Campus Series: April Schofield – Practice Makes Perfect
Do you have to be an extrovert to become a successful salesperson? How should you prepare for your first sales job interview? And, how do you pick a suitable company for your first job in sales?
If you’re considering a career in professional sales, April Schofield has you covered on all of this and more!
April teaches sales courses at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she’s also the Director of the Center for Professional Selling. After being a salesperson herself for several years, she decided to pursue her career as a sales educator, and it’s safe to say she found her calling. According to April, it takes a lot of practice to thrive in sales, which is why her goal as a senior lecturer is to help her students overcome obstacles and land their dream jobs.
In the latest Campus Series episode of the Tech Sales is for Hustlers podcast, April gives first-hand tips on how to jump-start a career in sales, learn vital industry skills and plan an effective sales career trajectory.
Guest-At-A-Glance
Name: April Schofield
What she does: April is a Senior Lecturer, teaching sales courses as well as the Director of the Center for Professional Selling at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Company: Metropolitan State University of Denver
Noteworthy: She’s in charge of leading the continuous growth of the Center for Professional Selling, which is recognized as a “Top Program for University Sales Education” by the Sales Education Foundation and Full Member of the University Sales Center Alliance.
Where to find April: LinkedIn
Key Insights
⚡ Contrary to popular belief, great salespeople are made, not born. Despite what many people believe, you don’t need to be born with a certain personality type to become successful in sales. April explains that sales is a process and the more you practice, the better you become at it. Also, you don’t need to be an extrovert to become a salesperson. Once students realize that sales is actually more about listening and understanding customers’ pain points, they’ll be able to thrive in this industry. “If you want to drive value for your prospects, you’ve got to understand their pain points. You’ve gotta be able to listen really well. You’ve got to be empathetic. You’ve got to be open-minded.”
⚡ When starting a career in sales, students should find a company that’s going to provide training and teach them vital sales skills. When you’re at the beginning of your journey in sales, it’s essential to find a company that will invest in you, give you the necessary knowledge and skills. Learning the key skills at the very beginning is what will set you up for success in sales. That’s why April and the University of Denver collaborate with reputable industry partners that provide training and support to their student alumni. “I think the number is 97% of alumni thought that memoryBlue taught them vital sales skills. So, that speaks volumes too. I guess that would be my best advice for somebody looking to start a sales career.”
⚡ Preparing for a job interview is like preparing for a sales meeting – it takes a lot of research and self-reflection. According to April, how you prepare for your job interview is indicative of how you’ll prepare for your sales meetings. To maximize the chances of success, you need to spend some time preparing yourself, researching the company, connecting with them on LinkedIn, and finally, doing some professional introspection. “You also need to think of your unique value proposition. So why are you a good fit for this company? Why are you a solution? Have some stories and examples in mind to share and practice telling that. I would also say prepare some questions. Your interviewer will ask you what questions you have, so put together a thoughtful list in advance so that you’re not caught off guard.”
Episode Highlights
Getting a university education is a good head start for a career in sales
“I think there’s no better way to prepare for a sales role than getting sales education at a university level, so if that’s a possibility that would be my biggest piece of advice. And if you’re looking for a school with a formal sales program, the University Sales Center Alliances are a really great resource for that. But research shows us that students who graduate from sales programs tend to ramp up quicker when they’re on the job, they tend to turn over less than their non-sales educated peers, which makes sense. They’re learning the sales process or doing sales role-plays before they even start their careers. I think having a head start, if you can, in a university capacity is very helpful.”
You don’t have to be an extrovert to be successful in sales
“A common misconception that we run into is that you need to be an extrovert to succeed in sales. Sometimes people envision this certain type of personality that you have to have in order to be a salesperson and something like that. Being an introvert or an extrovert doesn’t really determine your success. Yes, obviously you’re talking to people and building relationships, but you’ve also got to be listening carefully and attentively.”
How to overcome the initial fear when starting a career in sales?
“Think of yourself as a helper. For me personally, when I’m able to help people, that’s kind of my happy place and not just in my career, but I spend a lot of time volunteering. And I think actually becoming a teacher was a natural fit because I really enjoy helping people. And in sales, that’s when I started to be successful – when I focused less on revenue and more on helping people.”
Transcript:
April Schofield: [00:00:00] I thought my job was, I’ve got this revenue goal. And so I’ve got to set appointments, I’ve got to meet with people and I’ve got to convince them to buy my product, right? It had nothing to do with learning about the buyer, nothing to do with positioning myself as a solution or a business partner. and once my mindset changed, really thinking of how I can help or how I can creatively add value, that’s when everything changed, it became a lot more rewarding.
[00:00:28] And a lot easier. And so I think my biggest takeaway from that first job was really creating value rather than focusing on the revenue goal.
[00:01:24] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:01:24] Hi everyone and welcome to the Tech Sales is for Hustlers Campus Series. Today Libby and I are super excited to welcome April from Metro State in Denver. April, we are really excited to have you today.
[00:01:40] April Schofield: [00:01:40] Yes. Thank you very much for having me. This is exciting to be a part of this program.
[00:01:44] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:01:44] Awesome. Well, I know you and Libby have worked together at least for this last year, recruiting your students out in the Denver area. One of our newer offices for memoryBlue, but in order to kick things off, I wanted to start by asking you something that I typically ask the students that I interview when I start my conversations with them, which is give us your highlight reel.
[00:02:06] What’s the 60 second April background? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
[00:02:11] April Schofield: [00:02:11] For sure, so like you said I teach sales courses at Metropolitan State University of Denver. And in addition to that, I’m the director of our Center for Professional Selling. So I have been teaching at MSU Denver for nine years. And before that I was in a sales role. And when I learned that MSU Denver had a sales program, I knew that was something that I really wanted to get involved with. Having worked in sales, I knew how critical selling skills were. I knew how difficult sales could be if you didn’t know what to do. And I knew there were a lot of great opportunities out there for students who could sell. So it was exciting for me to make that move from salesperson to sales educator.
[00:02:52] And I absolutely love what I do. About me, personally, born and raised here in Colorado. And so I love skiing and hiking and everything that our beautiful state has to offer. And my husband and I have two kids, they’re very active. So we really enjoy going to hockey games, baseball games, dance recitals, and really being involved in all of the things that they love.
[00:03:13]Libby Galatis: [00:03:13] That’s awesome. We are really happy to have you, I mean, I think just looking over your LinkedIn and we wanted to get a better understanding of your professional past. Your school and university with the sales program is just expanding the knowledge of professional sales as a legitimate career path.
[00:03:26] I think a lot of students kind of have these hesitations, which is a theme that we’ll talk about in a lot of we’re doing. So my question for you is, because you started in sales before you began teaching, what caused you to do that? Did you have an aha moment where you decided you wanted to start a sales career? Did that role just kind of happen? Walk us through what that decision making factor was for you.
[00:04:06] April Schofield: [00:04:06] Well, I will say that sales was 100% not on my radar when I was in college and actually the idea itself terrified me. And my sales career was in professional sports. So I knew I wanted to work in sports. It was something that I always grew up and enjoy it and knew I wanted to go that direction. So the opportunity I had to break into that industry was in a sales role. And once I learned what selling really is, which of course has been completely opposite of what I envisioned it to be, I really started to enjoy it.
[00:04:17] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:04:17] So that’s very exciting. You started in professional sports and I think a lot of young people envision themselves and that’s kind of like a dream job for them. How did you know you wanted to work in professional sports? What did you end up doing? Who’d you work for? Tell us more about that.
[00:04:33] April Schofield: [00:04:33] So just growing up in Colorado, it was always my dream to work for one of our sports teams here. And so I was lucky enough to be able to work for Cranky Sports and Entertainment, which was the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche. And I think that’s kind of what is unique about sales and what’s neat about it is that there’s really opportunity to pursue your passion.
[00:04:53] So virtually every industry, any direction that you want to take your career, it needs qualified people who can sell.
[00:05:01] And I never envisioned that would be in a sales role. In fact, I don’t think I really knew, I knew I wanted to work in sports, but I didn’t really know what that would encompass, or I didn’t really have a vision beyond that. And so I think if you are open-minded there’s really opportunity for sales regardless of what your interests are or the direction that you want to take your career.
[00:05:20]Libby Galatis: [00:05:20] Definitely. So going off of this awesome career journey of working within I mean you had to start somewhere, right? Not everyone, has to begin point a and memoryBlue hiring for an entry level sales position. We find ourselves educating a lot about expectations things like that.
[00:05:37] my question is. What was your first, sales job. And what do you think was the biggest, takeaway that you got from that experience? Like what was the biggest thing that you’re able to carry with you now that you’re in later parts of your career?
[00:05:49] April Schofield: [00:05:49] So before I was even with the Nuggets and heavily in shape, I was selling indoor arena football, which was a very tough sell. And I think what was difficult was it was a hard goal. And not because the role was hard, but because I didn’t understand my role. I thought my job was, I’ve got this revenue goal.
[00:06:07] And so I’ve got to set appointments, I’ve got to meet with people and I’ve got to convince them to buy my product, right? It had nothing to do with learning about the buyer, nothing to do with positioning myself as a solution or a business partner. It’s a really rough go, right? If you’re just trying to hit your numbers and in focusing on that revenue goal, and once my mindset changed, really thinking of how I can help or how I can creatively add value, that’s , when everything changed, it became a lot more rewarding.
[00:06:38] And a lot easier. And so I think my biggest takeaway from that first job was, really creating value rather than focusing on the revenue goal. And any sales job is going to be difficult if you don’t have the right mindset. And so I think that was my biggest takeaway for me was it was just how you approach it.
[00:06:54] Libby Galatis: [00:06:54] And I think that like change of framework is a big aha moment for a lot of students. When they first take that initial sales course, they realize that there’s more to this than what I really thought. Yeah. And it is a place where I can actually find a lot of success. With that said sales is such a male dominated industry as most industries are.
[00:07:12] And we’re really fortunate to be able to sit and talk with a woman that has been able to find so much success in this space. my question for you now is if you have any advice, now that you are where you’re at in your career for someone or for a woman that’s considering beginning their journey within the sales realm
[00:07:28] April Schofield: [00:07:28] As far as kind of preparing for a sales career goes I’m a bit biased, but I think there’s no better way to prepare for a sales role than getting sales education at a university level. So if that’s a possibility that would be my biggest piece of advice. And if you’re looking for a school with a formal sales program, the University Sales Center Alliances is really great resource for that.
[00:07:51] But research shows us that students who graduate from sales programs, they tend to ramp up quicker when they’re on the job, they tend to turn over less than their non-sales educated peers, which makes sense, right? They’re learning the sales process or doing sales role plays before they even start their careers.
[00:08:09] So I think, having a head start if you can, in a university capacity is very helpful. We want to see our students find meaningful careers and do well. I also think when you’re starting your career, really finding a company that is going to provide training and support to set you up for success.
[00:08:28] And that’s important for us. The industry partners that we work with. we need to find ones who are going to invest in our graduates and actually I’ve been really impressed by the alumni data for memoryBlue’s sales development program. Not just the information about where they’re working and what they’re earning, but I think the number is I was 97% of alumni thought that memoryBlue taught them vital sales skills.
[00:08:50] So that speaks volumes too. So I guess that would be my best advice for somebody looking to start a sales career.
[00:08:56] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:08:56] You had mentioned earlier that when you were considering an early in your career getting into sales, that it terrified you and I agree. And I was in the same position as well. And I know a lot of the students that we interview are in the same position, whether they have the opportunity to be in a sales program or not,
[00:09:13] I think there’s a little bit of fear there. How do you work with your students and prepare them so that they have the right expectations and I guess maybe harness that fear or they’re ready to tackle it head on , like, what do you do and how do you work with them to prepare them?
[00:09:28] April Schofield: [00:09:28] I think first and foremost is letting them know that fear is very common. And I, wasn’t just terrified. I was absolutely terrified. I remember the moment when I accepted that sales job. And when I went out to my car, kind of taking a breath in and I literally felt like I wanted to throw up.
[00:09:46] Like I was so scared to go into a sales role. And so I think first and foremost, just letting them know like, Hey, I get it. This is common. Not just for me, but I think for a lot of people who go into sales I think some of the common misconceptions that we think about really are true. A common misconception that we run into is that you need to be an extrovert to succeed in sales.
[00:10:09] Sometimes people envision this certain type of a personality that you have to have in order to be a salesperson and something like that, being an introvert or an extrovert doesn’t really determine your success. Yes, obviously you’re talking to people and building relationships, but you’ve also got to be listening carefully and attentively.
[00:10:26] and if you want to drive value for your prospects, you’ve got to understand their pain points. So you’ve gotta be able to listen really well. You’ve got to be empathetic. You’ve got to be open-minded. this kind of goes along with that old saying salespeople are born, not made, which is totally bogus, right?
[00:10:40] Sales is a process. just like anything, if the more you practice it, more you learn, you’re just going to get better at it. So I think just addressing those common misconceptions and letting them know, Hey, I totally understand where you’re coming from.
[00:10:53] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:10:53] Yeah, I think that’s a good point to normalize it. I remember my very first sales gig, a colleague told me, Oh, you’re nervous. That’s good. You should be nervous. Use it. Right. and I think it’s good to let students know that it’s okay to feel that way. And it really is about learning the craft and preparing and studying and harnessing it.
[00:11:13] So, let’s talk a little bit about students that you currently work with and how you made that transition from being in sales, yourself, to becoming an educator. Why did you make that jump? And I guess what was calling you to become a professor at MSU?
[00:11:31] April Schofield: [00:11:31] I think just seeing the opportunity to really help students. So having worked in sales my first, I would say 18 months were really difficult. Again, because I didn’t know what I was doing. I was approaching it in the entirely opposite way that I should have. And so I think being able to help students just jumpstart that and kind of bypass that really painful, ugly part really seemed exciting to me.
[00:11:58] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:11:58] So, if you could tell yourself, go back in time and tell yourself how to prepare for your first role to bypass that ugly part. What would you say to yourself?
[00:12:08] April Schofield: [00:12:08] I would say, think of yourself as a helper. For me personally when I’m able to help people that’s kind of my happy place and not just in my career, but.
[00:12:16] I spend a lot of time volunteering. And so I think actually becoming a teacher was a natural fit because I really enjoy helping people and in sales. I started to be successful when I focused less on the revenue and focus more on helping people.
[00:12:30] So keep in mind you’re trying to help people. And I think that makes it less intimidating too. When we go into some of those sales appointments or making those cold calls. Just keep in mind that you’re talking to another person on the other side of things. and if you’re just focusing on helping them. For me personally, think that would have helped me a lot as a new sales person.
[00:12:48] Libby Galatis: [00:12:48] Definitely. So I know that you said that there isn’t a special kind of person that thrives in sales. There’s not a specific criteria of what it means to be successful, but I would argue that there are some traits that really strong salespeople do have, because it is a role that you’re facing a fair amount of rejection and having to overcome a lot of adversity and put yourself so far out of your comfort zone.
[00:13:10] I mean, in, your experience, what kind of qualities or what traits are essential trait do strong salespeople have, or top performers typically have in your eyes?
[00:13:19] April Schofield: [00:13:19] Yes, you’re absolutely right. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said, you do sometimes have to have kind of a thick skin because you’re going to absolutely face rejection
[00:13:29] a little bit more than you’re going to get the wins. And so I think somebody who recognizes that and is able to stay the course. I think it’s somebody who is able to stay on task. Sales is a little bit entrepreneurial in the sense that you’re managing your client relationships , you’re responsible for managing your day. So having that vision to say, the work that I’m doing now, the prospect of the name that I’m doing, I may not see fruits of that labor until six months or however long from now.
[00:13:56] So I think somebody who is , able to. stay on task. despite sometimes the rejection I think is very important.
[00:14:03] Libby Galatis: [00:14:03] I love what you were saying. I mean, you do have to be extremely patient in sales because normally, especially in the B2B solution-based selling space, the sales cycles can be so long and that delayed gratification mindset, I find that a lot of students are really looking for the, now we get so much immediately. You order something on Amazon, it shows up the next day. April you work with a lot of young students, some of them, maybe they know they want to go into sales. Maybe they took a class. and they, get a little taste of it and they think, Oh, this might be the right career for me. How do you mentor them and advise them for that first job out of college.
[00:14:39] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:14:39] Are there certain things that you say you, suggest these students, these graduates to look for in a job in a career and what they sell, like how do you mentor them and lead them to that first job out of school?
[00:14:51] April Schofield: [00:14:51] We try to work with a diverse list of marketplace partners so that they have the ability while they’re in our program to really get exposure to a number of different industries and career opportunities, particularly in B2B sales, these are usually companies that aren’t household names. And so for them to learn, who these companies are, who they sell to, what they do, what’s their value proposition that’s really helpful.
[00:15:15] I also advise students look beyond the job title, right? So if you get a job offer there could be, an account executive position at 10 different companies and they could be 10 different roles, So I would advise students to really get a good understanding of what could we do, right? Is this inside , sales, outside sales? Who are you selling to? What metrics are you evaluated on? If that’s not evident in the job description description, then I would say you really need to prepare a list of questions to learn as much as you possibly can about the role during the interview process.
[00:15:46] So again, look beyond that job title. Is this something that you can see yourself doing every day? Can you see yourself succeeding at it? and do you see yourself enjoying it?
[00:15:55] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:15:55] Yeah, that’s such a good point. There are so many different versions of, account executives and there’s about a hundred different titles for SDR, sales development reps. So, it’s important for students to interview and talk to as many companies as possible. Cause that’s one of the ways you’ll figure out what you gravitate toward is by having those conversations and not kind of reading job description, judging a book by its cover. So I think you made a comment about your first job was arena football selling. Were you selling like season tickets or game tickets? What was that like?
[00:16:25] April Schofield: [00:16:25] All of the above. It was an expansion team, so, they needed to fill that building any way they could. So, yeah, and it was a very small organization, so, which was good because we got experienced selling season tickets, group tickets, VIP packages, a little bit of everything.
[00:16:39] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:16:39] Would you say that that was the hardest sales job you have had in your career so far?
[00:16:44] April Schofield: [00:16:44] Hands down not because I think selling sports sometimes is a relatively easier sale. There’s something people tend to get excited about and it’s fun, but I think it was hard in the sense that I had no idea what I was doing
[00:16:58] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:16:58] It was your first.
[00:16:59] April Schofield: [00:16:59] And just approaching it, the completely opposite way that I should have been approaching it is what made it difficult.
[00:17:05] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:17:05] Yeah, well, that resonates a lot with our current SDRs, because this is most likely the hardest job they’ll ever have because it’s their first real sales job. And so kind of learning the mechanics and teaching yourself the right habits that you need to have, and you’re really building a foundation in that first job.
[00:17:23] So it’s good to remember and remind yourself that it’s not forever it’s to build the right habits for long successful career.
[00:17:32] April Schofield: [00:17:32] I think for anybody in their first year in sales, that growth curve is just going to be huge. So I think we talked a little bit about normalizing some of those spheres, I think normalizing, like it’s going to be tough Your first year. And so I think recognizing that right out of the gate too not giving up when it does get a little challenging is important too. Think back to your sales career and is there a deal or your biggest win or your most memorable win that you can think of that just like sticks with you to this day?
[00:18:58] I don’t know if this counts as a sales win, but, by far the absolute best part of this job is hearing from students. Maybe six months or a year, or even more down the road after they graduate. and they’ll send me an email or call and say, I absolutely love this role that I’m in and I’m killing it.
[00:19:15] And I appreciate how you helped me get here. And that is just so rewarding and you’re still proud of them to hear
[00:19:21] from them. And that is what it is all about. So that is absolutely hands down the most rewarding. And my favorite part about this job.
[00:19:29] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:19:29] Yeah, that’s great. What do you find, students. Your students specifically, what are they most excited about when they’re looking for their next job? Are they excited about location? What they’re selling, money? Like what is it that are kind of like the top things that they’re looking for? I think it’s really going to depend on the student. like we talked a little bit more before there’s so many different opportunities in sales and you can go in so many different directions. If you have that kind of foundation knowledge of the sales process and how to sell I think you can really take it anywhere.
[00:20:01] April Schofield: [00:20:01] So I think that piece of it is to exciting to students. There’s obviously opportunity to be well compensated in sales careers. So that’s exciting. and again, it can also be very rewarding. So when you have those business relationships and you’re able to provide a solution and help. So I think, each student, it’s going to be a little bit different on what makes them tick. but it’s an exciting thing to be a part of, right? Because they’ve been working so hard. And their academic career to get to this point. So to finally see it happening is really exciting. And I’m fortunate that I get to be a part of that.
[00:20:32] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:20:32] That’s actually a good point too, because since there are so many things that students are excited by, some people might be really money motivated. Some people are really excited about what they’re selling or where they’re going to be living or the team or the training that they get.
[00:20:44] It kind of proves that, sales can really be for a lot of different people. Right? And it, you can find something in a sales career that really works with you and your personality, to go back to that topic of, it’s not just an extrovert, who’s the perfect person for a sales job. Most universities across the country are a hundred percent flexible right now, which, with the circumstances of what’s going on, it we’ve all kind of had to adapt. what do you think are some of the pros and cons of working from home or teaching from home and walk us through some of the challenges that you and your students have faced?
[00:21:17] April Schofield: [00:21:17] That’s a great question. And in our university this semester, at least, our sales classes, we are a hundred percent virtual, so there are things being offered on campus. but as far as our sales classes go for this semester we’re completely virtual. and I think silver lining it’s been really good to be able to provide students with this experience before they leave the university because these are now critical selling skills, right? there’s probably very few sales positions where you’re going to get where you’re not going to have some sort of meeting or call where you’re interacting with somebody who’s not right in front of you.
[00:21:51] So I’m glad that we’re able to provide them with a little bit of that experience. I do miss being face-to-face with our students. There’s no replacing that, but I’m very thankful to that. we have platforms now that we can do networking events, we can do role-plays.
[00:22:06] And so I’m glad that we can provide this experience to our students because I think it is necessary now, but I also can’t wait to get back on campus.
[00:22:13] Libby Galatis: [00:22:13] Yeah, I think we’re all really fortunate that a lot of the resources we use and need in order to be successful in what we do, we can access from home. so there are pros and cons for sure. I guess thinking back on your professional career as a whole, who do you think has been the most influential person in your life as you’ve taken these steps in your career?
[00:22:32] April Schofield: [00:22:32] I would credit two people, Scott Sherwood who you might think of as my mentor, he. really brought me on to the center of professional selling. and I’ve really followed his vision since he’s retired. I can’t take a lot of the credit for some of the great things that we’ve done here.
[00:22:47] And I’ve just learned so much from Scott. and also my husband. He’s very sales minded. So sales is a very common topic at our dinner table. We’re always sharing ideas. We both really enjoy what we do. So I always appreciate, if I have a situation or a problem, I don’t know how to handle, I appreciate his perspective and getting his feedback.
[00:23:06] Libby Galatis: [00:23:06] I love that. I think a strong support system is so essential. I mean, in general in life, but even, particularly in a sales career, You’ll have ups and downs and good days and bad days. That’s why culture is so important too. And why a lot of students find that they’re really looking for an ideal sort of environment when they’re learning these sort of skills.
[00:23:25] Do you have any books that you would recommend to, individuals that are considering sales as a career or just influential books that you’ve read over time? I listened to a lot of audio books and podcasts.
[00:23:37]April Schofield: [00:23:37] I’m a marathon runner, so I spend a lot of time with headphones on. And so I’m always looking for interesting things and ways to kind of. learn more and continue learning. So a book I really enjoy Go-Givers Sell More is one that I really enjoy.
[00:23:53] And a podcast that I’ve really been geeking out to lately is the Sales Scholars. So they interview sales educators. And to me, it’s really cool to be able to learn best practices and trends from some of the leaders in my own industry. so I’m always listening to audio books and podcasts.
[00:24:11] Libby Galatis: [00:24:11] That’s great. I think that’s just the , continuous learning outside of just the classroom, the transition from being at university and , kind of taking classes and being in that learning mode into the full-time kind of workload that transition, it doesn’t mean that learning , needs to end, so it’s great that.
[00:24:27] people are going that extra mile and getting exposure and books and stuff Kristen, do you have any other questions?
[00:24:31] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:24:31] Yeah, April. we’re gearing up. It’s second semester, graduation is around the corner, which is kind of wild to think about. So when you think about, students, I’m sure they’re in full interview mode and if they’re not now they’re about to be, what would you suggest to them to prepare for a sales interview?
[00:24:51] Is that something that you guys talk about in your classes? Is there any advice you’d have for someone who, is preparing to start their interviews for post-graduation.
[00:24:59] April Schofield: [00:24:59] Yes. Well, how do you prepare for your interview is indicative of how you’ll prepare for your sales meetings? Right? So I would give someone the same advice if they were going into an interview or a sales appointment. First and foremost, you need to spend some time researching. So not just the company and that industry, but the person or people that you’re going to be meeting with.
[00:25:18] And that includes connecting with them on LinkedIn. second, you also need to think of your unique value proposition. So why are you a good fit for this company? Why are you a solution and how some stories and examples in mind to share and practice telling that story? I would also say prepare some questions. , Your interviewer will ask you what questions you have. Put together a thoughtful list in advance so that you’re not caught off guard. if you’re really considering a career with this company, you really should have some questions anyways. So think of really what you need to understand. If you’re going to accept this role and lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for the sale. So what’s the next step of this process? What’s the timeline? Definitely don’t leave it at, I’ll wait to hear from you.
[00:25:59] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:25:59] That is an incredibly comprehensive list and it’s perfect. And it absolutely is. I mean, it’s one of the reasons we have our interviewees do a role-play is because we want to see, how are you going to prepare for it? Just for this one interview because this is what every day is going to be like when you’re actually in the job.
[00:26:15] So that was a really good list. When you think about sales, you went from being, an individual contributor selling every day to teaching the profession. What do you think is like the one skill or thing that you feel like you’ve gotten better at, or that you have down that you’re really good at when it comes to sales skills?
[00:26:36] April Schofield: [00:26:36] I think Connecting with people and seeing them as individuals. and I know that we’ve got to do that when we’re in a sales role, but I think I’ve even learned that’s more important when I’m talking to students. Because again, they’re unique, they have different backgrounds, different experiences, and they have different career goals too.
[00:26:53] So not being able to talk to students all the same, really understanding their story and how I can help them the most.
[00:27:01]Kristen Wisdorf: [00:27:01] Yeah, that’s a good point. It’s a life skill. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling. if you. Become a professor. If you go into management, there’s been a common theme with, what you’ve been telling us, and that is about giving, not taking. And I think if you treat everyone as an individual and you want to help that you’ll be successful in sales and you’ll be successful longterm in your career as well.
[00:27:24] That’s great. So we have some fun kind of like quick hitter questions for you. Not too deep, but we do ask some of our interviews, this question as well. So you already gave us one of your favorite books, which is great. if you could be on a billboard anywhere, where would it be and what would it say?
[00:27:43] April Schofield: [00:27:43] Oh, my gosh. So, it would probably be here somewhere locally in the Denver Metro area. And I would be talking about our new bachelor’s degree in professional selling that we are rolling out this fall. I’m super excited to be able to offer that. So the majority of our students at MSU Denver come from kind of the five County area here in Metro Denver.
[00:28:05] And so I would want to scream it from the rooftops. I make sure everybody in this area knows about our new bachelor’s degree.
[00:28:11] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:28:11] So their major would be professional sales. That is incredible. That is great. When I graduated college, which wasn’t that long ago, I think there were only like 15 schools, a sales program. So we’ve come a long way and you’re helping the profession, which is amazing. What do you think is more important?
[00:28:29] Working for a great boss at a, not so great company or working for a, not so great boss at a great company.
[00:28:37] April Schofield: [00:28:37] Gosh, I would take the great boss. I think Libby touched on the importance of having that support system. And I think if you’ve got the right people in your corner, I mean, you can get through the tough stuff.
[00:28:49] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:28:49] That’s a good point. Support system is everything, especially early in your career.
[00:28:53] Libby Galatis: [00:28:53] What do you think are some qualities of a strong leader, a strong manager?
[00:28:57] April Schofield: [00:28:57] I think the qualities for a great leader are somebody who has been in your shoes. So when you’re going through a difficult time, somebody who can give you advice that you can actually, put to use, and somebody who’s there to help see you through it.
[00:29:11] Libby Galatis: [00:29:11] absolutely. I have one more question. Once one of your students gets a job or multiple offers. How would you advise they, choose between multiple offers. First kudos to the student who’s getting multiple offers. That’s always exciting. And that’s the goal. and again, I think it’s important to really look beyond that job , title. So really try to envision what you’re going to be doing at this company. What a day in the life is going to be is going to look like. Can you see yourself happy in this position and succeeding in this position? What’s the culture like at this company
[00:29:50] April Schofield: [00:29:50] What kind of training are they are they going to provide? Are they going to set you up for success? So that’s always the best place to be is when we have students who are evaluating between those multiple offers.
[00:30:00] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:30:00] absolutely. Lib. Do you have anything else? no, I think, we covered a lot today and a lot of students. Would it be able to take a lot away from hearing about your story and the progress that you’ve made as an individual and all the success that you’ve found? I mean, to what we were talking about earlier, you’ve done such incredible work with the center professional selling, and you guys have grown so much over the last couple of years, and really , excited to be able to partner with you guys and support your students and continue to educate on greatness that lies within a professional sales career.
[00:30:30] April Schofield: [00:30:30] Oh my gosh. And Kristen, let me thank you guys too. we’re very appreciative of, you guys and memoryBlue for supporting university sales education. and not just that when our students do graduate the opportunities that you’re able to provide them, and the training. And so we’re just so appreciative to be able to work with memoryBlue
[00:30:47] Kristen Wisdorf: [00:30:47] Thank you April.