Seth Godin offers a clear delineation between strategy and tactics.

This post reminds me of a company I used to work for that provided sales training. The tactical level of the training was excellent and provided the salespeople with a toolbox of powerful moves. Unfortunately, the strategy behind the process was never coherent and the salespeople never grasped the process.

The end result was salespeople who could use one or two of the tactics, but would then get shut down by the prospect. The frustration in the salespeople manifested itself in their concise criticism, “I don’t know what to do next.”

Mr. Godin speaks in marketing terms, but this point sums up the issue I observed with the sales training:

Here’s the difference: The right strategy makes any tactic work better. The right strategy puts less pressure on executing your tactics perfectly.

How true.

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Now HotJobs.com offers up their survey about job seekers in 2007 – Many workers to consider new jobs in 2007. No surprises in that headline. Their stats:

The survey — in which nearly two-thirds of respondents (66 percent) said they would consider new job opportunities in 2007 — suggests the U.S. workforce is full of “passive job seekers” looking to improve their prospects.Optimism about new jobs in 2007 was also common among survey-takers, as approximately 70 percent believe opportunities for job seekers are better or the same as one year ago.

These numbers are similar to SHRM’s results.

There is a stark contradiction later in the article.

Salary ranked as the main thing workers would change about their jobs (39 percent), with benefits coming in a distant second place at 12 percent. In addition, three-fourths of respondents said they did not get the raise or bonus they expected in 2005.

Yet, later in the article is this finding:

When asked how they define success, respondents opted for less tangible benefits than salary. Nearly half (46 percent) said having a work/life balance was the key to success, while 41 percent equated “feeling fulfilled” with success. Only 9 percent considered a high salary as the indicator of success.

It would be interesting to know the age groups that were surveyed, or at least the break out of respondents. Salary is probably what most survey participants believe is the “proper” answer to a survey question regarding why they would leave. Yet half of them do not find it to be a key to their own personal success.

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I saw this section in a sales ad this morning:

Day to Day – At a glance

The section contained seven bullet points explaining the tasks of a typical day in this role. It was a quick read section that provided enough insight into the position to pique the interest of the right candidates.

The brevity of the section is the factor that makes it work. I would not recommend 25 bullet points with every daily task – just provide the flavor for the candidate.

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CNNMoney.com offers this quick story – Planned job cuts take big Dec. dip. The phrase “planned job cuts” is a poor construction, but it essentially means expected layoffs.

Planned job cuts for all of 2006 fell below 1 million for the first time since 2000, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., an employment consulting firm.

Be wary of the naysayers spouting an impending doom for our economy. The economy is robust and it truly is an employee’s market right now. The reason why you should be aware of this fact:

“With the American economy at full employment for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, the latest job-cut data provide strong evidence that employers turned their energy toward retention in 2006,” Challenger said.

There is a perfect storm brewing right now (or perhaps already raging). We have historically low unemployment, almost automated job search agents and a new generation of workers who monitor new opportunities . . . all the time.

Retention will be a top priority for 2007. It should be a top priority every year. Salespeople are on the look out for something better. If turnover is trampling your sales staff, perhaps it is time to provide some assistance to your sales management team?

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Today we are focusing on an aptitude that has become more prevalent with the advent of remote salespeople. When we assess sales candidates for home-based or remote office positions, we place a higher significance on this trait.

Self-Management
An overall trait comprised of multiple factors which involve a person’s ability to manage his or her own self. This trait is similar to a person’s ability to manage others which involves empathy, understanding, gaining commitment and various other leadership qualities. This trait measures a person’s ability to marshal similar abilities toward managing themselves.

A salesperson with strength in this aptitude will be able to objectively and accurately assess their own strengths and developmental needs. They tend to be realistic in deciding what they are capable of doing and in what time frame they can do it.

A salesperson with weakness in this area may have trouble applying these capabilities towards themselves. This is not to say that they do not posses the proper tools to manage. Rather, they simply may not be very practiced at internalizing such efforts towards themselves. They may fail to maximize their abilities to their fullest potential since they have difficulty properly analyzing themselves.

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