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The Sales Evangelist

Lynn University, Dr. Andrew Burnstine; Sales, Fashion

Is the glamour of sales dead? Definitely not! And in today’s episode, my guest, Dr. Andrew Burnstine will explain to us why the glamour in sales is still very much alive.

Dr. Burnstine is an associate professor in the College of Business and Management at Lynn University at Boca Raton, Florida, where he teaches in areas of global marketing and principles of marketing. He also teaches a lot of fashion classes – evolution of fashion, fashion strategies, as well as some MBA courses in business leadership. He works with his students in many aspects of marketing, fashion, retail, giving them concepts, analysis and thoughts to have them think through these different areas and topics. These aspects help them become global leaders in business, marketing, fashion, management, e-commerce, entrepreneurship, and lastly, to equip them with tools they need to know and learn to be a successful leader in business today.

Also known as Dr. Fashion, Dr. Burnstine talks about his experience as a professor and being someone in business.

In this world of instant gratification, personal touch still matters a lot whether you’re a salesperson or an entrepreneur. You have to give that personal touch. At the end of the day, it’s all about giving your customers great real-life experiences.

Here are the highlights of my conversation with Dr. Burnstine:

Dr. Burnstine’s coolest sales experience when he was the customer at Chick-fil-A

Has the glamour of a sales professional died?

No. It depends on the model of the retailer. The retail model has been existence for almost 200 years now.

  • Experience
  • Loyalty
  • Long-lasting relationships

Ex. Nordstrom

Are students interested in selling?

Many students in fashion don’t want to work in retail but it’s part of their school’s curriculum.

Reasons:

  • Too lazy to get up early
  • Don’t want to work for somebody
  • Don’t like selling
  • No true understanding of what retail encompasses

What students want:

  • Jobs that pay the most
  • Getting into a fashion career immediately
  • They want things too fast being in the “now” generation
  • Instant access and gratification

What students need to understand:

  • The value of getting on the floor
  • Knowing and understanding your customers
  • Understanding the buying and marketing plan

How to deal with students today:

  • Using a different way of teaching them (ex. technology like Apple)
  • Newer, faster teaching
  • Giving students the things they need now in business, retailing, commerce, and education

How to create great customer experience:

  • Have a great relationship between seller and buyer
  • Sell yourself
  • Understand your customers:
    • Do your research
    • Put yourself in the other person’s mindset without losing WHO you are
    • Not looking for instant gratification at a one-time deal but long-time commitment
  • Ethics is critical
  • Be transparent

Current projects Lynn University is working on:

  • Entrepreneurship projects – students and faculty putting together marketing and business plans for products
  • Facilitating the learning of students
  • Study abroad

Best way to contact Dr. Burnstine:

aburnstine@lynn.edu

 

About the Author The Sales Evangelist

Donald is the host of the popular sales podcast,"The Sales Evangelist". He is the founder of The Sales Evangelist Consulting Firm where he helps small companies develop killer sales process to scale their business and increase growth.

Donald is also an award-winning speaker, sales trainer, and coach. He's a big fan of traveling, South Florida staycations and high-quality family time. Donald has a belief that “anyone” can sell if they have the desire and receives the proper training.

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