Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/546222
July 20 - August 10, 2015 14 Working World l WorkingWorld.com FEATURED ARTICLE by Optifinow A s graduation season approaches, there is good news for college seniors who have not yet landed a job. The number of permanent, full- time job opportunities for recent grads has increased more than 20 percent in the last year, according to Simply Hired. Overall, the field with the most permanent, full-time openings for new grads is sales (32,800, or 14 percent of openings). While landing that first "real" job is an exciting moment, grads still need to remember that overall job openings are still down and competition is fierce so making a good impression out of the gate is extremely important. For graduates entering the sales profession, whether their focus will be on inside sales or outside sales, there are key skills that can help affect success. Sell Yourself First – Sales reps need to keep in mind that they are not just selling a product. Before a customer makes a decision about a product or service they analyze the person selling it. A kind a helpful sales rep that is knowledgeable about the product he or she is selling will always appeal more to a potential customer. RESPOND FASTER The early bird does get the worm. Find ways to respond to incoming inquiries faster and take advantage of technology. If a customer is difficult to reach by phone, try using text messaging or social media. BECOME AN EXPERT Investing the time to create a personal blog, LinkedIn page or other online presence where you can present yourself as an expert in your field will help potential customers recognize you as a trustworthy source of information and someone they want to do business with. READ THE NEWS By staying on top of current trends in your industry you will be able to identify sales opportunities faster and incorporate those trends into your sales outreach. CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING Whether you are buying a car or enterprise software for a business, every customer likes to feel special and valuable. By taking a few minutes to customize an email or letter to a customer, you will catch their attention during a busy day and improve the likeliness that they will reply to you. For more information on how to succeed in the sales industry, visit OptifiNow's blog at http://www. optifinow.com. ABOUT OPTIFINOW OptifiNow is an industry leader in sales automation solutions designed to opti- mize the effectiveness of the sales force. OptifiNow's platform is modular in design yet it offers a fully integrated solution including: Lead Management, CRM, Sales Enablement, Content Man- agement, Marketing Automation, Social Automation and Sales Collaboration that allow the definition and automation of company specific benchmark sales processes. OptifiNow enables multi- channel timely, relevant, brand and reg- ulatory compliant communication. Op- tifiNow supports Direct Mail, Email, Print, SMS, Social, and Telephonic chan- nels of communication. Study Shows More Sales Jobs for New Grads in 2015 OptifiNow shares insider secrets on how to succeed by developing basic skills