The projects that we organize in AIESEC are of two types:

- projects organized by us only, like GROW, in which we are the TN taker

- projects organized in collaboration with other entities, institutions or NGOs, for which the internationals will work, and which in this case are the TN takers - we may call them external TN takers.

 

These external TN takers can be schools, kindergartens, NGOs, Universities, Centers for Students, Sportive Clubs, Cultural Clubs and Centers, orphanages, you name it. Any entity that is an actor in the local community, and which would enhance their productivity if we would bring an international student to work for them. This way we fulfill our mission, to bring leadership to the issues in the society, as opposed to resolve all the issues in the society. 

 

There are a few steps which we need to take when raising external TN takers.  

 

KNOW YOUR PRODUCT! (or in our case, your service)

It will make you trust yourself more and at the same time it will make the buyer trust you more.

For example: if I would have you talk about your mother for 1 hours, you could do it, because you know her extremely well, but if I would ask you to talk about my mother for 1 hour, you couldn't talk at all, because you don't know her at all. See my point? It's the same with the products that we sell. The better we know them, the more we can talk about them, and the more relevant things we will have to tell about them - things which will value as heavy arguments in our discourse. 

 

Our product/service is Global Community Development Program

- the program provides all the students around the world the opportunity to go for exchange-internship abroad for 6 to 12 weeks, in which they can work in various social, community development projects, from teaching underprivileged kids in countryside to working for a local NGO. 

- It is based on community development issues. Community Development seeks to empower individual people by delivering some skills they need to change their own community or creating direct social impact and bringing sustainable solutions (e.g.: Cultural education for students to enhance cross-cultural awareness and understanding)

- Value proposition of iGCDP (or what's in it for me?):

• cross cultural - working experience

• experiential learning

• positive societal impact

• international friend network

• personal development

 

More than knowing the reasons and the impact of the program itself, you need to know the Project you are running in DETAIL. Starting with realization dates, to the countries which you can provide EPs from, to what are the duties of the TN taker or even how will you make the selection process and what kind of preparation you will give to the EP before bringing it to the TN taker. 

 

How flexible is your product?

Define for yourself and your team the compromises that you are willing to make, or the limits that you are willing to stretch when cooperating with an entity.

For example if I go to a meeting having in mind that I want to ask free accommodation for the trainees that I bring, and they can not offer that, but instead they can give me food, this is not a deal breaker! this is flexibility. I still need that partner, but it will help me with something different than what I was expecting. 

 

Cold Calling

1. Avoid the gatekeeper entirely

2. Engage the gatekeeper to obtain valuable information

3. Try a different Gatekeeper

4. Responding to “Send me an information package”

5. Responding to “I don’t think we would be interested in something like that”

 

REMEMBER! you are not looking to sell over the phone, but to OBTAIN A MEETING.

 

Booking a meeting

1. Responding to “Send me an information package.”

2. Responding to “I don’t think we would be interested in something like that.”

 

Prepare for the meeting

1. Prepare your product sheet (mapa de prezentare) - this should include: general information about AIESEC, information about AIESEC in your city, the purpose of the project, the description of the project, the agenda with the activitites within the project, the CAB (characteristics/features, advantages, benefits), the public events that will be held, the benefits that the project may bring to the TN taker and the things that you need from them. You have HERE a link which explains the CAB model. 

2. Research the entity that you are going to meet with: you should know general things about their recent activity in order to be able to make conversation and to gain their respect. It's best if you find out also about their future plans or directions so you can custom your product according to that. 

 

Objections During the Meeting

1. Responding to “I will need to talk it over with my boss”

2. Responding to “I will have to think it over”

3. Responding to “We do not have room in the budget”

4. Responding to “Call me back in 6 months”

5. Responding to “I want to participate in the project, but not right now”

6. Responding to “We only recruit locally to support local students here”

7. Responding to “I don’t think we would be able to work with the NOK fee”

8. Responding to “What happens if the volunteer doesn’t work out and we want to quit the project?”

9. Responding to “We only admit volunteers that we intend to become permanent staff”

 

Closing a Sale - Strategy

1. Use the prospect’s questions to close the sale

2. You must get a sale or an objection

 

Closing a Sale - Do Not Promise something we can’t deliver on

1. Responding to “I have a position I’d like to fill that starts next month”.

2. Responding to “I’d like someone with 2-3 years of work experience in the field”

3. Responding to a very specific skill, experience, or regional requirement

 

HERE you have the full document about raising, with examples of

possible conversations that you may encounter during your meeting

and possible answers that will help you get to your goal of raising. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitions

Gatekeeper – the person who controls access to a decision maker (usually the secretary or executiveassistant)

Prospect – potential client or customer

Objection – a reason offered not to buy (eg. “Your price is too high!”)

Stall – the act of delaying the purchase of a product (eg. “Let me think it over.”)

TN taker - the entity which will organize the project and consequently which will take charge of the EPs (for example, if we talk about GROW project, the TN taker is AIESEC, becaue we organize it, but if we talk about International Kindergartens, the TN taker is the kindergarten).