Any new graduate knows that getting your foot in the door can be quite a challenge. You’ve spent the last four years studying hard and dreaming about your future. Now that you’ve arrived, you still might find yourself with many unanswered questions about what path to take next. As if entering the workforce wasn’t already nerve-wracking, try throwing a global pandemic in the mix.
While the job market may seem hard to navigate at this time, don’t lose hope! There are many industries that are proving to be pandemic-proof—influencer marketing being one of them. No, we aren’t necessarily implying that you should become an influencer—although we may be a little biased when we say it’s worth giving it a shot! However, many opportunities within the influencer marketing industry don’t require you to be an influencer.
Sales & Influencer Marketing
A career in sales can be highly lucrative and rewarding. Regardless of your major or past work experience, anyone can learn to become a skilled sales professional. A sales skill set can be applied to almost any industry, including influencer marketing, and there is no limit to how successful you can be.
At IZEA, we’re experts at connecting influencers and businesses. We operate an online marketplace where leading brands can find influential creators to produce and distribute original content. From fashion bloggers and tech unboxers to small businesses and Fortune 100 companies, we help each tell a unique story. We’re at the forefront of a creative and innovative movement in marketing that is gaining serious momentum.
The members of our sales team play a big part in our company’s success. We rely on them to not only sell our products and services to advertisers of all sizes, but also the general benefits of influencer marketing as a whole. Influencer marketing is still a young industry and is finally starting to become recognized as a primary tactic in brands’ marketing strategies. It’s up to our sales team to convey the opportunities influencers can provide to brands while also demonstrating how IZEA can streamline their marketing efforts.
Learning How to Sell with IZEA
Perhaps the world of influencer marketing sounds promising to you, but you’re not sure where to begin. We recognized that the most successful sales professionals formed good habits through mentorship and hands-on training early in their careers. As a result, we developed the IZEA Professional Selling Program (IPSP).
IPSP is an entry-level program designed to provide recent college graduates and sales professionals with less than two years of experience under their belts with a best in class sales training experience in the ever-growing social and content marketing industry. Focusing on an integrative approach, the program features a cross-functional, company-wide learning experience within IZEA’s Managed Services Organization.
The best part? Upon successfully completing the program, participants will be considered for various opportunities on the Managed Services Sales team.
IPSP Alum: Where are they now?
Many of those who participated in IPSP are still working with IZEA years later and have taken their careers to the next level. Here’s what some of them had to say about the program:
I started the Professional Selling Program upon my graduation from college, looking for a jump start to my professional career despite holding no prior sales experience. IZEA welcomed me in with open arms, teaching me the ropes of not only influencer marketing but of all things sales along the way. After the program concluded, I opted to continue my career with IZEA, moving into a Business Development Representative role which shifted my sole focus to increasing new business, while working alongside a Senior Account Director and continuing to develop my own sales skill set. Once I felt as though I could sustain my own book of business, I stepped into an Associate Account Director position, where I am today. I now hold a book of business of several dozen accounts and have won business with clients in six different industries.
– Matt
Like many others, I graduated from college and was unsure where I’d fit in in the marketing world. I had the drive to dive into the industry hit the ground running but had no idea where to start. When I came across the Professional Selling Program at IZEA, I was instantly interested because I felt that this would be a program that would teach me everything about the industry from the ground up, and I was right. It’s hard to come across a company that will put as much time into your training to set you up for success in the industry the way IZEA does. Now, as an Associate Account Director, I could honestly say I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to join the Professional Selling Program and advance my skills to set myself up for success in my current role.
– Tina
Wanting to move into the world of social media and influencer marketing, IZEA and the PSP program offered me the opportunity to work and learn from the brightest in this industry. In the last two years, I’ve grown tremendously and credit all of my successes to this program. Being able to gain valuable knowledge and experience from the true pioneers in this industry has been such a wild experience and I’ll always be thankful for this experience.
– Rachel C.
Taking the Next Step in Your Sales Career
Whether you’ve had your sights set on a career in sales or if the pandemic has you rethinking your post-graduation career plans, IPSP is an excellent opportunity to start gaining experience in a blossoming industry. Learn from our best sales associates as they prepare you with tactics to help you gain confidence in the world of professional selling. IZEA is currently hiring for their April and July Classes. For more details, visit the listing on IZEA’s careers page.
