GCSC 2015 Judges (from left to right): Duncan Bureau (VP Global Sales, Air Canada), Chris Adamkowski (Head of Industry, Google), Jamie Scarborough (Co-Founder, Sales Talent Agency), Erin Elofson (Director of Auto and Financial Services, Facebook) and Michael Back (CEO, HonkMobile)
Only 11 more days until Round 1 of The Great Canadian Sales Competition comes to a close. Remember that 50% of your scoring depends on the community vote, so it is in your best interest to submit your entry as soon as possible.
Don’t forget about the amazing opportunity with Google! As a lead sponsor of The Great Canadian Sales Competition, Google is going to host 3 contestants for breakfast and a tour of their Toronto office (dates to be determined). You will be shown around their impressive facilities by an Account Executive and will be able to ask questions about the life of a sales person at Google. To qualify for this lunch and tour, Google is asking you to submit your 30-90 second video pitch by Friday, January 23rd at 4:00pm EST. At that time, a team of Google executives will choose 3 strong submissions.
Know your competition! Check out the top 3 most ‘liked’ videos:
Video one
Video two
Video three
Submit your 30-90 second pitch today at: GreatCanadianSalesCompetition.com
Judges and Sponsors
Google, Facebook, Dell, Hootsuite, Texcan, Honk Mobile, G&K Services, Rheem, IBM, Purolator, Xerox, Compugen, Pattison, Bunzl, Canadian Professional Sales Association and Sales Talent Agency Highlights: $10,000 in prizes and the chance to land your dream job Referral program: refer the winner and receive $1,000 Already submitted a pitch and think you can do better? We will take your best submission, so go ahead!
Sponsor Highlight: Compugen
Number of Employees: 1,200+ Industry: Technology Website: http://www.compugen.com/en/ Highlights: Raised $600,000 for charity through the Green4Good program
Ask Josh! Josh graduated from York University in 2010. Josh started his career at Compugen shortly after he graduated. Josh is currently a Corporate Account Manager for Compugen’s Large Enterprise Customers. Below is his story:
After graduating from University and having worked several successful years as a DJ with a local Entertainment Company, I decided it was time to start getting serious in regards to my career. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to pursue, but I knew I had a real knack for consulting with family, friends, and previous employers, helping them with their technology decisions. I decided to try sales out as a career; I began looking for junior sales positions at IT Companies. I was referred to Compugen from a current employee and was given the opportunity to interview for an Inside Sales position. Through the interview process, the collaborative, family oriented atmosphere, and the clearly defined career paths Compugen presented to me, I was quite impressed. I was fortunate enough to be offered a starting role as an Inside Sales Support.
As an Inside Sales Support I worked closely with the Inside Sales Representatives to ensure overall customer satisfaction with quoting accuracy, order placement, order fulfillment and escalations. Although below where I had hoped to begin my sales career, this role proved invaluable to building a very solid foundation for my future. I was able to develop my sales and communication skills and learn the different components and internal processes of the business.
After five months, through my hard work and determination, I was promoted to Inside Sales Representative. In this role, I had the opportunity for much more customer interaction and the ability to learn about and sell a much broader range of products and services. I found to really enjoy consulting with customers on their purchasing decisions and the rush and gratification of closing the deal.
In the three years since, I have received further promotions and I am currently entering my second year in outbound sales as a Corporate Account Manager. Working at Compugen has been an amazing experience and I have been given several career growth opportunities over the past four plus years. The culture of Compugen is to reward employees for their hard work and success and to foster personal career growth. As a salesperson you truly do get to determine your own destiny and the sky is the limit. Being in sales is the closest you can get to being an entrepreneur, without the risks of actually doing so. You have the benefit of working your own hours and the financial rewards are boundless as long as you can achieve your goals. I am grateful for the opportunity Compugen has provided me and very thankful I chose to start and continue my career at Compugen.
Sponsor Highlight: Bunzl
Number of Employees: 4,000+ Industry: Distribution Website: http://www.bunzl.com/ Highlights: Bunzl has worldwide sales in excess of $8.5 billion Ask Raj! Raj graduated from Sheridan College and Ryerson University. Below is his story:
I went to Sheridan College and Ryerson University for finance, and even though I enjoyed the program and was challenged by what I learned, I knew that finance was not my ultimate career path. I chose to work in sales because it offers unlimited opportunities for growth, and there are no limits. You can sell as much as you want and be promoted and compensated accordingly. Sales can offer you a great career, given that you are with the right company.
I began in the insurance industry, and although I enjoyed my successes there, I decided to make a career move to a company that is global, profitable, has a good company culture and is a leader within its own industry. Through networking and research I came across Bunzl and was really impressed because it met these criteria in more ways than one. The company was exactly the kind of change I was looking for. I began consistently emailing the President of Bunzl in order to establish a connection and relay my enthusiasm and desire to be a part of the team. On the fifth try, my persistence paid off and I received a call to interview. During the interview process I appreciated how they were selling Bunzl to me, just as much as I was selling myself to Bunzl.
I have been working at Bunzl now for the past 18 months as a sales rep and I have gotten the chance to learn from the best in the business. Even though Bunzl is such a large company, I get to communicate with and build relationships with all levels of management. I’ve realized that this is a company that builds and molds young talent and has taken my skill set to the next level.
Throughout my short time at Bunzl I have received a Top Gun Award, and have been recognized as one of the top sales reps. As a result of my sales performance I’ve received both rewards and recognition.
Looking back on my time so far at Bunzl, I’m amazed at how much I have learned and at the relationships I have developed with my colleagues and my clients. I look forward to continued growth within the company and am thankful for the opportunities I have been given.
For questions, comments or concerns please contact Sheila Cassidy at sheila.cassidy@salestalentagency.com