Promoting Education – written by Laura Hooks of Team Blezoo!
In my career in Sales as a Promo Consultant, I am constantly reminded of how my professional life began – as a high school teacher! I started out by getting a Bachelor’s in History and a Masters in Secondary Education at the University of Florida (Go Gators!). I then taught U.S. History for almost 4 years to 10th-11th grade. How does this translate into my career now? Here are a few examples.
Explaining “why”.
While it is easy maintain the title of expert in many fields, taking the extra time to explain the “why” is always better than hoarding the knowledge. Further educating my clients on how the process works helps them understand the best practices we’ve developed in delivering innovative products and sets realistic expectations. It helps build a relationship of trust, which is also a key for teaching students.
Speaking of relationships; they are imperative.
When teaching high school, having credibility with your students is highly correlated to their desire to listen to what you have to say. The main way to gain that respect is by spending extra time with them – either by tutoring after school or getting involved in extra curricular activities. I have also found that the key to sales success is building relationships as well. The best way to form credibility is by meeting with clients one on one and learning more about them, their customers & messaging objectives.
Listen and ask questions.
It’s amazing what you learn when you really listen. In teaching, listening to your students and asking questions could tell you how their day was really going, what they were struggling with academically and how to better teach them. It is the same in sales; ask the right questions and then simply listen. It is the key to finding out what they are really trying to accomplish with their promotion and how you can better serve them. As fellow educator Jared Sparks once said, “When you talk, you repeat what you already know; when you listen, you often learn something.”
