Jason Davis at Recruiting.com points us to Resume Hell. I have a real weakness for poorly-worded resumes and cover letters. This site offers some entertaining quips. For example: “interests and hobbies none at present” Or maybe this one: “Hobbies I enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians” One final one: “Hobbies…Liposuction…” If you enjoy these items, check out the site – I guarantee you will laugh.
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Self-Direction
This week we look at a trait that is growing in importance with the number of home-based sales position. We are working with multiple customers to find strong salespeople who are located in the territory and based out of their house. Truly this is a strong trend for the future. One trait that needs to be measured is this week’s offering. Self-Direction Balanced self-direction originates with an internal drive to excel in a chosen career path. It requires one to have a strong desire to be better than they currently are today. This trait includes having a clear vision of one’s future objectives and the self-discipline and organization necessary to… Read More
Continue ReadingStats On Gen Y Web Use
Inc.com’s article Seven Out of 10 Employees Admit to Abusing Office Computers, Phones relays some stats from a recent Harris Interactive survey. Nearly 72 percent of workers ages 18 to 24 said they check personal e-mail accounts at work (compared to 61 percent of the general population), and 77 percent are using the Internet personally (compared to 69 percent of workers overall), the survey says. Seventy-one percent of the young respondents said they maintain some sort of personal website. Personal blogs are the most popular among young workers, while 52 percent use networking accounts, such as MySpace or Facebook. Thirteen percent of workers 18 to 24 have an online dating… Read More
Continue ReadingManaging Gen Y Workers
Manage Smarter offers Understanding the 20-Something Workforce. I have to confess, in our business we do not have frequent interaction with 20 some year olds. Here are excerpts of the author’s suggestions: 1. Make their first day unforgettable. Twenty-somethings thrive on instant gratification. “They’re used to taking a lot of data in at one time and making a choice,” Dorsey says. While this is a great asset in business, it unfortunately means a company has little time to make an positive impression. 2. Don’t rely on a competitive salary to keep talent. “It’s a big realization, but money does not always build loyalty,” Dorsey says. Twenty-somethings’ parents, often Baby Boomers… Read More
Continue ReadingYou Can Ask Me Anything – Just Email Me.
I am currently sourcing candidates for a customer with these requirements: technically savvy, results oriented, efficient sales skills with good phone & writing skills. My interaction with this candidate started via email, which is great because I could get an idea of his written communication skills. His first emails were to find out a little more about the company and a lot about the position responsibilities. We emailed back and forth several times in which he asked some great questions. After I had answered his questions, he sent an email stating that he was interested in the position and would like to take it to the next step. I emailed… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Top 5 + 1 Reasons Why Candidates Say “No”
I found this article in a recent Selling Power Newsletter that piqued my interest. After reading it, I found that the author touches on some very good points to remember when making an offer to a candidate. It is a very short read and well worth the time. The author, Craig Silverman gives these 5 reasons you will get a no: Need – If your message isn’t compelling enough, they won’t feel the need to make a change. Motivation – You have to understand what motivates the candidate before you offer the position. Once you find out, build it into your offer. Compensation – Most salespeople don’t want to make… Read More
Continue ReadingOnboarding Executives
From BusinessWeek online’s How To Take The Reins At Top Speed: In today’s era of increasingly activist investors and boards, a heightened focus on fast results is making the first few months feel more like a trial by fire than a honeymoon. … “Many senior executives feel they have a much shorter time frame to prove themselves.” This accelerated productivity demand is common to almost all positions within a company. I am appreciative of CEOs finally having this demand placed upon them also. In sales, it has been this way for years . . . maybe decades. Despite having a name only a consultant or HR professional could love –… Read More
Continue ReadingJob Offer Etiquette
Call first, email second. There is no other way to do it safely. This BusinessWeek.com article – Hiring Companies Should Show the Love – got me thinking about this topic. The article is written to the candidate’s perspective, but it holds good advice for hiring companies too. For starters, if a company calls you with a job offer, they should have all the details ready to explain to you, including title, reporting relationship, compensation (salary, bonus, 401(k), etc.) and amount of travel. Now, much of this may have gotten sorted out during the interview process. But because the processes are often so fragmented, you may only have one shot with… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Selling Sales Manager Paradox
We here at The Hire Sense are diehard hockey fans so pardon my analogy. Jacques Lemaire is the head coach of our Minnesota Wild. As head coach, he is obviously in charge of running practices, developing players, coaching during the game and, ultimately, winning games. He does all this without ever scoring a goal for the team. He does it by coaching his players and holding them accountable. It is a full-time job. Now imagine if the owner of the Wild decided he was going to measure Lemaire’s performance by how many goals he scored in the games. Lemaire would have to change his whole strategy to allow himself to… Read More
Continue Reading6 Body Language Clues
Managesmarter.com offers this article – Express Yourself – to provide salespeople with 6 easy reads of their prospect. Nose or face scratch implies dislike. Head tilted to the side implies interest. Eye rub implies deceit. Hand or finger blocking the mouth implies lying. Thumb tucked under the chin with index finger pointing up on the cheek implies a critical attitude. Chin stroke implies making a decision. All of them are good reads for observing prospects’ subconscious take on the discussion. However, how do you affect a change in the discussion? One tool we provide salespeople is our Selling Style sheet which provides salespeople with a quick, 1 page reference sheet… Read More
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