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Currently I have one last goal of mine which I have set myself to accomplish. That goal is to open up a new market to do business in.

The research is done and that Market will be up and running in the summer

So I intended on asking for a promotion, and to pre-empt this promotion I have arranged a dinner meeting with my manager and region manager during this meeting i'm going do the following

Break the news at a certain point I will no longer do the job which I do now

The reason for this is I'm looking for a new challange

And I want this new challenge to be with this company.

At the end of this I'm going let their reactions play out, and then pitch them my idea.

Any advice?

I was thinking about it, but then again my manager has been hinting at me the other day he said "No one got anywhere without asking, want something? Ask"

Maybe i'll reword my wording.

Are you prepared to describe why you deserve the promotion with the many successes you have had while working at this company?Make sure you can name off many reasons why it is important for them to move you up the ladder of success.

 

I am 100% ready, I've achieved a lot of success this year. I work in the car industry, and needless to say we got slammed!! I however have done 130% of my yearly quota and I still got 2 months left.

I came out of the trash to get where I am, my management when i started had discounted me. I didn't have the "typical" sales person attitude.

In fact at my last promotion a senior management sat back and said "when I met you I gave you 6 months till you crashed, burned, and quit, and now I sit here promoting you, and not only promoting you but bending company ploicy to do so"

I'll be meeting with the same manager :) So I expect great results.

I'm preheating the oven (way over performing and makeing sure they are aware)

Getting my research ready

Preparing my presentation.

 

Thank you for the advice. I'm going more focus on the benefits my idea has with my company then anything. I first need to get them to accept my idea, then I'll worry about them promoting me to run it.

When you accept my proposal I am prepeared to do whatever it takes to get this off the ground floor running.

 Good luck.

Your tips are so helpful :) Should of joined long ago. And I will keep you posted.

My whole game plan has changed from a big long pitch, to a short simple pitch of what this is going do for them and the company. Then let them ask the questions. At the end of this my hope is they send me up the chain to pitch it again.

Only wish I knew how much we make per unit that we sell :) But I can figure out how many more units we'll sell because of me.

So less me, more money k no problem!

Nik00117 says ...

Your tips are so helpful :) Should of joined long ago. And I will keep you posted.

My whole game plan has changed from a big long pitch, to a short simple pitch of what this is going do for them and the company. Then let them ask the questions. At the end of this my hope is they send me up the chain to pitch it again.

Only wish I knew how much we make per unit that we sell :) But I can figure out how many more units we'll sell because of me.

So less me, more money k no problem!

ohhhh, so the guys your going to dinner with are not the decision makers eh...???

hmmmmmmmm....... that's different.. keep the conversation only to the infrastructure of the deal... absolutely no details

find out things  from these guys like  the cost of a widgit and the profit margin and all info regarding the guy or guys you will be pitching too...

 what do the decision makers respond to and how do they respond to new ideas..

also ask questions to these guys about their carreer path with the company and how they reached their positions... are they happy in their jobs? do they have aspirations of  bwing owners ?  maybe these guys will be your new partners, (assuming they have "something" to offer the project.) maybe your bosses will like your idea but don't think your the guy to do the job... ? take everything into consideration

but, think of your dinner as a fact finding mission...a "first step" to developing your pitch. ask questions and listen.

Your title sucks... it describes a department or category but has nothing in it to describe what your position with it is... your really into titles so i'd suggest something like "smartest guy in the company who saved it from certain bankrupsy) or maybe g social marketing god. (just kidding about those, it's sarcasm used to make a point)

just call yourself  " market development project director". (MDPD)

Nik00117 says ...

So basically prepare two prespenstations.

One of them, they arne't the decision makers however hav ethe key to the decision maker. So pitch them on the idea, leave the specifics out.

Then I get to the decision maker go ahead and bring out the nitty gritty details?



My company isn't even invovled in what i'm pitching so the way I look at it is simple, I first have to get them to accept the idea I then have to get them hire me for it.

Well yes basically..

I honestly don't think you have prepared enough for the dinner meeting but... on the other hand, their is no better time than at present.. Sounds like you have enthusiasm at least and not affraid of trying... just be prepared as best as you can...

I would want to know their ages, how long these guys have been in the comppany, how connected are they to the top, ask around and find out their stories... are they lifers or are they just waiting for a better opportunity to jump switch.  No doubt they  are more polished than you and know more about the workings of the company much better so, given what i know about you from this brief few paragraph's, I'd say you will need these guys to either present your idea or at least be there with you when you  present it.

as for directing the project... yes, that's a seperate pitch and personally, I'd wait for it to be offered or at least the topic to come up... what you don't want to do to screw yourself up is to do a lousy job where you have to be replaced from your own project... it's better to get the job as consultant, overlooking the project (and also insuring your royalties are in the best hands to be exploited to your benefit)

You can retire from the royalties if your project and the deal goes successfully... the company will insure it's success with or without your help... what do you care as long as the product is selling and you are getting paid? forget about a title or, go by the title of "retired young"!

Guess I misunderstood you several days ago, thought you were seeking a promo from like sales rep to sales mgr or something. If I decipher these threads correctly, you are going to open a "new market" for the company. Apparently via social networking sites such as facebook, twitter and such.

If we assume that this is a great idea and suitable for the product they make or distribute, beware as you may have already signed something indicating their ownership of ideas developed while under their employment. This ownership may even be enforceable if you did not sign anything at all. So as stated you need to know where these guys are coming from. There is likely nothing to stop them from using your ideas with or without you.

You said  My company isn't even invovled in what i'm pitching so the way I look at it is simple, I first have to get them to accept the idea I then have to get them hire me for it.

Maybe you don't need them at all? Could you become a distributor or agent or something with a solid contract?

How did the meeting go?

Well, if it's a way's away you have lots of time to pick our brains!

Go to the Big Dog forums, lots of tips in there.  Get some ideas as to where we all stand on the totem pole.

bump

Nik00117 says ...

I do have a few questions

My company dress code is company shirt + Kaki pants (for the sales force) we basically dress one notch higher then our clients.

However my questions are since I'm going for a big promotion should I dress in a suit/tie type deal?

My second question is, should I change it from a dinner to a lunch? I read that lunch meetings are better since this is work related. Then again the meeting will most likely be on a sunday.

Went over my presentation after reading a sales tip, I knocked a good 80% of the words out and replaced them with graphs.

I wouldn't wear the uniform... dress appropriately for the location of the lunch. (no sunday dinner business meetings, it's family time) but i'd say sunday casual.

sounds like you still don't have your hear wrapped around what you want to do... (maybe you do but let's see)

your going for a promotion? your pitching an idea for a new position for the idea you are pitching? your pitching the idea as a project to capitalize on and perhaps oversee? your wanting to remain an employee and earn comission from your project or, your charging the company a fee for handling this new market? your meeting with these guys for their support or, your asking them for advice?

if you were one of my eemployees, who had an idea for a new market, honestly, i'd probably be a little put off with a business lunch on a sunday... ideas for new markets and products are a dime a dozen and could easilly be discussed during business hours. or at least during the normal work day. especially if you plan on dragging out charts and graph's...!!!!!!!

 i'd say leave them at home as well as the 80% of the words you were going to use...

I don't know the specifics of your deal and i kind of wish i was there to watch haha but, if you drug me out of the house on a sunday afternoon with some big pie in the sky idea and... i didn't really think it was as great an idea as you "hope" it is, I might be inclined to fire you or at least put your work file in the "crack pot" file and not take your next idea so seriousely.. especially if your idea sucks for some reason you had not considerd (and should have)

I hope your idea is killer but if it's not... ??

LOL.............  Goldsmith