This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CAU chapter.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Student Sales and Marketing Conference, hosted by the National Sales Network. The entire conference was also planned and executed by Clark Atlanta University alumna, Mecca Tartt. The conference was held in the JW Marriott Buckhead, which all of the attendees had the privilege of staying in as well. The entire trip was covered, including our rooms and meals. We received a stipend for meals that we would have on our own as well. It was a very unique circumstance, beginning from the moment I arrived at the hotel. I spent about an hour trying to unlock my car after locking my keys inside, while rushing to get ready for the first panel discussion. Although I missed about half of the first panel, I still have a lot of information that I put together from the entire weekend and would love to share with all of my campus cuties that might be interested in attending next year’s conference!

Sales 101: How to Land Your Dream Job & Sell Your Way to the Top

When communicating with clients, it’s always best to find the right form of communication. Whether that’s through email or test, you have to hold them accountable.
Sales Pitch: It starts with you.
Networking: Building your network will let people know who you are and what goals you have for your career. Always build relationships with the right people.
Know your WHY. Why are you selling this product? Are you excited about the product?

Career GPS: Millennials Navigating the New Corporate Landscape

Millennial voices need to be heard.
As a millennial, you might be the youngest person in the room. You might be side eyed by your older colleagues. If you want to survive, you must have GRIT. That’s the grind, the real goal-driven attitude, if you want to make it.
Advertise your ambitions. Know whether your ambitions align with the company you want to work for.
Create a development plan: S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed)
SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat)
“Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you respond.”

The Corporate Blind Spot- Corporate Politics

Corporate blind spots can be: department restructure, team member trust, bad management, etc.
“What you don’t know CAN hurt you.
Prevent blind spots by: acknowledging them, being aware of them, creating specific action plans, executing those plans.
Be the best performer. Work smarter, not harder.
Be proactive, not reactive.
Connect with the “owls”, which are the higher ups of the organization.
What did you learn from the blind spot? What were your initial reactions?

Marketing 101: Marketing YOU: Essential Tips for a Golden Marketing Career

You don’t need to have a position in marketing to be a marketer.
There’s no straight path in marketing.
Personal Branding: Be your authentic self. When it involves professionalism, if you have to ask yourself “Will my coworkers think differently of me?”, that’s a red flag.
What is the legacy you want to leave behind?
“Make sure you get marketing roles that are tied to sales.” & “People buy people.”

The Real Deal: Life Past College

As a current junior in college, this specific part of the panel discussion really touched me. I was seriously going hard on my notepad while trying to write down all of these words of wisdom. Please bare with me while I continue to ramble in this article. It’s definitely worth it.

“The habits you create today will stick with you forever.”
Resumes are just entry points (MESSAGE, hello!)
“Never eat alone.”
Triangle of Success: Trust, Relationships and Work Ethic
Never underestimate the power of LinkedIn
Always be composed, likeable and solve problems.
“Be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
“With every interaction, make someone’s life better.”
“Be hungry for more knowledge.
“Present your best self.”
Corporate code switching: Be an introvert in your personal like and an extrovert in the workplace.
Build organic relationships, whether it’s with your coworkers or your mentor/mentee.

Day two consisted of strictly case studies. These studies were based on three companies: Johnson & Johnson, Grainger and Pepsico. These companies would also be at the career fair on day three, along with other companies including Procter & Gamble, Cigna, Adobe, etc. We also had the opportunity to network with the recruiters who attended the events leading up to the career fair.

The case studies were devised in order to see how we would work in teams, and how good our sales skills were. My group went through many ups and downs before our presentation, but in the end we finished strong. Although we didn’t place in the competition, we still had a great time getting into character in interacting with the crowd.

During dinner, we had the opportunity to hear another well spoken guest speaker, Dr. Randal Pinkett. Not only was he the winner of the TV show The Apprentice, but he is also Chairman and CEO of BCT Partners. He’s also an inspirational speaker. I felt like the sky was the limit after his speech! Here are a few gems he dropped on us (Unfortunately I deleted my notes with a lot of the inspirational bombs, but here’s the gist)

“A set back is a set up for a comeback.”
Even when you play by the rules, there will be new rules added to the game.
When you work hard and play by the rules, do not be afraid to claim the title.
If you want to be a game changer, you have to be excellent.
The pursuit of excellence isn’t the pursuit of perfection.
Excellence is what you do to help others.
The most major of key was “Malcolm did not minister, Rosa did not sit, and Martin did not march for you to be average.”

After dinner, the hosts were generous enough to throw us an after party. This just goes to show you that even in corporate America, the turn up is real.

The final day of the conference consisted of the career fair with all of the sponsors and interested recruiters. I had the opportunity to interview for a few myself. I’m so thankful for the opportunity I had to attend this conference, and hopefully I will be able to attend next year as well. If you’re interested in attending the upcoming professional conference in New Orleans, or next years student conference, please visit http://nsnatlanta.org/

National Sales Network: 3rd Annual Student Sales & Marketing Conference

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