网红头条

KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 19, 2022

网红头条 sales students learned the true meaning of 鈥渆levator pitch,鈥� when they were given 60 seconds to sell their personal brands while traveling 420 feet in the air on fastest elevator in Atlanta.

A group of 24 students in the professional sales team traveled to TK Elevator鈥檚 North American headquarters to see who could deliver the most effective elevator pitch to company executives.

An elevator pitch is a summary of a person鈥檚 background, skills or business ideas brief enough to be delivered during a single elevator ride. It is a valuable tool in the salesperson鈥檚 arsenal.

Each student stepped inside one of the building鈥檚 iconic elevators overlooking The Battery Atlanta and pitched themselves as a potential new hire to TKE鈥檚 sales team. Students had until the elevator reached the top floor to complete their pitch. TKE Executive Vice President of Sales Kevin Robertson, Director of Training and Development Paul Harrison, Sales Manager Daniel Gross and Atlanta Branch Manager Adam Luckey judged the pitches.

鈥淲e threw everything we could at them from a stress standpoint,鈥� Luckey said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard enough to shorten your personal brand to 60 seconds, but we stuck them in a glass box 420 feet in the air with potential employers and cameras in their faces. It was stressful, but they all handled it well.鈥�

KSU marketing student Avani Shah, who is also working toward a through Kennesaw State鈥檚 Double Owl program, took home first prize. She credits her win to a last-minute decision to record herself practicing her presentation.

鈥淚 was there in the morning thinking about how to focus on getting the judges鈥� attention,鈥� Shah said. 鈥淚 decided to film myself and watch it. I figured, if I get bored watching myself, then they are going to get bored listening to me. After that, I was able to break it down into chunks that made it easier to follow.鈥�

Shah, who plans to open a yoga studio and consult on health and wellness marketing, said perfecting her elevator pitch will allow her to market herself more effectively in the professional world.

鈥淭alking about ourselves is our favorite thing to do until we鈥檙e asked to do it,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen you forget everything you know about yourself. It鈥檚 very important be able to talk about yourself in a way that鈥檚 engaging but not self-absorbed.鈥�

The idea for TKE鈥檚 competition came from Brent McCulloch, associate director of the and a lecturer in Kennesaw State鈥檚 program. He has partnered with TKE for the past three years, including leading students on tours of their facility and inviting TKE executives to class to discuss sales careers. He saw this as an opportunity to strengthen his relationship with one of the world鈥檚 leading elevator manufacturers while teaching students the value of selling themselves.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very competitive environment out there for the great jobs,鈥� McCulloch said. 鈥淚f you have a rehearsed, eloquent statement that explains the value you bring, an effective close and are comfortable asking for a follow-up, that sets you exponentially ahead of the pack.鈥�

While the event was a competition, the sales team spent the week prior rehearsing together and offering each other advice for improvement.

鈥淲e took advantage of the week to give feedback to each other and practice in an environment where we feel safe trying things outside of our comfort zones,鈥� said Thomas Rowen, a professional sales major who took second place. 鈥淭his practice, along with the guidance from (McCulloch), was an integral part of our success in the competition.鈥�

The event concluded with a party on the top floor of the test tower, where TKE presented the first-, second-, and third-place finishers with keepsake LEGO brick models of the tower built in February 2022. Each statue is affixed to a pedestal made in the .

Luckey said hosting the elevator pitch competition was one of the many ways TKE plans to continue its relationship with Kennesaw State, which it sees as a vital recruitment effort.

鈥淥ver the past few years, we鈥檝e built a true headquarters campus in Atlanta with three buildings,鈥� Luckey said. 鈥淲e are really looking at KSU as a school that helps us fulfill a lot of the roles we are looking for. As we grow our presence in North America, we need top talent. And we鈥檙e seeing it at KSU.鈥�

- Patrick Harbin

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 网红头条 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 网红头条is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 网红头条is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.