From Monster.com, I doubt you would guess what is number 1…Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. Seriously, there are 13% more of them now than 1 year ago. Number 2 you might actually get – Registered Nurses which makes sense with the aging Baby Boomer generation. Sales Managers made the list, but you will have to follow the link to find out at what spot they landed.
Continue ReadingThrow Away Lines
I read a sales ad today that started with this line: Are you a career-minded salesperson… What does that mean? I bet if I asked 10 people I would get 10 different answers. I call sentences like this “throw away lines” because they do nothing for the ad. It is vitally important when writing ads to only include sentences that describe the position and the type of person who will excel within it. Anything else is wasted space.
Continue ReadingLinguistic Gymnastics
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 ReadingCopy-Paste Before Proofing
Proofread your ads – a simple, simple task that seems to be ignored by some companies. From an ad I read this morning (my editing): A fast growing ______________ is seeking one great sales person to take the Minneapolis/St. Paul market to the next level. Innocuous enough, but when you read through the ad you find this requirement: Organization, computer proficiency, a valid Massachusetts driver’s license and proof of insurance required. That is going to drastically reduce their candidate pool in the Twin Cities. I wouldn’t recommend writing the entire ad in bold font either, but that seems minor compared to the Massachusetts license requirement.
Continue ReadingA Compelling Job Ad Title
This is leverage: Financial Advisor for FORTUNE magazine’s No. 2 “Best Company To Work For“ Financial advisor in this day and age = tough sell. Fortune’s no. 2 company to work for = compelling. Kudos to Edward Jones for a well-titled employment ad.
Continue ReadingFunny Job Ad Titles
I recently stumbled across this article and blog – 51 Funny Craigslist Job Titles and Listings. Now sometimes a catchy title may catch a candidate’s eye, but most of the time you run the risk of not being taken seriously. Here are a couple that I thought were rather good: Attractive, Busy Professional Seeks Very Attractive Personal Assistant The easiest “SALES JOB” – EVER GONE FISHING WITH DYNAMITE? Get Paid to Wave and Dance!!!
Continue ReadingThe Philosophical Ad
I’ve been reading through some sales ads and am seeing a trend regarding the introduction. Many ads are now describing their company in, for lack of a better word, philosophical terms. For instance, this excerpt is from a cell phone company’s ad: Are you ready to join _______ and Live Life in the Now?” “At ______, “NOW” is not a mantra, it’s not a demand and it’s not a time in space. NOW is a fact. It’s a lifestyle. It’s the way we conduct business with each other. And it’s the very essence of the experience we deliver to our customers every single day. We believe in the now. We… Read More
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