Art of Sales Workshop Speaker: Lawrence Whitley

Join NAAAP-Seattle on Wed, May 11, 6:30-8pm at the Wing Luke Museum (719 South King Street) for a fun, interactive workshop on how to sell. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served. Free admission for NAAAP-Seattle members, $5 for non-members.

The workshop will feature three experienced sales people who will share their secrets, including Terry Terrell of AXA Advisors and Judiet Dere and Lawrence Whitley of State Farm Insurance.

To preview the event, Whitley answered some questions for NAAAP-Seattle on selling.

What was your hardest sales situation?

There’s not one, single most difficult sales situation, but more general (and longer lasting). Before becoming an agent, I had never sold anything. In my training period and at the beginning of my sales career, I felt like I had to know ‘everything about everything before I could sell anything’ … I was uncomfortable with what I didn’t know. I quickly learned that, if I wanted to succeed, I would have to get out of my own way. Also, I had to learn that it was not about me or the product/service, it was about the customer.

Why do you think it's important to know how to sell?

If you don’t understand what it takes to be successful in sales (and your particular sales career), you are highly likely to work harder than you might otherwise have to … which could easily lead to frustration and burn-out … which could easily lead to desperation and pushy sales tactics … which can become a vicious cycle until you decide to quit.

Sales is about helping other people. Our job is to educate and effectively get our customers to consider why they need our product or service, and why they need it from us. We must also understand that not everyone will do business with us … maybe not today, next week, next month, next year or ever. That’s okay. If we did what we could to help a particular person and gave them a remarkable experience in the process, we have a great chance to either get their business in the future OR have them become a referral source for other potential customers … but we have to ask.

If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact NAAAP-Seattle Professional Development Chair Michael Okimura: michael.okimura@naaapseattle.org

Art of Sales Workshop Speaker: Terry Terrell

Join NAAAP-Seattle on Wed, May 11, 6:30-8pm at the Wing Luke Museum for a fun, interactive workshop on how to sell.

The workshop will feature three experienced sales people who will share their secrets, including Terry Terrell.

Terry Terrell is a Divisional Vice President with AXA Advisors LLC. He has been in the business for 4 years and currently manages and trains a team of Financial Consultants. At the workshop, he will discuss prospecting, marketing, mindset and finally building a successful long lasting book of business.


What was your hardest sales situation?

Taking responsibility for an advisor who counted on me to close the sale to which either kept him in the business, or sent him searching for a job.


Why do you think it's important to know how to sell?

Selling is a part of life. In nearly every thing that we do there is a sort of sale involved. Whether it is in front of a top prospect in the closing meeting or meeting a person for the first time in a social environment, selling is involved.

If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact NAAAP-Seattle Professional Development Chair Michael Okimura: michael.okimura@naaapseattle.org

Filling a Workforce Pipeline with Diverse Talent

Redmond, Wa - As described in Microsoft's Vision and Strategy for the Future, diversity is a key business principle at Microsoft and in working with its diversity partners, we are witnesses to the execution of this vision. 

Starting last year, Microsoft Corporation launched a series of recruiting and networking events that have since grown in numbers and recruiting partners. The most recent one happened last month and offered resume reviews, meet the recruiters/partners, skill improvement sessions and on-the-spot interviews.  This was also the first time where State Farm joined as a presenting organization. As far as careers, recruiting focused on the following functional areas: Finance, Marketing, Software Development / Computer Science, Microsoft IT,  Supply Chain, Operations, Insurance Agency Recruiting and MBA and College Recruiting.

So thanks to all that came out and participated and we all look forward to our next event on June 4th, the Women in Naaap (WIN!) Conference. If you had one day for yourself, this is the day! So register to WIN! Flash Scholarships and Child care available. All are welcome.

Links: Microsoft Corporation | About Microsoft Diversity | Strategy | Microsoft Diversity Conferences and Events | State Farm | About State Farm Diversity

Past recruiting events: November 2010 | April 2010

Participating Professional Diversity Organizations: NSHMBA Seattle (National Society of Hispanic MBAs) |  SHPE Puget Sound Chapter (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) | National Black MBA Association Seattle | ALPFA Seattle (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting) | NAAAP Seattle (National Association of Asian American Professionals) | Ascend | El Centro de La Raza | PWOCN (Professional Women of Color Network) | EDI (Executive Development Institute) | KCHCC (King County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) | AWSHCC (Association of Washington State Hispanic Chambers of Commerce) | Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs