This line is from a sales ad I read this morning: Pre-qualified prospects are provided by <company> (cold leads). Reminds me of President Clinton saying, “It depends on what the meaning of the words ‘is’ is.” “Pre-qualified prospects” and “cold leads” seems to be a stretch, at least in my mind, to be used in the same sentence.
Continue ReadingStupid Sales Moves
Funny article from Saleshq.com: While working my way through college, I sold vacuum cleaners. Trying to close a sales call, I asked the prospects if I could use their phone to call my boss and see if I could get them a better price. Of course, I already knew what I could sell it for. So instead of dialing the whole number and bothering the boss, I only dialed six numbers. After a few minutes of acting like I was talking to my boss, the phone started making that really loud beeping noise that lets you know the phone is off the hook. They asked me to leave. R-O-O-K-I-E. I… Read More
Continue ReadingWhere The Jobs Will Come From
Call me an optimist, but it is always of interest to see where “experts” believe the recovery will begin. This information comes from the Herman Trend Alert and seems to make simple sense to me: When considering where the new jobs will come from, remember that there are two kinds of small businesses: those without employees (or non-employer businesses), and those with paid employees (or employer businesses). The US Small Business Office of Advocacy estimates that in 2008 there were 23.1 million non-employer and 6.1 million employer businesses. When the economy struggles, the number of non-employers tends to increase at higher rates, while the number of employer businesses stagnates or… Read More
Continue ReadingFailing To Succeed
This is an 8 minute video on failure from Honda via JustSell.com. The 8 min. may change your perspective:
Continue ReadingThe Age Of Ageism
I was at a networking group last week where I was able to talk to some jobseekers in a general format. One of the things that consistently surfaced was the perception from older workers that they were being discriminated against due to their age. I don’t know if these accusations were true, but they seem more than plausible. Some of the stories were downright sad – one candidate arrived for an interview and was sent out to the lobby to fill in the dates of his previous employment going back to the beginning…in the 1970’s. He didn’t get the job. The massive erosion of wealth over the past year has… Read More
Continue ReadingHard Numbers On Telecommuting
The Herman Trend Alert newsletter (sorry, no link) provides some interesting statistics from a Cisco survey: Now the international technology giant Cisco Systems has just released a study of its own organization demonstrating these benefits and more. Using telecommuting, Cisco estimates annual savings of USD $277 Million. In its in-depth “Teleworker Survey” of almost 2,000 company employees, the company evaluated the social, economic, and environmental impacts associated with telecommuting. The study found that telecommuting significantly increased employee productivity, work-life flexibility, and job satisfaction. In addition, the report cited that “a majority of respondents experienced a significant increase in work-life flexibility, productivity, and overall satisfaction as a result of their ability… Read More
Continue Reading5 to 1
That is the ratio of jobseekers for every advertised job opening in April of this year. The data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics by way of the Career News newsletter (sorry, no link). …there were 5.4 job hunters for every advertised opening in April. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey said the April ratio was up from 4.8 in March, and up dramatically from 1.7 in December 2007, when the recession began. That is one tough market for jobseekers. You notice the reference to “advertised” openings? At some point, maybe already, networking will become the highest priority for jobseekers in their search for job openings. The fact… Read More
Continue ReadingHow To Lose Your Job
Chances are if urination is involved, you will lose your job. From SalesHQ.com’s article 15 Stupidest Ways to Lose Your Job: When April 15 rolls around, urinating on the IRS might be on top of your to do list. But be careful—like audits, the IRS does not take peeing lying down. As first reported by The Smoking Gun, an IRS employee relieved himself in the freight elevator “on numerous occasions.” After the signature scent was noticed, a federal agent installed a surveillance camera and caught the urinator in the act. Did the culprit have a bladder problem? No, he said he “did this because he felt he could get away… Read More
Continue ReadingFor Gen Y, Jobs Are Secondary
I’m beginning to think Gen Y is the most overanalyzed generation in…a generation. BusinessWeek.com offers up this article – Why Certain Cities Attract Gen Ys. The big city has a general appeal to the Millennials which is probably true for most young generations. However, Gen Y does face a difficult career path due to tenure. Here is a surprising graph (emphasis mine): The appeal of big cities stems from a simple economic fact: They offer thicker labor markets with more robust job opportunities across a wide number of fields. Getting ahead in your career today means more than picking the right first job. Corporate commitment has dwindled, tenure has grown… Read More
Continue ReadingAdjusting A Sales Process For This Recession
The thought of retiring is going to be a novel idea in the near future, at least according to a new abcnews.com poll. In a recent survey of Americans (my bold): Half the population in this new ABC News poll thinks both job security and retirement prospects in the years ahead will remain worse than their pre-recession levels. Four in 10 also see worsened prospects for the availability of jobs and advancement, and, consequently, their own spending power. No surprise there. The second aspect regarding worsened prospects for the availability of jobs is phrased in a negative manner. However, it is only 40%. This effect occurs in these difficult economic… Read More
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