

Exercises (1.5)

Think about someone you trust such as a parent, professor, friend, classmate, or colleague. Describe why you trust him or her. Now, think about that person again. Would she say that she trusts you? How would she describe why she trusts you?
Ask a classmate to describe their background and then describe yours for five minutes each. Write a summary of their background based on what they said and ask your classmate to do the same. How accurate was each of your summaries? How many details did each include in the summaries? What did you learn about listening skills?
Discuss the sentence, “Salespeople are communicators, not manipulators.” What does it mean? Why is it important to know the difference in sales?
Describe at least three characteristics of a good salesperson. Do you have any or all of these characteristics? What is appealing to you about a profession in selling? What is not appealing to you about a profession in selling?
Invite a salesperson to visit your class (in person or via Skype) to discuss his career in sales, what they think is most rewarding, and what they find most challenging.

Think about your professor for this course. What social style would you use if you went to see them about your grade on the midterm exam? Discuss why you would choose this style.
Using the social matrix in this section, identify a situation in which you would use each style. Discuss why you would choose the style for each situation.
For each of the following situations, identify the social style of the buyer and suggest how you would adapt to appeal to the buyer:
- You are a salesperson for a floral wholesaler. Your customer owns a flower shop. When you arrive to meet her you notice her office is a bit messy (in fact, you can’t understand how she finds anything), but she is very cordial and takes the time to hear about your product.
- You are a salesperson for a company that specializes in social networking software for retailers. Your customer is the chief information officer for a growing online retailer. He was very precise about the meeting time and agenda. You hope you can establish rapport with him quickly as he was a bit brusque on the phone.
- You are a commercial real estate agent. Your customer is the founder and CEO of a start-up web site development company. Her enthusiasm is contagious as she describes her vision for the company and her office needs for the next five years.

Choose one of your classmates. Review their social networking pages and do a search on major search engines to see what their personal brand communicates online. Is it appropriate for a prospective employer? What changes would you recommend?
Create your networking list. Identify at least fifteen people that you can contact about your internship or job search. How can you expand your network to include twenty-five people?
Assume you were at a campus networking event and met someone who works at a company where you would like to work. What would you say to them to try to learn about potential opportunities with the company? If they said nothing was available, what would you say to be able to contact them at a later time?
Review your LinkedIn profile and identify ways that you can stand out. Ask a professor or other professional to give you some feedback on your profile and other professionals you can add to your network.

Write down your FAB using the chart below. What examples or stories can you tell about each one?

Brand Positioning Point Feature Advantage Benefit
Identify at least four samples of your work that you can include in your portfolio. Discuss which FAB message each sample demonstrates. Create a summary sheet for each sample.
Shop online or in a local art supply or office supply store and identify a professional binder or portfolio for your samples.
Review your portfolio with a professor, supervisor, or other professional. Ask for feedback on your portfolio and presentation.

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