Our goal at Youth For a Better America is not only to provide our teens a way to earn their own money, but to teach them viable skills they can use later in life. As a part of our program the teens learn Salesmanship Skills, Professionalism, Communication Skills, Leadership Skills, Responsibility, Confidence, Team Building, and Entrepreneurship Skills.
Salesmanship Skills
Prior to going out on sales day we teach our teens what to say and how to explain the program to potential customers. During this training we role play and show the teens how to overcome objections so they are prepared and ready when they go to a sales event. We teach the teens how to deal with rejection so they keep motivated during the sales day. During the course of the year the teens work at kiosks and carts in various malls and attend festivals over the summer. At these events they are developing strong salesmanship skills which they can use on their resume to help land jobs later in life.
Professionalism
As part of our program we teach our teens professionalism. We start with a mandatory dress code. When conducting the sales at our events the teens are required to wear the YFABA polo shirt and slacks. We teach the teens how to speak to customers and thank them whether they buy our products or not. Our supervisors monitor behavior and ensure that the teens conduct themselves in a professional manner. As a result of this program, our teens will know how to dress, communicate, and conduct themselves when they start their professional career.
Communication Skills
During the course of a sales event our teens may speak to hundreds of people from various age groups and ethnic backgrounds. As a result, it is important for them to understand how to communicate to people. As they are meeting so many diverse people through our program, they are developing communication skills and will be prepared to enter today’s diverse workforce. We teach them the importance of having good eye contact and how to speak clearly to customers.
Leadership Skills
The teens are developing strong leadership skills throughout the year in our sales program. They work together and motivate each other to achieve their daily goals. We teach them to understand that we are only as strong as our weakest link and teens have an opportunity to lead and motivate the group. During the day the teens experience rejection and we teach them to persevere and not give up which will make them strong leaders in life.
Responsibility
Through our program the teens learn responsibility. It is the teen’s responsibility to be up and ready at the correct time for our sales events. Also, during the sales day the teens are responsible for all the items given to them as well as the money they collect for product sales. Every sales day we distribute products to the teens and teach them how to keep track of the products, count and collect the money, and pay the customers. Teaching the teens responsibility at a young age will prepare them for the future.
Confidence
As a part of our program the teens build confidence. As they are communicating with hundreds of customers and getting sales they are building their confidence. The teens are rewarded for their sales performance which motivates them to achieve high sales and hit their sales goals. Achieving these goals builds confidence as they will understand that they can achieve any goal in life that they work hard for and dedicate themselves.
Team Building
We teach our teens to work together and have fun as they are conducting sales at the events. The teens help each other out all day when conducting sales. Sometimes we establish a contest for our teens by pairing them up and having a contest in which the highest sales team wins a prize. This motivates the teens to work hard and work together to achieve a common goal.
Entrepreneurship Skills