In this blog post, we share key strategies and tips to grab the HR manager’s attention when writing your sales cover letter.
Motivation and Aspirations
I believe that to grow alongside someone, a relationship built on mutual understanding and partnership is paramount. In this sense, I have always aspired to work with companies that operate based on a clean and upright spirit. Upon encountering LG Household & Health Care’s healthy corporate culture—which embraces ‘Principled Management’ as its core value, dreams of ‘LG as the Leader,’ and steadfastly upholds these principles—I naturally felt a deep resonance.
As I also hold values that prioritize ‘integrity,’ I applied with the conviction that here, I could cultivate my beliefs and capabilities in a more positive and progressive direction. I believe the Sales Academy is not merely an internship program, but a process to confirm the ‘compatibility’ between the company and myself, and to seek a true ‘win-win’ opportunity where we can grow together.
This period, which will broaden my understanding of practical work and allow me to assess the qualities needed for sales, will be a precious time of growth for me. In particular, I expect the overseas seminars, which will broaden my perspective in a global environment, to be a decisive turning point in my development into a sales leader with a broader vision. Following in the footsteps of senior sales leaders who have driven LG Household & Health Care’s growth for over 20 years, I aspire to grow into a capable sales expert who creates results alongside the organization.
I believe a true leader is someone who moves hearts, not just someone who speaks well. I aim to be a leader who inspires voluntary action rather than relying on directives and commands. This is the leadership I aspire to embody. In sales, I believe the ability to move the hearts of customers and team members is the true measure of skill. My experience running a charity stall with club members during university festivals reinforced this lesson. Rather than pressuring juniors reluctant to help because they wanted to enjoy the festival, I approached them by first understanding and considering their perspective. By sharing why we were doing this activity and the values we should uphold, I motivated them. As a result, their attitude changed remarkably. Ultimately, we raised approximately 2.5 million won over three days, and those funds were delivered as donations to where they were most needed. It was more than just an activity; above all, it was a valuable experience that made me truly appreciate the value of ‘leadership that moves hearts’.
Even after joining the company, I aspire to grow into a leader who understands and cares for the hearts of those I work with, rather than one who merely leads from the front with words. I want to instill a firm sense of purpose in team members, helping them immerse themselves in their work with voluntary passion. For customers, I aim to implement sales strategies that stimulate the ‘desire’ to purchase our products. And for my seniors, I strive to become someone they trust as a ‘junior they want to work with’. The Sales Academy will be the stepping stone to becoming that kind of leader. I intend to diligently complete this program and become a senior who can warmly welcome the next cohort of juniors. Based on my convictions, energy, and ‘leadership that inspires action,’ I will become a sales leader who grows steadily alongside LG Household & Health Care.
Experiences and Specific Examples Influencing My Values
“Conscience is more fearsome than the law.”
This was a phrase my father, who worked in the service industry for over 15 years and always prioritized conscience over immediate profit, often repeated. His words carried a strong conviction: while breaking the law brings punishment, the sin of betraying one’s conscience is ultimately hard to forgive, both from oneself and others. Though I didn’t fully grasp its meaning back then, an incident during my college years made me understand this teaching with every fiber of my being.
As a freshman preparing for my first midterm exam, blinded by the desire for a good grade, I made the wrong choice to cheat. I gained a temporary score, but guilt overwhelmed me immediately after the exam ended, and I couldn’t bear the shame of what I had done. The fact that I had deceived myself weighed far heavier on my heart than the grade itself. Ultimately, I gathered my courage, went to see my professor, and confessed everything. He was deeply disappointed, gave me a stern scolding, and awarded me a low grade. Yet, that day, my heart felt lighter than ever before. As I left his office, I vowed never again to do anything that would make me ashamed of myself.
This incident made me deeply engrave my father’s words in my heart once more. I came to understand with my whole being that ‘living with integrity’ is the true starting point for genuine self-confidence and dignity. Moral values that had only existed in my mind solidified into firm conviction through real experience. And that conviction led me to continue small acts of practice in my own way.
After that, whenever exam periods approached, I would stand outside the library handing out coffee in paper cups bearing the message, “I’m proud of you for choosing conscience over grades.” Though just a small cup of coffee, I hoped these cups would serve as a small brake against cheating. One day, when a friend honestly told me, “I couldn’t cheat because the paper cup was right there,” I saw the possibility that my actions could positively influence someone else’s choice. After that, I continued to stand in front of the library with paper cups every semester. That experience gave me deep fulfillment and instilled an even greater sense of responsibility.
Upholding conscience and pursuing honesty. It transcended a simple value to become a principle of my life and an unshakable conviction. Furthermore, the realization that my small act could be a catalyst for changing others’ choices instilled in me the courage and confidence to choose the right path, no matter what organization I become a part of. Building on this experience, I aspire to be an employee who personally embodies LG Household & Health Care’s philosophy of ‘Management on the Right Path’ and, furthermore, spreads positive influence to my colleagues. Never forgetting that upholding my conscience ultimately protects me, I will continue to walk the path of honesty, one step at a time.
Example Aligning with the Ideal Candidate Profile
When waffles became trendy, cafes around university campuses started bundling coffee and waffles as sets. During this period when waffles flooded the market—from thousand-won snacks to premium products costing ten thousand won—I suddenly thought: “If something new emerged in this sea of uniform waffle offerings, wouldn’t it actually attract even more attention?” To realize this idea, I decided to challenge myself by starting a business during winter break. I wanted to take the lead in the entire process—from planning to execution—rather than just selling.
The first step was selecting the product. Considering it was winter, I brainstormed seasonal limited-time offerings. That’s when I remembered a snack everyone had tried at least once but had recently fallen out of favor: fish-shaped pastries. I judged it had a familiar, nostalgic image and was particularly well-suited for winter. After that, I searched for a suitable supplier and signed a contract directly. I thoroughly prepared everything from sourcing ingredients to getting the equipment ready.
Just as important as selecting the item was finding the right sales location. I scoured the area to find a spot with high foot traffic that would complement my product. Finally, I secured a spot next to a crosswalk at a busy intersection near a school, surrounded by cram schools. However, operating as a street vendor inevitably raised concerns about friction with nearby shops. Before starting business, I made sure to personally visit each nearby shop, greet the owners, and ask for their understanding. This small gesture later proved invaluable in maintaining good relationships with the shop owners.
Our main customers were students commuting to and from cram schools. Analyzing their patterns, we concluded that weekday evenings were the optimal sales time, so we focused our operations intensively for about 4-5 hours daily. Despite the short hours, thorough preparation and planning yielded very positive customer reactions. Regulars began deliberately timing their visits to coincide with our hours, and by evening, lines forming in front of the fish-shaped buns became a daily sight. While students were initially our main customers, over time, our clientele diversified as more elderly patrons stopped by, drawn by the taste of “old memories.”
Standing for hours baking fish-shaped buns in sub-zero temperatures, even on days so cold my feet froze, was never easy. Yet, the joy of generating profit from a business I personally planned and executed, along with the satisfaction gained from achieving my goal, made any hardship fade away. As a result, I earned a net profit of approximately 2 million won from about a month of selling. More meaningful than the profit itself was the fact that I observed the market, identified an opportunity, and then created tangible results through concrete execution.
I believe this experience aligns with LG Household & Health Care’s ideal talent trait of ‘a mindset that does not fear challenge and execution’. Moving beyond a simple idea, this experience of formulating a realistic strategy and actually connecting it to profit demonstrates how practical I am in the process of identifying problems and finding solutions. Building on this experience, I aim to grow into a talent who can analyze situations and execute faster than anyone else when performing sales management tasks at LG Household & Health Care, such as new product planning, distribution channel entry, and sales strategy development. And that first step had already begun, right in the middle of a winter street, through my fish-shaped bread business.
Proposal for Sales and Marketing Policy
Among the products launched by LG Household & Health Care, air fresheners represent a category that lacks appeal in terms of sales and marketing strategy. Products like ‘Partel Mi-Hyang Deodorizing Air Freshener’ and ‘Fragrant Salt Stones,’ which are based on natural ingredients, excel in quality and concept but fail to sufficiently attract consumer choice. The reason for this is judged to lie not in the products themselves, but in the lack of sales policies and promotional strategies. Many consumers still hold perceptions like “air fresheners are bad for health” or “the scent is too strong and gives me a headache,” making them reluctant to buy. Understanding and trust in natural ingredient air fresheners are also lacking. Therefore, concrete sales strategies to compensate for this are needed, and I propose the following approaches.
The first strategy involves stimulating ‘olfactory memory’. Just like the famous advertising line, “I smell my man’s scent on a stranger,” fragrance leaves a powerful sensory impression second only to sight. Leveraging this, we propose continuously using the scent of specific Partel products within LG Household & Health Care’s offline stores, such as Beautyplex or The Face Shop. When customers visit the store, the subtly diffused scent can foster positive perceptions of the product. Even without explicit explanation, the scent can naturally imprint itself on their memory and increase their affinity for it. This in-store experience can become a powerful incentive leading to purchase conversion.
The second strategy involves planning promotional tie-ins with existing brand assets. LG Household & Health Care’s flagship fabric softener brand, ‘Saffron,’ is already familiar to consumers and enjoys high brand loyalty. Leveraging this, a collaborative promotional campaign centered on the concept ‘Saffron for clothes, Partel for home’ could naturally expose Partel products to housewives, the primary customer base for fabric softeners. Since consumers purchasing Saffron are likely to already hold a positive perception of LG Household & Health Care products, this linkage strategy would be highly effective in increasing the likelihood of purchase. Additionally, methods such as providing Partel samples with Saffron purchases or creating and selling joint packages are also worth considering.
The third strategy focuses on actively leveraging seasonal factors. In spring, yellow dust and fine particulate matter make indoor ventilation difficult. In summer, the rainy season makes opening windows burdensome, and in winter, the cold makes it unappealing. Considering these seasonal living conditions, promoting the product with the concept of providing ‘fresh air without opening windows’ is effective. For example, campaigns with messages like “Spring-like clean air without ventilation” or “A refreshing scent that tackles the dampness of the rainy season” can resonate with customers and capture their interest. The necessity and usefulness of air fresheners are particularly emphasized in spaces where external ventilation is difficult, such as offices or multi-unit housing, presenting significant market expansion potential.
Thus, air freshener products possess substantial potential to position themselves not merely as fragrance items, but as ‘essential items’ that improve living environments. Since the product’s inherent quality and concept are already established, what is now needed is a shift in sales strategies and marketing policies that can change customer perception and drive purchases. Through this proposal, I have reaffirmed the potential of the Partel product line. I am committed to continuously researching and developing strategies to translate this potential into tangible sales growth. My experience at the Sales Academy has given me the confidence to grow into an expert capable of achieving differentiated results in this air freshener market.
