We are so excited to build out our Little Black Book research team…the team devoted to making sure that our book is filled with only the best and brightest in the wedding industry. Michelle, the director of the Little Black Book, is stopping by to share our latest job openings with you!

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Greetings! Style Me Pretty is always on the lookout for a few enthusiastic personalities to add to our Little Black Book sales team. Here’s the scoop:

–Telecommute position

–Commission w/bonus program, income potential approx.12K-30K annually.

–Available 3-5 weekdays during reg. business hours.

–Unlimited long distance calling required, as well as a professional quiet home office.

–Basic knowledge of Excel required

Our Little Black Book is by invitation only. We provide our research assistance with a list of invitees to which they will then follow-up with through correspondence, phone calls and interviews. Our new hire will need to be knowledgeable about SMP and our LBB (we will train) and comfortable cold calling, screening and approving style savvy vendors who will fit well within the requirements of our book.  Great client relation skills are a must, as ongoing personal customer care is part of our membership package.

Although technically a sales position (our LBB members pay a small membership fee to join our community), the Research Colleague’s primary responsibility is educating the vendor per the exclusive nature of Abby’s invitation and SMP while establishing a friendly rapport. The Research Colleague spends time getting to know each potential member of our Little Black Book (called a “phone chat”).

Carrie and Shawna, our ultra-talented LBB Research Colleagues who invite and screen potential LBB members, responded to some questions (below) about their daily SMP experience to help give you a real window into this position below.

To be considered for a position on our team, please tell us why you think you’d be a perfect match. Send along your resume and indicate weekly times and days you’re available.

Send to: michelle{at}stylemepretty.com

We look forward to considering you for our LBB Research team!

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What do you like most & least as an LBB Research Colleague?

Shawna: Most – working with a trendsetting company, the team I work with, flexibility with my schedule. Least – commission isn’t as steady as a typical 8-5 job but Abby has extra administrative work to supplement.

Carrie: Hands down the biggest perk working as an LBB colleague is getting to chat it up with absolutely amazing and talented wedding professionals around the country. The worst part is that it’s a slow process to build each category in each region-we are a small team, which is fantastic.

Explain how your position differs from a typical sales job.

Shawna: Not aggressive. I’m making a personal connection with people that love the site and educating those who don’t know us. As a social networking company, we are building relationships.

Carrie: Totally different, unless your perception of sales is more of the “I am totally obsessed with this idea/product, so you should be too.” There is no obligation, no hard selling or pushing; it’s really just a chance to talk shop with vendors and share the SMP love.

List any pros & cons of being a telecommute contractor.

Shawna: Pros – This position is perfect for me. I am self-motivated , prefer to work independently. Having flexibility allows me to work when I’m at my best and to take a break when needed. A strong SMP support system keeps me motivated throughout the day. Cons – It’s hard to shut off the computer. I try to make sure I step outside and go to lunch with friends.

Carrie: Pros – I am able to multi-task several tasks and successfully contribute to my various jobs throughout the day; I work from home; I am a part of virtual office…that is pretty cool. Cons – I sometimes realize I haven’t been outside in 24 hours. At first, I had a hard time putting my work down since it was in the next room.

Briefly describe your SMP work day.

Shawna: I create a task list of vendors I need to send invitations to, leave voicemails to follow up, schedule chats with vendors etc. I multi-task throughout the day, reading SMP, responding to LBB member questions, communicating with the team, organizing information to get vendors started and also working on new invitees.

Carrie: Dive into email while drinking my coffee and prepare/research for the days upcoming chats or follow up voicemails. Pull up SMP and check out the daily features on Backstage, LBB, and front page. Check in with my colleagues and then get right to work calling and chatting with vendors.

What specific qualifications make you successful in this position?

Shawna: Confidence is key. You need to have a great talking presence about you and say phrases that catch someone’s attention. I keep in mind that it’s an honor to be selected to the LBB. I stay positive and keep moving forward to invite the perfect people for Abby’s special book. Because I love the art community, my background in the design industry helps me connect with people. Multi tasking and follow-through is essential for success with this job. If I have the perfect vendor added to LBB I get kind of a rush that fuels the fire to add the next great company.

Carrie: It is no secret I am a bit Type A. While I’m a creative person, I like a certain high-level of organization, which is key to juggling various vendors and regions. I am also extremely self-motivated and like to work as efficiently as possible. Also, I LOVE talking and “meeting” new people–I love hearing how people got where they are. Furthermore, I love getting giddy over SMP with vendors…Abby’s blog really is so much fun to talk about and “get lost” in.

Explain how SMP’s initial training session prepared you to start your position.

Shawna: The training session was extremely helpful in getting me prepared with the tools to do my job. The training is very detailed with information about SMP and how to respond to vendor questions. It’s great motivation to get you ready to start making calls.

Carrie: You really get a thorough understanding of the process of the book, you are given the tools to really understand the talent and relate to these talented vendors, and most importantly you know how to help maintain credibility within the book. After the training, you figure out how to take all of this great information and make it your own and become an LBB, SMP expert!

In what way do you work as a team? In what way are you required to be independent?

Shawna: I keep constant communication daily and make myself available as much as possible. If there is any task we have as a team, I do my part in getting it accomplished. I try to be helpful with offering advice and motivation. I’m glad I have the freedom to organize the work I do. I am responsible for my own success and that motivates me.

Carrie: We definitely work as a team to brainstorm creative ways to make the LBB better for vendors and readers. While we share methods that work for each of us when it comes to the LBB, we all have a different system when it comes to tackling our own regions.

What helps you speak to people you don’t know and who may not be familiar w/SMP (cold calling)?

Shawna: I enjoy talking to people so it’s a pretty natural fit. It’s very important to let people know I enjoy talking to them. We aren’t just any other call….we are Style Me Pretty! I love talking to so many artistic wedding professionals and finding out what inspires them.

Carrie: Before I make a call, I re-familiarize myself with the vendor’s work. I approach the call as if I were a bride or client, trying to get to know more about the vendor, and I share with them a little about SMP. We are extending a very selective invitation to this vendor. It’s a real honor, so if they aren’t interested, I move on to the next ultra-qualified person who is…it’s really pretty simple.

Do you actively contribute ideas to the Little Black Book and SMP?

Shawna: Yes and I feel really lucky that my opinions and ideas always matter. This is another reason I love my job so much.

Carrie: Yes, this grows more and more each week as SMP grows as a business.

What’s the biggest challenge you face in this position?

Shawna: I’m surprised by some vendors who don’t see the need for a strong presence in advertising in the social networking community. It’s not just a Fad, people!

Carrie: Not to fall out of my chair when people aren’t familiar with SMP! All kidding aside, when you come across a rude person (occasionally back to back) you just can’t take it personally. You just hang in there because the nicest person in the world can be that next vendor you call.

Describe a positive and negative experience you’ve had screening vendors.

Shawna: I have positive experiences every day screening vendors. Most are so happy we’ve contacted them because they love Abby as much as we do. It feels good helping talented people grow their business. Hmmm…. the occasional negative has been from people who don’t know us and haven’t been to the site. Some tell me they have no need to pay for advertising. I let them know many of our LBB members only choose to advertise with us.

Carrie: There are a lot of positive experiences, but I love when people make connections with other vendors in the book. It’s really cool to see the community and the love that exists in the LBB. While they are few and far between, my negative experiences emerge when I speak with someone who is egotistical and/or negative.

Who would you encourage to apply for this position?

Shawna: An eager, responsible, creative, self-driven person who is outgoing in a crowd full of strangers.

Carrie: An upbeat, friendly person who is driven, focused, adaptable to new policies (SMP is a growing company) works efficiently and can think quickly on their feet. Oh, and someone who can laugh at the crazy moments in the world!

Who would you NOT encourage to apply for an LBB position?

Shawna: Anyone who thrives being around others in a physical office environment. Anyone who needs a lot of structure and doesn’t adapt well to a changing environment.

Carrie: Negative Nancy’s are not a good fit. Neither are those who are timid, don’t like to talk to strangers on the phone, or those who do not like a lot of change.

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