Boost Your Skills With the Top Sales or Marketing Job Simulations on Forage was originally published on Forage.
If you’ve ever thought about a career in sales or marketing (or both!) but aren’t sure it’s right for you, listen up! Participating in a sales or marketing virtual job simulation on Forage is a great way to test the waters before diving in head first.
What Is a Sales or Marketing Virtual Job Simulation?
In a sales or marketing virtual job simulation, you’ll discover how sales and marketing are similar but often use different strategies to get the job done. For example, some companies rely on cold outreach (like emailing someone you don’t know) to find new customers, while others use advertising to raise brand awareness and sales. You’ll also learn the difference between sales and marketing and discover which career path is right for you.
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Marketing is raising awareness of the product. Sales is convincing the customer to buy.
Why You Should Enroll in a Sales or Marketing Virtual Job Simulation
Enrolling in a Forage sales or marketing virtual job simulation is a great way to try these careers out in a low-stakes environment. You’ll complete one or several projects on your timeline, so you can fit it in between classes, on weekends, or whenever works for you, and there are no grades or tests.
Our job simulations are designed in partnership with top brands, so you’ll get a feel for what it’s like working in a specific role at that company. And our partners often look at the work Foragers (that’s you!) submit. While we can’t guarantee it will help you land the job, we know it won’t hurt!
>>MORE: There’s more than one kind of marketing job. Figure out which marketing career is right for you with our free quiz.
What’s more, our virtual job simulations are free! And when you complete the simulation, you’ll unlock a resume snippet you can customize as you please, as well as interview talking points to help you explain what you learned and accomplished during the job simulation.
Top 11 Sales and Marketing Job Simulations on Forage
Below are 11 sales and marketing job simulations you can find on Forage, along with the estimated time it will take to complete the simulation, the number of tasks, and some of the key skills you’ll develop. Keep in mind that within each task, you may have to complete multiple steps.
1. Bloomberg Client Engagement
Time
3-4 hours
Number of Tasks
2
Skills You’ll Build:
In Bloomberg’s Client Engagement virtual job simulation, you’ll see what it’s like to work as an analytics representative and engage with clients.
>>MORE: Learn more about working at Bloomberg and landing a Bloomberg internship
Task 1
In the first task, you’ll meet your client, Company A. You’ll review its equity investments, then create a series of open-ended questions to identify the company’s goals.
Task 2
In the second task, you’ll analyze the answers to determine which products are the best solution for the client. Then, you’ll present your recommendations, explaining why you selected those products and how they’ll help the client achieve their goals.
2. CBRE Sales
Time
3-4 hours
Number of Tasks
2
Skills You’ll Build:
- Microsoft Office
- Financial knowledge
- Communication
- Reasoning
In the CBRE Sales virtual job simulation, you’ll learn about the nuances of working in commercial real estate and work on two teams to expand your knowledge of the space.
Task 1
Your client, Annabelle, wants help leasing empty space at her mall. Using the rent roll and lead list, you’ll analyze a list of prospective tenants and determine which prospects would be the best fit for the open space.
Task 2
Working on a sales broker team, you’ll prepare a memorandum of offering. You’ll draft the location section of the memo to describe the geography of the property location for people who may not know the area.
3. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Digital Sales
Time
4-5 hours
Number of Tasks
4
Skills You’ll Build:
- PowerPoint
- Research
- Communication
- Presentation
In the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Digital Sales job simulation, you’ll learn how to identify target customers, present your findings, and practice your sales pitches in a low-risk environment.
>>MORE: Guide to Working at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Task 1
In the first task, you’ll learn that sales is more than selling the product. You’re also selling the company and its people. You’ll dive deep into HPE and learn more about the company, then take that information and create a short presentation about HPE you would use with customers.
Task 2
In the second task, you’ll practice delivering your presentation in a short recording.
Task 3
In task three, you’ll learn more about the strategies HPE uses to sell products. You’ll scour the internet for information on your target customer and develop a profile. You’ll have to consider any customer objections that may arise, and then you’ll send the profile to your supervisor.
>>MORE: Top 10 Jobs for Marketing Majors
Task 4
Throughout the job simulation, you’ve probably noticed that you had multiple tasks to complete. In the final task, you’ll learn some techniques to help you prioritize and complete your projects on time.
4. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Presales
Time
5-6 hours
Number of Tasks
5
Skills You’ll Build:
- Sales motion
- Technical infrastructure
- Service approach
- Sales team dynamics
Working on the presales team, you’ll act as a subject matter expert and bridge the gap between the sales and technical teams.
Task 1
As part of the presales team, you’ll work to identify and understand the customer’s challenges, then match them with an HPE product that’s not only cost-effective but also grows with the customer. In the first task, you’ll research potential solutions for your customer and create a list of questions that will help you better understand their needs.
Task 2
In the second task, you’ll prep for your initial sales pitch, where you’ll discuss the technical aspects of the solution. You’ll prepare a video presentation to explain why the client should choose HPE and explain why your suggested products are the right fit for the customer.
Task 3
Thanks to your pitch, the customer wants to learn more about HPE products. So, in the third task, you’ll create a document outlining the pros and cons of each solution that also keeps the customer’s preferences, needs, and budget in mind.
Task 4
In task four, you’ll prepare for the final customer meeting. Using the analysis from the previous task, you’ll create a presentation for your client explaining why it’s the best solution for them.
5. Lululemon Merchandising
Time
3-4 hours
Number of Tasks
4
Skills You’ll Build:
- Market research
- Pivot tables
- Assortment planning
- SKU count
In Lululemon’s Merchandising virtual job simulation, you’ll discover what it’s like to work for Lululemon and ensure products are in the right place at the right time.
>>MORE: Guide to Working at Lululemon – Forage
Task 1
Working as a fashion merchant, you’ll learn how to manage your inventory. Using the data in the Excel sheet, you’ll create a Pivot Table to create an on-order log to ensure inventory targets are met.
Task 2
Line sheets educate the stores about the products (like colors, prices, etc.), and the marketing team uses it to select which products to feature in their campaigns. In this task, you’ll exercise your analytical and creative skills to create a line sheet that includes hard facts about the products as well as creative images.
>>MORE: Is Marketing a Good Career Path? – Forage
Task 3
In the third task, you’ll learn how to forecast a full-price sell through. This forecast details what sales you can expect for each clothes style.
Task 4
In the final task, you learn more about your competitors by comp-shopping. You’ll analyze and rate competitor offerings to see what products they’re selling and what their marketing strategy is.
6. Lululemon Omnichannel Marketing
Time
6-7 hours
Number of Tasks
6
Skills You’ll Build:
- Product development
- Marketing principles
- Market research
- User research
Learn what an integrated marketing plan is and how to build and execute one in Lululemon’s Omnichannel Marketing virtual job simulation.
Task 1
In this task, you’ll learn how to create an integrated marketing plan and creative brief for lululemon’s at-home fitness product, MIRROR. Using the given resources, you’ll devise a strategy to increase awareness of the product and convince people to buy it.
Task 2
For the second task, you’ll develop a new digital concept or customer experience to help virtual customers connect with lululemon products. You’ll research current trends and opportunities and use your findings to develop your plan.
Task 3
Working as a marketing generalist, you’ll need to identify new local ambassadors to raise awareness of lululemon’s studio membership program. You’ll identify your top candidates and create a video pitch for your manager explaining why these individuals are the best choice for the program.
Task 4
Though marketing is creative, it also relies on data to help you see which tactics are working and which aren’t. In the final task, you’ll analyze customer conversion rates, customer acquisition costs (CAC), and return on investment (ROI). Then, you’ll write a brief summarizing your findings to help explain when the company should start recruiting brand ambassadors.
7. Lululemon Planning
Time
4-5 hours
Number of Tasks
4
Skills You’ll Build:
- Sales and inventory forecasting
- Sales analysis
- Trend spotting
- Managing inventory trends
In this virtual job simulation, you’ll work on the merchandise planning team and collaborate with merchants and planners to decide which products are sold in stores and how much of the item each store needs.
Task 1
You’ll start by learning how to create an open-to-buy plan (OTB). An OTB helps people manage their purchasing budgets and forecast sales so they have the right amount of product when they need it.
Task 2
In the second task, you’ll present your OTB to your manager. In your presentation, you’ll summarize last quarter’s results and forecast next quarter’s sales to give your OTB financial context and support your recommendations.
Task 3
Next, you’ll learn how to overcome obstacles and challenges to achieving your sales goals. You’ll analyze why one of your items isn’t selling as well as predicted and identify possible solutions to boost sales and hit your numbers.
Task 4
In the final task, you’ll learn more problem-solving techniques and frameworks for tackling them.
8. PepsiCo Sales
Time
2-3 hours
Number of Tasks
2
Skills You’ll Build:
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Relationship-building
- Executing
In the PepsiCo Sales virtual job simulation, you’ll build your sales and marketing skills while coaching your team to success.
>>MORE: Guide to PepsiCo Internships: Programs and Application Tips
Task 1
Stepping into the role of sales manager for PepsiCo, you’ll help your sales rep secure placement for a new in-store display. Using the given data, you’ll create a sales pitch that explains how placing PepsiCo products in that space benefits the store.
Task 2
In the second task, you’ll coach your sales rep to success. You’ll lay out a plan that clearly explains when the product will arrive and how to set it up.
9. Red Bull Off-Premise Sales
Time
1-2 hours
Number of Tasks
2
Skills You’ll Build:
- Data analysis
- Written communication
- Presentation
- Organization
Because Red Bull doesn’t sell directly to consumers, relationship management is critical to the brand’s success. In the Off-Premise Sales virtual job simulation, you’ll learn how key account managers (KAM) contribute to this success.
Task 1
In the first task, you’ll review some data from your client and figure out how to help the store increase Red Bull sales. Then, you’ll present your findings and plans for growing the account in a video summary.
Task 2
In this task, you’ll prepare for a client visit. Building on your learnings from the previous task, you’ll create a presentation of your recommendations outlining your plan of action.
10. Red Bull On-Premise Sales
Time
1-2 hours
Number of Tasks
2
Skills You’ll Build:
- Data analysis
- Strategy
- Account management
- Data presentation
In Red Bull’s On-Premise Sales virtual job simulation, you’ll work as an Aviator (an intern), learning some of the skills you’ll need to become a Musketeer (a sales specialist).
Task 1
You’ll analyze how your accounts are performing by calculating the compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Then, you’ll create a PowerPoint presentation using charts and other visuals to highlight the most effective marketing tactics.
Task 2
Using your analysis from the previous task, your next task is to identify why accounts are underperforming and choose the most effective marketing strategies to boost them. As part of this task, you’ll learn about objection handling, then create a video that addresses the objections you anticipate when you make your pitch.
11. The New York Times Advertising Sales
Time
2-3 hours
Number of Tasks
2
Skills You’ll Build:
- Project management
- Stakeholder management
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
In The New York Times Advertising Sales virtual job simulation, you’ll learn how to turn cold prospects into warm leads and coordinate across teams to pitch a potential new advertiser.
Task 1
In the first task, you’ll prepare a “cold” email for CityTravellCo, a possible new client. To explain why CityTravellCo should consider advertising in the Times, you’ll research the company and draft an email using data and facts to highlight the benefits.
Task 2
In this task, you’ll help the team respond to a request for proposal (RFP) from CityTravellCo. To coordinate the many teams involved in the pitch, you’ll design the meeting agenda for the cross-functional team meeting and brainstorm a few content ideas. Then, you’ll record a 30-second introduction to the meeting so everyone understands CityTravellCo’s objectives and maximize the chances they sign a deal.
Sell and Market Yourself With a Forage Job Simulation
Completing one or more Forage sales or marketing virtual job simulations can help you discover if this is the right career path for you, enhance your real-world skills, and give you the tools you need to market and sell your abilities during your job search and throughout your career.
But if you’re not sure if sales or marketing is the right career path for you, no worries! With hundreds of virtual job simulations across a variety of industries, you can try all of our simulations until you find the best career fit for you.
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