Salary.com and Money teamed up to offer this article in which they polled more than 12,000 people in their 2nd annual Best Jobs in America survey. One interesting fact that they found was that 60% of those surveyed are considering or recently have completed a career change. Clearly the days of the single-company career are gone (all of here at Select Metrix can attest to that). They have actually broken down the top 20 jobs for 4 different categories, for the young (Gen Y), parent’s returning to the workforce, veterans and for those over 50 (baby boomers). The articles are quite long so allow me to preview the top 10… Read More
Continue ReadingDefining The Office Grandstander
Anyone who has worked in a large company has encountered office grandstanders in great quantity. Every department has them. Now CareerJournal.com offers an entertaining article titled Not Even Politicians Can Outdo Office Grandstanders. Another tactic: Speak first, and often, in meetings, says Greg Milano, a sales and marketing veteran of 22 years, and act like the boss you aren’t — yet. One colleague he remembers would often distribute minutes of meetings that weren’t his, make the first toasts at parties he didn’t host and grill people with questions only he felt he was entitled to ask. “It became such an annoyance that people started to refer to that behavior by his… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Meeting Standards
Salespeople are the face of your company to the prospect world. The salesperson’s output (emails, proposals, information) also represents your company in the market. Have you ever managed a salesperson who simply didn’t focus on the quality of his or her output? Or how about the salesperson who places a perfectionist’s expectation on a simple item? They drag out a simple item to exacting levels – even to the point of missing the opportunity. This week we break down that trait. Meeting Standards The ability to see and understand the standard requirements established for a job and having the commitment to meet them. This is an internal motivation which combines… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Dawn Of Corporate Text Messaging
We are gradually moving towards instant messaging for our internal communications at Select Metrix and away from email. Speed is a big part of this move for us, but email spam is also driving the change. I have a difficult time imagining email disappearing all together, but this article from Inc.com provides some insight: Due to increasing levels of spam, companies may soon have to look beyond e-mail as the primary method of communicating with employees and customers, according to a new study. In 2007 alone, it is predicted that nearly 97 billion e-mails will be sent daily worldwide, 40 billion of which will be spam messages, the study found. In… Read More
Continue ReadingEmail Names To Avoid
20 years ago we would not have been discussing this topic, but Foxnews.com posts this article: Quirky E-Mail Addresses Won’t Help in the Hunt for Jobs. I believe it was Mark Twain who said that common sense ain’t so common. You would think job candidates would be wary of using party-like names. Apparently not: E-mail names deemed unprofessional included: alliecat@, bacardigirl@, bighotdaddy@, drunkensquirl@, foxylady@, gigglez217@. “bighotdaddy” made me laugh. Just as surprising was the fact that someone conducted a study to find out if these email addresses would have an adverse effect on a job search.
Continue ReadingA Strange Cover Email
I’ve never seen this statement in a cover email before: I’m well kept, dress business casual on most days, and mind my own business in the office. This statement comes from the cover letter of a salesperson. If you realize that you only have a small window to make an impression, I think there are far better topics to address in the cover letter. Maybe it’s just me.
Continue ReadingExperience Or Age – Which Is It?
I take a fair amount of grief from the “youngsters” in our organization. Being the elder statesmen has earned me several names and acronyms not suitable for publication. A recent article in Money magazine listed the “Best Jobs” if you’re over 50 and planning a new career. What struck me most, were the following tips – regardless of age or occupation. Make age an advantage Sure, bias is out there. It’s up to you to put your age in a positive light. Talk up your experience and how it fits into what a potential employer is looking for. Is the company trying to launch a service, cut costs or find… Read More
Continue ReadingInterview With The Coach
CareerJournal.com offers something new, at least to me, in the modern-day hiring process – Add One More to the Hiring Process: The Boss’s Coach. Welcome to the latest development in job hunting. You impressed the recruiter, treated the receptionist politely and bonded with the hiring official. Now, you must also pass muster with the executive coach for your likely boss. The rising popularity of such additional screening reflects management’s increased use of coaches and its worries about the high turnover among new hires. I’m not a fan of adding more cooks to the kitchen when it comes to making strong hiring decisions. Our process is geared around group input, but… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Relating To Others
This week’s focus is on the ability of a salesperson to connect with their prospect. Building rapport is first step in starting an effective qualifying discussion with a prospect. Of course, some salespeople can only build rapport – we call them schmoozers. Nonetheless, an strong salesperson with this trait is incredibly effective with new prospects. Relating to OthersThis trait coordinates personal insights and knowledge of others into effective actions. It includes the ability to make use of accurate interpersonal skills in interacting with others. A salesperson with strength in this trait is able to establish a good rapport with others including a feeling of comfort between both parties. A weakness in this area… Read More
Continue ReadingSales On-Ramping
Has your sales department stalled? Is your team awash in mediocrity? If so, you are not alone. According to ManageSmarter.com’s Different Year, Same Objectives for Sales Teams: 57 percent of reps are making quota, but 43 percent are still under quota. Not good. Obviously it is next to impossible to ascertain why 43% are not selling at their quota. My first guess is misaligned hiring for the position, but that’s only a guess. Here is a stat we are attempting to influence greatly: 27.8 percent of companies say it takes more than a year to get new sales reps ramped up. Sounds about right…and that’s not good. That extended ramp… Read More
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