Masters results were released at the start of the week and so you’ve probably had time to reflect on them and, hopefully, celebrate. 

If, however, your result weren’t quite as you had hoped, you may be considering an appeal. You have until the 28th November to do so and you can find the School’s regulations here. Our Advice Service are on hand to support you through this process and have compiled their top five tips for anyone submitting an appeal.

1)    Don’t miss the deadline! This may seem an obvious one but a late appeal is almost certainly going to be rejected. If you’re struggling to obtain evidence in time then contact the Assessment Regulations Team as soon as possible (ssc.appeals@lse.ac.uk or 020 7955 7139) to see if they can give you a bit longer- there’s no guarantee but the sooner you ask the better.

2)    Obtain evidence. Your appeal is likely to require supporting evidence (particularly if it is based on exceptional circumstances). This will need to be in English or you will need to get an official translation (including a signed statement by a Notary Public). You can find more information on evidence requirements in the appeals guidance.

3)    Read the regulations. We understand the appeals procedure can seem daunting however it’s important to know the grounds you can appeal on and what criteria you must meet. The School’s regulations are fairly strict and so sometimes you may need to manage your expectations about the possible outcomes based on your individual circumstances.

4)    Consider an administrative mark check. There are certain criteria to meet (and it rarely results in a change of mark) however it may help put your mind at rest if you’re concerned that an error has been made. There’s more information here and you have until the 30th November to make a request.

5)    Get support. Our Advice Service provide free, confidential advice on the appeals procedure so get in touch.

How many of you opened your sales pitch with a question?

Only one attendee was able to raise their hand to that question, after a four minute sales pitch at the start of the session! However, by the end of this Beyond Classroom session on Sales Techniques by Viki Chinn, participants were well versed in where to start!

Viki began with a discussion about the format of a sales meeting. Face to face is the very best for a new relationship as sellers can benefit from a focussed mind and a dynamic two way interaction, picking up body language cues from the buyer. However, an email follow up is the best way to turn a one off meeting into a relationship!

When it comes to the meeting itself, plan, plan and then plan some more! Unprepared=unacceptable=unsuccessful. You should know your product AND your client inside out. Why do people love your product (even if you don’t!)? Review previous meeting notes that your team have had with the client, as well as their LinkedIn page and clue up on the buyer using sites like Motley Fool.

Viki then turned to some techniques within the meeting itself. Using the AIDA model you can make the sale! Grab the customer’s Attention, stimulate their Interest, create the Desire to buy and then confirm the Action to be taken. Using the example of a sales meeting with a large distributor, Viki explained how this helped her to sell Heineken beer way before it was the leading brand we know today!

This session will go hand in hand with the negotiation skills session on Tuesday- where there are a very limited number of tickets available. Get in touch with su.opportunities@lse.ac.uk to find out if you can get a place.

More info:

You can also view the slides from the session here.

Sign up for more Beyond the Classroom sessions on our website. 

Have you always wanted to run a conference but are daunted by where to start? Remember, stay calm and work your way through; that’s the idea at least, according to the Beyond the Classroom (BTC) Event Management session on Tuesday night.

After opening the event by encouraging people to share their initial ideas of the events they were planning on running, Laura Reid from LSE Careers, encouraged attendees to feel not overwhelmed before talking them through the step by step approach she uses.

This approach, utilised by Laura managing events for Coors and at the Innocent festival, emphasises the importance of preparation. Even before you start planning your event, you should be asking yourself questions across beyond the event alone. Ask yourself who is your target audience? Who is on your team? What are their strengths? Who will be responsible for the budget?

Laura spoke at length about the importance of making your event accessible, of staying within the budget, planning for emergencies and remaining one step ahead of any problems. The key to all of this is planning for every possibility, ensuring that everyone involved knows their roles well in advance, and who to contact in the case of problems. In all things, clarity is essential.

The session concluded with Laura providing event planning and event evaluation worksheets, which can be found by following the link at the end of this post. LSE students were quick to apply these worksheets to their own planned events, peppering Laura with questions, her answers to which, demonstrated her experience of the world beyond academia invaluable.

Next time you feel like running a networking session, conference or 5000 strong outdoor festival, remember: plan, plan and then plan some more.

More info:

Beyond The Classroom continues on 17th of November 2016 with a session on Sales Techniques. Find upcoming sessions on our events calendar.

Previous session summaries can be found on the LSESU website.

Words by: Joe Donaghey, 3rd Year