key to success

Dardis Key to Success: Business Etiquette

By | The Dardis difference | No Comments

Sales training, communication skills and presentation techniques represent several of the critical career skills interns learn through the Dardis Classroom to Career program. These pieces, combined with real world experience, prepare students for a career post-college, but to kick-off a successful career, students also need to learn proper business etiquette.

Business etiquette is more than dressing the part and knowing what to say or do.  It’s knowing how to present yourself in the best light in any business situation from an informal meeting to a black-tie event. Understanding and using proper business etiquette will provide the framework for meaningful conversations and effective work days, which will pave the way for a respected (and successful!) career.

In the Dardis Academy training program, our interns learn key business etiquette elements, including:

The handshake
What appears to be a simple gesture actually signifies your confidence in the workplace. Avoid applying too much pressure, but still approach a new client or colleague with a strong handshake that shows your professionalism.

Business cards
In this digital world, young professionals may be tempted to disregard the importance of business cards, but you never know when or where your contact information may open the door to a new opportunity. Always carry a few cards on you, and make sure the layout is clean and crisp.

Dining etiquette
Business dinners can be intimidating for any professional, but for up and coming employees, they can prove even more daunting. Our interns learn the science behind dining etiquette before their first big client dinner to ensure they know exactly which fork to use.

The nuts and bolts
On day one of your first job out of college, you’re expected to understand how to use the basic functions of your phone, voicemail and email. Our interns have the opportunity to learn these skills ahead of time, so they can focus on learning the job and not their voicemail.

Proper business etiquette separates the rising stars from the rest, giving our Dardis interns yet another competitive advantage in the workplace.

 

Photo credit: Unique Hotels Group via Flickr

Dardis Key to Success: Time and Territory Management

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It’s completely invisible, but it drives our day-to-day and long-term plans, including how we prioritize and our perceived level of stress. Time – we usually don’t have enough of it, especially at work. When projects and tasks pile up, one of our first laments usually includes, “If only I had more time.”

Time management is a valuable skill in our personal lives, as well as our careers, making it a true key to success and an important component of the Dardis Academy training program. As future professionals, our interns need to learn how to manage their workday, while focusing on both short-term and long-term goals and objectives. In the world of sales, professionals also need to learn how to best handle their territory, no matter how big or small.

Our program teaches  interns how to effectively allocate their time to get the job done by giving them the freedom to set their own schedules and learn how the quality time they invest directly impacts their success. By selling in their own communities, they also learn during our summer internship program to manage their territory by balancing time with both current and prospective clients.

Time and territory management represents a challenge for even the most seasoned professionals, but with Dardis Academy, our interns gain the foundational skills and experience to effectively manage their time and territory in their future careers.

To start better managing your time today, try these four simple tips from Business Insider:

Make a realistic to-do list:  Create your list the night before, so you’ll have a head start the next day.

Turn off distractions: There are so many possible diversions in today’s technological world. Ignore as many of them as possible, so you can stay focused on completing your tasks.

Learn to say no: Understand what you can and can’t do. If you volunteer or say yes to everything, you won’t be able to complete your own list of responsibilities.

Find a timing system that works for you: Find out what way is best for your goals. Know what the best time is for you to perform most efficiently at different tasks throughout the day.


Photo credit:  blue2likeyou via Flickr

Dardis Key to Success: Presentation Skills

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In part three of our Dardis keys to success series, we highlight the importance of presentation skills. This core component of the Dardis Academy training ensures that our interns feel educated and confident to present the Dardis product to prospective clients and then handle questions and overcome objections, if needed. Solid presentation skills strongly contribute to a successful career – knowing how to effectively communicate your key messages to your target audience, whether in a conference room or a large meeting room, earns you credibility and buy-in.

An effective presentation is more than a flashy PowerPoint. Oftentimes, crowded slides and over-the-top graphics actually distract your audience, so instead, focus on your content and your delivery, no matter what presentation format you follow.  As a presenter, you have to win over your audience and draw them into your message to really make an impact. When our interns present to business professionals in their community, they have the opportunity to practice their delivery and discover what works and what doesn’t. These firsthand experiences pave the way for quality, well-organized presentations in their future careers.

For practical ideas on how to nail a presentation in the first 60 seconds, check out this LinkedIn blog post that recommends you:

  • Plan your opening in advance: You should know exactly how you are going to open your speech. Look for ways to signal that you are a person with a valuable message to share.
  • Prepare the room in advance: If you like to move around, give yourself room to move, and you need an aid like a clicker, make sure it’s easy to access. The worst thing you can do is to step in front and start fumbling around.
  • Expect the unexpected: No matter what happens, your role is to remain calm and composed. If you do this, you will win over the room.
  • Be immediately interesting: Even if you have housekeeping notes or details to go over with the audience, don’t start with these. First, build a rapport and demonstrate that you are both in control and worth their attention.
  • Use terror to your advantage: As part of your planned opening, say something that either acknowledges your anxiety or makes it seem like good acting.

Equipped with executive-level training experience from Dardis Academy, Dardis interns have the tools to deliver the high-quality, captivating presentations that will move business – and their careers – forward.

Photo credit: World Travel & Tourism Council via Flickr

Dardis Key to Success: Professional Image Skills

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In the Dardis Academy training course, we stress to our interns the importance of skills like business communication, selling techniques and effective presentations– all things they won’t learn from a textbook. But beyond these practical, career-focused components, we also teach our interns the importance of an often neglected “skill” – maintaining a professional image.

While a professional image won’t land you the job, it can definitely lose you the job. The difference between a professional image and a sloppy look can mean the difference between a promotion and a demotion. Professional image isn’t just about the clothes you wear –it’s a persona that effectively displays your confidence, your expertise and your passion for your work.

By arriving to work (or worse, an interview!) with a crumpled, untucked dress shirt, you portray to your colleagues that you do not value what you do or what you bring to the company.  Conversely, by dressing smartly with a careful attention to fit and detail, you send the message that you are prepared to take on challenges and thrive in an evolving environment. At Dardis, we sell professional apparel for a reason – it matters!

Beyond your physical appearance, you can enhance your professional image by maintaining a professional demeanor at the office and always treating every situation as a worthwhile learning experience.  Your supervisor and your colleagues take note about how you handle challenges with other teammates and how you deal with stress. Don’t let a heated moment or a difficult project break down your professionalism and threaten your career advancement opportunities.

Not sure how to hone your professional image? Start with these recommendations:

  • Be authentic: Potential employers see right through a false exterior. Be genuine in your words and actions.
  • Dress the part: You don’t need a fortune to invest in quality pieces that enhance your appearance and show you’re ready for the job.
  • Find a mentor: Identify a mentor that embodies the professional skills you hope to also portray and look for ways you can develop similar skills.

A professional image takes time and effort to maintain, but by entering the job market with this firm foundation, you will be ready to handle everything that comes your way.

Photo credit: Dell via Flickr

Dardis Key to Success: Selling and Negotiation Skills

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Before our summer interns head to their local communities to begin selling the Dardis product, they complete a week-long, executive-level training program to prepare them for their internship experience and most importantly, their careers. Through this unique opportunity, students learn the real-world skills that they need to succeed with Dardis and beyond. These keys to success range from presentation skills to business etiquette and more.

This month on the Dardis Academy blog, we will feature these keys to success and showcase how these skills will give students the tools they need to succeed in the workplace.

Selling techniques

Sales skills sit at the heart of business. No matter what role you currently serve in or what your career aspirations may be, your work will focus on selling something – a product, an idea or even your skills and experience. At Dardis, our product happens to be professional clothing, and we train our interns thoroughly on our product so they know the detailed features and benefits, as well as the apparel industry and the fashion trends, so that they can serve as experts during the selling process.

This foundation allows them to engage in an effective sale by first listening to the client’s needs and then providing a solution to meet their needs. Effective selling is relational, and we challenge our interns to ask the right questions and work as a partner, not an overbearing sales person. We draw upon years of experience through Dardis Communications training high-level executives to educate our interns on effective selling techniques that will close the deal.

Closing and negotiation skills

To be successful, the right selling techniques must match the right closing and negotiation skills. Very few sales are simple and straightforward, so Dardis interns learn in the Dardis Academy to effectively close their presentation and if needed, navigate through the negotiation process. We train our interns to first recommend the right sale to close the deal, and we also train them to respond to challenges that will undoubtedly arise. Negotiation skills take years to develop, so we encourage interns to see each sale as a learning opportunity, even if they don’t complete the sale.

By giving students the tools they need to successfully sell our quality Dardis attire, they can experience, first-hand, the thrill and challenge of the sales process and prepare themselves for a future career armed with this key to success.

Photo credit: Brenda-Starr via Flickr

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