An ad continues to run for a specific sales position in our backyard that defines the job as an outside sales person, Account Executive and requires 25% travel. Yet the title of the ad is Sales/Customer Service. These two positions are almost mutually exclusive of each other. There are few customer service people who develop into strong outside business development salespeople. The opposite is true too, most strong outside salespeople do not make effective customer service reps.
The point here is that ad titles are incredibly important in today’s online world. The title is the gateway to garnering the click. Without the click, the ad does not get seen.
I have read a few sales ads that appear to be written in a printed paper “hangover” mode. There are many acronyms in the copy (“FT” for full-time). There are poorly constructed titles (the aforementioned example). There are fax-only response instructions (seriously – read one this morning).
Avoid these modern-day pitfalls. My remedial suggestions:
- have a strong title (position title and industry at a minimum)
- write to an online ad (no shorthand, use the space fully)
- request an email response (and phone number for sales – calls are good things)
- know why the position requires a Bachelor’s degree (if you do not have a compelling reason, don’t include it)
Yes, these are simple suggestions, but I am still surprised at the number of ads that do not follow these guidelines. In regards to the Sales/Customer Service ad, I would change to the title to Account Executive – IT Industry. Simplistic, but far better than a confusing combination of categorically different roles.