During the first year at the BBA INSEEC, students have the opportunity to do a sales internship of at least one month, in France or abroad. It allows them to discover the world of business, which is very different from the school environment.
APPLY THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE
During this sales internship, they integrate a team and apply the sales techniques studied in the first semester.
Mr. Benjelloun, professor of marketing, emphasizes the importance of a salesperson’s behavior: ” Sales is the core business of all marketing professions. We don’t sell in a ready-to-wear boutique the same way we sell in a car dealership, but the fundamental elements in selling remain the same: discovering the needs, listening to the customer and adapting the proposal to these needs and expectations of the customer. I think this experience allows them to be confronted with the world of work and understand the requirements of an employer in addition to putting into practice the precepts learned in class. “
Samir Velic did his internship with a watchmaker in Geneva: “This internship allows you to apply the courses of the1st semester, but after a while it becomes instinctive. I was quickly able to make sales on my own and was assigned up to 2 out of 3 customers.”
SALES INTERNSHIP: VARIED MISSIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
During this internship, the students’ missions are varied: ” I had to welcome and advise the customer, prepare and take orders, unpack and put the goods in place, make sure the store was well kept and clean and collect the money. “Coralie Deat, who did her internship at the Maison du Chocolat in Paris, a company that came to recruit directly at the school during a job dating event in October.
Important responsibilities can be entrusted to interns, as Coralie explains: ” I also spent a day on the La Maison du Chocolat stand at the Palais des Congrès in Paris where I opened the stand and managed the cash desk alone.
Chloé Barbeau did her sales internship in a Kookaï boutique: ” I became very autonomous once I learned about the products and my good relationship with my manager allowed me to take a lot of initiative.
Some students, like Romain Vennat, choose a company abroad to practice their English and see another way of working. He did his internship at the Celtic Whiskey Shop & Wines On The Green in Dublin and tells us about his missions: ” I had to sell wines and spirits (whiskey) to a high-end clientele, take care of the company’s shipping department, manage the store’s inventory and guarantee quality after-sales service. “
BUILD YOUR NETWORK
This sales internship also allows students to start building a network for their future career, as Samir testifies: “ I was able to make good professional contacts. I learned to sell of course but I also became very comfortable with customers. This was very helpful to me as I would like to move into a position that involves sales. “
Thanks to this internship, some students find their orientation and refine their professional project, as is the case of Romain: ” To this day, I still keep in touch with my internship tutor and the general manager, they really sparked in me a vocation to work in the whiskey world and I plan to use their professional network for my next internships as well.”
The companies are, in general, very satisfied with the work of the students as Romain’s tutor testifies: ” Romain has been an outstanding intern throughout. He joined us at our busiest time of the year, but was able to handle the pressure and hard work very easily. His attitude was excellent and he often worked extra hours off his own back. The quality of his work was always of a very high standard and completed quickly. He was an absolute pleasure to work with. We had hoped he would stay longer, and we wish him all the best in the future. “
Learn more about the first year program here.
Updated 29 March 2022