During a recent salesperson search involving a long, complex, technical sale, we posted a clearly written ad that asked candidates to either email their resumes or to call. I received a voicemail from a candidate who actually picked up the phone to call (something we always like to see in salespeople). However, here was his messagel: “I seen your ad and am currently in route sales. I need to get out of this position and make a change now. Please call me today so I can find out how soon I would be able to start.” He then left me his first name and his pager number. Desperation is rarely… Read More
Continue ReadingSocial Networking Between Candidates and Your Employees
All honesty here, we are not well informed on the entire social networking side of the web. We’re just starting to use Digg and del.icio.us so our knowledge is limited. But this CareerJournal story is loaded with foreshadowing. Getting the Scoop On a Future Boss discusses the changes occurring in the social networking field by allowing job seekers to connect with existing employees at a company. From the author: Until recently, social networking on the Web was confined to hubs for young people seeking to meet and chat. Now, there is growing interest in adapting social networking to the business world — both among networking sites looking to expand their… Read More
Continue ReadingHiring the Right People
Quick-hitting article from Inc.com called Employers Fear Shortage of Workers. The takeaway paragraph: Employee productivity isn’t the only concern for employers, according to the survey — 41% of small-business owners cite hiring the right people with the right job skills as the number one employment issue they face, with retaining and motivating employees at a close second. There is a way to improve your hiring success.
Continue Reading“That idea is so wrong it’s not even stupid.”
Office Tormentors Appear Normal, But Pack a Wallop from CareerJournal really needs no analysis. I don’t know if it is worth the read so I will point out the 3 things that entertained me plus one of our customer’s interactions with a flamethrower. First (emphasis mine): Mr. Namie is the director of the Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute, which is pushing various states to enact laws against “abusive conduct,” including “verbal or physical conduct that a reasonable person would find threatening, intimidating, or humiliating.” Thus far, the bills either died in committee or weren’t scheduled for hearings, he says. The institute’s name sounds like the basis of a Saturday Night… Read More
Continue ReadingAre Your Salespeople Doing These Things?
Lists . . . we love ’em. Here is a good one from justsell.com. 17 things a salesperson should continually be doing during the selling process. I’ll repost them all here with my emphasis: positively expectant enthusiastic asking questions listening qualifying the opportunity (for both parties) discovering hot buttons (what’s in it for them) building rapport establishing trust developing credibility developing a valuable relationship addressing objections planning next action steps confirming understanding asking for referrals seeking additional opportunities to serve & sell evaluating responses & results (positive/negative) affirming decisions (minimizing buyer’s remorse) Obviously these are all important selling activities. When you get down to the brass tacks of selling, it… Read More
Continue ReadingRight Brain Creativity in Business
I read this Marketing Profs’ article yesterday – Left Brain, Right Brain: Creating a New Business Model – and then deleted it. But I have been thinking about it during this busy day with customers. It is an thought-provoking article that takes me back to my days as a psych major in college. I chalked it up to my own interests, but the thesis is quite applicable to today’s hiring model. Here’s what piqued my interest: Stephen J. Adler, Editor-in-Chief of Business Week, has dubbed today’s business environment “the Creativity Economy.” Interesting catch phrase. Then came this: After all, if business executives are expected to become creative thinkers, problem solvers,… Read More
Continue ReadingYearn vs. Earn
CareerJournal.com has this attention-grabbing article – Getting a Raise From the Boss. I opened that one immediately. Then, I read this: Complicating matters for working stiffs: Employers increasingly are doling out money based on performance, instead of giving out across-the-board raises that were more common back in the 1990s. This year, for instance, bonuses will account for 11% of payroll, Hewitt estimates, up from only 4% in 1990. I emphasized that one part since this is a pet peeve of mine. Performance-based incentive should be the norm for all positions within a company. Almost all sales plans contain a form of variable compensation based on success. In “working stiff” terms,… Read More
Continue ReadingInterview Strategies
CareerBuilder has a new article – Top 4 Strategic Interview Styles – that provides some thoughtful approaches to interview strategies. However, I take umbrage with the opening sentence: Interviews are the most important piece of the hiring process. Wrong. Of far greater importance is knowing what traits lead to success in the position. This truth is even more evident when hiring salespeople. If we were to pick one of these 4 interview styles, we would go with the “panel interview.” From the article (emphasis mine): Panel interviewing method forces the candidate to react to a variety of questions and personalities, and will show if the candidate can handle a situation… Read More
Continue ReadingPutting Your Value Proposition in Play
Why Should Customers Do Business with You? provides some guidance in determining your value proposition. A jaw-dropping stat from the opening paragraph (emphasis mine): …business consultant Jaynie Smith could find only two out of 1,000 CEOs who could name their competitive advantages. That’s a stunning figure because competitive advantage, and a company’s ability to trumpet that advantage to the marketplace, is the most surefire way to close deals, retain clients, and stay miles ahead of the competition, says Smith. I realize that CEO’s are occupied with all facets of the business beyond sales, but every company I have worked for has integrated the CEO into large customer interactions. At one… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Truth About Lies
Interesting article – The Top Seven Signs That Someone is Lying to You – that provides clues to look for when talking to others face-to-face. The article is a quick read and well worth your time. An excerpt: No eye contact. Generally, if someone is lying they will not look you in the eye, at least during a certain part of the conversation. Normally, people make eye contact for at least half of a conversation, so anything less than this could be suspicious. One caveat: there are some people who will take great pains to make eye contact with you even if they’re lying, simply to make you think they’re… Read More
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