sales skills

Feb 27
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College Senior: Set Goals, Learn to Sell to Succeed

By | Someone you should know | No Comments

University of Northern Iowa senior Ty Flood eagerly anticipates graduation this spring. With a degree in marketing, this Des Moines native credits his real world experience with Dardis for laying a foundation for a successful career post-college.

Ty shares his first-hand internship experience, encouraging other college students to “become comfortable with being uncomfortable” to grow and succeed in their careers.

Describe your experience with Dardis.
My internship with Dardis was hands-down one of the biggest learning experiences that I have ever had. The internship was challenging, but incredibly rewarding. Not only did I learn a lot about myself, but I had the opportunity to connect with many successful people in the Des Moines area.

What was one of the most important lessons you learned through the Dardis program?
One of the biggest lessons that the internship instilled in me is the importance of goal setting. There will be days where you hit the ground running, but there will be days when you don’t feel like a million bucks. Through setting goals, you will always have something to stride toward.

What kind of skills do you feel are most important for college students to learn through internships and volunteer work before graduation?
A skill that is critically important for any college student to learn is the ability to sell. No matter what walk of life that you travel down, you are going to have to sell yourself and your ideas to peers, leadership or customers. Every day, you are constantly selling your credibility.

What are your goals for the future? How has Dardis helped you work toward these short-term and long-term goals?
Currently, my short-term goal is to attain a full-time sales position before graduation. Through both the week-long seminar and the nine-week internship, I gained skills in oral, and written communication, as well as professional image and sales skills. This has been incredibly helpful in interviews. I received true business experience through this internship.

Ultimately, a long-term goal would be to start and run my own business. Dardis has prepared me for this by giving me a taste of what the entrepreneurial life is like by building a customer list and fulfilling their needs.

What advice do you have for other undergraduate students as they prepare for their careers?
Become comfortable with being uncomfortable. As a young professional, a lot of things are going to be new to us. Don’t shy away from these new things. Hunt them down and hit it head-on because that’s the only way that we can grow.

Nov 28
0

What Are Employers Looking For Anyway?

By | Career Advice | No Comments

Young professionals entering the job market for the first time face the daunting task of proving to employers that they have the education, skills and potential to succeed at a position without the relevant work history.

So without a loaded resume to lean on, what are hiring managers looking for from young professionals and what will get you the job?

One LinkedIn researcher partnered with the organization Circumventure and surveyed 1,400 hiring managers from Fortune 500 countries to identify which skills and personality traits are most important when hiring young professionals. The results paint a telling picture about the importance of soft skills and the right attitude and mindset when entering the business world – all important components of the Dardis Academy training experience.

Skills

Based on the LinkedIn survey, hiring managers rank problem-solving (finding solutions when faced with challenges) and being a good learner (learning new skills quickly) as the most important skills they look for in hiring young professionals.

Most-important-skills

Personality Traits

The survey results also show that hiring managers look for young professionals that are collaborative, work hard and have a positive attitude.

Most-important-personality

The job you’re applying for will also impact the kind of skills and personality traits that you should share in an interview, as the research shows that the importance of specific skills and personality traits varies by the exact role they’re hiring for. Working toward a sales role? Focus on your oral communication skills and maintain a positive attitude. Hoping to land a marketing or public relations gig? Research shows that creativity, passion for the work and strong written communication are key.

Through Dardis Academy, students have the opportunity to learn the soft skills they need to achieve in the real world and actually apply their new skills in a six-week business simulation. When applying for their first job, Dardis Academy grads can describe to employers how the elite training experience taught them important professional communication skills and other important real-world business skills like preparing for and scheduling meetings, delivering business presentations, learning from audience evaluation and feedback and summarizing presentation takeaways.

To learn more about this opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest, click here.

Photo credit: bpsusf via Flickr

Feb 07
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Dardis Key to Success: Selling and Negotiation Skills

By | The Dardis difference | No Comments

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

Oct 11
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Beyond the Classroom: Preparing for the “Real World”

By | Classroom to Career | No Comments

Most high school students close their lockers for the last time and toss their caps at graduation thinking that college is final preparation for entry into the “real world.”  At a basic level, that’s true.  A college education can provide students with the book smarts and social experiences needed to jump start an adult life, as well as a career.

But do four (sometimes more!) years at a university really prepare students for challenges found in the workplace?

One study followed 2,300 undergraduates from 2005 to 2007 and found that 36 percent of students did not demonstrate significant improvement in key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing.  If book knowledge did not increase, it’s likely that other skills did not, as well.  While only one study, students have to wonder, will I really be ready to graduate?

Melinda Boisjolie, an intern for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, may have said it best:

“It is a tough realization, but a college degree does not automatically translate into a job.  Experience and involvement are just as important, if not more important than high grades.  While the significance of grades depends on your major and what you intend to do after your undergraduate years, they don’t mean anything if you do not know how to effectively communicate with others.”

Effective communication.  Experience and involvement.  This is where Dardis comes in.

Through our Classroom to Career internship program, college students gain real life business experience after completing professional training to set them apart when they apply for their first job and beyond.  In the Dardis Academy, interns learn the skills they will need on the job, including selling techniques, presentation skills, time management and more.  Following the Academy, our interns use their skills to sell quality, professional clothing, while putting their new skills to the test.

It’s not about the clothes or even the financial benefits that successful students can lean on after a well-spent summer.  It’s about equipping students with the real world skills and experiences that they will need to succeed post-graduation.

According to a 2012 Internships.com survey, 66 percent of employers believe interview performance and relevant work experience are the most important factors in their hiring decisions—far more significant than strong academic performance.

Combined with a quality education, Dardis interns have what it takes to not only get the job, but to do well in whatever they do.  Learn more about the benefits of our internship program today and recommend the Classroom to Career program to a college student in your life.

 

Photo credit: CollegeDegrees360, Flickr

Jul 05
0

A Successful Start For Intern Elliot Salter

By | Someone you should know | No Comments

It’s difficult to believe that 20-year-old Elliot Salter, a finance major at the University of Iowa, entered the Dardis Classroom to Career internship program with no retail or sales experience. After only one week of selling last month, this Dyersville, Iowa native was at the top of the Dardis intern leader board, selling nearly $6,000 worth of merchandise.

Beyond his experience with Dardis, Elliot most importantly wants to help people through his financial services career path, and he believes that the Dardis internship program is the best place to start.

What was the most valuable information you learned in the Dardis Sales Academy?
Confidence is everything. If the potential customer does not believe that you know what you’re talking about, there is no reason for them be interested. Also, people love to buy, but hate to be sold. Every potential customer is different, so a successful salesperson needs to be able to adapt and direct the conversation toward someone else’s needs.

What are you looking forward to the most with this summer experience?
It will be great to have the kind of confidence it takes to be successful in this program. I have already grown so much as a people person, and I am looking forward to learning lessons through the high and low points of my experience.

How has the transition gone from the Academy to selling the Dardis product? Any success stories yet or a goal you hope to achieve?
The transition went very well! It is a lot easier selling a product that you know people need, but what is more important is that they know they need it. The UPS delivery person has already commented on how many of the Dardis packages they have delivered, so I hope to really make their head spin!

Do you have a favorite Dardis product?
I love my black paisley tie. I can wear it with almost any shirt, and it really adds the pop necessary to stick out.

What fashion/menswear advice do you plan to share with all of your clients?
Dress pants fit much different than jeans do. It is an interesting conversation explaining to men that they may not be gaining weight, but the measurements will be different!

How do you think your role with Dardis Clothiers will benefit you in the future as you begin your post-college career?
The skills I have already obtained and will obtain are priceless when it comes to the opportunities I will work for after college. A person who can speak well and look the part of the job they are aiming for would be hard to turn down.

Jun 14
0

“Real life. Real world. Real business experience.”

By | The Dardis difference | No Comments

Our 2013 class of interns begin their summer with us this week kicking off another year of our Classroom to Career program. Our program is made up of some of the most hard working, talented and motivated college and high school students in the nation, and their work begins long before the school year even ends.

In the spring, Student Managers work with students to identify and qualify a targeted list of 75 leads.  Students and Managers review their prospect lists, refine their skills on gaining referrals, confirm their territory and schedule and prepare for a busy summer.

Students then complete our very own training program, Dardis Sales Academy, before returning to their hometowns to put their training into action by selling our quality menswear in their local communities.

Our interns are trained on practical job skills like how to manage their schedule, approach prospective customers, demonstrate professional communication skills, deliver an impressive presentation highlighting our products, ask for the business and gain referrals.  Our clients appreciate and recognize the quality of interns and look to them to share information on professional image and wardrobe management.

Our clients benefit firsthand from our Classroom to Career program, but the students take away much more from the experience.

“The summer was unbelievable. The experience you gain, not only at the Sales Academy, but also being out in the field as a representative, is so beneficial. Meeting with clients at their office or home, face-to-face, and delivering a product that you’re confident in, is the best experience you can get. Learning the skills in the Academy, then seeing success as a result, is huge! Not only for a confidence booster, but also for paving the way for the rest of my career. This is the real thing. Real life. Real world. Real business experience. If you’re looking to get out in the field and gain hands-on experience and knowledge, this is the opportunity for you.”
– Ben Brandsgard, 2012 Student Representative

Our Classroom to Career program opens doors, not just for future internships but for future career opportunities. We provide the professional skills and training that the business leaders of tomorrow need. Connect with one of our experienced clothiers today to see the Dardis difference for yourself.

May 24
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Training future leaders through the Dardis Sales Academy

By | The Dardis difference | No Comments

Dardis Clothiers is not just about suits, dress shirts and ties. Dardis is in the business of building future leaders. Through Dardis Communications, we train corporate executives on presentation skills, professional image, sales skills and business writing. But the future of business lies in the students who participate in Dardis Sales Academy.

This student training and development program equips students with the practical skills and real-world experience that they’ll need to be successful post-high school or post-college.  Through a one-week training program followed by nine weeks of real-world internship experience, high school and college students gain life skills in independence, confidence, goal setting and self-motivation.

That’s where we come in. Dardis works to build character within young people, first within the Dardis Sales Academy and then our summer internship program. We have a unique platform in which students can run their own business, make great money, and at the same time, learn valuable life skills.

Through the Dardis Sales Academy, students evolve into highly trained professionals before they enter the sales field. From beginning to end, students are immersed in experiential learning. At the academy, students learn:

  • Presentation and communication skills
  • Selling and persuasion skills
  • Importance of professional image
  • Business skills like accounting and bookkeeping
  • Territory and time management
  • And more!

These skills are needed more than ever in our competitive job market. Thousands of students graduate each year with a college degree, but many students lack the necessary skills needed to be successful on the job. Surveys show that oral and written communication skills are the number one shortfall among college graduates, and students lack the professional image and the ability to sell themselves and their ideas effectively.

Dardis’ unique summer internship is an opportunity for students after attending the Dardis Sales Academy to jump-start their future careers by running their own business selling men’s apparel. Stay tuned to our blog for more information on this exciting internship program that brings Dardis product right to your front door!

Do you know someone who should apply for the Dardis Sales Academy? Learn more today.

Contact Dardis today to learn more. Contact Us