Reflective Report On Progression As A Team Player And Effective Self-Marketing Using LinkedIn

Communication Skills are Crucial for Team Work

One of the crucial characteristics that are required to work as a team member is the ability to communicate properly. A proper team member can communicate clearly on an intellectual and emotional level with the team members (Bolander et al. 2014). I believe that effective communicators can clearly explain their own ideas that reduce the scopes of mistakes and misunderstandings.

In my career as a team, I have seen that excellent team members posses the ability to listen to others and ask questions for clarifying other’s emotions and ideas, which has been supported by the works of the author Ashbaker and Morgan (2012).  In order to work as a team member I should be able to demonstrate a sense of cohesion. In order to achieve that, I have always expressed my viewpoints openly in a group and have shared my ideas within the other team members. As a member of the team I was able to develop a sense of mutual trust among the employees.

It is not that we have always looked for the enhancement of individual; skills, but have worked as a team to achieve the goals. It should be noted that a cooperative team can cater to the enhancement of the inter-professional skills among each team members (Boles et al. 2012). I have always supported all the members of a team that has exemplified the sense of trust and loyalty within the team.   

According to the VAK learning style model, I had been a visual dominant learner and had often contributed to the team members by working on sales presentations and charts. I believe that I have developed excellent auditory as well as oral presentation skills. I am well aware of my choice of word and vocabulary that have to be used during an oral presentation. According to Rohrer and Pashler (2012), an effective oral presentation supported by impressive charts and diagrams can help the other team members to understand the agenda. According to the VAK learning style, among the three types of learners, I believe that I am a kinesthetic learner, as I believe in hand on experiences on any jobs, as per the concepts of kinesthetic learning.  I always enjoy lessons and tools that involve active participation.

As a member of a management team in my university, where I am there to learn about how to assist the customers so that the transactions go smoothly. I have always made sure that my learning as a team member always helps me out in my future to address all the loops and the holes of business personnel. We got several trainings of how to flourish a business, how to increase the company’s turnover. For example, a sales assistant helps to create repeat business that can greatly affect the company’s turnover (Limbu et al. 2012, Conrad and Newberry 2012).

During the first week of my training period as a student, I was faced with several difficulties in managing the customer services, as I had to take care of several sections of the retail store, due to the less number of roistered employees.  

Learning Styles and their Contribution to Team Work

I looked at my peers, took suggestions from them regarding how to address or greet the customers. Since, I did not have any previous experiences, I was not well aware of how to interact with the customers. I have already discussed earlier that team members need to have excellent communication skills, especially the ones of a sales team. One of the responsibilities for a sales team member is to convince the customer for the product (Conrad and Newberry 2012). It should be remembered that customers buy products more because of the benefits rather the features of the project (Grunig 2013).

My seniors have taught me to locate the difference between the benefit and the feature of a product, which had helped me to answer most of the quarries of the customer. Previously I thought of using rich sophisticated language for communicating with the customers, till I found out that many customers having linguistically diverse background are hesitating to approach me. Hence I thought of using simple language, such that it is comprehensible to all.  I made it sure that I deliver such a thing that is unique to me or my firm, which can convince the customer to buy the product. I started using vivid but plain language that is understandable to all.

We are often faced with stubborn or ill mannered customers. One of the essential qualities that a team member should posses is extreme patience (Conrad and Newberry 2012). I have learned to retain patience from my seniors and the other members of team. All my learning had enhanced my skills as an efficient member of my university management team. All the evidences support, my learning to be Auditory and visual, as I have seen and incorporated the qualities in me by seeing my peers. But my field experiences had also helped me in learning how to deal with customers in my future career.

The success of a business depends largely upon the efficacy of management team members (Hauschildt and Konradt 2012). During the next week of my class as a marketing student, I learned how to maintain a complete knowledge regarding the product company and the customers. I have brainstormed through several online sources and have learned about the various leadership models, which had helped me in enhancing my knowledge.

I believe that I have been able to contribute to my team considerably, as managed to meet the sales target or have helped others to achieve the sales target, in order to get recognition as a whole sales team. I had been committed to my teamwork philosophy. For example, I often had to handle multiple sections in the absence of my team members. I have always been flexible and had never thought it to be hampering my sales target as I have always displayed genuine commitment to the team.  

During the next few weeks I have learned to maintain promotional databases by putting invoice and bill back data. I have helped the team by updating the daily action summaries of the team to the managers. I have helped out my team members to resolve issues regarding the promotional allowance, pricing discrepancies and rebate. In the following weeks I have learnt to prepare sales Vs projection results by tracking the daily sales reports. I can efficiently prepare sales presentations by compiling sales data.

Importance of Effective Self-Marketing

High volume retail outlets can be extremely stressful, hence close proximity with the team members for long hours on a regular basis, can reduce the level of stress (Fogel et al. 2012). Close proximity with the team members can be the recipe for conflict, but credit lies in sticking with the team in spite of the differences in opinions.

Self-marketing using LinkedIn profile

Self marketing helps one to improve their images well in advance in the beginning of the career. Self marketing is also known as personal branding as it helps to create the professional image of the person rather the product (McCorkle and McCorkle 2012).

Self marketing assists the candidate to communicate their skills, knowledge and values to the potential employers (Van Dijck 2013). A successful self marketing separates an employee form thousands of other employees, who may be applying for the same job (Van Dijck 2013).  There can be several strategies that can separate the job seeker from the other competitors.

Self marketing through social networking sites can be one of the most effective tools, where the candidate is allowed to build profiles where they can boast about their skills and show off their work samples, highlight their professional skills and build network with the potential employers (McCorkle and McCorkle 2012). Candidates can often get the opportunities to connect with the employers via professional conferences. It should be noted that over the top, flamboyant self promotion can damage one’s career. Hence a carefully planned self promotion is required that will bring about the advancement of the career.

There are certain key elements that can be used for the self marketing, such as the use of testimonials, utilizing social media, using of online forums, using personal websites, keywords that best suites the job profile (Van Dijck 2013).

LinkedIn is one of the famous social networks for the professionals. The profile can be used as an effective marketing tool for attracting the potential employers and the decision makers (McCorkle and McCorkle 2012).

There are certain key features that can be followed such as the use of bold headlines that can attract the companies. A strong headline will be able to invite people to read which I am suitable for the job. My headline should reflect my expertise, who has endorsed me, my projects that reflects my success. If I have any publications, that can also be included in the publication section.

I should design my experience section of my LinkedIn profile in an interesting way, such as how I have helped other business teams to tackle the issues. Sharing of case studies can serve as an effective way to promote self marketing. Furthermore, the LinkedIn’s professional gallery feature enables one to add videos, slide presentations and other tools of interactions.

Personal development Plan

Goals: To enhance my Communication and Inter professional skills with the customers and my team members.
What do I need to learn	What will I do to achieve this	What resources or support will I need	What will my success criteria be?	Targeted time frame
Communication and inter professional skills	I would consult with my seniors and peers regarding the recommendations and would watch how they handle same issues	I would require support from the other members of the team or I can refer to online resources to learn about the strategies. Dealing with critical customers and situations will also enhance my professional skills.	Getting an appraisal or good feedback from the other team members, increase in my sales target.	Within two months

References

Ashbaker, B.Y. and Morgan, J., 2012. Team players and team managers: Special educators working with paraeducators to support inclusive classrooms. Creative Education, 3(03), p.322.

Bolander, W., Bonney, L. and Satornino, C., 2014. Sales education efficacy: Examining the relationship between sales education and sales success. Journal of Marketing Education, 36(2), pp.169-181.

Boles, J.S., Dudley, G.W., Onyemah, V., Rouzies, D. and Weeks, W.A., 2012. Sales force turnover and retention: A research agenda. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 32(1), pp.131-140.

Conrad, D. and Newberry, R., 2012. Identification and instruction of important business communication skills for graduate business education. Journal of Education for Business, 87(2), pp.112-120.

Fogel, S., Hoffmeister, D., Rocco, R. and Strunk, D.P., 2012. Teaching sales. Harvard Business Review, 90(7/8), pp.94-99.

Grunig, J.E. ed., 2013. Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge.

Hauschildt, K. and Konradt, U., 2012. Self-leadership and team members’ work role performance. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 27(5), pp.497-517.

Limbu, Y.B., Jayachandran, C. and Babin, B.J., 2014. Does information and communication technology improve job satisfaction? The moderating role of sales technology orientation. Industrial Marketing Management, 43(7), pp.1236-1245.

Manolis, C., Burns, D.J., Assudani, R. and Chinta, R., 2013. Assessing experiential learning styles: A methodological reconstruction and validation of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. Learning and individual differences, 23, pp.44-52.

McCorkle, D.E. and McCorkle, Y.L., 2012. Using LinkedIn in the marketing classroom: Exploratory insights and recommendations for teaching social media/networking. Marketing education review, 22(2), pp.157-166.

Rohrer, D. and Pashler, H., 2012. Learning Styles: Where’s the Evidence?. Online Submission, 46(7), pp.634-635.

Schmeck, R.R. ed., 2013. Learning strategies and learning styles. Springer Science & Business Media.

Van Dijck, J., 2013. ‘You have one identity’: performing the self on Facebook and LinkedIn. Media, Culture & Society, 35(2), pp.199-215.