Dardis Sales Academy

Aug 02
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Four Steps To Achieve Your Goals

By | Food for thought | No Comments

One of the foundational elements of success is goal-setting. Without goals, leaders are left to navigate the business world blindly without clear direction and tangible next steps.

At Dardis, we teach our students early on the importance of goal-setting. Through the Dardis Academy, we encourage interns to set their own personal sales goals for the summer. In addition, we provide an extra incentive for them to reach their goals through a trip only obtained by a set amount of sales.

A Forbes.com article from January highlighted four key steps to achieving goals in 2013, and even though we’re more than halfway through the year, these goals from Nathalie Lussier, creator of The Website Checkup Tool, can still be applied:

1. Getting clear is the first step.
First, take out a sheet of paper or a blank document on your computer, and write out every single thing that you want to achieve in 2013 (and beyond)…Once you have a list of everything that you can imagine for your company in a the next few years, it’s time to prioritize.

2. Rate your goals by profitability and what excites you the most.
This prioritizing exercise allows you to clearly see what ideas don’t fit with what you want to create and achieve.

3. Meet your new best friend: your calendar.
Now it’s time to choose those things that are the highest priority for you and your company and slot them into your calendar. Schedule each of the projects and items that you want to achieve, month by month. Be realistic about what you can achieve in a given month and what steps it involves.

4. Don’t forget to plan for life events, too.
When you do step 3, don’t forget to take it one step further and write down any personal trips, holidays spent with family that you usually take off, or other personal events that you know about ahead of time. That way, you won’t be surprised when “real life” intervenes and you have less time to work.

These are only the first few steps needed to fully achieve your goals, but by following these initial actions, you’re sure to set yourself up for success in the remaining months of 2013!

 

Photo credit:  By Chris (originally posted to Flickr as DSC_0051) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Jun 14
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“Real life. Real world. Real business experience.”

By | The Dardis difference | No Comments

Our 2013 class of interns begin their summer with us this week kicking off another year of our Classroom to Career program. Our program is made up of some of the most hard working, talented and motivated college and high school students in the nation, and their work begins long before the school year even ends.

In the spring, Student Managers work with students to identify and qualify a targeted list of 75 leads.  Students and Managers review their prospect lists, refine their skills on gaining referrals, confirm their territory and schedule and prepare for a busy summer.

Students then complete our very own training program, Dardis Sales Academy, before returning to their hometowns to put their training into action by selling our quality menswear in their local communities.

Our interns are trained on practical job skills like how to manage their schedule, approach prospective customers, demonstrate professional communication skills, deliver an impressive presentation highlighting our products, ask for the business and gain referrals.  Our clients appreciate and recognize the quality of interns and look to them to share information on professional image and wardrobe management.

Our clients benefit firsthand from our Classroom to Career program, but the students take away much more from the experience.

“The summer was unbelievable. The experience you gain, not only at the Sales Academy, but also being out in the field as a representative, is so beneficial. Meeting with clients at their office or home, face-to-face, and delivering a product that you’re confident in, is the best experience you can get. Learning the skills in the Academy, then seeing success as a result, is huge! Not only for a confidence booster, but also for paving the way for the rest of my career. This is the real thing. Real life. Real world. Real business experience. If you’re looking to get out in the field and gain hands-on experience and knowledge, this is the opportunity for you.”
– Ben Brandsgard, 2012 Student Representative

Our Classroom to Career program opens doors, not just for future internships but for future career opportunities. We provide the professional skills and training that the business leaders of tomorrow need. Connect with one of our experienced clothiers today to see the Dardis difference for yourself.

May 31
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Angie Bennett: A Lifelong Teacher

By | Someone you should know | No Comments

 

Before Angie Bennett joined the Dardis team at the company’s inception, she was a high school teacher for 14 years, equipping students with the skills and knowledge they would need post-graduation. Now she nurtures her love for teaching and coaching students on real life skills through her role as Senior Instructor and Vice President of Sales for Dardis Communications, Inc., working for both Dardis Communications and Dardis Academy.

“I love arming students with skills that will give them that competitive edge, as well as strategies on communication and professional image,” Angie said.

Read on to learn more about this lifelong teacher.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

Every day looks different, as I get the opportunity to meet, work with and coach a wide range of individuals. We get to witness high school and college students putting real life skills to use including communication skills, selling skills and managing time through our 10-week internship. Our Classroom to Career internship pushes students to put into practice things they are studying and learning to give them a competitive edge. The Dardis Sales Academy is the ultimate gateway in which students can strategically move from classroom to career. Employers want experience, and they want individuals with practical, hands-on skills. Dardis gives our student interns the competitive edge they need to be successful.

You also work as a recruiter for the Dardis Clothiers student reps. What do you usually look for in a good candidate?

Great candidates for the Dardis Academy are competitive, hardworking, high energy and positive. Individuals that are driven and understand the importance of real life experience are typically successful with Dardis.

What do you think sets Dardis Clothiers apart from other menswear stores?

Three core reasons – product, price and convenience. We have great fabrics, including non-iron dress shirts, trousers that fit great and tons of choices in neckwear. Our prices are unbelievable because we take out the middle person, design our own clothing and make it in bulk. On average our clients save 40 percent! Convenience is huge, as we have student reps that travel right to your door, and then we ship everything directly to you. You never have to go to the mall or a store again to purchase business casual or business attire.

Do you have a favorite customer story or experience?

One specific story that sticks out to me is a man that was referred to me by his wife. His wife said she wanted him to feel more confident and to feel positive about his look. We met and discussed colors, fit and gaps in his wardrobe. We put together an order, and a few days later after he received his clothing, I got an email from his wife. She said that seeing her husband confident and feeling good meant the world to her. She also mentioned that her husband has completely sworn off traditional shopping forever and was calling his friends telling them his personal shopping experience.

What would you say to someone who is interested in shopping with Dardis Clothiers for the first time?

You will be pleasantly surprised as to how much fun you will have, the quality of clothing you will receive and just how easy it is! My clients appreciate having a resource for their clothing needs and wants, and they love knowing that they can email or call me, and I will take care of it for them. We build a relationship with our clients and truly value them.

May 24
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Training future leaders through the Dardis Sales Academy

By | The Dardis difference | No Comments

Dardis Clothiers is not just about suits, dress shirts and ties. Dardis is in the business of building future leaders. Through Dardis Communications, we train corporate executives on presentation skills, professional image, sales skills and business writing. But the future of business lies in the students who participate in Dardis Sales Academy.

This student training and development program equips students with the practical skills and real-world experience that they’ll need to be successful post-high school or post-college.  Through a one-week training program followed by nine weeks of real-world internship experience, high school and college students gain life skills in independence, confidence, goal setting and self-motivation.

That’s where we come in. Dardis works to build character within young people, first within the Dardis Sales Academy and then our summer internship program. We have a unique platform in which students can run their own business, make great money, and at the same time, learn valuable life skills.

Through the Dardis Sales Academy, students evolve into highly trained professionals before they enter the sales field. From beginning to end, students are immersed in experiential learning. At the academy, students learn:

  • Presentation and communication skills
  • Selling and persuasion skills
  • Importance of professional image
  • Business skills like accounting and bookkeeping
  • Territory and time management
  • And more!

These skills are needed more than ever in our competitive job market. Thousands of students graduate each year with a college degree, but many students lack the necessary skills needed to be successful on the job. Surveys show that oral and written communication skills are the number one shortfall among college graduates, and students lack the professional image and the ability to sell themselves and their ideas effectively.

Dardis’ unique summer internship is an opportunity for students after attending the Dardis Sales Academy to jump-start their future careers by running their own business selling men’s apparel. Stay tuned to our blog for more information on this exciting internship program that brings Dardis product right to your front door!

Do you know someone who should apply for the Dardis Sales Academy? Learn more today.

Contact Dardis today to learn more. Contact Us