On ThE JOB
What Employers Want
willinGneSS To leARn
bill beck, local sales manager for kIII-Tv 3 in corpus
christi, looks for employees who want to learn. “I can
teach you about the industry, and I can teach you a
set of sales skills that will allow you to make money,”
he declares.
one young woman with just a high school diploma
proved him right. she started out as a sales assistant
making $10 an hour. a few years ago, beck convinced
her to become a salesperson working on commission—
and she’s now pulling in $80,000 a year.
ABiliTy To dRive SAleS
SellThe Sizzle
“The best marketing people,” says valerie freeman,
chief executive officer of the Imprimis group, a dallas
recruiting firm, “are those who can figure out how the
messages they put out there are going to result
cReATiviTy, vARieTy, And fun are
in sales.”
beck adds that his employees try to figure out how
serious business in marketing, Sales & Service.
they can meet a need customers have. for instance, if a
company is going to have a sale, how can the Tv station
best promote it to drive business? marketing pros have
the tools that allow them to put their ideas into action, I
n the Marketing, Sales & Service She meets regularly with people in each
business, the old saying goes, “you sell department to find out what they need and
the sizzle, not the steak.” For Mary how she can help.
he says. computer literacy, graphics experience, and Larson, assistant general manager of the “No two days are the same. That’s one
database skills are helpful. San Angelo Colts minor league baseball of the things I like about my job,” she says.
team, that means using her sense of fun Her in-house clients are varied, too. “Each
woRk eThic and imagination to get people into the department has its own personality. You’ve
There’s more to success than having skills, however. ballpark. got professional journalists, and then you
freeman says a good work ethic is very important. She sells ads on the outfield fence and have delivery drivers. Then you’ve got
“You can’t be late. business is about being there, comes up with wacky in-stand promotions salespeople, who are yet another kind of
showing up, having a good attitude toward your job and to whip fans into a cheering frenzy. Larson personality.”
coworkers,” freeman says. “I’ve fired a lot of college believes building excitement is part of
kids because they didn’t understand you can’t come in marketing and does what it takes to stir Communication
at 10 a.m. and think it’s okay.” up customers—from staging fireworks Brackin finds it necessary to have good
ronald richardson, marketing director for Hoss displays and rubber-chicken tosses to interpersonal and communication skills.
equipment co. in Irving, seeks employees who are organizing “human bowling” contests in She combines those with the ability to
willing to work hard and meet deadlines—no matter which people climb into padded spheres maintain her cool when called upon to
what it takes. and roll like a ball to knock down giant represent the newspaper to the public.
He explains, “marketing is a pretty demanding pins and win prizes between innings. “My boss relies on me to be the voice of
profession. It requires a lot of detail-oriented focus. the paper if television comes over to do an
while the job could mostly be 8 to 5, there are times Creativity and variety interview,” she says.
when you might be required to stay until 2 in the A few miles away, Becky Brackin holds a No matter whom she’s working for
morning to meet a deadline.” more traditional marketing job, but one in-house, a big part of marketing involves
that still allows for plenty of creativity. knowing her audience. “That’s the key,”
flexiBiliTy As the San Angelo Standard-Times Brackin says. She oversees advertising and
richardson’s company is a global leader in the online and marketing director,
rebuilt and used heavy equipment industry, with she tries to keep all the
brands like caterpillar, komatsu, Hitachi, and volvo. people at the newspaper
aspIrIng pro golfers
when it comes to marketing the products, richardson happy.
has found it’s important to stay flexible. “We’re kind of an
can parTIcIpaTe In THe
“projects come up,” he says. “sometimes ad agency for four fIve-Year pga/professIonal
things don’t go according to plan, and you’re departments: the
golf managemenT program aT
expected to stay until you successfully newsroom, circulation,
conclude the project.” advertising, and
sam HousTon sTaTe unIversITY
online,” says Brackin. In HunTsvIlle.
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