Finally, some positive press for a slightly overlooked generation. From Foxnews.com’s Research Shows Generation Xers Get a Bum Rap, But They’re No Bums: The new 30-somethings do face some challenges that others didn’t. They’re making less than their parents were at the same age. According to U.S. Census estimates, the median income for men between 25 and 34 in 2005 was $31,161. In 1975, adjusted for inflation, it was $35,296. The comparable data for female workers was $22,815 in 2005 and $16,247 in 1975. And, they have much bigger bills. It’s not just the school loans, it’s the generally bigger lifestyle that hurts their bottom line. Think about the computer,… Read More
Continue ReadingAnnoying Aspects Of Meetings
Inc.com offers a quick article about annoying meeting items – New Study Reveals Why Meetings Are So Unbearable. From the article: Of 1,037 full- or part-time workers polled, 27 percent ranked disorganized, rambling meetings as their top frustration, followed by 17 percent who said they were annoyed by peers who interrupt and try to dominate meetings. Surprisingly, respondents considered BlackBerry use less intrusive than people falling asleep during a meeting €” 9 percent of respondents were bothered by co-workers nodding off, compared to just 5 percent who said they get frustrated by others checking e-mail. Checking email? That makes me laugh since a certain someone in our company Rock Star has… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Intuitive Decision Making
Ok, we’ll approach this week’s trait cautiously since it approaches some forms of gut-level decision-making. Strong selling requires salespeople who do not guess or assume. Rather, they qualify by asking the right questions and listening to the answers. But let’s face it, there is a bit of artistry to being a good salesperson. Much of that artistry comes from having the ability to make the right decision even when all of the data is not available. Intuitive Decision Making The ability to accurately compile intuitive perceptions about a situation into a decision or action. This ability allows one to be €œintuitional€ as opposed to intellectual (requiring data and logical reasoning)… Read More
Continue ReadingWho Needs A Landline?
From our local Pioneer Press: More than a quarter of young adults have only cell phones, making them the leading edge of a strengthening move away from traditional landline telephones, a federal survey showed Monday. Overall, the portion of adults with only cell phones grew by more than 2 percentage points in the latter half of last year to nearly 12 percent, an expansion rate that began in the first part of 2006 and was double earlier rates of growth. One in four people age 18 to 24 had only cell phones, as did 29 percent of those age 25 to 29, the study showed. The percentages declined with age… Read More
Continue ReadingTurnover Trouble
Turnover is trouble for any company when it is not controlled. To use a timely analogy, it is similar to a forest fire. A controlled burn clears out a section allowing it to be repopulated with fresh, new trees. An out-of-control fire can destroy an entire forest in a short amount of time. Obviously, extreme turnover is typically a sign of a “churn-and-burn” organization. However, a small, controlled amount of turnover is valuable to an organization’s overall health. But what about a company with no turnover? Is it healthy? This question is difficult to answer in a vacuum. Number of employees, company revenue, market trends, etc. all play into the equation. Yet, problems will… Read More
Continue ReadingAn Ad Without Clarity
In reading through more sales ads this morning, I kicked up an example of an ad without clarity about the position. Here are the qualifications: -Hard working and dependable -Sales experience is necessary (____________ industry, preferred) -Must have no travel restrictions in covering assigned multi state territory -Must be computer literate -College Degree preferred -Strong Relationship building skills That is it. The remainder of the ad is filled with the compensation and benefits the salesperson will earn in this role. The few bullet points provide no specific traits or skills for a candidate to qualify. I suspect that almost every salesperson who reads the ad will believe they fit these… Read More
Continue ReadingNew Position – Sales Demonstrator
I just read an ad for a position I have never seen advertised before – “Sales Demonstrator.” I was quite skeptical before reading the ad – successful selling pivots on the salesperson’s ability to qualify. There is no more important sales skill set than qualifying. Demonstrating to an unqualified prospect is a fool’s errand. However, after reading through it, I realized the ad is actually pretty solid. The position is B2C sales so the demonstration part makes more sense (consumer sales tend to involve more emphasis on the demonstration stage of a sale). Part of the description: Demonstrators offer water samples to people passing by and try to engage them… Read More
Continue ReadingVideo-Conference Interviewing
I have been working through many phone screens and phone interviews over the past few weeks. These interactions are tough for the candidate and for the interviewer. I was at a communication conference this past weekend that restated something I already knew – 55% of all communication is non-verbal. This fact is never more obvious than during a phone interview. So SellingPower.com has an article in their latest hiring newsletter that caught my eye – Three, Two, One, Action. The article discusses video-conference interviewing. I am currently working on national positions in every region except the Southeast. Video conferencing would make this task much easier. Some points: Rooms can cost… Read More
Continue ReadingAlternative Sourcing Channels
Sourcing strong sales candidates is a full-time proposition in this current job market. We are encountering extended sourcing times as we work through different channels. SellingPower.com offers a quick-read article with some suggestions for different channels. The suggestions: Outplacement FirmsGovernment ResourcesAssociationsCommunity Resources (local papers)Company AlumniMilitary Outplacement Those are all good suggestions and I am a strong proponent of using non-traditional channels simultaneously with job postings and networking. I’m not a critic of the major job boards. In fact, I find them to be quite effective for finding strong candidates. My guess is the people who struggle with them may not be placing the right ads to attract the right candidates. … Read More
Continue ReadingAssessing Cultures Before A Merger or Acquisition
Last week I posted on a democratically-run company and the challenges they face. Today I came across a business article from our local Pioneer Press titled Lawson’s clash of cultures. The article speaks to locally-based Lawson Software and their acquisition of a Swedish company. There are distinct differences in business approach between the US and Europe: The problem hasn’t been the technology. It’s been cultural, especially getting Swedish employees accustomed to a new way of doing their jobs, Debes said. “It’s the Nordic region, so you’re talking about a socialist culture where, even though there are no formal unions, the employees act like they’re unionized,” he said. They expect management… Read More
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