Are you struggling to find work in today’s crazy business environment?

Jill Konrath has just released her highly anticipated new book, Get Back To Work Faster: The Ultimate Job Seekers Guide.

Finding a job anytime is a challenge. It’s even worse when the economy is in bad shape. Traditional job search strategies are stacked against you. And, it’s virtually impossible to come out a winner when hundreds of qualified people apply for the same position.

It’s time to stop playing the old game! This new book will change how you look at job hunting forever. You won’t learn how to write a better resume, prepare for interviews or excel at networking. Instead, you’ll find out how to eliminate that ordeal entirely.

In Get Back to Work Faster, you’ll discover how to:

• Sharpen your value proposition so it appeals to employers.
• Position yourself as an invaluable resource, not a job seeker.
• Developing compelling emails, letters and phone messages.
• Target and research prospective employers.
• Launch an effective campaign to get a new position.
• Earn an income while you’re still looking for work.
• Get employers to create a new position specifically for you.
• … and much more!

Use these fresh strategies to become a “must hire” candidate and land a new job without any competition.

Get Back To Work Faster is BRILLIANT! This practical system, that any job seeker can implement, takes the agony out of the job search and puts YOU firmly in control. – Jeb Blount, CEO of SalesGravy.com, Author of Power Principles and 7 Rules For Outselling The Recession

Get Back to Work Faster is required reading for anyone looking to recover from a job loss, as well as anyone who is looking to establish their own brand.  Read this book now before it’s too late. – Dan Schawbel, Personal Branding Expert, Author of Me 2.0

The advice for job seekers in Get Back to Work Faster is beyond world-class. Jill offers a rare and refreshing breath of solid advice in a world that is jammed with hype. I hope job seekers wake up and get this book. It will improve their job-finding odds significantly, quickly and easily. – Mark Hovind, President of JobBait.com

Jill’s ideas are energizing and inspiring-she’ll get you moving in the right direction. - Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire and Author of Fired to Hired

Jill Konrath is the driver of the Get Back to Work Faster initiative, an internationally-recognized sales strategist, author of bestselling book, Selling to Big Companies (a Fortune “must read” selection) and an in-demand speaker at annual sales meetings and professional conferences. She helps salespeople, entrepreneurs and consultants crack into corporate accounts, create demand for their products/services and win big contracts. Jill has written hundreds of articles on sales strategies and is frequently quoted in top business media. She’s appeared in Success, Inc., WSJ Start-Up Journal, Entrepreneur, New York Times, Business Journal, Selling Power, Sales & Marketing Management as well as countless online publications and radio shows.

by Kathleen Steffey

As unemployment lines continue to lengthen, sales professionals in search of work are finding they need more than just a resume and telephone to land a job. In today’s market, they need to know how to make the most of online networking and job search tools.

The online job search site is one of the most basic tools for people seeking employment today. However, it’s not enough to simply post your resume on these services. You must make yourself stand out from the masses by sprinkling in the keywords employers are looking for when culling through the millions of other resumes posted on the web.

In fact, this is true whether you’re posting your resume to a job site, submitting it on a company’s website, emailing or even faxing it. The reality is that most large and many small companies use software to scan resumes for specific keywords. If your resume doesn’t include them, it will never be seen by human eyes.

One way to know just what those magic words are is to read ads for jobs that you’re interested in. Look for common phrases that you can work into your resume to increase the chance that it will stand out when hiring managers are doing their own searches.

For example, here is an ad for a sales representative for an IT solutions company. If this is the type of position you’d most like to have, working the bolded keywords into your resume and cover letter is a very smart first step:

We are currently looking for a sales representative to work out of the Manhattan office. Candidates must have past experience with selling in New York City. Responsibilities will include developing and aggressively growing sales through prospecting, cold calls and relationship development within a defined territory; developing and maintaining strong client relationships; evaluating customers needs; and establishing and maintaining a high level of quality and timely service to customers for maximum retention. Requirements include a minimum of 3-5 years sales experience selling IT services; BS/BA degree; ability to utilize a structured sales approach and methodology; proven success in cold-calling, prospecting, and closing business; ability to develop new business as well as maintain accounts; willingness to work hard and succeed; exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; excellent organizational and presentation skills; conscientious and detail-oriented; competency with MS Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint is a plus.

Don’t be afraid to customize your resume for every position you’re pursuing. The results are definitely worth the extra work. (Naviga Business Services now offers a resume service, so if you’re interested in getting expert advice, call 866-487-4156.)

You also need to establish a professional online presence. This will serve as the foundation for a network across which you can access referrals, recommendations and job opportunities. LinkedIn is one of the best options for building a professional (rather than personal) network. A basic profile is free, and lets you post your qualifications, build connections and join groups that share common professional interests.

Make sure you are diligent about using LinkedIn and other professional networking sites. Login at least once a day to search for new job opportunities – another area where your keyword proficiency will come in handy – participate in group discussions and invite or accept connections. And don’t be shy about asking connections to recommend you and make introductions.

However, even in today’s technology-driven world, it’s important to make a personal connection. Go to networking events offered by professional and community associations. Ask your colleagues and friends to introduce you to prospective employers. Then follow up on those introductions by requesting a meeting.

Finally, never forget the importance of thanking anyone who has taken the time to help you with your search, whether it was in the form of an introduction, a meeting or an interview. A personal note still carries a great deal of weight.

Kathleen Steffey is the CEO of the national sales and marketing recruiting firm www.navigaservices.com

by Bradley J. Moore, www.ShrinkingTheCamel.com

Several months ago I was offered a very exciting CEO position with a company in a glamorous industry. At least it seemed so at the time, compared to my current job. We spent a few weeks negotiating my package – I love saying that – “my package.” It sounds so…what’s the word? Substantial. But right before anyone signed anything, the whole deal fell apart because of some “accounting irregularities” that were uncovered. Oops. It sent the business into a tailspin for a while and eventually the owners sold out to an investor group, who of course wanted to choose their own CEO.

Thank God the mess came out of the woodwork before I committed to it. But afterwards, I was left with this empty feeling, wondering how I was going to go back to my real, now very boring by comparison, existing job (the one that was still paying me) with any enthusiasm. By comparison, my current job seemed entirely mundane and beneath my capabilities. Maybe, I thought, the job offer was a nudge from God pushing me forward, a sign for me to move on, to start looking for another CEO position somewhere else – a hint that I had outlived the useful life of the current company and position I was in. God does that sometimes, doesn’t He?

I kept ruminating about it, getting more and more disappointed and disgusted with my current station. Yes, I’m sure of it. God has Bigger Plans For Me! This is the Purpose and Direction I had been waiting for! This CEO opportunity must have been a fateful leading towards the next chapter of my life – the one in which I step into some fantastic leadership role and have huge influence and make gobs of money so I could become a well-known philanthropist and God would be so pleased and say “Well done, good and faithful servant!” and I could take the family on expensive European vacations a few times a year, even though the dollar was at an all-time low, and I could finally start that art collection that I’ve been dreaming about, etc etc etc.

I had big ideas about God’s plan for that particular chapter of my life. I decided that I must consult with my new British Leadership Coach and Mentor, Dr. Payne, about this. I desperately needed a business advisor to help me make some important career decisions. Dr. Payne is a British chap with a great accent and terrific sense of humor – kind of like Monty Python with a briefcase. And that refined British accent somehow makes him sound very, very smart and commanding, like I should do exactly as he says, no matter what, right now! It turns out that Dr. Payne also has a passion for helping working stiffs like me find more spiritual meaning in our careers and work life.

I met with Dr. Payne the next week at my office. I immediately unloaded my great burden on him, working myself into a lather about my untapped, underutilized, unacknowledged leadership potential that was completely going to waste. He let me rant for a while, and then he gave me some advice:

“As we get older and approach mid-life, it becomes more important to find joy in what we are doing rather than what we can achieve. Do you agree?

 “Sure thing, Doc” (What I was really thinking): “I don’t want joy, I want a kick-ass career upgrade! I want the stock grants and the IPO in two years and those business trips to Europe and the Caribbean!”

Dr. Payne definitely had the advantage here because he is about 15 years older than I am, so he might know something that I haven’t thought about yet. He talked about how things that were important to us when we are young do not bring us the same fulfillment as we start getting older. In order to stay happy and productive, we need to shift the way we look at our lives. This started to make sense. He continued.

“Because when we do things that bring us joy, it will ultimately bring joy to others. And then God opens up His pathways for us and you begin to experience His abundance. I have no doubt you will find your way to discover God’s purpose for your life. But right now I want you to spend the next few weeks paying very close attention to the things that bring you joy as you go through your work day. Write it down for me.”

OK, well, actually, joy isn’t so bad. I’m sure I could benefit from identifying the activities that bring me joy, since I’ve been so cynical and grumpy lately. In fact, to be honest, I haven’t really thought about joy in my life much at all. Joy is good. Good idea. 

Over the next few weeks I kept track of the things I did that brought me joy at work. Surprisingly, this was not difficult. It turns out there were many things about my job that were enjoyable. And keeping track of it kind of helped me to gravitate more towards those activities I found joy in. For me, they were things like working on high-level strategy projects, initiating major change, mentoring other guys in their jobs.  When I stopped to pay attention, there was actually a lot of interesting things going on with my job that I truly enjoyed. I think I had been so focused on what I didn’t have, or what I thought I should have, that I was missing the opportunity to make the most of what was right in front of me.  And maybe Dr. Payne was right. Maybe if I just keep focusing on the things I’m good at, the things I enjoy, then that tremendous new executive job would kind of show up at the right time. I decided I was going to have a better attitude about my current work.

Isn’t it funny: after just one meeting with Dr. Payne, I realized that I have been so focused on my career and the next big advancement, the next promotion, the next ego-boost, that I had forgotten how to think about life in more simple terms: fun; gratitude; relaxation; joy. I’m wondering if God sent Dr. Payne after all.

Read more articles like this at  www.ShrinkingTheCamel.com

by Keith Rosen, MCC

When it comes to making a purchase, people do what makes them comfortable, rather than what makes the salesperson comfortable. Now, that doesn’t mean they are comfortable with the solution or even want to spend the money and make the purchase. (Just ask anyone who had a flood in their basement and needed to spend thousands of dollars investing in a waterproofing system for their home.) However, it does mean they have a level of trust and comfort in the salesperson, the sales process and the solution.

I remember something that my daughter did one day when she was five years old. We were getting ready to leave the playground on a chilly fall afternoon. She stood next to me, as I opened the car door.

Suddenly, she said, “Dad, I don’t feel well. My tummy hurts.” A few seconds later, she put her head in the car and puked all over her car seat and the car floor. Of course, my first reaction was, “Honey, are you okay?” She responded, “Yes, dad, much better. I think it was something I ate.”

Once I knew she was fine, I then had to ask her, curiously, “Baby, why didn’t you just put your head down and puke right in the street outside the car rather than inside it? Her response; “Oh daddy, it’s too cold outside. It’s much warmer in the car.” Starting at a very early age, people do what makes them comfortable.

Keith Rosen is the preferred, experienced coach that top executives and sales professionals in many of the world’s leading companies call on. As a prominent, engaging speaker, coach and well-known author of many books and articles on selling, leadership, time management and achieving greater personal success, Keith is one of the foremost authorities on how to assist people achieve positive, measurable change in their attitude and in their behavior. As a pioneer and a leader in the coaching profession, Inc. magazine and Fast Company named Keith as one of the five most respected and influential executive coaches. 

…and sooo many are really bad!

As the President of Career Movement, which is an Executive Search and Career Coaching firm, I can say that the market is flooded with resumes right now as bad as the Mississippi River was flooded during the Great Flood of 1927. We have no trouble finding resumes right now. The challenge, as always, is finding the A+ resumes that will thrill our clients.

What does this mean for today’s job seeker?

? Your resume must give recruiters what they need quickly

? It must have desired “key words” to ensure search engines grab your resume

? Your accomplishments must be significant and quantifiable

? Business vocabulary at least “two levels above” your level must be used

? You can’t have a bunch of “fluff” that gets in the way of what is really important

I have always admired the work of the poet Kipling, but don’t follow the advice from his work, “If –” where he says, “And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise.” In the case of the Great Resume Flood of 2009, you must make your resume look good and your vocabulary must be, “two levels above” you, wise.  So as the recruiter’s levies cave with the endless sea of resumes, the candidates must know how to float to the top.

You can either do this yourself or hire an expert. If you use an expert you have to shop around and use a partner you trust to do a great job, is reasonably priced and guarantees their work. Unlike firms such as The Ladders, who charge $850 (WOW!!) to do a resume (although they throw in a free cover letter if you get their special!), there are excellent, affordable options out there.

At Career Movement we have built an Online Training Product called Power Resume which gives you all the details and tips you need to do your resume yourself for only $19.99 in a way that will significantly differentiate your resume from the millions of other resumes out there.

For those who don’t want to try and develop their own Power Resume, we offer a personalized resume service with a Certified Career Coach.

Once you have a great resume you need to have a great sales job search strategy which is a blog for another day. But one great tip to is to immeadiately post it on a niche sales job board like Sales Gravy Jobs.

There are good sales jobs out there, but you have to be at the top of your game to get those jobs.

Written by Tony Petrucci. Tony is the President of Career Movement Executive Search and Career Coaching. 

 by Justin Popovic

Whether you realize it or not, the way you choose to spend your day is ultimately a trade off. You are literally trading the minutes, hours and days of your life in exchange for your current activities. Most of us spend 40 (and often more) hours per week trading the precious moments of our life for our job. Two questions immediately rise to the surface:

1. Do you consciously recognize and appreciate each day of your life with the awareness that none of us know how much or how little time we have left?
2. If so, are you making a fair trade (i.e. are your activities worthy of your life energy)?

When I first understood this lesson at both an intellectual and emotional level, my honest answer to both of the above questions was NO! I was not necessarily taking my life for granted but I also did not truly appreciate my days. I was devoting my time to a number of things that did not make me happy and I was avoiding facing my fears. My mindset was ‘I will deal with it at a better time.’ Deep down I knew I was simply avoiding the issue altogether.

Specifically, I am talking about my professional career. Although I was quite successful, had a great salary, great security, excellent benefits and room to grow in the organization, I did not enjoy the work. I would start my day and look forward for it to be over. I did not work with any passion. Worst of all, I was trading my life for this career.
Because this was the only profession I knew and spent many years establishing myself, it never actually occurred to me that change was possible. I simply assumed that I would have to stick it out and hopefully do well enough financially so that I could retire early and THEN begin to enjoy my days.

Then I got involved in personal development programs. I started to learn more about life and more about the mind. I quickly realized that I had been operating my life following a set of beliefs and paradigms that were not necessarily ideas that I agreed with. I had always assumed that everyone disliked their job and it was just something we all had to go through to ‘earn our retirement’.

When I found out that there were many people who loved their work and had found a way to make a living based on their passions, I was very intrigued. I was also wary of the idea because it sounded too good to be true.

As I started to study some of these people and learn about the inspiring lives they were living, I realized a very important distinction between them and myself. Unlike me at the time, they DID appreciate the value of each living day and they also structured their life in such a way that they were trading their days for a purpose worthy of them and their true values.

When I compared them to myself, I was trading the days of my life for something that made me unhappy. When I dissected it further, I was choosing this lifestyle because I was too afraid to change. I was afraid to give up the salary and benefits, afraid to give up the position that took so many years to obtain, afraid to admit to others that I was unhappy and afraid to decide what I truly wanted out of life.

The more I thought about it and the more I studied personal development teachings and success stories, the greater my desire for change became. I started to reprogram my mind so that the pain of remaining status quo was actually more intense than the fear of change. I know many personal growth programs advocate positive thinking, but negative motivators inspire action for all of us. It certainly worked in my case.

Not only did this new mindset drive me to find my true passion and true calling in life (speaking and coaching), it helped me establish a sense of personal freedom that can best be described as liberation. There came a point where my self image literally shifted and I saw myself safely and confidently walking away from the career that I had so desperately held onto for many years.

The days of my life were far too important and valuable to be spending them doing something that had no meaning for me. After I resigned from that position, I made a personal commitment to dedicate the rest of my working days doing only that which I love.

I now love my work. I look forward to my days. I look forward to new projects and new opportunities. I never think about retirement because I never plan on retiring. When you do what you love, why would you ever want to stop?

justin@igniteyouressence.com
www.igniteyouressence.com
Justin Popovic is a speaker and success coach for the personal development education company, Ignite Your Essence.
 

We in sales work in what we like to claim is one of the highest paid professions, yet statistics indicate we are, in fact, employed in one of the lowest paying professions.  In fact, we are engaged in a business that is unevenly divided between a relatively small group of highly skilled professionals, earning some of the highest wages in the world, and a huge group of unskilled and semi-skilled laborers, earning unskilled and semi-skilled wages.

One of the Lowest Paid Professions

Take a look at the following income statistics for some other professions (these are MEDIAN incomes from 2006*, meaning half those in the profession make less than the income listed, while the other half make more that the income listed):

Truck Driver:
Average income for those with less than 1-year experience:  $30,539
Average income for those with 10 years experience:             $48,654

Business Banker:
Less than one-year experience:     $42,000
10 years experience:                      82,539

Registered Nurse:
Less than one-year experience:      $44,969
10 years experience:                       58,988

Dentist:
Less than one-year experience:       $98,041
10 years experience:                      122,248

Family Physician:
Less than one-year experience       $101,423
10 years experience:                      130,593

CPA:
Less than one-year experience:       $47,218
10 years experience:                        68,968

Attorney:
Less than one-year experience:        $57,494
10 years experience:                       102,709

Engineer:
Less than one-year experience:         $55,011
10 years experience:                          81,221

Plumber:
Less than one-year experience:         $35,697
10 years experience:                          50,107

Carpenter:
Less than one-year experience:        $28,885
10 years experience:                         50,319

Now, here’s the median income for sales:
Less than one year’s experience:      $32,500
10 years experience:                         47,240

Notice something?  The only professions we start at a higher rate of pay are truck driver and carpenter—but by the 10th year we’re trailing them, as well as every other profession listed, in median income.

Can We Really Call This a Profession?

Why do so many of us make so little?  What do the other professions do that we don’t?

One glaring factor is education and training.  Seven of the ten non-sales professions above require a minimum of a college degree—along with additional specialized training.  Only two—banking and carpentry—don’t require a professional license of some sort (OK, some engineers don’t have to be licensed either, but a great many do). 

And sales?  With a few exceptions by product or company, no degree required.  Specialized training?  None required and little, if any, sales training provided by most companies.  Certainly, most companies provide product training; they want their salespeople to know the company’s products and services.  But most companies offer little sales training. 

Selling is one of the few professions where the ‘professional’ is often left to train him or herself because, after all, anyone can do it.  Give someone a phone and a list and they’re a salesperson, right?

Few professions or trades allow an untrained individual to “practice” their “craft,” because until trained, they don’t have a craft to practice.  That’s certainly not the way most companies and salespeople see selling.

No rational person would accept a doctor or lawyer who had not received extensive formal training in his or her profession and then proven a minimum level of competence by passing a professional licensing exam.  Likewise, we expect those engaged in skilled trades such as plumbing and truck driving to also have both formal training and certification in their profession.

The reward for their training?  For many, the rewards of their training are job satisfaction and enjoyment, but the primary reward is increased wages.  We naturally expect that the more time—and money–invested in one’s professional training, the larger the income reward. 

A doctor will invest 8 to 10 years beyond college in learning the basics of his or her craft and is rewarded with one of the top wages in the country.  An attorney will invest 3 or more years beyond college and is likewise rewarded with top wages.  Plumbers go through an apprenticeship and extensive testing to acquire their license and are rewarded with a top hourly wage, and those plumbers who continue their studies beyond the Journeyman stage and proceed on to become Master Plumbers are rewarded with even more income.

Yet few salespeople have undergone extensive and comprehensive sales training.   We, as a group, are woefully under trained, yet we expect to make professional wages. 

The typical company gives their sales team members less than 50 hours a year in formal training—and the majority of that training isn’t sales training but is rather product training.  Studies have discovered that the typical salesperson invests less than 30 hours a year—two hours a month–in study and training outside of what they receive from their company.

As a group, we are among the least prepared and skilled of any profession or trade.  Is it any wonder we are also one of the poorest paid?

The Professionals Among Us

Nevertheless, there are a great many highly skilled professionals in the sales industry, men and women who through hard work and substantial personal investment of their time and money have developed the knowledge and skills to reach the top of their profession. 

Although many average and less than average salespeople rationalize these top performer’s success as nothing but luck, having been given a book of business by a favorable manager, or as simply being a ‘natural,’ that is seldom the reality of their success. 

Top producers for the most part entered the sales profession in the same way as most salespeople—by accident, without knowing anything about selling, without the contacts and skills needed to succeed.  Most struggled for months or even years before they discovered the ‘secret’ to success. 

Virtually all of these top producers were given the standard advice to always be prospecting, ask for referrals, spend time in building rapport, find and solve the prospect’s needs, ask for the order.  Like most salespeople, they were told what they should do but were never taught how to do it. 

It wasn’t until they began to acquire training on their own through reading, listening to tapes and CDs, attending seminars and workshops, and diligently applying what they learned that they began to move from unskilled laborer to true sales professional.  Many, if not most, in this group invest anywhere from 200 to 300 hours per year or more in personal training and skill development—that’s 7 to 10 times the investment in training as the average salesperson.  Is it then any wonder they are not only better prepared to sell, but make 2, 5, 10, 20 or 30 times what the average salesperson makes?

Professional or Unskilled Laborer—It’s Your Choice

You don’t become a sales professional or stay an unskilled or semi-skilled laborer by accident.  You either do those things that will make you a highly paid professional, or you do those things that will keep you in the unskilled or semi-skilled labor category. 

You get to choose whether you want to become a professional and enjoy professional wages—or whether you’re happy being an unskilled laborer.  There are thousands of quality books, CDs, seminars, workshops and other training opportunities available.  You can pinpoint your specific needs and find a multitude of training resources to address them.  All you need do is commit yourself to getting and applying the needed training, and then do a simple Google search to find thousands of learning opportunities.

If you’re waiting for your company to train you, you stand an excellent chance of never growing beyond a semi-skilled wage.  You control your destiny.  Yes, it takes a commitment of time, energy and money—but rewards are not only a far more enjoyable and satisfying job, but also one that will provide you with the income you dreamed of when you entered sales.
 
Paul McCord is president of McCord Training, an international sales training and consulting firm located in Texas.  The author of two best-selling books and the author of numerous sales and management articles, Paul has trained thousands of salespeople and managers around the world.  He is the author of the popular Sales and Sales Management Blog (http://salesandmanagementblog.com).  He may be contacted at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com or visit his website at www.mccordtraining.com

by John Boe

Biography is one of my favorite TV shows because it pays tribute to the accomplishments of well-known, successful men and women. I gain insight and inspiration from their stories of achievement and personal triumph over adversity. I find it interesting to note that successful people clearly understand the value of a role model and the power of a mentor’s guidance. Each of these high-achievers are quick to express sincere praise for their mentors and the positive impact they had on their lives. They’re grateful that someone recognized their talent and believed in them enough to help them develop their full potential.   

There are two kinds of people in this world, those that build bridges and those that don’t. Bridge builders are mentors who understand the power of a kind word and the importance of sincere praise. They’re always available to share their talent and experience. Mentors are team players all the way and lead by example. These unselfish people invest their time and energy helping others avoid pitfalls along their chosen path. Bridge builders mentor without concern for personal gain or credit. They don’t build bridges for the sake of recognition or tribute; they build because it’s in their nature to encourage and support others.

As a boy, I recall reading a poem under the glass on my father’s desk entitled The Bridge Builder. This insightful verse and its message of mentorship has served me well over the years and is a great example for all of us to emulate. If you’re a bridge builder congratulations, the world is a far better place because of the difference you make in the lives of others. How many bridges have you built lately?

The Bridge Builder
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim; The sullen stream had no fear for him; But he turned, when safe on the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim, near,
“You are wasting strength with building here; Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again will pass this way; You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide- Why build you this bridge at the evening tide?”

The builder lifted his old gray head:
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said, “There followeth after me today, A youth, whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm, that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”

- Will Allen Dromgoole

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 877 725-3750. Free Newsletter available on website.

by Jeb Blount, author of Power Principles

Listen to the audio version of this article at: http://sales.quickanddirtytips.com

For many Sales Professionals the stress of our current economic situation is already taking a toll. Besides shrinking retirement accounts and the relentless stream of bad news, corporate compensation policies are becoming less generous, customers are cutting back (which impacts commission checks), the competition for new accounts has never been more fierce, and the cost of everything is going up. And, to make things worse, salespeople everywhere walk on egg shells wondering when the next wave of cuts may leave them without a job.

Fear is palpable everywhere I go. Everyone is scared. Most people are searching for answers. Some are so paralyzed with fear that they are taking no action at all. I’m not going to presume to tell you that your fear is unfounded because it is not. I’m not going to deliver an empty message telling you that if you just manage your attitude everything else will work out. Though attitude is very important, attitude without action can hurt you in this environment. What I am going to give you are a few commonsense tips designed to help you stay employed so that you have the means to make it through this recession in one piece, and are positioned to win when we come out on the other side.

Tip One – Activity Is Everything: complete all of your customer visits, make all of your prospecting calls, hit all your new appointment and closing appointment targets. Even if you are not at quota you don’t want anyone questioning your activity. And if you are achieving your activity targets but not hitting quota, the economy, not you, may get the blame. Activity is tangible. It can be measured, analyzed, and reported up. When you hit your activity targets the perception is that you are working hard and toeing the company line. Your company and your boss are more likely to invest in and keep the salespeople they perceive to be hard workers. One more note here – be sure that your reports and paper work are perfect and always on time.

Tip Two – Don’t Complain: you are stressed out, your company is cutting back, the boss is more demanding, and things are changing. You may even be asked to take a pay cut. Heed this warning: DO NOT COMPLAIN. Don’t complain to anyone, for any reason, at any time – no matter what. If you complain to co-workers, they will use your words to throw you under the bus and save their own hides. And the last thing the boss wants to deal with is a complainer. The boss is likely way more stressed than you are. She doesn’t need you to remind her of how bad she already feels for reducing entertainment expenses, cutting spiffs, or having to announce that the annual awards trip has been canceled. So learn to keep your mouth shut. Instead, start repeating to yourself, “I’m lucky to have this job.” or “It could be worse, I could be unemployed.” Keep a smile on your face, accept things as they are, and stay focused on your activity targets.

Tip Three – Become Indispensable: in the past when companies downsized it was always last in, first out. Today, however, most organizations choose who goes and who stays based on productivity. In other words, people who generate more value for the organization stay. Being indispensable means more than just doing your sales job perfectly. It means volunteering for projects, looking for ways to add value, and consistently asking the boss if there is anything you can do to help. Change your way of thinking about work. Right now your job must become everything. Devote yourself to it – even if it means putting other things (like time with your family) aside. Work longer hours, be seen often, and always offer to lend a hand. Your goal is to create the perception that you are an employee the organization cannot live without.

Tip Four – Make No Enemies: unfortunately, in most companies, non-salespeople don’t like Sales Professionals. This dislike is motivated mostly by jealousy. The other people in your company are jealous because you work less, have a flexible lifestyle, go on the award trips, and out earn almost everyone – including top executives. Because of these feelings, your non-sales co-workers are looking for a reason to hate you. Normally this is not such a big deal. However, in a recessionary economy, you must not create enemies; and if you have enemies, do whatever you can to repair those relationships. Be flexible with demands and difficult people. Bend over backwards to accommodate. Let insults and affronts to your character roll off your back. Smile. Be polite and respectful. Stay away from office politics at all times. And, never say a disparaging word about anyone because it will get back to them.

Tip Five – Be Prepared to Jump Ship: it is always easier to find a new job when you have a job – especially if you are at the top of your game. Even in a recessionary economy top sales professionals are in demand. The proof of that are the more than 100,000 sales jobs currently listed on http://www.SalesGravy.com. Unfortunately, many people only start searching for their next sales job the day they get fired or laid-off. You must be prepared. Start by getting your resume in order – get a professional service to put it together for you if you don’t have time. Post your resume on job boards, like http://www.SalesGravyJobs.com, where you can hide your personal information. Begin searching online to get a feel for the sales jobs that are available and which companies and industries are expanding. Most importantly, keep your eyes and ears open. Pay close attention to the moves your company makes. Don’t make any career changes in haste or in a panic. But, if after careful consideration, you feel like your demise is inevitable and you are about to be cut, take action to make a change while you are still employed.

Jeb Blount is the bestselling author of Power Principles. Get the new Power Principles audio book at http://www.salesgravy.com/shop

by Ro Johnson

 With the recent economic news: Not very! If the financial crisis spreads further economists say we could start to see more day-to-day impacts, such as you can’t get a car loan or home equity line of credit, or that your credit card limits are reduced.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
If the crisis continues to spread unchecked, we also could find that our employer isn’t able to borrow the money it needs to buy new equipment or inventory, expand its operations, hire new employees or even pay us. This could lead to higher unemployment and lower consumer spending, and send our already spiraling economy into spinout mode.

Think your job is safe? How much does your company depend on a strong banking system? Who are your customers? How do they pay for your services? How much of your compensation is salaried? Do you own stock in the company, or are you a principal? What about your largest client, is their share of your revenue large? If it’s more than 45% then your firm could be exposed to implosion.

If businesses take a conservative stance on spending the first area of their budget to slash will be marketing expenses. It should be the last, but it isn’t. The company will focus on maintaining its current customer base and cutting operating costs. It will opt for less expensive ways of generating sales by using advertising versus direct-field selling. They will cut layers of management down to a minimum, leaving many executive level sales professionals scrambling to polish off their resumes. This is reflected by the large number of highly qualified and long experienced sales professionals registered with online job searches.

“We are in a credit crunch and it’s starting to crunch America’s businesses, large and small,” said James Wilcox, a professor of financial institutions at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

How safe is your job? Better batten down the hatches because a storm is coming.