Literacies

Sales

            A non-school social world that I feel I have literacy is in sales.  Ever since I entered college, way back in 1989, I have been involved in some sort of sales position to help pay for college and just to have some money.  It started part time as an associate for Stop and Shop before they were “Super,” and working full time at what was then Fleet National Bank while at Providence College.  It continued as a part time sales associate for the big box retailer CompUSA while in and after law school.  I worked as a lawyer and worked in retail sales at the same time when I had to make a decision.  I was offered a sales manager position with CompUSA that had a great salary and benefits.  With that kind of offer I took the position and left the legal practice.  For the next eleven years I worked as a sales manager in big box retail for both CompUSA, until it closed, and for Best Buy, until I was laid off.  After this I found a job at another big box retailer, Staples, again as a retail sales manager.  For the next five years I worked again as a sales manager.  All of these jobs were in technology sales and services.  Again, I was laid off and at this time decided to return to school to pursue a career in teaching history.  I still work, part-time, in sales, but this time in car sales.  So for about twenty-four years I have been involved in sales in one form of another.

            I became interested at first because, to be honest, the money was good.  As time went on though, I really enjoyed the dynamic of helping people, of providing customer service, finding what the customers were looking for, helping them decide what was right for them and helping them get a product or service that they really wanted or needed.    I saw it as a challenge that I really enjoyed.  Technology, which is also a huge interest for me, can be very confusing.  It was confusing especially back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when the computer boom really started, the internet was really just an idea and what did exist went over the phone lines.  I really enjoyed helping and explaining the difficult experience of buying a computer.  Whether it is for a business, for a student just doing papers, for a graphic artist or for a gamer, there were so many choices.  Everyone’s needs were different and I really enjoyed talking with customers and finding out what they wanted, listening to them and then making a quality recommendation of what type of computer, or service, to buy.  As they became more complicated, I learned about computer repair and service for both hardware and software.  Leaning that aspect of the business made be a better salesperson and a tech.  I can build a computer from the ground up from scratch, repair a computer or laptop and even work on some tablets that are out today, though I am still learning about those.  All of this just lets me help the customer, ask the right questions, and read a customer when they are too forthcoming with information. 
            Being a salesperson has helped me in other aspects of life.  I can easily talk to anyone.  In sales you need to be able to help all customers, not just the ones you that you are comfortable with.  This exposure to the public, I believe, lets me be comfortable in many different situations.  It has also helped me by having the ability to read people.  As a salesperson you need to be able to read people, to see where they are going, to read not just their words but their body language, the non-verbal cues.  Not only does a salesperson have to identify them but they have to interpret them.  This is gained with experience, training and practice with other sales professionals.  I believe these skills can be transferred to teaching.  As a teacher I will need to the ability to seek out the needs of my students, ask them questions of what they need, of what they are looking for.  Not only asking the questions, but listening to their answers and watching for the non-verbal cues that I have seen so many times as a salesperson.  Then I need to interpret what they are saying, or not saying, in order to help them to the best of my ability.  Also, as working with the public, I will have to work will all types of students, not just ones that I would be most comfortable with.  I have had very difficult customers and very difficult situations to overcome.  Those experiences I know will help me deal with situations that are not easy and not simple. 
            Being a salesperson exposes you to many situations, thousands upon thousands of situations and in my case thousands and thousands of people over the years.  All of them were different.  All had their own needs, their own priorities, and their own situations that needed to be resolved.  I know I didn’t solve them all, but I did solve a majority of those and  when I couldn’t I made sure I got the help I needed to help the customer.  As a teacher I will be exposed to the same in that each student will be different just as customers are different.  The experience that I have gained over the years, I am sure will allow me to help my students just as well as I helped my customers.  I also know that I will not be able to solve every issue that comes up along in my new career as a teacher.  Just as in sales, I will seek help and guidance when needed.  Again just as in sales. This is for the benefit for my students.  As a salesperson I looked to make sure the customer was cared for to the best of my ability, to make sure they were helped in every way possible, to make their customer experience as pleasant as possible.  As a teacher the goals are essentially the same. That is to make sure I take care of all of my students needs to the best of my ability, to make sure I help the students any way I could and to make sure their learning experience is one that they are entitled to have.