Overcoming Impressions

Overcoming Impressions

Overcoming Impressions
As an Account Coordinator at News America Marketing, my responsibilities include overseeing all projects and programs under my direct supervisor, managing client expectations, communicating needs between clients and internal departments, and last but not least, learning the nuances of the industry and the skill set that will enable me to become a successful salesperson.   During my annual review, my supervisors expressed some concerns they had in regards to my abilities as a salesperson.   They explained to me that though my role was not yet a sales role but that of a coordinator, my current career path will ultimately lead to sales.   They expressed that even though my performance as an Account Coordinator deserved a solid A, they nonetheless felt I had failed to demonstrate the strengths and passion necessary for a successful salesperson; therefore, the shifting of my career path towards operations and sales-support was under serious consideration.  
After discussing with my supervisors, I gained a better understanding of the situation.   It turned out that it wasn’t necessarily anything measurable I was lacking but more of an impression management felt I failed to deliver.   They repeatedly told me it wasn’t something they were able put a finger on.   Initially, the circumstance at hand seemed a bit daunting as I knew that impression was an extremely difficult thing to counteract.   However, after a careful self evaluation, I had a good understanding of what needs to be done and put together a plan to persuade my supervisors to keep me on the sales track.  
I realized that in order to combat an impression that probably had more to do with my personality than performance, I would need to go above and beyond what was expected of me to prove myself.   I sent an outline titled “Steps to Success” to my supervisors listing what I will do to address their concerns.   On this outline were things that I felt were important in developing the...