As we embarked on a semester-long project, we navigated the waters of data sensitivity, forged strong client relationships, sharpened our sales skills, and illuminated the path of global awareness, ultimately charting a course to personal and professional growth.
Over the last semester, I had the opportunity to be involved in a project with my team that not only taught us valuable lessons but also contributed to our personal and professional growth. As I reflect on this experience, I want to share some key learning points that emerged during the project, which revolved around promoting an online social platform. These points highlight the importance of data sensitivity, client relationships, sales skills, and awareness of global goals.
Data Sensitivity and Privacy in Social Platforms: One of the primary lessons our team learned during the project was the importance of data sensitivity and privacy, especially for the younger generations. As users become more conscious about how their data is used, stored, and shared, it is crucial for a social platform to prioritize data protection and ensure transparency.
Fostering a Healthy Client Relationship: Another crucial aspect of any project is maintaining a healthy relationship with the client. Our team experienced that effective communication, transparency, and responsiveness are vital components of a successful partnership. A positive client relationship not only contributed to our healthy team environment but also boosted internal motivation.
The Importance of Sales Skills in Various Fields: During the project, our team realized that sales skills are essential in almost any field. We had to reach out to at least 200 people, both online and offline, to promote our platform, amidst technical difficulties and bottlenecks inherent to our social platform. This experience underscored the importance of interpersonal skills and having a compelling sales narrative, so that we can actually acquire new users and have them onboarded. Reaching out to people from diverse backgrounds, particularly those not affiliated with Columbia, proved challenging for our team due to the difficulty in establishing a contextual rapport. In such instances, we encountered skepticism and doubt, which reinforced the importance of cultivating persuasive communication abilities.
Raising Awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG): Coming from a United Nations background, I initially assumed that the concept of the UNSDGs would be familiar to most people. However, our team discovered that 6 out of 10 individuals we approached who studied in schools other than SIPA were unaware of these goals. This realization highlighted the significance of raising awareness about the UNSDGs if we aim to achieve the ambitious milestones set for 2030 and 2050. Our client's online platform, ILTP, can play a critical role in promoting these global objectives, reinforcing the importance of our project and the potential impact it could have.