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During her first month, she was able to set up eight meetings with potential customers, while other interns were booking 20 or more. But a mentor at TPx told her to keep a positive attitude, be confident in her abilities, and remember that each “No” would get her closer to a “Yes.”
She tried to bring a personal touch to each call, making a connection or sharing a joke. In the second month, she outsold the entire sales floor, including her mentor, lining up 42 people who were willing to have that second meeting.
“Aliyah has drive, a great work ethic, and she just kept going,” said Sara MacSween, a lecturer in marketing at the Bryan School and the faculty advisor for the NC Sales Institute. “I’ve been so impressed with her persistence in this role – it’s a very challenging one, but she’s pursued it and worked hard at it.”
MacSween had also coached Robinson and another UNCG alumna when they were two of 300 selected for a National Collegiate Sales Competition at Kennesaw State University. “I was so proud of them,” MacSween says. “Companies across the US go to this one event to recruit sales professionals. They worked that room and made connections.”
Ultimately, Robinson hopes to transition into marketing, and she believes sales has given her a good start. “The biggest takeaway is that your pitch can be perfect, but someone may still tell you ‘No,’” she says. “You just keep your confidence, pick up that phone, get that ‘No’ and then dial the next number for that ‘Yes.’”