Supplier Diversity Project

This past week or so we have been working on our Supplier Diversity Project. Supplier diversity is a business strategy that gives small/disadvantage/minority businesses the opportunity to have their products/services be utilized by non-minority companies. Our goal is to have 25 submissions by the end of our internship.


The project may seem easy, but is quite challenging. The forms require certification numbers, DUNS number, etc. Entering this information is quite frustrating and at times inaccurate, because we may not have the information at our disposal. Consequently, it delays our application process, because we have to wait to hear back from the owner. My partner and I decided to get together today (May 1st) to tackle this project in hopes to get it done by Monday. We figured that by working together we can help each other out.

I had researched a little over 40 companies nationwide that are recognized for their supplier diversity program. The companies ranged from technology to hospitality. Many of the companies such as Xerox and Bank of America are placed in the top 20 for improving the economic opportunities of small businesses. I also found Time Warner and Marriott. If either of these company hire Wingteam for its services, I'd feel extremely accomplished because then we gave students the opportunity to work for prestigious companies. Plus, I would get a bonus for submitting the application.

It took me a long time to complete one application. I have already submitted one for the Super Bowl in Florida. Now, I have 23 more to go and these applications are not getting any easier to fill out. I just hope I achieve my goal. Wish me luck! To learn about the complexity of a supplier diversity form go to https://cvmas02.cvmsolutions.com/millerbrewing/ .

SIFMA-CL Conference

So by the 3rd to 4th week of March, I was finally getting away from faxing and copying papers. Well, so I thought. I had the pleasure of working with an event company based in New York. The association, SIFMA-CL (http://www.sifmacl.org/en/cev/49/), held its annual conference at the JW Marriott from Sunday, March 22nd to Wednesday. It's expected attendance was well over 1,000 guests from across the nation. The association focuses on securities and financial markets. (I know this, because I did a little research about the association before working the conference.)

The Saturday before we opened registration, we had a small meeting to discuss everyone's assignment. Although I was not hired to work the conference, I went to training hoping I would get added to the team. According to my supervisor, this project was only for experienced meeting planners. So, of course, that meant I had to spice up my elevator pitch and prove I could deliver the same results given I had no prior experience. I was surrounded by people with an average of 15 years of experience. It was pretty intimidating especially when I had to state my qualifications in front of everybody without making it seem like I was just a rookie.

After our meeting, I was given the opportunity to assist in registration. We trained to utilize a computer software program to register attendees and modify their daily schedules. Then, I assisted in stuffing over 1,000 eco-friendly bags with materials and assemble name badges. Over the course of the conference, I directed any payment issues to my lead person, provided quality customer service, assisted with Q&A (Questions & Answers), tallied evaluation forms, as well as copied and stapled papers.

I really did enjoy being a part of the meetings industry. One new thing that I learned was how to work a Q&A session. The number on the microphone indicates the number of fingers you should hold up in the air when an attendee is ready to ask a question. This tells the A/V team what microphone to turn on and off once the attendee has asked his/her question. If Q&A is being filmed, then you step out of the way and kneel to avoid being in the way. If not you can either hold the microphone or hand it to the attendee.

It was interesting to see meeting planners work together. At times, they made the simplest task complicated. Overall, they were great people and we all worked well as a team. Maybe next time I can learn how to work the panel discussions.

AZHCC Black & White Event

I had been looking forward to working the 2009 Black & White Ball event the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce puts on annually. It is the longest black and white affair running in Arizona. It was held on Saturday, April 18th at the Sheraton. There were over 1,000 attendees arriving with their glamorous dresses and pressed suits.

For the past few days I had been helping the chamber with basic duties such as gathering silent auction items, numbering the silent auction items, creating a silent auction items list for reference, and compiling a volunteer list. It was a great experience, because I got to see what all goes on right before the big day. Everyone's focus was on executing the best event ever and feelings of excitement were everywhere.

On Saturday we had a pre-con meeting. We began to place the centerpieces on the table, arrange the silent auction items on the tables, and assemble floral decorations. My on-site supervisor went over the flow of the program with me. She reviewed with me my responsibilities as a Lead for the volunteers.

After getting dressed up for the event, I came back on-site to work the event. We gathered all the volunteers to discuss their assignments and shifts. My group consisted of 5 individuals who were all so pleasant to work with. It was my first time taking the lead of managing a diverse age group. I was nervous, but loved it. I took my group on a tour of the rooms and sections we'd be using. I briefed them on customer service, and gave them ideas such as opening the door, smiling, saying "Sir" or "Mam," etc. I'd check up on my volunteers by asking how they were doing, if they needed a potty break, and if I could them anything to drink.

Everything was running smooth. I did scare my on-site supervisor though. I called her to make her aware that the dance area was yet to be set up. This call was made about 30 minutes prior to the program ending, the dance was to follow. My on-site supervisor got scared and asked what room I was looking in. I told her and she stated it was the right room but a different section. I was embarrased.

At the end of the night my feet were killing me. It was a fabulous event. We greeted over 1,00

0 attendees, I managed a group of 5 volunteers and was part of an historical event. There were

carnival performers that led the guests from the 3rd floor to the second floor, where the dance

was taking place. My favorite part was learning how to organize a silent auction. I'd welc

ome the opportunity to work with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce again. You can learn more about the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce by visiting http://azhcc.com/.

Besides office work, let's talk about networking!

So last month I attended a networking event put on by Meeting Professionals International at the Phoenix Zoo. I was nervous going in. One, because it was the first time that I'd be perceived as the Event Specialist from Wingteam. And two, because I knew I'd have to do a 30 second commerical on my company in front of professionals with 10 plus years of experience. However, by the end of the night, I felt accomplished. Accomplished, because I tackled my fear of public speaking and answered questions with confidence regardless if I knew it or not. Okay, so maybe I lied just a little on questions I was unsure of. I had refused to say 'I don't know' for an answer.

So now I was put to the test again. On March 12th, I attended MPI's monthly meeting which was held at US Airways. As I arrived, there was hip hop music playing in the background and dancers performing on the stage. I had my business cards ready and single page leaflets to promote the company once more.

Although I have been wanting to learn sales technique, I couldn't help but to think how I have become a sales person, one of the people I hate. I don't like approaching people and talking strictly business. Why? Because, I don't like it when people see me as a dollar sign. I'd much rather get to know someone on a personal level and then talk about business.

Anyway, so I went around, introduced myself, talked about the company I was representing, and answered questions. I'm not sure how long Wingteam has been a member of MPI, but it was surprising that no one had ever heard of Wingteam. One lady made the comment: "You must have a lot of business especially during these tough economic times." I didn't know how to respond, because I didn't want to let her know we weren't doing so well, and I didn't want to say we were doing great. So I just said we were doing alright.

It was a difficult challenge for me to promote the company again, because I had not been trained to discuss the company's services more elaborately, or how to implemente sales techniques. A month had passed from my last networking activity and my skills had not progressed by any means. I am guessing I needed to be a little more persistent and creative. I recall the symposium from last month talked about partnerships. Now that I look back at the situation, I should have proposed to a professional the possibility of creating a partnership.

There is so much to learn about being the best sales person. Maybe I am just not suited for this position. I just wish I had the right mentor to learn from. I think then I'd be more successful in either bringing in business or engraving Wingteam in people's brains. Right now, I am not liking it so much. I am exhausted with networking. You can learn more about MPI (Meeting Professionals International) by visiting www.mpiweb.org.

Understanding Sales Strategies

Another week has past and I still have to get use to deadlines. I would say that most of my life as a student, I have been given the leniency that no employer will tolerate. I have the habit of waiting until the last minute to complete my task. There is no room for procrastination in the work force. The deadline for my Hotel Purchasing project is tomorrow, and I now I am in panic mode because I must present my report to my supervisor.

Although I did call all the major hotels on her list this past week, my follow through was not all that great. My goal for this project was to call all the major hotel and complete any forms necessary to add Wingteam to its list of suppliers. My task is 50% complete. I haven't received any forms nor have I called the hotels I left messages for. My sense of urgency has been low. I think it probably has to do with the fear of being asked questions that I will not be able to answer.

If this project is going to be a success, then I must conquer the first sales strategy: think big and audit my time. I must believe that I am an important figure/aspect in this company when making these calls. And, I need to priortize my tasks and stop trying to put the tasks I dread on hold. By implementing this strategy I avoid being in trouble with my supervisor.

It's a good thing that I attended the Sun's Symposium this past Wednesday as part of my educational training. The focus was sales and service. Believe it or not, the sales strategy that every Suns employee emphasized was building relationships. Even though the sales team does a handful of cold calls, the organization remains standing because of its partnerships. If you want to be a part of the organization you must have passion, be persistent, have excellent written and oral skills, and have top-notch customer service. The COO of the Suns organization talked about how shocking it is for him to know there is a deficiency in communication skills among many individuals he converses with. A skill that is on top of every company's list.

To summarize, understanding sales strategies and implementing it in your business operations will drive results. Many people would much rather do business with people they know. A strategy I hope the owner of Wingteam comes to understand. The key in being a successful sales person is being self-confident. The money will come later. Right now, I must prove that I can be persisent and drive results.

No more flipp'n through magazines

Yay!!! No more flipping through magazines to find potential leads. Now, I am contacting every major hotel or resort in metropolitan phoenix. My new project is called, Hotel/Resort Purchasing Department Contacts.

The goal of this project is to make a lead with the purchasing department. The purchasing department has the say in which small businesses get to be contracted for additional help. This is a huge deal for us, because we have eliminated wasteful strategies that led to no business and now going straight to the powerful ones. Once a small business is added to the list, the hotel will contact that small business to assist in huge functions such as events, conferences, etc. when necessary.

I felt very successful calling my first group of hotels. One hotel had informed me that they already had two companies they work with, but would be glad to hand down our information. I sent the lady Wingteam's information as well as a warm thank you for her time. My next task is to follow up with the hotel. It'd be nice if I could secure that piece of business, because then I'd get a bonus check.

Other than that, Yvette, my supervisor, did this pretty neat activity with the interns to make the work day funner. She had each intern pick a card. The card I chose said "Abundance." I looked it up to only read that I am to ask the angels to release my fears of scarcity and to accept this flow of abundance coming my way. It was fun to read.

In summary, this week I learned that it's not a bad idea to ask another professional for advice in business growth. Although some may not give you their secrets, others are glad to lead you toward the right direction. I practiced my phone skills by rehearshing a little script before calling. Of course I refrained from sounding like a robot. I am hoping that after this project I can gear the company toward another direction by doing promotional projects, or help Wingteam design a better website.

Business is Slow

Since my last post, nothing much has changed. Sometimes I wonder what real Sales & Marketing people do to drive business to their company. I am only an intern and I am already exhausted with all the networking and promoting Wingteam.

However, I have learned a new program and new tricks to gain exposure. One new program that I am familiarizing myself with is Constant Contact. You pay $15 a month for a service that allows you to create or use templates to e-mail all your contacts a newsletter, message, etc. Constant Contact is great for newsletters! Now, the greatest trick I learned over the last few days and one that may benefit me in the long run are keywords. To know how to effectively research for potential leads means to know what keywords will give you what you are looking for in a minimal amount of time. I have been killing myself with trying to find potential leads on the internet by using the following keywords: Director of Sales, operations, special event manager, and planner. Well, there is an easier way to get to the right contact for the potential lead. As a small business owner there are special programs in place to help the small business owner get business. An advice that was given to us is to look for Management companies, and type in the keywords supplier diversity and procurement. These Management companies work with small businesses and will hire them over companies who make "$$$$x" amount of money. And, typing in the keywords takes you directly to the department or person you need to talk to about doing their next meeting/event or supplying them with transportation services, etc. The purpose of the program is to share the wealth with smaller businesses who may be struggling.


To sum up my experiences over the last weeks, I have found it difficult to drive business to a company when your knowledge and resources are limited. I spent countless hours flipping through magazing pages to find events the company can possibly work for, networking, e-mailing my contacts via LinkedIn about Wingteam, and putting contacts in an Excel spreadsheet. Although I am still doing it, I find it very ineffective to flip through a magazine to find leads, because the event does not have a contact name or person; so, I am stuck with doing more internet research on the event to find out who I need to speak with to let them know about our services. Basically, you can think of what I am doing as cold calls. So, if anyone out there has a better or more creative idea on how to internet prospect or acquire business, please let me know.

So what did I learn about myself these past few weeks. I need to strengthen my internet prospecting skills and research skills. I learned that I am more of a "building relationships" to gain leads rather than cold calls. Cold calls are ineffective, especially in today's market. One last thing, I learned that it takes me a while to express new ideas on how to get the business more in the public eye. I am guessing it has to do with my ideas being shot down.

Until next time...
Diana