No Excuses, No Limits: Corporate Trainer Grant Gray

“You can have results or excuses, but not both.” This is a mantra that our team and Grizzly Sales Force lives by, especially Corporate Trainer Grant Gray. Though he is a new addition to our team, Grant has already set multiple sales records, helped others get promoted, and attended a national leadership seminar!

Born and raised in Memphis, TN Grant has always understood the importance of resilience and pushing past life’s obstacles. As a child, Grant says he was “all of the place” and “always had to be doing something.” He said he got bored easily, so he didn’t like sitting still. Throughout high school, Grant was a basketball player, wrestler, and even a musician!

After high school graduation, Grant attended the University of Memphis, where he helped found the university’s first ever wrestling team! He started college as a Health and Human Sciences major but later switched to Communications and Journalism. A new college graduate, Grant searched for an internship related to his field as study, but all of the internships were unpaid, and he need one that would provide compensation. He ended up working in the restaurant industry but soon found that no matter how much harder he worked than other employees, he was still paid the same amount. Grant yearned for a  career where he could advance based on his own personal performance and get paid for what he is worth.

Grant searched online for career opportunities and came across Grizzly Sales Force on LinkedIn. He was intrigued by the competitive culture and advancement opportunities that the position advertised. Grant applied to the job posting and was soon called by our Department of Human Resources and invited in for a preliminary interview with our CEO, Mike Figueroa Jr. After interviewing with Mike, Grant was very excited about the merit based advancement structure that Grizzly Sales Force offered. He was invited back to for a second interview with our Assistant Manager, Robert, where he had the chance to shadow the job and see what a typical day looks like.

Later that evening, Grant received good news from our HR Department – Grizzly Sales Force wanted him as its newest team member! Grant accepted the position with open arms, as he was ready for a career with uncapped compensation and performance based growth.

Since Grant started with our company 2 months ago, he has broken the company record of the setting up the most customer accounts in a week. (He set up 33 accounts!) He was recently ranked #1 by our client out of 1,200 marketing and sales representatives across the country – three weeks in a row! Grant has also traveled to Nashville, TN to help train other  representatives in our industry. He’s even attended a national leadership seminar in Atlanta, GA, where he learned from our brokerage firm’s top executives!

Congratulations to Grant on being selected for Grizzly Sales Force‘s featured team member this month; we can’t wait to see him start to train and develop new team members and continue to grow within our company! To keep up with Grant and the entire team at Grizzly Sales Force, follow us on Instagram!

Interviewing 101 with Grizzly Sales Force

We’ve all been there – nervous, excited, worried, stressed, and hopeful. We scurry up to a building (after circling the area for 20 minutes trying to find it) with sweaty palms, clenching onto the resume that we desperately printed out at Kinko’s 10 minutes earlier because our printer wouldn’t connect to WiFi, and the ink was low. We fill out a form in the lobby, wondering what the person we are about to see will think of our frazzled hair that the Memphis humidity just destroyed. Yes, we are talking about interviewing!

While interviewing can be frightful for most, the best way to ease anxiety is through preparation and awareness. Read along as Grizzly Sales Force shares its 6 best interviewing tips for job seekers to ace their next interview!

1. Be prepared and on time.

While it’s understandable that life has its own way of bringing chaos into its most important moments, first impressions are everything. Showing up to an interview late without a resume is an immediate turn-off for employers. Also, prepare for your interview by researching the organization, so you’re not going in completely blind to what the company does.

2. Dress to impress.

Ever heard the saying “Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have?” Live by this. Employers immediately notice when an interviewee dresses sharp. They appreciate that the person took the time to look his/her absolute best!

3. Be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all.

Employers are interested in your background and work experience, but they also want to know what new skills you wish to gain and in which areas you would like improve. They brought you in for an interview because they felt you were qualified, so now it’s time to show them how this position will help you reach your career goals!

4. Keep it professional.

Whether the interview setting is formal or casual, remember that it is still an interview. Avoid over-sharing personal information, as this may come off as unprofessional to the employer. Again, first impressions are everything; if you’re questioning the professionalism about what you’re about to say, it’s probably best to not say it. In conjunction, if you have anything poor to say about your previous company or position, don’t!

5. Ask about the company culture.

You should feel comfortable in the environment you work in, so make sure the culture is a good fit. Does the company has special team events? Do they participate in charity projects? Is it a tight-knit community or do people mostly keep to themselves? These are all great questions to ask!

6. Thank the interviewer for their time in person and again via email.

Before you leave, shake the interviewer’s hand, thank them for their time, and ask for a business card. Later, send a thank you email to the interviewer (hence, the reason for obtaining their card), whether or not you felt the position was right for you. People appreciate knowing that you value their time!

Whether you’re a recent college graduate or a professional looking for a career change, excellent interview etiquette is a must! Do you have more interviewing tips? Post them in the comments below! For more professional advice, check out Grizzly Sales Force’s boards on Pinterest!