They say that effort will triumph over skill, but that enjoyment beats everything. In other words, the key to professional success is to enjoy your work. Cho Hee-jung, BA (Beauty Advisor) of Sulwhasoo in the Shilla Duty Free Shop Seoul, never loses her smile even in the crowded store. For her, a BA is not just a job. It's what she really enjoys. Her passion has made her a sales champion and, with her passion that shines as brightly like the stars, she has made countless successful strategies.

It's a Monday morning, which is typically the least-crowded day during the week, but the Sulwhasoo store located on the second floor of the Shilla Duty Free Shop Seoul is already filled with customers who want to buy products. Even though there are nine Beauty Advisors on hand to serve customers, so many people come into the shop that ticket numbers have to be distributed. And, in the center of this crowded store, there is Cho Hee-jung who approaches each customer with her biggest smile.
"The nature of duty free shops means it can be hard to maintain a regular customer base. However, I believe that customers will always keep a good image of Sulwhasoo in mind provided that we constantly do our best. I think it's vital to make a good impression on customers, rather than just selling products."

In 2004, Cho made her first career as a Beauty Advisor at the HERA-Sulwhasoo duty free store in Incheon International Airport. In Cho's own words, this job is her vocation. Majoring in Chinese, she likes to meet people and customers. Even though her job is usually busy, she enjoys seeing the strong sales results continue. As she loves and enjoys her job, her head is always full of new customer strategies and selling ideas.
"I was appointed to the Shilla Duty Free Shop Seoul in December 2012. At that time, products from HERA and Sulwhasoo were sold at the same store. But, I thought that HERA and Sulwhasoo should be separated in order to provide specific counseling services and let customers know each brand identity and product strength exactly."
That's why Cho came up with the suggestion of separating each brand, with AMOREPACIFIC accepted this idea. In March 2013, these two brands were separated and sold individually. As a result, the turnover of these two brands has doubled, with it reaching the best sales result in months whenever Chinese tourists visit, such as on Tomb-sweeping Day (April), Labor Day (May), summer holidays and National Day (October). These two brands have had positive synergy effects on each other thanks to Cho's brilliant strategy of choice and concentration.

Since most customers are Chinese, it's necessary to have a specific sales strategy specifically for them. Cho recommends a specific product to each customer after identifying pertinent personal information, such as residence location, occupation, age and skin type.
"Nowadays, most customers search for Sulwhasoo product information on blogs or websites before actually visiting the store. If a customer selects a specific product, I recommend other products which may go well with it. If a customer asks for product counseling, I first make sure to ask several questions in order to figure out pertinent personal information. By asking questions, I am able to figure out what country the customer is from, whether Sulwhasoo stores exist in that country, whether working indoors or outdoors, whether the customer has had plastic surgery and what skincare brand they currently use. After asking all these questions, I finally explain the strength of our brand and provide product information. That way, customers are more likely to buy Sulwhasoo products."
Thanks to the separation of stores and the specific strategy for Chinese customers, she even won silver prize at the 2014 ABC Awards. However, because of the MERS onslaught last May, the number of customers sharply dropped. Yet, despite this, she has positively prepared a plan for the next year, rather than dwelling on disappointment.
"It was then that I realized the value of the customer. We couldn't achieve our goal last year, but we can achieve 200% results this year. By realizing the true value of the customer and devoting more energy to our quest, we will surely reach a greater result."
Since she always keeps a positive attitude, her life motto is 'happily crazy.' According to her, one should feel happy at a workplace since the majority of one's day is spent at work. When we remember these two words "together" and "happy", we will be able to work with smile on our face all the time.
"I believe that my energy will positively affect colleagues and customers when I work happily. As I meet many customers from all around the world in the duty free store, I will do my best to introduce the Asian Beauty to global customers."