Brooklyn's Progress
November 2003

Two Brooklyn Chamber Members, Robyn Vogel, Director of Corporate Partnership Development for the Church Avenue Merchants Block Association (CAMBA) and Craig James of Sales Solutions recently teamed up to conduct employee training to re-charge CAMBA’s job development team. 

The Church Avenue Merchants Block Association (CAMBA) is one of Brooklyn’s largest community-based social service organizations. Among the many functions CAMBA performs in the community is job development.  As Director of Corporate Partnership Development, Robyn Vogel is responsible for managing CAMBA’s Job Development program and overseeing a team of five job developers. The developers’ job is to match employment candidates from the community with employers throughout the five boroughs.

While her team has been doing a fine job in a difficult economic environment, Robyn knew they were capable of doing even better.  If she could help her job developers refine their “selling” skills to better connect with business clients, they could achieve the higher level of results she’s mandated to. 

Robyn came up with the idea to bring in some outside blood – a different face, a different perspective – to recharge, re-energize, and inspire her team, and perhaps teach them a technique or two along the way that would improve their effectiveness.  But she faced two formidable challenges: Where to look for such a resource? And with no spare funds available for this undertaking, even if she did find someone, how would she convince him to do it for free?

Coincidentally, Christie Evens, who works in CAMBA’s Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, had attended a sales workshop led by Craig James of Sales Solutions the week before, and was duly impressed by what she saw, heard, and learned.  Knowing Robyn’s objectives with her team, she mentioned Craig to her, and suggested they get together and discuss possibilities.

So, two weeks later, over lunch at a Montague Street restaurant, Robyn, Valerie Westfall (Program Manager Workforce Development), and Craig met to learn about each other’s operations, and brainstorm about ways to collaborate.  As both the meal and the conversation progressed, Robyn ventured to ask Craig if he’d be willing to work with her team pro bono.  To her delight, he wholeheartedly agreed. 

“I viewed this as a goodwill investment; in addition, I’d be helping a fellow Chamber Member, which isn’t such a bad thing, and being a subscriber to the theory that what goes around often comes around, I determined it was very much a wise business decision,” Craig said.

Shortly thereafter, Craig conducted a morning session with the CAMBA job development team, helping them to refine and fine-tune their approaches to clients, adjust their attitudes so that they come across as more confident and self-assured, and inspiring them to tackle their responsibilities with renewed vigor.  The session was very well-received, and in the end, it was a win-win for both Members. 

Robyn now has an even more highly-skilled and motivated staff going into the second half of the year than she did before  "Craig was great – he brought energy enthusiasm, and valuable content to the workshop,” she said.

Craig benefited by establishing himself as an effective and entertaining instructor and a helpful resource to a highly visible organization that is a mainstay of the Brooklyn community.  “I never would have even thought to make this connection had I not joined the Brooklyn Chamber back in June,” said Craig.  “I’m already beginning to feel as if my investment is paying dividends.”