The Sprint decision to part ways with its overly demanding customers is making news all around the web and rightly so. I truly enjoyed the story – you can read it here if you missed it. The best line from the letter Sprint sent out to these customers (my emphasis): “While we have worked to resolve your issues and questions to the best of our ability, the number of inquiries you have made to us during this time had led us to determine that we are unable to meet your current wireless needs,” the letters said. The customers were told their service agreements were being terminated, they wouldn’t owe anything… Read More
Continue ReadingCannon Fodder In Sales Ads
A common mistake in sales ad writing is the belief that you have to cover every single responsibility in the position. This is not true and leads to long-winded ads that can actually be a deterrent to candidates. Case in point from an ad I read this morning: 15. Other duties as assigned. That’s right – bullet #15 looks like they ran out of gas so the finished the overly long list with a catch-all waste of a line. People understand there are many aspects to a job beyond what is written in the job description. If they don’t, they should work for the government. Don’t use the line listed… Read More
Continue ReadingLeadership Development
BusinessWeek.com offers a comprehensive article regarding executive development especially in regards to leadership. Sales executives/managers are underserved in this area. The author provides a handful of suggestions for development engagement, but I want to highlight two of them: €¢ Targeted assessment and development planning as part of succession planning or career path planning; €¢ Peer networking roundtables. Those two topics are right in our wheelhouse. We provide sales executive assessments today that help managers understand their natural strengths and potential blind spots. The reports are important in providing the basis for the sales manager to properly onramp a new salesperson and to retain them over time. To the second bullet… Read More
Continue Reading3 Years And A Cloud Of Dust
If you have been sourcing salespeople recently, you have probably noticed some short tenures among the Gen Y candidates. We are sourcing for an intermediate-level sales position that has garnered a noticeable response from Gen Y (or young Gen X) candidates. The remarkable trend is that many of the candidates have 2-4 years in each position before they move on to the next opportunity. Many of our Baby Boomer managers are questioning that “job-hopping” history. This concern is valid but it is also systemic in the younger generations. They are looking to move up in their career and loyalty to one employer is far less frequent than just 20 years… Read More
Continue ReadingTattoos And Body Art
Tattoos & piercings are a growing phenomenon in our society especially as the younger generation embraces this body art. The Rock Star posted on this topic last year and it spurred much debate. And a worthy debate it is as seen in a Pioneer Press’ Body art on the job: Nearly half of Americans between 21 and 32 have at least one tattoo or piercing other than in an ear, according to a 2006 study by the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Men and women alike say their tattoos make them feel sexy and rebellious, a 2003 Harris Poll found, while the unadorned of both genders see body art… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Downside Of Blogging
Obviously we are strong supporters of blogging and encourage everyone we can to join the Blogosphere. However, some people may not benefit from blogging about their company since some things are better left unsaid, or unknown. Foxnews.com’s Blogging Gone Bad at Bear Stearns reports on a hedge fund manager’s blog that went wrong in a big way. The manager seemed to have more than enough self-esteem to discuss his cratering funds in an unconcerned manner. Here’s where the perception created by a blog can have a negative effect: The blog, full of alpha-male inspired phrases likening the demise of his funds to the attack on Sparta would have provided comic… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Aging Labor Pool
Time for some simple Friday stats: According to the US Census Bureau the projected percentage of the population represented by each age group, from the 2000 census projected out to the year 2050.
Continue Reading50 Best Small And Medium Companies
The 50 best small & medium-sized companies to work for were selected and ranked by the Great Place to Work Institute Inc., a global workplace research and consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco. The institute also selects Fortune magazine€™s annual list of the €œ100 Best Companies to Work For,€ recognizing companies with more than 1,000 employees, as well as similar lists in 29 countries. Here are the top 25 small companies with 50 to 250 U.S.-based full- and part-time employees: Badger Mining Corp., Berlin, Wis., Mining & Quarrying InsureMe, Englewood, Colo., Financial Services & Insurance Analytical Graphics Inc., Exton, Pa., Information Technology Heinfeld, Meech & Co. PC, Tucson, Ariz., Financial… Read More
Continue ReadingClear Communication Or Sucking Up
Yahoo.com offers up a unique article titled Five Myths of Managing Up that purports to help employees communicate more clearly with their boss. I don’t know – many of the suggestions seem like sucking up to me. For instance: Conventional wisdom: If you’re even five minutes late, the boss will think you’re a slacker. Why it’s a myth: In an age of flex time, telecommuting, Blackberries, and instant messages, bosses care more about whether you’re getting the job done than whether you’re warming your seat. Try this instead: Make sure the boss knows you’re putting in extra hours at home or on the road, both by maintaining a rapid-response email… Read More
Continue ReadingGreat Cover Email Line
One guy closes with this line: P.S. – I haven’t taken a sick day in years – I don’t get sick. I don’t know why, but that line caught my attention and made me laugh. Not a bad technique to stand out in a crowd.
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