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At this point, we’ve pretty much all learned what an elevator pitch and it’s critical importance in the career search. But, what we probably haven’t learned (unless you’re a sales major) is it’s application in the sales process! Recently, Erin Iwamoto, a Bentley junior majoring in Marketing and Global Perspectives showed us its integral role in a successful sales pitch through her experience at a National Sales Competition last fall! How you ask? Well, here’s an excerpt from the An Elevator Pitch to the Top article by Kristen Walsh that was posted on Bentley’s Newsroom.
“Good afternoon, my name is Erin Iwamoto and I would like you to remember me as the girl that fearlessly gets the job done.” The opening line of Iwamoto’s 60-second elevator pitch — delivered to judges at the 2018 Northeast Intercollegiate Sales Competition — shows how the Marketing and Global Perspectives major with no previous sales experience managed to win second place in the national competition. More than 180 students from across the country competed.
“I’m not interested in numbers but I am interested in people,” says Iwamoto, a junior who is the highest-placing Bentley competitor to date. “I love the fact that each new potential sales client is going to be different. It’s the most challenging part of the job but the most intriguing, too.”
Which may be the reason she performed so well in the competition. The stereotypical car salesman looking to make a quick buck doesn’t make a successful salesperson in today’s market. Listening to what clients need and finding the right product or service for them does.
“Sales is not a one-size-fits-all career,” Iwamoto says. “It’s about the people — knowing how to read body language, adjust to them and get people to open up to you.”
Read more about Erin’s story by clicking here!
