Blog 22: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Block Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I am proud of my activities because it seemed like the class was able to understand what to do when I handed out the worksheets. I also think my powerpoint was useful and it was easy for the class to follow along.


 (2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?

 I would give myself a solid P. I met talking time as well as activity time. My answers were brief but straight to the point.

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

 I would give myself a P. I have researched and done this project for 9 months and I learned so much. I put in a lot to understand the topic to the best of my ability.

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

My mentorship worked the best for me because I actually saw my mentor apply my answers in a regular work day. I gained a lot of experience and knowledge of this project.

 (4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

I would redo my ESA. I would also redo my exit interview and be more specific about my mentorship hours. For my final presentation I wish I would have extended my second activity a little more as well.

 (5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

Senior project actually gave me the opportunity to experience what it is like to be a sales representative. I had the opportunity to work with a program QuickBooks that many big companies use as a way to maintain order of what goes in and out of the company and if I do decide to pursue my career in sales I know this program will cross my path again. This project has also helped me extend my research a lot more. I started off with very basic and repetitive information and so I decided to research more intensively and specific idea of my topic. That led me to read books and do
interviews. I know that interviews will cross my path as well in my future and this project helped me ask open ended questions.

Blog 21: Mentorship

Content:

LIA response to blog:

Literal

Mentorship Hours

Manuel Martin. Independent Sales Representative. 

Interpretive

The most important thing I gained from doing mentorship is how important it is to be a social person. My mentor has a great ability to easily talk and persuade clients to purchase products from him. I know that this job isn't for anyone. A successful sales representative is very social and has the ability to approach anyone at anytime. I also gained a lot of experience with the program QuickBooks. QuickBooks is a program a lot big manufacturing companies use and I know it can potentially be put into use in my future. 

Applied

Thanks to mentorship I found my answers because I actually saw them be put to use. I saw my mentor apply price list and that helped him make sales. When I would go with my mentor to meet with clients that gave me my second answer which is: Make the focus of a work day maintaing client relations that led me to my best answer. I saw the commitment my mentor used on his clients and that is what made the business relationship to last. 

Blog 20: Exit Interview

(1) What is your essential question and answers?  What is your best answer and why?

EQ: What is the best way an independent contractor can maximize profit from selling foam?
Answer 1: Provide a good quality and competitive price list and present it with good service.
Answer 2: Make the focus of your work day maintaining  client relations.
Answer 3: Provide the highest quality foam the industry can manufacture.

My best answer is making the focus of your work day maintaining client relations because that is the first step to take when approaching a client with a product.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

 

Mentorship helped me understand the importance of having a good business relationship with clientele. I saw my mentor prove this answer to me when I went on rides with him to visit his clientele.

 

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

 

 I had trouble finding the second answer to my EQ. It took a lot of rides with my mentor to fully understand how a to keep and maintain a long term business relationship.

 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

 

My mentor has to be the most significant source for my answer to my EQ because as I did my mentorship I witnessed him put my answers to use. Another source is the book How to Turn On the Pressure Without Turning Your Customer Off written by Robert L. Shook. The book gave me a lot of insight on how to approach a customer and how to maintain positive outlooks by providing outstanding customer service. It also talks about meeting clients for the first time and how first impressions can definitely be the last in this business.

Foam Cuts!

 

My mentor, Manuel Martin represents a company that produces cut foam for companies who manufacture sofas and chairs. This company takes orders from clients who want very specific detailed cut foam. This makes it a lot easier for clients because they can easily put the foam inside the material and the product is pretty much ready to go. Although this process might be a bit more expensive to purchase it is still beneficial for clients because it takes away the money being spent on employees. Putting a price is very difficult because sometimes the measurements that are sent are very difficult to calculate how much foam exactly was being used. In most cases clients are charged for pieces that are cut off as well because it makes it easier to charge that way.

 

 

 

 

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a)  “I, Yesenia Martin, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

(b) Manuel Martin, my mentor a sales representative for about 14 years.

(c) It is linked at the right side of my blog titled "Independent Component 2 log'

(d) I did my 30 hours for my independent component with my mentor. I spent most of that time going with my mentor to see clients about future purchases. I also had the chance to introduce a price list to a potential client who said was interested in doing business. I familiarized myself with the QuickBooks program as well as  different sets of price lists for different products. I got the chance to attend a business meeting with my mentor and his boss which led to a stop at the factory where they get their product (foam).

INTERPRETIVE 

This is where my mentor and the company he represents get there foam from.

A price list I helped my mentor create for a company he works for.

 

This is Ricardo, my mentors boss.

APPLIED
Independent component 2 helped me get a better understanding of customer service and foam itself. I saw the way my mentor treated and served his clients and it gave me a better understanding of how a sales representative should treat every client. I learned more about the kind of foams that are used in mattresses.My mentor taught me how to figure out how to price a certain foam depending on the thickness of it. The most popular foam used in mattresses in these time is usually memory foam due to it's softness that attracts most customers. It also helped me with my first answer as well regarding price lists.

Las Vegas Market

My mentor attends a couple business trips a year and the Las Vegas Market is one of the most important ones. My mentor looks up to this day because it gives him a huge opportunity to meet with potential clients. When he came back from his trip he told me how competitive the market gets. He said he met with a few people who were intrested in doing business with him. There are people from all over the world who attend the Las Vegas Market. It amazes me to see how great of a turn out a sales representative can get from attending an event this important.

 

 

My mentor Manuel Martin at the Las Vegas Market.

My mentors name tag.

Blog 18: Third Answer

EQ:

What is the best way an independent contractor can maxamize profit from selling foam?

Answer 3:

Provide the highest quality foam the industry can manufacture.

3 Details to support:

1. Memory foam is known to be one of the mot wanted foam due to it's material that provides better sleep and health. Memory foam is the most comfortable mattress because it adjusts to your body type.
2. Seperated into two different catergories; expensive or affordable. The afforadable memory foam mattress will be less expensive but still a good matress because of the foam that is being used.
3. Manufaturers usually provide matresses with different sets of memory foam to the needs of buyers in different price ranges according to the memory foam material that is being used.

Research Article: "Foam Factory Memory Foam Mattresses Offer Top Quality at a Great Price"

Concluding sentence:

Providing clients with a high quality foam (memory foam) can insure a bigger range in types of mattresses that a client will be able to buy at an afforadable price as well as an expensive price if intrested.

Blog 17: Fourth Interview

1. What is the best way an independent contractor can maxamize profit by selling foam?

2. What is there to look for on a well dont price list?

3. How do you try to outdo your competition?

4. How do you manage to maintain business relationships with your clients?

5. How do you present your product to a pontential client?

6. How do you interest a potential client to buy your product?

7. What kind of foam do you suggest to your clientele?

8. How do you know what to product to introduce to your clientele?

9. What is good customer service in your eyes?

10. How do you set a price on your product considering the cost of it and the profit being made?

11. What set of skills are the strongest to have as an independent sales rep?

12. What do you do in order to keep a client satisfied?

13. What does it take for a customer to get you to negotiate prices?

14.What gets a customer to come back for more of your product?

15. How do you know if you set a price that is too high or low for your product?

16. How do you intorduce foam to potential clients?

17. How do you prepare yourself to get a profitable outcome on a daily basis?

18. How succesful are your sales to where you make profit?

19. What does the number associated with each foam represent?

20. How often are you out beat by your competiotion? Why?

Blog 16: Advisory Meeting #2

EQ:

 

 What is the best way an independent contractor can maxamize profit from selling foam?

Answer #2 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)*

Provide good customer service to drive sales. 

3 details to support the answer (a detail is a fact and an example)

Consistency. This is something i've noticed my mentor do. He shows consistency to his client/potential clients by either e-mailing or calling them and asking them if they have enough of the product.

Punctuality. My mentor makes sure that shipments of foam are delivered to clients when they are asked for if possilbe. The reason my mentor says it's really important is because his clients own companies that make mattresses and the employees can't work without the foam.

Friendly. By treating customers with a frendly and helpful matter. My mentor keeps in touch with his customers as well as sends them food baskets to show a nice gesture and as a thank you for business.

The research source (s) to support your details and answer

"12 Commandments for Closing a Sale" done by Grant Cardone has really made it easy for me to understand how to properly approach a customer. Some tips that are mentioned in the article I see my mentor accumulate on a regular basis.

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

For my 30 hours I will do mentorship with my mentor. That will consist of rid alongs with him to visit clients as well as office and computer work. By office work I mean organizing files and making phone calls and by computer work I mean updating price lists and sending out invoices.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I will do 3 hours at least a week with my menor and write in my hours on the log. I will also provide proof the pricelists and invoices that I make.

3. And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

The work I will be doing will help me find my other answers to my essential question. The actual ride alongs with my mentor to see clients will help me see what my mentor has to do to make profit on a daily basis.

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

LITERAL
(a) Statement saying: “I, student name, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”


I Yesenia Martin, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component


My mentor Manuel Martin was my mentor through these 30 hours. He helped me understand how important it is to show consistency with your clients. He also showed me how to impress and get the attention of client to buy the product you are offering. My mentor also helped me understand how the measurements of foam are taken and how to figure out the exact price of the foam that is being sold.



(c) Provide a digital spreadsheet (aka log of the 30 hours).   Post it next to your mentorship log.

(d) Explanation of what you completed.    

My mentor took me for ride alongs with him to visit clients as well as put me behind a computer making price lists and invoices. He also had me do a lot of hands on stuff with the actual product (foam). I had to cut cardboard templates out to the precise measurements that the clients asked for so that the employees in the back knew where exactly to cut the foam. I also helped design an easier form of a price list that is easier to understand. He introduced the template of the price list I helped him make to a Las Vegas Market convention.

INTERPRETIVE 
Defend your work and explain how the significant parts of your component and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.  

APPLIED
How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped.

At first when I did my 10 hours for my summer mentorship I really couldn't picture the things my mentor would explain and since I started my 30 hours I actually got a chance to do all of the things my mentor would talk to me about. It really helped actually see and experience all the things I was told about the sales industry especially all the things I read.

Lesson 2 Reflection

1. Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?


I'm most proud of my activity because I was able to tell that the class understood what I was talking about. They understood so well that they figured out what my possible second answer can be.


2. Questions to Consider
       a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       I would give myself a P because I think I met all the requirements of talking time. The class also understood the lesson and were able to do the activity with no problem.


  b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

I met time, I believe I got over 20 minutes in total. They class also understood what was being taught. My power point followed the 1/3 rule and I also had an essential question board.


3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?


What I think worked for me was the timer because it helped keep time on the activity and speaking time.

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?


I would have added a couple more slides to my powerpoint and give more examples of different kind of price lists.

5. Finding Value
What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?


Negotiate a price that benefits you as well as the client.

Blog 12: Third Interview Questions

1. What is the best way an independent contractor can maximize profit from selling foam?

2. How do you manage to maintain business relationships with clients?

3. What is there to look for on a well done price list?

4. How do you interest a buyer to consider buying your product?

5. What set of skills do you think are the strongest to have when it comes to selling your product?

6. How should a product be introduced to a potential buyer?

7.  How do you prepare yourself on a daily basis to sale?

8.How do you know what kind of foam to sale to a a specific buyer?

9. What is the best thing to do to get a potential buyer to negotiate with you?

10. How do you negotiate with a client to where your commission is still beneficial for you?

Blog 11: Mentorship 10 Hours

1. Where are you doing your mentorship?

I am doing my mentorship at my mentors office at R&R Foam Sales and i'm usually on the road with my mentor.

2. Who is your contact?

Manuel Martin

3. How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?

32 hours 30 minutes

4. Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

My mentor took me on the road with him for the most part. We did lots of catching up with clients by making sure they were satisfied with our service and we wanted to make sure that they had enough supply to last them a while. Those who were running out of supply we made orders for them. I did a lot of paper work due to misunderstanding an employee had. I had to change the prices for the thickness of each foam. It turned out we owed money to the client because we had agreed to a lower price. I also called into the company to place orders for call that my menor got.

Blog 10: Senior Project: The Holiday

1. It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school. What did you over the break with your senior project?

I did about 20 hours of mentorship during my break. Most of my mentorship took place at a company that my mentor works for. I did a lot of computer work as well as answer phone calls. I took many orders and made invoices for the companys records.


2. What was the most important thing you learned from what you did and why? What was the source of what you learned?

The most important thing I learned was how important it is to multitask. For example I had to answer calls and do computer work at the same time. It was difficult to manage both because most of the calls that were coming in were clients that were asking for orders. Putting orders in the the system QuickBooks isn't as simple as I thought it would be.

3. If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I woud talk to my mentor because he has really given me a variety of answers that personally I think are very helpful already. He is making my senior project a bit easier because of the work he has me do during my mentorship. He is also very easy to understand and provides me with examples of scenarios to give me a better idea of the things that he encounters.