The past year has been almost overwhelming in regards to the amount of change that has occurred.  Not only has the economic landscape changed but there has also been a huge shift in the way business/sales are being conducted.  At this point, I am sure that the majority of sales professionals have heard of Sales 2.0 and the changes it is bringing to sales models and sales processes.  It seems to me that most companies and their employees know they need to do something but they struggle with what they need to do to change. 

In the book “You Gotta Get In The Game,” Billy Cox challenges you to think about playing the game, not watching it.  He mentions that if you only watch from the sidelines you’re allowing your peers, your competition and your industry to pass you by.  As sales professionals, we are all playing in a new league and the game, as we know it, has changed.  There are now new techniques in how to prospect, new techniques in how to move a sale and more importantly, new techniques in how to close a deal.  At this point in time, you seriously need take a look at what you have changed in your current process and what techniques you have learned.  

This book gives great recommendations on simple techniques that you can start applying today in your daily task and actions items.  The chapter that had the biggest impact on me was “Raise the Bar”.  This chapter is short and very simple: give more today than you did yesterday.  If you apply this one very simple rule you will continue to close more business, influence more people and continue to improve yourself personally and professionally.  

In the book, Cox refers to the story of Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile under 4 minutes.  Roger was told by doctors that it was humanly impossible to run that fast and there was a grave possibility of his heart exploding.  Despite the warnings, Roger refused to let fear or medical recommendation stop him.  As an untrained runner, Roger disciplined himself by setting aside only 45 minutes per day to try to beat his old record.  Sometimes he only beat his record by milliseconds but he continued to push himself more and more every day.  This is what Cox is challenging all of us to do:  continue to push yourself.   

Cox also talks about in-depth about discipline.  Typically when I hear the word “discipline” I think about a child being punished for not cleaning his/her room.  That is negative discipline.  Cox challenges you to strive for positive discipline.  If you are focused and discipline yourself on a daily basis you can “Raise The Bar” for yourself.  The best quote to demonstrate this point is, “You will always be disciplined – you can either choose to discipline yourself or life will do it for you.”

All and all this is a simple read with a couple of quick stories to help us “Get In The Game”.

As a child, we are constantly asked by teachers and parents “what do you want to be when you grow up?”  Back in the day you may have said that you wanted to be a famous athlete or astronaut.  What I highly doubt you said at the age of 8 is that you wanted to be an ERP Software Sales Rep or that you wanted to sell medical devices.  However, at this point in our career, we may know that is the path that we want to take.  But how do you get there if you’re not in that industry right now?  We know that making an industry change can be difficult. So what do you do? How do you convince a hiring manager that you are the perfect fit for a sales role that you have never had experience in? How do you move into a new industry without taking a step back?

One of the first things that every professional needs to realize is that switching industries in this economy can prove to be extremely difficult.  In a time where companies are trying to rebuild their organizations, they will be looking to hire talented professionals from their direct space who will come with industry knowledge and perhaps a book of business.  Many companies may not be able to afford hiring a candidate from another space due to the time, money and resources it takes to train and ramp up a new hire.  We know that when you decide it is time to make a change, the best offers will come from the industry that you have the most expertise in.  So as you can see, it will prove to be a difficult move, but not an impossible one.  In order to switch industries and continue to build your career in today’s economy, you need to have a game plan.  Where should you start?

• Think about the industry that you want to be in and do some research!

Before you set your target on a certain industry, make sure you do your homework!  Check your gut and find out what you are really passionate about.  What are you moving towards or want to get away from.  You do not want to find yourself in a new industry facing the same challenges as the one you just left.  You have to ask yourself what you are looking for.  Write down what you need and the requirements for the job you want.   I would also include skills and abilities that are valuable outside of work.

• Present vs. Future

Realize where you are in your career and what you’re looking to accomplish.  Not only do you want to satisfy the things that you are looking to change now, but you should also take into account what you are looking to do in 3-5 years? Do you have a career plan?  Is the opportunity you’re currently looking at going to help you reach your ultimate goal?

• Leverage your strengths and transferable skills.

Once you have found the industry that you’re looking to break into, you want to focus on the skills you have that can be leveraged.   The resume you have is filled with words that only the people in your current industry understand, so refocus your verbiage to reflect the buzz words from their industy. Highlight what would make sense and focus on skills that can be utilized in order to make a transition.  Treeline Blog: How to articulate your story on your resume.  Showcase your past experiences, responsibilities and success that are relevant to the job you want.  For an example, if you are trying to break into an outside role you do not want to highlight your inside experience.  A sales manager is looking for 2 things, culture and most importantly can you do their job.  Treeline Blog: What makes your resume stand out?

• Have a positive attitude!

You need to have confidence in yourself and walk the fine line between confidence and cockiness.  Show the hiring manager that you have the intangibles that cannot be taught!  You have to fight for the opportunity you want because at the end of the day, good opportunities do not come to you. You have to know what you want and how are you going to get it.   Remember, take charge of your career and be your own CEO!!

Every once in a while you hear horror stories about the old “bait and switch” tactic: someone buys something with the expectation that they’ll get what they were promised but once they money has been exchanged, they realize they’ve been duped. Sometimes the same scenario can happen with a job search. What should you do when you find an opening, interview for it, get an offer, accept it and when you come on board – you realize that this role is not at all what you were told it was? What now? There is no handbook to this situation or proper protocol that you should follow. This can be a frustrating situation so I will share with you some scenarios that might give some insight if you ever find yourself in this pickle:

• Take emotion out of it. It is easy to get frustrated and feel betrayed – but this is business and those who get emotional will always fail. I had a candidate that was hired on to be a Director of Field Sales and when he came on board, he was informed that the company laid off the entire field sales team. Now he has no one to manage and he has to build the team from scratch. Instead of rising to the challenge or exploring other avenues, this candidate took it personally and left the company within a month. Now, he has no income, no referrals and a red flag on his resume all because he did not keep his cool.

• Seek information internally – go to HR or your hiring manager. Do not talk to them with the intention of cracking skulls or complaining but go with the intention of finding some direction and get a gauge on what is happening within your company. I once had a candidate that was hired on as a Business Development Specialist and after being in the role for a month, the company is having her focus on an Account Management role, up selling current accounts. She, in turn, went to her manager and presented an idea to split her time between new business and current accounts. If your company is reorganizing then they most likely will want to hear new ideas – especially if it is going to prove profitable.

• Don’t beat a dead horse. I had a candidate that got a role as an inside sales rep and after being in the role for 6 months, he was fully ramped up with a strong pipeline, he started getting handed administrative projects. He is a team player so he took care of them but they just kept on bringing the projects to him. He went to his manager and discussed the fact that he is being spread too thin and cannot focus on his sales. The manager heard him out but told him that there would be no change. The company needs him to sell and complete the administrative projects and that is that. My candidate was cool, calm and collected – told his manager that he can be relied upon. Then he immediately called me with an updated resume to start his search for a new role. If there is no flexibility and you are stuck – then start looking while you work. You are always more marketable if you’re still in a job.

Once you recognize what the situation is, then you can make up your mind and decide not to be a victim. These things happen to everyone but it is what you do in response that matters.

In a market where national unemployment is around 9.4% and so many talented professionals out on the market, it’s no wonder why it’s a buyers market for potential employers.  Across the nation, job descriptions have become more specific, hiring managers are conducting harder interviews and they are becoming less forgiving on the flaws of potential employees.  It may seem like hiring companies are in a phenomenal position and they are being picky because they can, but the real reason that companies are scrutinizing new hires is because they can’t afford to make a mistake.  Whether you like it or not, hiring the wrong candidate comes at a huge cost. 

Think about the time it takes and money it costs to ramp up a new hire.  A base salary is a liability and a mark on the “loss” column of the spreadsheet before it has the opportunity to be a “gain”.  Therefore, employers are proceeding in this market with a “buyer beware” type of attitude, especially when it comes to sales professionals. We all know that sales professionals have a history of exaggerating or packaging things in a glamorous light, therefore, hiring managers have put practices in place that will bring the truth to the surface and ensure them that they are getting the best candidate possible.  Two of these tactics are credit checks and W2 requests.

Although both of these reports pertain to your financial history, they are requested for very different reasons.  Employers request credit checks to gain a better understanding of your personal history and your allocation on your own personal finances.  If you have a shaky credit history with a potential bankruptcy claim, why would an employer trust an expense account to you?  Also, if you run your own personal finances into the ground, what will you do with their business?  When it comes to sales, you’re main objective is to make money for your company and ultimately, yourself.  So the best way an employer can get to know how you run a business is to look at your credit report.

W2s, on the other hand, are requested at the end of an interview process to ensure that employers aren’t being taken to the cleaners by their potential employee.  At the end of the day, we all want to make as much money as possible and if we can get a nice base salary that will cushion all of our expenses, of course we’ll take it.  However, a company asks you what you’re currently making and what you need to make to ensure that they are getting their money’s worth in a candidate.  One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a candidate is exaggerate your current base salary and W2.  Being a recruiter for several years, I have seen candidates grossly over exaggerate their wages in hopes that they’ll land a job with a $20-40K raise on the base.  Not only did it bite them in the end and force them to lose an offer, it ruined their reputation with both the client and the recruiter (see Burning Bridges).  Let’s face it, the best way to get a raise in pay is to prove to the employer that the juice is worth the squeeze.  If you tell them that you’re currently making more than what is stated on your W2 you better pray they don’t ask for documentation.  Once they see the report, they’ll see that you blatantly lied to them and you’ll lose the offer.  Lying is no way to start a relationship.  Raises are earned, not conned. 

So before you ruin your credit and then attempt to pay it off by requesting too much money on a base salary, think about what those implications can lead to.  This job market is hard enough, don’t make it harder for yourself.

Okay, so you have spent the time to craft a well constructed resume that highlights your successes.   You have identified a company that is hiring and a job that you feel fits your background…. Now what do you do?   

Step One: PIPELINE

FIND TEN MORE.  Seriously, maybe twenty more.  This blog will discuss doing all you can to get in front of the interviewer; however don’t focus on just one job, no matter how perfect it sounds to you.  Just as in you sales careers, your pipeline needs to be consistently full.  As you move forward in the interview processes with companies, you will find that many will prove to not fit what you’re looking for or will disqualify you from the interview process.  Don’t over analyze the opportunities, just apply.  Apply to jobs despite the fact that they may not be perfect.  You can only learn a small amount of information from a job description – your perfect job could be hidden in a poorly written and vague job description.   

Step Two: DIRECT CONTACT

Don’t submit your resume blindly to a company’s website portal.  Find the name of the HR manager or Sales Manager and submit your resume directly.  If you cannot find those individuals, you can still apply to the website, but if you do, you might as well wad it up in a ball and tell your dog to carefully deliver it to the decision maker.  Instead, use one of the many online names databases like LinkedIN, Jigsaw and ZoomINfo to find the name and in some cases the contact information of a Sales Manager, VP of Sales, Director of HR, or Director of Sales. 

Step Three: PROFESSIONAL FOLLOW-UP

Now….go back to the basics and get yourself noticed by not one, but many different individuals in the organization.  You are marketing yourself, creating a buzz.  This process is identical to the steps you would take in order to secure a meeting to sell your product.  Repeat after me, your product is now yourself.  It is not personal, this is business.   

Email to EVERYONE that could be potentially involved in the hiring process.  Use an Email Cover Letter and attach your resume. 

Quick Tips For an Email Cover Letter:

Lose the fluff.  Tell them what they want to hear and only what they want to hear.  Read the job description and highlight all the pieces of the requirements that you have in short bullets.  Short!  Always include:

1. The types of companies you sell to; whom within these companies you talk to
2. Your average size deals
3. Your quota numbers for your last five years.  Percentage towards quota and sales team ranking. THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT
4. Any special awards, notable client wins, large deals.

Step Four: PHONE FOLLOW-UP

Using the direct phone numbers you have gathered from Jigsaw or traditional sales prospecting; call each potential decision maker to let them know you have recently sent your resume.  Make sure that you are brief and to the point.  A Sales Manager’s #1 priority is driving revenue.  If you have helped a Sales Manager achieve that goal before, sing to your successes; VERY BREIFLY.

(example)

“My name is Kimberly Collins and I’ve recently sent my resume for your consideration.  I have 6 years of experience in sales recruiting and have consistently ranked number 1 in my company and averaged over 200% of goal.  I would love the opportunity to speak with you about your open role.  You can reach me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx.”  

Articulate your contact information slowly and clearly. 

Step Five: CONTINUED FOLLOW-UP

This is the stage of the process when follow-up becomes an art.  You have to feel it out carefully and conduct yourself differently to almost every prospect. 

The goal: Creatively Stay in Front of Your Prospect

• After three days, email the exact same email again.  Follow up on the phone.
• Few days – find a Press Release or article on the company; email it to your prospect with a comment.  Attach your resume follow up with a phone call.
• Phone call again, zero out to operator, POLITELY (this is key) ask to have your prospect located.  Are they in the office?  At a meeting, when can they be reached?
• Send a hand written note
• Use social media
• Does your prospect have a blog?  Make a comment
• Does your prospect have a LinkedIN/Facebook/Twitter site – send a connection request

Gone are the days of submitting your resume, sitting back and waiting for the interested parties to start contacting you.  Just like in sales you need to work to get in front of these hiring managers.  Your actions during this “courting” process will also display who you really are as a sales person.

GOOD LUCK!

With social media on the rise and the majority of professionals being building profiles on such sites as Facebook and LinkedIn, one starts to wonder how much these profiles make a difference in a professional setting. I have been approached by many candidates concerning their LinkedIn profiles and one of the reoccurring topics is that of recommendations. How do you get them? How many should you have? Do hiring companies take these into consideration? I will say that recommendations are extremely helpful, but they do not override your experience or add to your relevancy in a candidate search. I have had several candidates who have approached me saying that they should be considered for a job that they have no experience with based on their LinkedIn recommendations. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. A recommendation on LinkedIn cannot get your foot in the door, but it can help you stay on the other side of the door once it’s opened. What many HR managers will do once they decide to talk to a candidate is look at their social networking profiles, such as LinkedIn. They look at how the candidate present themselves and if there are any recommendations that back up what is on the resume. A solid recommendation from a manager, boss or company superior can be extremely helpful in terms of solidifying your candidacy and helping build your reputation with the hiring company. However, your LinkedIn profile will not be the only social media profile that they take a look at. Nowadays, hiring manager or HR executives will look to see if you’re on Facebook or Myspace and they will rifle through your profile to try to learn more about your personal life. Pictures that make it look like you party on the weekends with rock bands probably will not help you out.

LinkedIn recommendations can also be helpful for you when a recruiter is trying to recruit off of LinkedIn and reach out to those candidates they find relevant. One of the things we look for when recruiting off of LinkedIn is recommendations. It may not be the deciding factor but the person with multiple strong recommendations may be the first one to get a call.

So, how do you go about getting LinkedIn recommendations? You can ask your managers and colleagues but I don’t suggest that you badger people to write about you. Instead, write one for someone else. Go about it with a karmic approach and write for a former colleague or manager that you feel strongly that deserves your kind words. You won’t always get a recommendation back from that person but they will be more likely to write great things about you if you recommend them first. You may receive a recommendation out of the blue, and when you do, make sure you return the favor. Getting recommendations will help you build your professional reputation, but so will giving them. So don’t neglect that long list of recommendations that you should make because it might help you out in the long run.