From the Herman Trend Alert (sorry, no link): A global survey of 4,500 workers indicates that more people anticipate leaving their employers this year than last. In the 2006 BlessingWhite study, 65 percent said that they expected to “definitely” remain with their employers through the year. In the 2007 study, that number was down to 58 percent. Also of interest, more respondents in 2007 said that there is “no way” they would stay (eight percent up from six percent—a 33 percent increase). European employers face the greatest threat: eleven percent said there is “no way” they will stay. Moreover, employees in Europe and Asia appear less content with their current… Read More
Continue ReadingHow Candidates Interpret Job Ads
Ok, this is a bit dated, but still funny: “COMPETITIVE SALARY” (We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.) “JOIN OUR FAST-PACED TEAM” (We have no time to train you.) “CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE” (We don’t pay enough to expect that you’ll dress up; well, a couple of the real daring guys wear earrings.) “MUST BE DEADLINE ORIENTED” (You’ll be six months behind schedule on your first day.) “SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED” (Some time each night and some time each weekend.) “DUTIES WILL VARY” (Anyone in the office can boss you around.) “MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL” (We have no quality control.) “CAREER-MINDED” (Female applicants must be childless and remain… Read More
Continue ReadingDefining The Sale
Salesopedia.com offers an excellent article titled Top Salespeople Win at the Numbers Game. The article is a bit of a promo for a specific selling system, but the author provides a list of questions that all sales managers should retain. In the last 6 months: 1. What is the average number of prospects that you attempted to call (dials per week?) 2. What percentage of those dials resulted in contact with a decision maker (not voice mail or a gatekeeper)? 3. Out of all the dialing you did in #1, what percentage resulted in talking to the person who could sign a contract, issue a purchase order, or cut a… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Most Influential Headhunters
BusinessWeek.com offers the top 50 most influential headhunters in the business world. Lee didn’t make the list so there goes his top contractual performance incentive. I’m not sure how one determines these lists based on influence, but it seems appropriate that a huge company like Korn/Ferry would put 7 recruiters on the list. If you are interested, you can read the list in it’s entirety here. Now on to devise a new unattainable incentive for Lee.
Continue ReadingThe Demand For Salespeople
Salespeople, with strong skills, are always in demand in any economy. Certainly some sales opportunities have an ebb and flow tied to the current economic conditions, but those are mainly business-to-consumer positions. From that understanding comes a 2008 sales hiring outlook from Monster.com. First key graph: In 2008 as always, salespeople in nearly any industry will find work, if they’ve got the contacts, the product knowledge and the street savvy. “Any successful salesperson in any industry is able to write their own ticket,” says Brandon Gutman, director of marketing and business development for recruiter Stephen-Bradford Search in New York. Couldn’t agree more. As companies make difficult decisions, some strong salespeople… Read More
Continue ReadingRetention In A Slow Economy
A statistic from the Career News newsletter (sorry, no link): One in four U.S. workers is resolving to get a new job this year. The survey found that 26 percent of employed Americans said they will look for a new job in 2008. I thought that number seemed somewhat low – I was expecting a number closer to 33%. Retention will always be a top priority for sales managers, but it may be that the slowing economy will cause more workers to stay in their current positions this year.
Continue ReadingThe Pain Of Change
We’re big fans of Jeff Thull here at The Hire Sense and we always try to keep up with his articles. This one from Inc.com – Three Keys to a Successful New Year – is well worth the read. Ok, we might be a bit late getting to this one since it’s theme is for the new year. I have always appreciated a doctor analogy for selling and I think Thull lays out a good example here: Like an experienced doctor who continually diagnoses for problems and recognizes symptoms, you see the issues your solutions address far more frequently than your customers do. You know the business drivers that your… Read More
Continue ReadingQualifying Is In The Questions
Successful selling is far more than being a smooth talker. It requires the ability to listen attentively and move within the conversation. This principle is discussed in a ManageSmarter.com commentary titled Build Sales Relationships: Consultative Questioning. The opening recollection of the author’s first sales position is excellent: I marched into orientation, ready to close like a champion. That’s when my real learning began. My manager opened training with a startling insight: “Want to be successful in sales? Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.” His approach contradicted everything I read: He stressed dialogue instead of dominance and questioning in place of presenting. And he always customized his approach based… Read More
Continue ReadingDeal-Killing CEOs
ManageSmarter.com offers an article I could have penned – The CEO as Salesperson. I can relate to this sales call: After initial introductions, the CEO took over the meeting and, ignoring the agenda, began a detailed demo and discussion of the product. He set about to demonstrate the superiority of the product and his own knowledge of the industry. He argued with the prospect, dismissed their questions and points of view, and then couldn’t understand why they didn’t buy immediately. It took the regional manager nine months to recover and get the sale. My experience with the CEO in a sales call most often followed a similar form with even… Read More
Continue ReadingCold Calls Or Connections
We have been debating the merits of cold calling recently here at Select Metrix. My take is that it is an archaic approach that appears active but produces little. I don’t recall the other argument since mine was so persuasive (that ought to get Lee going). Here is another take on cold calling from one of the Inc.com blogs: First, no more cold calls! They don’t give enough of a return, and we typically have the wrong people doing them (the new hires). Instead, let’s try Six Degrees of Separation for business. If the world is truly “connected,” — and it is — why make cold calls when we can… Read More
Continue Reading