As I believe I mentioned in a previous blog, Monday, July 4 was the day that I left the comfort and familiarity of my position as the Recruitment Manager at Plan A to pursue a new career in sales with StaffStat. This past week and a half has been a learning curve for me; I’ve started sitting in on remote demos from our office and I’m getting more used to cold calling / emailing (slowly, but surely).

Over the past two days I travelled around Southwestern Ontario with Mel (CEO / President of StaffStat), completing in-person demonstrations of StaffStat to potential customers in the Sarnia, Richmond Hill and Fort Erie areas. I had the opportunity of sitting in on multiple in-person demonstrations to both long-term care facilities and developmental services organizations and I learned so many new things in such a short period of time. I now have a much better idea of what to consider and expect when I eventually venture out on my own.

In my blog today I thought I would share some of the things that I learned over the past two days:

1. Take the opportunity to nail your first impression. Sure, you can make an impression through a telephone call, but meeting in-person allows for the potential customer to truly get to know who you are and what you can do for them in a different way. I’ve sat in on more remote demos than I have in-person demos, and I’ve found that the positive feedback, reactions and true interest is more easily recognized once an in-person demo is complete. Often times things get lost in translation through a phone call or email, so any chance that I have to complete a demo in-person as opposed to over the phone I will be sure to make it possible.

2. Think ahead. We run a software company, so it’s to be expected that we will require the use of technology to complete demos. Prior to leaving for the trip, while packing our supplies, we had to be sure that all chargers and the proper power cords were packed away. We require that three iPhones, a laptop and our Internet hub be fully charged at the beginning of each demo, so it’s something to be conscious of each night prior to the meetings the next day. I try to be an organized person, but it doesn’t always work out that way. After participating in the demos these past few days, I’ve learned the importance of being organized and ensuring that all required technology is fully charged, all required cords are packed away safely and that they are easily accessible.

3. Do your homework. Prior to completing a demo, Mel and I would take a few moments to do some research on the organization. This way, we were able to tailor the demo to them, making it easier for them to see the ways in which StaffStat could benefit their organization. Not only does it make it easier for the individuals from the organization to understand the system, but it also shows that you took time to put effort into the demo. Taking time to read about the organization and fully understand what their focus is will also help you feel more prepared walking in.

Not only am I excited to venture onto this new career path and push myself even further outside of my comfort zone, I am also excited to continue to learn new things as I go along!

Thanks for reading!