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Secrets to Getting the Sales Job You Want! | Subscribe to this Blog |
August 9, 2008
by Lee Salz, author of Soar: Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager
The compensation plan changed again. The revolving door of company executives spins out of control. You look at the corporate direction and you’d like to give the CEO a compass so he can find his way. Concerned, you’ve decided that today is the day that you will peek your head over the cubicle wall and see what other opportunities are out there. After all, you’ve been successful. No need to go down with the ship.
The morning you wake up with the inspiration to begin a job search is a little scary. There is the factor of the unknown. Yet, you pushed yourself outside of your comfort zone to open the doors to new opportunity. It’s been a while since you last looked for a new sales home. How do you go from where you are today to a new, fresh opportunity?
Know what you want. In sales, you often work with the profile of your ideal client. The same applies when looking for a job. You need to know what the ideal fit is for your sales pedigree. If you don’t know what you are looking for, how will you know when you find it? This introspective exercise is the subject of another article of mine titled, “Finding the Right Home For Your Sales Skills.” That article walks you through the exercise of defining your ideal sales role. Don’t go another step in the process until you have read that article.
Develop your marketing tools. Marketing tools? Yes, that is what a cover letter and resume are all about. When you think of marketing, you also think of messaging. Many forget this when they develop their cover letter and resume. However, these marketing tools communicate a message, a story. The key is to make sure they convey the story you intend.
While the easy thing to do is to create one cover letter and one resume, it is not the most effective way to pursue a new job. As someone who has screened thousands of these documents from sales candidates, I can share with you a little nugget of insight. Hiring managers ask themselves a simple question when they first peruse your cover letter and resume. “Do they want my job or just a job?” We know when you are mass emailing your marketing tools just like prospects know when you mass email them.
In sales, you are taught to make sure your message matches your audience. Sales is not taught as a one-size-fits-all, but rather a template that is adjusted to match the need and circumstance. When prospects feel that they are the sales call of the day, they don’t respond. The same applies to hiring managers. Hiring managers are looking to hire people that want to work in their organization. They can feel when someone just wants a job, not necessarily theirs. Thus, when they get that feeling, your candidacy for the job goes into the trash.
The cover letter is one of the first ways it becomes obvious that you are treating this as a mass event. The sales person applies for a specific job, but the cover letter communicates a message that says they want a different job. It is not intentional on the part of the sales person. After all, they paid a copywriter a thousand dollars to create this masterpiece. Copywriters are very helpful to those in need of assistance in creating the story of their background. However, the effective cover letter recipe has three ingredients to it, making it somewhat difficult for the copywriter to unilaterally assist you.
1. Share what you know about the company. Hiring managers want to see that you have at least done a little research about them. This is easily done by visiting their website, performing an online search, and studying them on Hoover’s.
2. Present your relevant qualifications/accomplishments. The keyword here is “relevant.” We’ve all done a lot of things in our lives. Pick the ones that you feel are most relevant to the reader based on what you read when you researched the company. You can also ascertain this from the job posting.
3. Show the synergy between the opportunity and your background. Connect the dots for the reader. If the company is looking for a sales person that has developed a new territory and you are an expert at doing that, make sure the message comes out in the cover letter. Don’t expect the reader to see the synergy. You need to map it out just like you do for sales prospects. When presenting the synergies, use their language. If they call the position “a hunter,” refer to yourself as one. If they call bringing in new accounts as “territory development,” you are in expert in territory development, not hunting.
When the objective, isn’t the objective. The same holds true for the resume. Many sales people write an objective at the top of their resume. Yet, they fail to adjust the title based on the position for which they are applying. My favorite is when someone writes as an objective, “To get a sales or sales management position.” I can assure you that approach is a guaranteed way to get yourself removed from consideration in an instant. Those are two completely different jobs. “I want to be a pitcher or the manager of the team. It doesn’t matter to me.” Again, I just heard you want a job, not necessarily my job.
What you’ve done. The resume is an extension of the cover letter. The message should be the same. Highlight the results and areas of expertise that are most relevant to this opportunity. I’m not suggesting that you leave certain jobs or employment off your resume. However, package each one as best as you can to convey the synergy between you and the company.
From the job posting, you can usually infer what is most important to the sales manager. Those usually can be found in the section of the job description that highlights the candidate requirements for the job. Include bulleted descriptions and statistics that map back to those elements.
While the work to customize these marketing tools may seem huge and painful, it really isn’t. Earlier, I mentioned that you should start the search process by identifying the right home for your sales skills. The reason for that recommendation was to give focus to your search. It allows you to laser-in on those opportunities that best match you. Thus, isn’t it worth the time investment to customize your marketing tools for those job prospects that are best suited for you? Wouldn’t you do the same thing in pursuit of a major prospect? I certainly hope so.
Lee B. Salz is the CEO of Business Expert Webinars, President of Sales Dodo, and author of “Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager.” Known as “The Sales Dodo,” Lee specializes in helping companies and their sales organizations adapt and thrive in the ever-changing world of business. He is an online columnist for Sales and Marketing Management Magazine and the host of the Internet radio show, “Secrets of Business Gurus.” Look for Lee’s new book in 2009 titled, “The Sales Marriage… How to Hire the Right Sales People.” (Sales Gravy Press) He is a passionate, dynamic speaker and a business consultant. Lee can be reached via email at lsalz@salesdodo.com, or by phone at 763.416.4321.
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Modernize Your Sales Resume | Subscribe to this Blog |
August 3, 2008
By: Daniel Keller
A lot has changed in just the last few years in regards to writing a winning sales resume. The format and techniques of the past are no longer relevant. In this article, I will break down some of the major changes and provide some useful tips to help modernize your sales resume.
1. Focus on Accomplishments NOT the job descriptions.
Every time I read a resume that says, “Responsible for managing a territory and increasing sales,” I just cringe. Recruiters and hiring managers know what the duties and responsibilities of a sales person are. Your resume must create a value proposition and relay what you can do for the company, not what they can do for you. Psychology 101 tells us that the best predictor of future success is past success. Your resume must convey a consistent track record of performance. Focus on the results; how much did you increase sales by? What was your quota attainment? What was your ranking? Any awards? Other recognition?
2. Summaries not Objectives
Objectives are out. There must be millions of resumes floating out there with the same objective; seeking an opportunity to develop my sales ability with a growth oriented company. Chances are the person reading your resume will know that your objective is to get a job with their company. The beginning of your resume sets the tone and entices the reader to continue reading. Use the beginning of your resume as a chance to sell your self, summarize your skills, abilities, and yes, accomplishments.
3. Keywords
Most companies, recruiting firms, and job boards use some sort of electronic applicant tracking system to store resumes. The only way your resume will get noticed is if the right keywords pop up when a recruiter is doing a keyword search. It is also important that you have a resume formatted in ASCII to submit along with a MS Word copy.
4. Do not end your resume with, “References furnished upon request”
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. The resume reader assumes that if the process furthers itself that you will have references to provide. Remember, the goal here is to sell your self! If the reader took the time to read all the way to the bottom, take advantage of this and write something that will help your resume close for the interview.
Here’s an idea:
Please view my profile on linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/yourname
Remember, the goal of the resume is to sell yourself and stand out from the competition. By utilizing the suggestions outlined above you will be on your way to creating a sales resume that demands attention and will produce results.
Daniel Keller is an acclaimed Professional Resume Writer and Career Consultant.
He is the President of Your Sales Resume, the leading resume writing firm focusing exclusively on the Sales Professional. Feel free to contact him at Daniel@yoursalesresume.com
Get Smart | The Sales Store
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July 20, 2008
by Heather Johnson
This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of human resource manager. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.
We’ve all heard the cliché of how the mark of a great salesman is being able to sell an igloo to an Eskimo, but in my book, a really good salesman should be adept in the art of selling himself first, to any organization that he desires to work with. A job in sales is often more challenging than those in other disciplines, because it involves knowing customers’ mindsets and acting accordingly. Here’s how a salesperson can apply his/her inherent skills in securing the position he/she wants:
• Preparation is the key to any interview, and this aspect cannot be more emphasized than when seeking a position on the sales force of an organization. Let your higher-ups see that you’re a meticulous person who does his/her research before any venture, be it attending an interview or making a sale. Show that you’ve done your homework and are familiar with the company and its goals.
• Make sure your resume is updated and precise. If you’re seeking a job in the medical sales sector, include your experience in said field as the most important part of your resume. Employers are looking for specific skills rather than general ones.
• Put across your achievements, both in sales and in other aspects, without coming across as a bombastic braggart. As in any interview, wait till you’re asked to talk about yourself before you begin to unfold your life story.
• In case you’re rejected in the early stages, show some persistence if the reason for refusal is not strong enough. Most employers will appreciate the ability of salespeople to be persistent without becoming annoying.
• Show willingness to work hard for the compensation you’re going to receive. If that means taking on the position at a low salary with incentives from commissions, nod in agreement since a good salesperson must be sure of his/her ability to be able to sell anything.
• Take time to listen to what your interviewers are saying; a good salesperson is basically a good listener who understands what his customers want and describes the product or service in such as way as to make them believe that it is indeed suited to their needs. Use these skills to make your prospective employers believe that you are the right person for the job.
• Show confidence in your ability but restrain yourself so that you don’t come across as being over-confident in securing the job.
• Ask questions that you think are pertinent, to both the job and the way you are supposed to do it.
• A good salesperson is articulate, so don’t stammer and stutter in your responses. Take time to compose yourself before you reply if you’re nervous.
• Even if you know that the interview has not gone well and that you’re unlikely to be hired, stay positive and be polite. A good salesperson is never abusive or withdrawn if a sales pitch fails.
You will find more than 100,000 sales jobs on Sales Gravy Jobs. Search now.
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Recession Fears Threaten Vacation Plans | Subscribe to this Blog |
June 5, 2008
The slowdown in the U.S. economy is threatening a necessity for workers: vacations.
According to the annual Yahoo! HotJobs vacation survey, 51% of respondents said they plan to skip taking a vacation this year, opting to save money instead.
Not a Frivolous Matter
“Vacations are usually the first thing to go when people feel job or economic pressure,” says Joe Robinson, a trainer in work-life balance and author of “Work to Live.” He continues, “We’re programmed to believe that free time is worthless, a frill to shove aside, but vacations are as important as watching your cholesterol or getting exercise.”
Skipping a vacation can also be bad for your employer.
Milo and Thuy Sindell, founders of Hit the Ground Running and authors of “Job Spa,” say, “You are not helpful to the company and your coworkers when you are not operating at full capacity. Vacations help you to get rejuvenated to come back to work at full capacity.”
Make It Work With Less
For those tempted to skip vacation this year due to financial worries, experts recommend the following tips:
Remind yourself: Vacation is not a luxury. “You owe it to yourself, your family, and your company to take care of yourself by stepping out of the office for at least a few days at a time,” says Liz Bywater, president of the Bywater Consulting Group, which helps improve organizational performance.
Put aside some funds each week. “Even $50 a week [or less] can add up and make your trip happen,” says Robinson.
Plan leisure activities near home. “Stay at home and read, garden, hike, jog, bike, or whatever you like to do but never have enough time for during the weekends,” say the Sindells. “Or be a tourist in your own city.”
Try home-swapping. You can swap with someone you know in another city, or use an online service, such as homexchange.com or even vrbo.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner). “It can have the look and feel of a vacation at a much more affordable housing cost than paying for hotel or resort lodging,” says Michael Haubrich, president of Financial Service Group and an expert in financial planning for career issues.
Keep the itinerary simple. Travel columnist Donald D. Groff recommends selecting a destination within 200 miles (a three-hour drive) from your home. If you’re traveling by plane, fly nonstop whenever possible. “The sooner you get to your destination, the sooner your relaxation begins,” Groff says.
Stress-Busting Strategies - Read More
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