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Showing posts from January, 2018

Making It in Sales

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Of course some people find themselves in the sales profession, without much preparation . Perhaps you are like me and you took a chance on a possibility but now you're unaware of how to go from here to there. The thing is, being a sales person is very much like being your own boss. In fact, I believe that every entrepreneur should have tried to do sales. Sales is definitely not for the faint hearted but it has a lot of benefits to it. For instance; autonomy- Many companies recognize the need to allow sales people to act with autonomy. Another good thing is that your perks can increase like having travel allowances, communication allowances, holidays abroad, salary is not fixed, you can earn up and one more thing, you are not an office bug. You can work from home, field and evverywhere because you should always be on call. All these good benefits however do not come easy, you've got to move a mountain to realise your goals, just like my friend asked me the other day;

NEW RULES TO BREAK

The Rule Book of Hiring begs to be Revised and here are some thoughts about what should be ignored: 1. You can not  contact the hiring manager yourself. Of course you can, particularly if you are not hearing back. 2. You should be paid what your last job paid you, or just a little more. No ! Just because the last employer took advantage of you, does not mean the next one should . 3. Your resume should be full of buzzwords to capture attention of keyword-seeking recruiters. No. Keyword-seeking recruiters are not likely to find you a job. Good recruiters seek value, not buzzwords. 4. If you do not hear anything back, wait and be patient. No ! Let them be patient when you refuse the offer because you found something better. 5. Candidates are doormats, and everyone is allowed to walk all over them. No !!! How they treat candidates shows how they treat employees. Good companies will go out of their way to impress you. 6. You should stay in the job you hate just because you just

Interview Question: Tell Me about Yourself?

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Bonjour people, Most interviewers choose this as the first question, it's meant to break the ice and make you comfortable. However, this is the case where first impressions matter. This is your chance to set the tone of the interview. Have you ever walked into a room with stern faced panelists and you feared for your life or bowels? Buterflies and gas were having a match in your tummy. in a hot suit or uncomfortable heels and you brea a sweat. This gets worse when you find a parade of other interviewees looking to snatch a chance. Oh yes, I have experienced this before. The truth is; many people take different paths to a career and companies seek people that will fit into their company culture, someone they can relate to, So no matter, the qualifications of other so deserving candidates, you have your own story and this is what appeals to the panelist. So let's get into the gist of the matter. in answering this question. You want to make the an

Who Pays the Bill?

We’ve all experienced it: That uncomfortable moment during a night out when the bill arrives. Am I picking this one up? We silently weigh our options, factoring in the people present (friends, colleagues, a date), the age of the guests, the professional expectations, and yes, sometimes even the genders involved . You have to decide in that split second whether to reach for your wallet, and it’s not always so clear what you’re supposed to do. So here are some etiquette tips that will help you be prepared, before you face the bill. 1. Out With a Client  This morning, I just confirmed a meeting with a prospect at a high end eatery and I am anxious about the bill. It's generally expected that I would, but  my company doesn't have a clearly defined process of how to handle this but here is a thought from the professionals at  Protocol school Texas. At work, the client comes first—and if you’re meeting her for drinks or a meal, you should treat her accordingly. It's customar

What you need to know about your References

Now that you are out of college  and job hunting, local cyber cafes are reaping profits in the form of the number of CVs printed and hours spent scouring job sites while you lose sleep because you can not think of the good skills you have to highlight or even how to write a good curriculum vitae. Notwithstanding, one thing that is often left behind at the foot end of the CV is the reference section. When an interviewer asks you for a list of references, are you confident about the names you hand over? Do you wonder what kind of questions they might be asked, or whether you’ve picked the right people? I have heard stories of people who just listed the wrong people and who then  gave potential employers bad references. For HRs and hiring people this is a crucial decision maker and all candidates do well to list people who will give an enthusiastic review for you. Here are some guidelines to writing a good reference section. What are some questions a recruiter is likely to ask your r

Tips to Prepare for The Corporate World as an Undergrad

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I have a young sister in the University who usually mesmerizes me with her grand dreams of the future. She is just in her early 20's, sometimes I am envious of the grandiosity of the plans because they seem child like. You know I mean, we all build castles in the air and assume that 20 years from now I will be great and grand and oh what a splendid future it shall be. This lasts only until you step out of the University gate ( I admit some people don't wait that long but at least for some of us who have been spoon-fed in life and expect the grades to do the talking once you exit the stage of life), then the cookie crumbles like sand castles. It's often said,  that your university years are the best times. Plenty of time to chat with friends and only worry about bundles, have no worry for end- of- month obligations like rent, food, stima, etc ( Respect to those who actually mind these in college- you are miles ahead of the pack), have no worry for kids or spouses and their

Reading List for Personal Development

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I hate TV. I seldom watch TV because I catch up with all the news on Twitter. Maybe it's because I am a working mom, I have a lot on my plate on typical days but even on Holidays or free weekends I seldom watch TV for what it is. Perhaps because news is bland and boring or maybe because it adds no new value in my life- no new knowledge. I believe my time is better spent sleeping, playing with son or catching up with hubby ( or maybe sex) I put a lot of effort into self development through the reading of books. I feel like books speak to me and help me sort out some life debacle. I love that my bae has embraced this reading culture and is giving me a run for my money. This is one habit that elevates one so much ( brownie points for being aware and being good at conversations) “Personal development is a major time-saver. The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.” ― Brian Tracy Here goes some of the books I would like to read this year. If y

Can an Introvert excel at Sales?

If you are an introvert like myself  and this question "Can an Introvert excel at sales " creeps in your mind often then, it's a very common introvert issue.  Introverts are more often very introspective and like to analyse their strengths and weaknesses every now and then. This is ability to analyse makes one be their own harsh critic. Here's a case in point;  Because I often self analyze a lot I sometimes miss out on the great qualities that i have for instance ( as most introverts have)- I am a good listener, I listen to people a lot , sometimes out of curiosity or for interests sake and this is a good thing to have as a sales person as it helps with research and report writing. I feel that my CV never sells me enough, because unless my supervisor mentioned that I really did well on a particular aspect of a job, I would be hesitant to put it in my CV as I feel if i did then maybe it won't be as impressive to others as well . More often than not, people wh

Yipee... Happy 2018- A challenge Post

I am not great at keeping blogs despite the fact that I really really love writing. I could tell you that for every successful fashion blogger in Kenya, I made their career by being a faithful reader, by recommending their blogs to friends and always discovering new blogs. Had I jumped on the blog wave back in 2010 I would be minting them coins by now but oh well time and tides waits for no man. This year 2018. I want to challenge myself to write this blog at least once weekly. I believe my life is a whirlwind of sorts; in my vast 20 somethings, I am taking on a lot of experiences at a time which I believe would be a wealth of Knowledge for some people like me, I would like to document all these experiences on this blog. Another aspect that will be highlighted on this blog is my sales experience. I do not purport to be great at sales but this blog will be an outlet to help me sieve through it and of course if you have some of you experienced leaders teach me the tricks of the trade